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“Thank you,” Belle murmured, eyeing the food. Her stomach growled in response and she hoped the sisters didn’t hear.
“How did you sprain your ankle?” Julia asked, excitedly. “Mother wouldn’t tell us anything about it. She told us to ask you.”
“I was thrown off my horse,” Belle said, as she drank a spoonful of soup. “She got frightened at a boom of thunder.”
“You have a horse?” Julia’s wide eyes darted to her sister and then back to Hannah. “Where is she?”
“She’s with a friend.” Stephenhadpromised to take care of her for a while and she doubted he would break that promise.
“Oh, I would have loved to see her,” Julia pouted.
“She’s always liked horses,” said Lily. She seemed the calmer one of the two, but Belle got the sense that there was a fiery spirit beneath the gentle exterior.
I see a lot of myself in her, actually.
“But let us not bother her too much about that, Julia. I’m sure she doesn’t want to relive the trauma.”
Belle nearly choked on her soup. “It wasn’t traumatic at all,” she said quickly, trying not to laugh. “It wasn’t the first time I’ve been thrown from a horse.”
At Lily and Julia’s confused expressions, she thought it might be best that she diverted their minds from this topic. She supposed it would be odd for a commoner to have such access to a horse.
“I don’t think I introduced myself,” she said politely. “My name is Hannah Brown.”
“Yes, Mother told us,” Lily said. “She told us what happened to you too, as well as the handsome gentleman who came to bring you in.”
She nearly choked again. Two times the charm. “He’s hardly—”
“Handsome?” Julia spoke up. “Mother begged to differ, but she wouldn’t give us any details on him.” She raised her brows expectantly.
Belle couldn’t help the smile that overcame her face. “Yes, he is quite handsome, but I’m afraid that’s the only thing I can tell you. I hardly know him myself.”
“But he went out of his way to help you?” Now it was Lily’s turn to look excited. “How romantic! I wished I’d met him before he left. He sounds just like the dashing gentlemen in poems.”
That surprised her. “You are a fan of poems?”
“We both are,” Julia said perkily. “Although Lily is the one who fancies the more romantic ones. I like simple poetry, about nature and such.”
Belle liked poetry herself, although if she had to choose between it and riding, she’d always choose riding. “I think reading some poetry would be a lovely way to pass the time while I’m stuck in bed.”
“For a few weeks, I hear.” Lily gave Belle’s ankle another grimace. “I think I would go mad if I had to suffer in bed all day. Not being able to at least go to the market is punishment enough.”
How odd.
Belle didn’t think going to the market could possibly be a hobby.
“Lily doesn’t like staying in the house,” Julia explained, as if she could sense Belle’s unspoken question. “She likes fresh air.”
“Who doesn’t?” Julia countered.
“I’m a fan of the outdoors myself,” Belle told her. “So, you can imagine how difficult this is going to be for me.”
Especially seeing that the longer I stay in London, the more likely Father is to find me.
Belle knew that the moment he found out about her disappearance, he would scour all of England to find her. She felt relatively safe here in this home, but there was no telling what he might do to get to her.
“Don’t you worry,” Lily said, patting her hand. “I’m sure the time will get away from you and soon you’ll be able to do whatever you wish.”
“Where are you from, Hannah?” Julia asked suddenly.
