she’d leave the man here and now!
He didn’t respond. A stable boy pushed open the doors and Leo disappeared outside, his huge black horse following like a docile pup.
Ella waved at the boy. “Excuse me, you there. Can you saddle a horse?”
He swiped his nose with the back of his hand and nodded. “Yes, miss.”
“And make sure it’s a very nice, gentle horse.”
He went to a brown mare that looked more dead than alive with her drooping head and sagging brown eyes. She was perfect. Ella prayed Leo had been delayed. Clasping her hands in front of her, she paced back and forth, mentally urging the boy to hurry. Leo, blast him, was proving to be much more difficult than she’d expected, and the more she pushed herself on him, the better. She’d wear him down yet. If she could tame Lady Buckley’s spawn, she could tame Leo. Finally, the lad was finished with her mount. She followed him outside. Leo was gone.
“Where’d he go?” she asked frantically.
An old man leaned against the handle of his shovel and tilted his cap back. “The young lord?”
Ella nodded and jumped onto the box the boy provided. Before her, the horse loomed large and intimidating. She’d always feared horses, for they were the most difficult of the animals for her to control. That combined with the fact that she’d had little experience with the beasts as she tried to avoid them at any cost.
But surely she could ride. It looked easy enough. Closing her eyes, she tested the animal’s emotions. The mare was worried, but thrilled to be out of her small box.
Praying for safety, Ella pushed herself onto the beast. She resisted the urge to shift as the saddle dug into her bottom.
“It’s a sidesaddle,” the boy said. “You got to ’ave both legs on this side.”
Ella blushed. “Oh, of course.” It seemed preposterous to her, but she did what he said.
“The young lord went thataway,” the old man said, pointing down a trail.
“Oh, wonderful, thank you.” Ella had just wrapped her leg around the pommel, setting both legs on the side of the horse when the boy slapped the rump of her mount. She squeaked as she felt the beast’s fear mingle with the innate desire to run.
The horse burst down the trail. Clinging to the pommel, Ella tried to calm her racing heart, but with the landscape a brilliant blur, that remained impossible. The trees broke away, and a field splashed with yellow flowers stretched below. Through those flowers, Leo raced bareback toward a grouping of trees.
“Leo!” she called out.
He didn’t slow…didn’t look back.
She leaned forward, slapping the reins lightly against the horse’s neck. “Come on, girl.” The mare bolted down the hill. Terrified, Ella clung to the saddle, unable to do anything other than pray she would not die. She felt the horse’s thrill at being free and knew her mount would not easily stop.
Blimey, she was doomed!
Fran would have to move back to the orphanage; Leo would never learn to be a gent. She slipped. With a gasp, she tightened her hold and closed her eyes.
“Please don’t fall, please don’t fall,” she whispered. The wind whipped loose strands of hair painfully across her face, but she didn’t dare move her hands to sweep them aside.
“Please, Leo,” she stuttered, with each painful thud of the horse’s hooves. She groped for the horse’s mind and sent a soothing sensation of rest into the animal’s brain.
Her horse stopped, and she lost her hold. Suddenly, there was nothing but air. Ella had a split second to realize the seriousness of her situation before she rolled over the horse’s head and her bottom hit hard earth. Pain radiated up her spine. She collapsed onto her back, blinking up at the brilliant blue sky.
“Ouch.”
The mare’s face hovered over her. As if inquiring over her condition, the beast’s soft nose nudged her shoulder.
“I’m well.” She grimaced as she pushed herself up. “But you are walking back.”
With a deep
He didn’t respond. A stable boy pushed open the doors and Leo disappeared outside, his huge black horse following like a docile pup.
Ella waved at the boy. “Excuse me, you there. Can you saddle a horse?”
He swiped his nose with the back of his hand and nodded. “Yes, miss.”
“And make sure it’s a very nice, gentle horse.”
He went to a brown mare that looked more dead than alive with her drooping head and sagging brown eyes. She was perfect. Ella prayed Leo had been delayed. Clasping her hands in front of her, she paced back and forth, mentally urging the boy to hurry. Leo, blast him, was proving to be much more difficult than she’d expected, and the more she pushed herself on him, the better. She’d wear him down yet. If she could tame Lady Buckley’s spawn, she could tame Leo. Finally, the lad was finished with her mount. She followed him outside. Leo was gone.
“Where’d he go?” she asked frantically.
An old man leaned against the handle of his shovel and tilted his cap back. “The young lord?”
Ella nodded and jumped onto the box the boy provided. Before her, the horse loomed large and intimidating. She’d always feared horses, for they were the most difficult of the animals for her to control. That combined with the fact that she’d had little experience with the beasts as she tried to avoid them at any cost.
But surely she could ride. It looked easy enough. Closing her eyes, she tested the animal’s emotions. The mare was worried, but thrilled to be out of her small box.
Praying for safety, Ella pushed herself onto the beast. She resisted the urge to shift as the saddle dug into her bottom.
“It’s a sidesaddle,” the boy said. “You got to ’ave both legs on this side.”
Ella blushed. “Oh, of course.” It seemed preposterous to her, but she did what he said.
“The young lord went thataway,” the old man said, pointing down a trail.
“Oh, wonderful, thank you.” Ella had just wrapped her leg around the pommel, setting both legs on the side of the horse when the boy slapped the rump of her mount. She squeaked as she felt the beast’s fear mingle with the innate desire to run.
The horse burst down the trail. Clinging to the pommel, Ella tried to calm her racing heart, but with the landscape a brilliant blur, that remained impossible. The trees broke away, and a field splashed with yellow flowers stretched below. Through those flowers, Leo raced bareback toward a grouping of trees.
“Leo!” she called out.
He didn’t slow…didn’t look back.
She leaned forward, slapping the reins lightly against the horse’s neck. “Come on, girl.” The mare bolted down the hill. Terrified, Ella clung to the saddle, unable to do anything other than pray she would not die. She felt the horse’s thrill at being free and knew her mount would not easily stop.
Blimey, she was doomed!
Fran would have to move back to the orphanage; Leo would never learn to be a gent. She slipped. With a gasp, she tightened her hold and closed her eyes.
“Please don’t fall, please don’t fall,” she whispered. The wind whipped loose strands of hair painfully across her face, but she didn’t dare move her hands to sweep them aside.
“Please, Leo,” she stuttered, with each painful thud of the horse’s hooves. She groped for the horse’s mind and sent a soothing sensation of rest into the animal’s brain.
Her horse stopped, and she lost her hold. Suddenly, there was nothing but air. Ella had a split second to realize the seriousness of her situation before she rolled over the horse’s head and her bottom hit hard earth. Pain radiated up her spine. She collapsed onto her back, blinking up at the brilliant blue sky.
“Ouch.”
The mare’s face hovered over her. As if inquiring over her condition, the beast’s soft nose nudged her shoulder.
“I’m well.” She grimaced as she pushed herself up. “But you are walking back.”
With a deep
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