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Ophelia drew her steed toward the stable as she watched Grace out of the corner of her eye. The young woman took two attempts at it. She managed it on the second go, even if she ruffled her skirts in the process and struggled to stand straight with the horse snorting beside her.
“See? I knew you could do it,” Ophelia said as she moved to the horse and took the reins from Grace.
“I did.” Grace seemed pleased with her own accomplishment, standing taller. “Maybe I could see what else there is to do? With the horses, I mean.”
“Of course. Come on.” Ophelia encouraged Grace to follow her into the stables. She showed her how to unsaddle and brush down the horses, and they offered up some water for the animals. When they came to leave, Ophelia was distracted as she bolted the stable door, watching as Grace fidgeted between her feet beside her. “Is something wrong?”
“No, it is just I was thinking…” She chewed her lip quite openly. “My mother would have been quite shocked at me working with the horses.”
“You’re more capable than you give yourself credit for, Grace,” Ophelia observed and gestured to the house. “Come on, let’s get inside.”
Together, they walked into the house where Mrs Mouser brought them some tea. They were sitting together, sipping their drinks, when Elliot returned from his day out. Ophelia spied him through the open door of the sitting room, peering over her teacup to see a darkness on his face as he stared at the floor.
Whatever had happened that day, something had clearly gone wrong. Finding herself desperate to move that deep furrow from his brow, she urged Grace to stay in the sitting room and stood to her feet.
“Elliot?” Ophelia walked toward him in the hallway. He snapped his gaze up, still looking quite lost. “What is it? What has happened?”
She reached for him, finding she didn’t hesitate to do so. Momentarily, she forgot the distance between them, thinking only of that worried look. When she took his hand, she was startled by the eagerness with which he took it back. He bent toward her, as if he would kiss her, then glanced through the open door of the sitting room and clearly saw Grace watching them, so he held himself back.
“Meeting debtors is no happy matter,” he whispered to Ophelia. “The deals my parents made just to spend more money, and with the folk they did business with, it’s unsettling.”
“You don’t need to worry about that now.” Ophelia felt a warmth spreading through her to be standing so close to Elliot.
At last, we are closer again.
She was about to reach out with her other hand when Mrs Mouser appeared in the hallway, all in a fluster.
“Oh, Your Grace, you’re back. Thank goodness, we are all in uproar!” She flung her arms into the air with the words.
“What has happened?” Elliot said, dropping Ophelia’s hand so quickly that she felt a coldness spread through her.
“It’s the horses. The stable must have been left unlocked for they have just been seen from the kitchen window bolting across the estate.”
Elliot looked at Ophelia as she felt her heart sink.
“I thought I bolted the door,” she whispered.
Chapter 16
“Did you bolt the door or not?” Elliot asked, the anger plain in his tone. He didn’t hold himself back in that moment, for the panic was too sudden for him to control.
Ophelia stared at him, her bold eyes wide, though she didn’t answer.
“Ophelia, we have so few horses!”
“I know, I know,” she said hurriedly, “but I swear I did. Mrs Mouser, what has happened?” She appealed to the housekeeper for help.
“Miss Barge just saw them running through the courtyard,” Mrs Mouser spoke in a rush. “Quite a sight they were, she says, running for freedom.”
“Goddamn it.” Elliot grabbed the frock coat he had just taken off and put it back on his shoulders, reaching for the door.
“Where are you going?” Ophelia asked, following him.
“What does it look like? I’m going to try and round them up.” He was speaking quickly now in his frustration.
“Then I will come with you.”
“No.”
