Wait, what?Caroline gaped at her. It hadn’t even occurred to her to tell Charles about her new feelings, though it made sense—of all her family, he was the most... the least... She frowned.Well, he’ll no doubt be very Charles about it. Shocked, as anyone would be, but not cruel. Never knowingly unkind.“Would it help to know that your scolding may not be in vain? That it may in fact allow two secret lovers unknown to you, who have been unable to marry for years despite their fervent wishes, to finally be able to do so?”
“Oh,” Miss Emily said, her eyes widening. “I would endure several days of scolding for such an achievement. How very romantic! I shall confess to my sister as soon as you leave, andwe shall arrange the scheme as you like. I am sure that Teddy will be amenable.”
“What say you to a race, Miss Darcy?” called Miss Laurel, distracting Caroline’s attention.
“Oh, I do not know if that is a good idea.” Georgiana, her eyes already bright with happiness, cocked her head. “I would not want to embarrass my host.”
Miss Laurel scoffed, though her smile was good-natured. “You are very confident for someone on an unfamiliar horse.”
“Oh, he and I understand each other quite well already, do we not?” Georgiana reached down and patted the horse’s neck, receiving a soft whicker in return. “Where shall we race?”
Miss Laurel pointed east, to a field which lay like a vast, outstretched hand and only ended in a line of dark trees. Several small fences had been erected on the grass, each set apart from the others, making them look like doorways to nowhere.
“I do not think a race would be wise,” Caroline called, as a slight breeze ruffled her curls. The scent of clover and fresh-cut grass which drifted over was a delightful one, but it did not alleviate any of the foreboding feeling that lay in her stomach like a stone, pressing all the previously-enjoyable cake into a tight ball of nerves. “What if one of you is hurt?”
The ladies exchanged wry looks. Miss Emily, apparently unperturbed by such wild ideas, went off inside to request more tea. Georgiana steered her horse over to Caroline and lowered her voice to a murmur. “I promise you, there is no need to worry.”
“You cannot promise any such thing,” Caroline protested. Up close, the horse was even more formidable—a far cry from pretty, stolid Edward, who looked more like a white barrel withlegs than a real horse. Georgiana’s own Swift was on the leaner, rangy side, whereas this horse was heavily-muscled and looked as if it could easily kick down a barn.
Georgiana bent down and cupped Caroline’s chin, the horse’s flanks blocking her action from view. “Look at me,” said she, her dark eyes serious. “I promise you that I will be perfectly safe.”
“Well, I...” Caroline began, then edged aside as the horse tried to nibble on her bonnet. “I do not trust this enormous beast.”
“But you trust me, don’t you?”
“With my life, certainly. I do not necessarily trust you with your own.”
For a moment, a strange expression flashed across Georgiana’s face, but before Caroline could decipher it, it was gone. “So?” she added, after another heartbeat had passed. “Will you let me compete?”
“Let you?” Caroline scoffed. “As if you actually would listen to me.”
“I would.” Georgiana’s gaze turned fierce, as if trying to tell her something unspoken. “If it really frightened you, I would beg off.”
“Of course it frightens me. It downright terrifies me.” Caroline sighed. There was no winning here. “Yet, I would never keep you from doing something you wanted to do. A fact which you know very well.”
“Thank you.” Georgiana looked relieved, her fingers stroking the underside of Caroline’s chin, and her smile was unexpectedly tender.
“Please be careful,” Caroline murmured, though the advice was likely to go unheeded.
Georgiana clicked her tongue and the horse turned at once,ambling back towards Laurel, who waited on Snowfall. The stallion pawed at the ground with his front hoof, evidently eager to be off. Caroline’s mouth was dry, her palms clammy. She wiped them on her dress and tried to reason away her fear. It was only a short race, after all. Surely neither could come to any real harm.
“Where to?” Miss Darcy asked.
Miss Laurel pointed to the end of the field, where a large, gnarled tree stood a little separated from the rest. “What about by the old oak?”
“And what of these fences? What purpose do they serve?”
“Oh, I practice my jumps on them.” Miss Laurel waved an airy hand. “But since they are only big enough for one horse at a time, they will not suit for a race.”
They lined up, taking care to ensure that neither horse stood abreast of the other, and after a shout from Laurel, they were off. Georgiana’s horse surged forward, his long legs giving him an initial advantage, but after only a few strides, Snowfall surpassed him. The young stallion was fleet of foot indeed, bounding over the grass as if he were descended from the swiftest of deer—the ones, presumably, who had lived long enough to outrun a wolf pack. Georgiana was not to be outdone, however, and leaned low along her horse’s neck until they appeared to be one creature as she urged him onwards. The beast thundered past Snowfall in the last few moments, eking out a clear victory. Georgiana turned him in a wide circle, whooping in triumph; without stopping to congratulate Laurel on a race well run, she pushed the horse onwards at speed, back towards Caroline.
A series of gates lay in the way. Instead of swerving around them, Georgiana’s horse leaped one, then another, his muscles bunching. Caroline’s heart mimicked the action, choking thebreath from her lungs in a strangled cry. Surely, Georgiana knew better than to attempt the final gate, which was set as high as the horse’s chest. Surely, no one could make that jump without injury.
The horse’s powerful haunches tensed as it gathered itself for a last great leap. As if time itself had slowed, it soared through the air and—
No, Caroline thought, instinctively reaching into the air as if she could hold Georgiana up with invisible hands as the horse—
Landed cleanly without incident, then slowed to a canter. Caroline felt a great swoop of relief, her knees weak. For a horrible moment, she had pictured the horse stumbling, Miss Darcy’s joy turning to terror, a fall to the ground, a scream of pain...
People had died from less.
Caroline swallowed down the bitter taste of fear. Nothing had happened. Georgiana was fine. But in that moment, she had been really, truly terrified to lose her. A life without Georgiana would be no life at all, whether Caroline achieved the Great Endeavour or not.
Oh God, she thought, a terrible, helpless feeling overcoming her.I think I might be in love for the very first time.
