There was a small rise approaching. Strum galloped up and then leaped over it. For a moment, Rose believed she was flying. The impact of the landing crashed through her, but she held on, bumping on top of the horse. They passed through long grass and meadows of flowers that swayed in the breeze. It was a beautiful sight.
The meadow sloped down, and a lake revealed itself. The water shimmered beneath the sun’s gaze, yet remained as still as glass, making it look as though a huge mirror had been placed on the ground.
“First to reach the lake wins!” Edmund cried out. The air was filled with their laughter as the two horses were like shadows of each other.
In the end, it was impossible to tell which horse reached the lake first.
“I win!” Rose said.
“I hate to disappoint you, but I was a nose in front,” Edmund disagreed.
“Not at all! I was ahead all the way. You couldn’t have caught up.”
“I am a man for whom the impossible is not beyond reach.”
“Youareimpossible,” Rose rolled her eyes, for he was beginning to detract from the joy of the day. Her heart was still beating fast, and her hair was only just beginning to settle around her head.
“I choose to take that as a compliment,” Edmund said, grinning in a way that made him seem unconcerned about anything. Rose huffed, knowing that she wasn’t going to get him to admit that he had lost. However, in her heart, she knew that she had emerged victorious.
They slipped off their horses and looked around. The lake was peaceful and quiet. A foal was nearby, drinking from the lake. Its mother was not far behind. Sheep dotted the horizon, peacefully grazing on grass. The air was sweet, and Rose’s heart was settled.
Edmund put his hand on his hips and took a deep breath.
“Now, isn’t this much better than standing in a stuffy museum looking at a painting? No artist can capture this,” he said, stretching out his arms, as if to embrace the world.
Rose wanted to disagree with him, but if she had, it would have been only because she wanted to be contrary. As she looked around at this idyllic scene, she couldn’t find a way to counter his words.
“In this, you are correct, but I suppose the benefit of a painting is that it will last forever, until destroyed. These moments are fleeting. Those animals will move away, clouds will darken the sky, and eventually, the light will fade and tomorrow will be entirely different.”
“All the more reason to enjoy it now,” he said. Then, he looked down at her feet. “By the way, your shoes are muddy.”
The ground beside the lake was wet and soft. Her shoes sank into the mud, and the dirt flecked her toes and heels. She rolled her shoulders, and he grinned.
Strum and Pluck bowed their heads and slaked their thirst in the lake. Rose was suddenly aware that she was alone in this expanse of nature with Edmund, and there was no chaperone around. He looked at her in a way that made her heart throb. There was an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach and a fear of uncertainty, for anything might happen out here, and she needed her wits about her.
He took one step toward her, and she felt the ground shift beneath her feet.
“You are a good rider,” he said.
“Good enough to beat you.”
“That is a mystery only God can answer. Your mother must have taught you well.”
“She did. And she would love to be here. This place… It’s beautiful.”
“I have a lake like it on my land. We used to go boating. It was a little larger than this one.”
“I believe Lydia mentioned it. She has fond memories of that time.”
Edmund nodded, and for a moment, she thought he might become lost in memories, but just as a strange look rippled across his face, he seemed to shake himself and refocused.
“It is a nice place, although I have not had cause to visit it for a while. Lydia told me that you do have a particular affinity for the outdoors. Is that something you inherited from your mother?”
“I suppose it must be. I just remember being at my happiest when I was away from the city. It always felt like there were fewer demands placed upon me when we were away from London.”
Edmund nodded with understanding. “Indeed, it seemed as though titles mattered less and we could simply be children.”
“I always used to wish that I could live out here, among the animals. Life seems so much simpler for them.”
