They rode side by side, and he leaned lower in the saddle, hoping to coax more speed out of his stallion. As the river loomed up ahead, he reined in his horse and was pleased to see that Miss Bentley did the same.
“It was a tie,” Miss Bentley announced.
Roswell tipped his head in acknowledgement. “You are an exceptional rider.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “My father taught me.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Roswell saw Emma in the distance, walking her horse at a leisurely pace, which was quite unusual. It had been some time since he last rode with her, but he remembered that she generally preferred to ride at high speeds.
He dismounted and held the reins loosely in his hands. “Would you care to rest a spell?” he asked. “It would appear that it may take my sister some time to catch up to us.”
In a swift motion, Miss Bentley dismounted gracefully.
“That was rather impressive,” he said.
Miss Bentley gave him a rueful smile. “I always tired of waiting for the grooms to assist me off my horse, so I learned how to do it myself.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Roswell reached down and picked up a flat, smooth rock and ran his fingers over it. “If my mother were here, she would likely chide you on decorum, though.”
“As would my mother,” she replied. “Thankfully, neither of them is here.”
Roswell flicked his wrist and watched as the rock took flight over the calm water. It skipped on top a few times before it dropped below the water’s surface.
“That was impressive.”
“Charles and I used to skip rocks at the pond near our country home,” he shared. “I hold the record for eight skips.”
“Eights skips?” she repeated. “Surely, you exaggerate.”
“I assure you I do not.”
Miss Bentley picked up a round rock and tossed it into the water. It landed with a big thud. She glanced over at him. “Is there a secret to get the rocks to skip?”
Reaching down, Roswell picked up a flat rock and held it up for her inspection. “It is best if the rock is flat and smooth,” he said. “You want it to fit easily in your palm, and try to find one that isn’t heavy.”
Miss Bentley leaned down and picked up a rock similar to his. “Will this one work?”
“It will,” he replied. “Now hold the rock between your thumb and middle finger.” He watched as Miss Bentley followed his directions before saying, “Then face the water, bring your arm and wrist behind you, and release the stone.”
He demonstrated the motion for her a few times. Then, he released the stone and watched it skip six times over the water.
Turning towards her, he said, “It is your turn now.”
A look of deep concentration settled on Miss Bentley’s face as she brought her arm and wrist behind her. As she threw her arm out in front of her, she released the rock and it sailed over the water before dropping below the surface.
She frowned as she looked out over the water. “What did I do wrong?”
“Nothing,” Roswell encouraged. “You just need more practice.”
“I can hardly stay out here all day and practice skipping rocks.”
“I must admit that I am pleased to discover something that you are not good at,” Roswell said, smiling to soften his teasing.
She brought her gaze to meet his. “If you must know, there are many things I am not good at.”
“Such as?”
Hesitating for only a moment, she replied, “Latin, for one.”
