“I would like to go riding.”
The groom nodded. “I will saddle a horse,” he said before he turned to enter the stable.
“Thank you,” she replied, following him inside.
The thick smell of hay and manure might have offended some, but she found the smell calmed her. It reminded her of when she used to go riding with her father. How she wished he were still here. If he was still alive, then her life would be drastically different, and she’d never have met the infuriating Lord Bideford.
Ellie grabbed an apple from a bucket and walked up to a stall housing a brown gelding. She held the apple up and the horse ate it out of her hand, eliciting a giggle from her. She stepped closer and ran her hand down the horse’s neck.
Regardless of what Lord Bideford had done, she was still better off here than at Maidstone. Lord Bideford might be disagreeable, but Lord Worthington was much worse.
It was a shame that such a handsome man was so vexing, she thought. For Lord Bideford was indeed handsome, but there was a mixture of anguish and sadness in his eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder what had stolen the light that had surely been there at some point in the past. But it mattered not; Lord Bideford would never let her get any closer. He was doing everything in his power to push her away.
The groom approached her with the chestnut mare she had ridden the day before and extended the reins towards her. “Would you like for me to escort you?”
“That won’t be necessary,” she replied as she accepted the reins. “I will remain on Lord Bideford’s lands.”
The groom walked over and picked up a mounting block sitting in the corner. He placed it on the horse’s left side and held his hand out to assist her.
After she was situated in the saddle, she guided the horse out of the stable before urging him into a run. The horse eagerly complied, and they started racing through the fields. She could feel wisps of her hair coming out of her neat coiffure, but she didn’t care. The wind on her face, coupled with the warmth of the sun, set her mind at ease.
She would get through this, and she would be stronger because of it. It didn’t matter if Lord Bideford didn’t like her, because she had more important things to worry about. She needed to find a serious suitor and marry before Lord Worthington discovered where she was. Her mother was counting on her, and she couldn’t let her down.
She reined in her horse when she saw Lord Charles and Lady Emma approaching. Emma put her hand up in greeting when she saw them, and they reined in their horses next to hers.
“Good morning,” Emma greeted.
She forced a smile to her lips. “Good morning,” she replied.
“I do apologize for not waiting for you to go riding, but your lady’s maid indicated that you were sleeping in.”
“I did, and then I decided that I needed a moment alone.”
Emma eyed her curiously. “Is everything all right?”
“It is.” Her tone was much more curt than she had intended.
Charles spoke up. “You seem a bit out of sorts this morning.”
Letting out a sigh, Ellie confessed, “Your brother is quite infuriating.”
“We are well aware,” Charles said, smiling, “but what did he do this time?”
Ellie shifted the reins in her hand. “He offered me a thousand pounds to leave your townhouse and return to Maidstone for the remainder of the Season.”
Emma’s brow lifted. “Please say that you aren’t in earnest.”
“I’m afraid I am,” Ellie replied. “I only just left him in the drawing room.”
“Idiot,” Charles muttered under his breath.
With a furious expression, Emma asked, “What did you say to his offer?”
“I refused him, of course.”
Emma bobbed her head in approval. “You did the right thing,” she said. “I would not give my brother any heed.”
“I’m trying not to, but I can’t figure out why he loathes me so.”
