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“He is in Brussels with Wellington and the only news I have is that the gentry are all having a rollicking time, a ball or soiree every evening and yet, our forces stand ever ready. They haven’t a notion about what is about to befall them, how could they?” he frowned and hurriedly added, “No one knows what Boney will do, is what I mean.”
“Oh, that’s right June-1815, Brussels—Waterloo,” Exerilla exclaimed without thinking and also frowned. She had such a stupid loose tongue.
He puzzled up and asked, looking penetratingly at her, “What do you know of Waterloo?”
She felt his scrutiny and knew she had to find a way out of her blunder, “I have a friend back home, in North Carolina, who had traveled to Belgium—Brussels and passed through a village called Waterloo. The name stuck in my head.” Whew, she saw doubt in his blue eyes but he seemed to accept this.
He said, “Aye then, let’s pick up the pace lass, we need to hurry for that cloud is moving in fast and it is black.”
They reached the woods and slowed to a reasonable trot. She saw him glance to the far right. A narrow trail slightly overgrown wound through the woods toward the west. She pointed and asked, “Oh, where does that trail lead?”
“I am not sure…” They were hurriedly approaching another pasture and he nodded at her as he pointed out the line fence, “Ye can see Horwich House from here, but we have a fence to manage, are ye up to it?”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” she countered and started off at a trot. She laughed as he put his horse into a steady lope, passed her and took his fence flying.
She continued at a trot, because Jack had set his pace. The experienced gelding knew just what to do as he easily, quietly tucked in and took his fence, Exerilla chuckled affectionately as she patted his neck and spoke lovingly, “That is such a fine old fella, yes it is.”
“Well done,” his lordship said jovially. “Not interested in showing off, is he? Just nice and steady.”
“Everything has its time and place and I’m sure old Jack has shown the others a thing or two in his day.” she answered with a warm smile.
He laughed out loud, “I’m sure he has, and what of ye lass, have ye enjoyed showing the others a thing or two?”
“Sure, everyone gives into it now and then,” she peeped at him. Holy good gosh, he was hot, so hot, and she was beginning to be way too interested.
He winked at her and she melted as she watched him move into a trot, but called after him, “My lord, I am sorry, but my old man Jack here, needs to be walked a bit. I don’t want to work him into a lather and then have to walk him down for ten minutes when I get to the stables.”
“What, no groom at Horwich?” his lordship was surprised into asking.
“Yes, but I can’t expect him to take the time out from his other chores, I think overworked already. I would never ask him to do what I can so easily manage.”
He eyed her thoughtfully, a slow smile curving his lips, “Then rain be damned! We shall walk the remainder of the way. It is only a minute over the hill.”
He maintained an easy steady stream of banter, engaging her in his light conversation and X found herself falling deeper into his net.
He made her laugh, think, feel, in fact; he made everything come to life right before her eyes. She felt so much more than she had ever felt. All at once she realized for the first time, there was so much more than being all about White Magic. It was a heady realization.
She did miss being able to use her magic. But if she had, would she have met this exciting man? She might have created a quiet little place to hang out for the months she was stuck in this century and never experienced all of this.
All of her life she had always known she could fall back on her magic. At school when she wanted to correct a wrong, stop a bully from hurting a friend, clean up someone’s mess, or just anything to make things right…she could blink and it would be better. But had it been the correct course of action for her?
If she forgot her purse and needed it, blink. If she needed to do more serious magic her wand could be called into play. She had always been protected. She experienced life safely from the middle, sheltered, pampered, and safe. This was a whole new world and she was having to learn to deal with it as a human. That was important, for it would expand her empathy for others, it would bury the dark in her deeper.
Now here was this man, this human man, who suddenly made life sparkle.
She was in it deep—right up to her eyeballs.
She would be leaving in a few months and he would no longer be a part of her life. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
They reached the Horwich stables when a grizzle bearded, wiry man came ambling out toward them. His lordship was already out of his saddle, on the ground and reaching for her to lift her from her side-saddle, saying, “There now lass, allow me.”
“Ah, but…” Exerilla started to object, “I can dismount myself you know.”
“A lady thanks a gentleman for such an office performed,” he returned gently.
She eyed her booted toes and said softly, “Thank you, my lord.”
He helped her down, taking no liberties, turned to chat the groom up a moment, and flipped him a coin. X smiled to herself. He appeared to have a kind and generous nature.
