“That sounds delightful.”
“Be on your way, then,” her grandmother encouraged.
Arabella leaned forward and kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “I shall see you shortly,” she said as she stepped back.
After she departed from the bedchamber, she hurried down the hall and descended the stairs. She was pleased to see that the butler was standing in the entry hall.
Moore smiled as she approached him. “Good morning, milady.”
“Good morning,” she replied. “I would like to go riding this morning.”
“Then I shall see to the arrangements,” Moore said, giving her a nod before striding away.
Arabella walked into the drawing room and stared out the window as she waited, admiring the expansive lawn. Was her grandmother right? Should she try to focus on all her blessings rather than her failures?
Arabella sighed. That would be rather difficult; her life seemed to be one mishap after another. How she wished for simpler times!
* * *
Colin leanedlow in the saddle as he raced his horse towards Lady Langdon’s manor. Frankly, he didn’t mind selecting a tree for Lady Langdon, but he did dread spending any time at her manor. It would bring back a flood of unwelcome memories.
He had spent an enormous amount of time there as a youth and when he was courting Arabella. He had never been as happy as when he was with her, but he’d had a duty to himself and his family. That was not something he could just cast aside or ignore.
It didn’t matter now. Arabella was with another, and he hoped she was happy. That is all he had ever wanted for her.
Up ahead, he saw a woman on a horse dart out from the woodlands before disappearing back within. He couldn’t help but wonder, who was this brazen person riding on his lands? Well, he was about to find out.
He altered his course, and it wasn’t long before he entered the woodlands where he last saw the woman. He slowed his horse’s gait and continued down the path until he saw the woman dismounted near a stream.
“You there!” he called as he approached. “What are you doing on my lands?”
The woman turned towards him, and he nearly fell off his horse.
Arabella.
She’d startled at his shout, but quickly recovered. “Good morning, Lord Barrett,” she greeted softly.
He lifted his brow at her use of his title, but decided it was best if they had some propriety between them, especially since she was engaged to another. “Good morning, Lady Arabella.”
An uncomfortable silence descended over them as he reined in his horse and dismounted, being mindful to maintain proper distance. He took the opportunity to admire her high cheekbones, deep blue eyes, and her pert nose. This is the person he had been dreaming about for five long years, and here she was, standing in front of him.
Arabella laid her hand on her horse’s neck. “I do apologize for riding on your lands—”
He interrupted her. “You are always welcome to do so.”
“That is kind of you,” she replied. “This spot has always brought me such solace.”
There was so much to be said between them, but he didn’t even know where to begin. Instead, he said, “The weather is beautiful today, is it not?”
“It is,” she readily agreed.
He adjusted the reins in his hands as he found strength for his next words. “I am glad we ran into one another. I would like to apologize for how I treated you the last time we were together.”
He watched as Arabella visibly tensed. “It matters not.”
“It matters to me,” he insisted. “I have spent many years dwelling on it, and I realized how wrong I was to treat you so awfully.”
Arabella gave him a curt nod. “I appreciate you saying so.”
