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Chapter One
So that was it.
Anna’s new chapter was hardly off to a good beginning. The first hints of buttery yellow sunlight started to crest up over The White Horse Inn from which she had just been ousted. This journey seemed to keep taking one left turn and then another. However, she was bound and determined to remain positive.
Unable to afford another night at the inn and unable to match the higher price for the stagecoach presently disappearing into the early morning mist, she had a very long walk ahead of her. She could not blame the driver for filling the remaining seats with gentlemen who could offer more coin than she could for the remaining Derby route. It was simply her luck, as it had always been. At least the weather was nice for her journey. That was something she had going for her.
All of Anna’s meagre belongings were packed up in a carpet bag that she hefted up over one shoulder for ease of carrying as she set off on the three-mile walk toward her new position of employment at Westford Manor. It was not so much the walk that she minded but rather the fact that it would allow surplus time for her mind to wander.
Which was something she would do just about anything to avoid.
She walked slowly, the bag at her back just heavy enough to cause her to sway this way and that as she moved forward. The soft, rhythmic crunching of gravel beneath her feet only caused the static in her mind to expand and stretch. As much as she knew she needed this job, she dreaded it. Never in her life had she been so far away from her younger sister, Emma. She had been raising the girl since she was sixteen, after all. Their relationship was far more like a mother and a daughter than mere sisters. Being parted from her was not going to be an easy task, but there was no choice. The meagre savings that had been left to them when their mother passed all of those years ago were gone, and Emma’s medical bills would not be afforded easily.
Every few steps her mind kept gravitating to her sister, what she must be doing right now. Hopefully, she was not still upset with her. The look on her face when Anna told her that she was actually leaving was something she couldn’t get out of her mind.
“You needn’t go,” Emma had insisted, her voice thick as she had clung tightly to Anna’s hands. For the first time in months, her hands had not been icy to the touch. The colour was slowly rising back into her cheeks. It had been years since her sister’s natural blush showed through her otherwise pallid pallor. Emma’s heart condition often made her circulation very poor; that was what all the physicians kept saying about why her hands were so cold that her fingers would go numb.
But, at least, she had been sitting upright when she had said it.
That was the memory she was going to choose to focus on.
They both knew that she could not stay with their aunt. Emma was the one who was welcome there, and Anna had felt as if she had worn out her welcome a long time ago. The medical bills escalated with every visit, and now that they were actually starting to yield results, she could not allow them to stop. In desperation, Anna had chosen the best job she could get her hands on.
Their aunt’s generosity in housing Emma would continue so long as Anna could send back whatever wages she could every quarter from working in Westford Manor. She had never worked that type of job before and was beyond grateful to have the opportunity. She would do her very best work and earn her place no matter what happened. With motivation as good as hers, there was no way she could lose.
Still, the memory of Emma’s sunken features during her last serious decline made Anna’s heart clench in her chest. She quickened her pace toward the estate. The sooner she got started, the sooner she could receive word from her sister. The more money she could send back, the better.
***
The sounds of crying had woken Edward before the sun had even risen in the sky. The shrill sounds had echoed through the walls and somehow managed to fill every nook and cranny with sound. There was no soothing the young Eleanor when she was worked up to this level.
He had made a valiant effort to endure for as long as he could. When the sunlight started to creep up over the rolling hills of his estate, Edward had found his way to the stables, mounted his favourite black stallion, and ridden out over the grounds, cutting through the morning mist. The further away from the estate he was, the lighter the knot in his chest started to feel. He desperately wished there was a way for him to distance himself from his grief as well. Inside the house, duty overwhelmed him, and outside of it – there was no sufficient distraction to keep his thoughts at bay.
The stallion’s footsteps thundered against his favourite riding track’s hard, packed ground. In truth, these were the only breaks that he was allowed in the slightest. Riding like this in such casual attire, allowing himself to be dishevelled and free for a while, was invaluable to him. His late father would have rolled over in his grave to know that his son and heir had ever stepped outside the house in such an embarrassing fashion. The late duke had insisted upon ducal attire all the time. Here, away from the strict protocols his father had ingrained so deeply in him, he did not have to worry about being the Duke of Westford. No, on these rides he was merely just Edward.
When he finished, he knew the scene that would await him. Juliana would be at the breakfast table, the deep bags under her eyes just that much worse from the lack of sleep she was getting. Eleanor, her daughter, would be there and squirming, unable to properly contain herself from the lack of sleep as well. He could not blame them. Charles, her husband’s death, had been so sudden that there was no time to adjust to the shock. The weight of Mother’s stress and fulfilling her whims had been placed on his shoulders, and it was a burden he was only too happy to bear for the people in his life that he loved so dearly.
So long as he had these small moments of balance.
Edward’s speed made the cold, biting morning wind cut straight through his clothes, chilling his skin, but still, he could not stop. It was easier to focus on that and the sensations alone than to think about any of the rest.
The stable hands had been sorely mistaken in their evaluation.
They had claimed that the horse was still far too new to be ridden like this and just barely broken. While, of course, he could handle a rider and was working through the circuits with good and reasonable ability. But, truly, he was Edward’s favourite. He was promising to be a wonderful steed and somehow seemed to be able to predict his movements before he could even give the command.
They charged into the forest, his breath blowing in clouds around his face as he lifted higher in his saddle, his gaze lifting upward to the canopy of trees overhead and how the light filtered in through the leaves and branches, dancing over the scene before him. A small family of birds, startled by the sound of his horse whinnying, took flight overhead and stole his focus so completely that he did not notice the pheasant suddenly burst from the hedgerow.
He certainly did not adequately compensate as he was toppled off balance as his newly broken, favourite stallion reared up on his hindlegs, a loud protestation seeming to magnify in the enclosed space as his mount panicked.
Edward struggled for the reins to reclaim control over the situation. Panic clawed in his gut as the reins started to slip from his gloved hands, and his body tipped back, falling just as the stallion threatened to buck. His composure slipped as he closed his eyes and braced for impact.
Chapter Two
Up ahead, the sound of a horse’s distress tore Anna out of her thoughts, the memories of the unfortunate circumstances under which she had embarked upon this journey in the first place. The frustrated whinny and sound of distress was something that she could not ignore.
Dropping her carpet bag where she stood, she hitched up her skirts and took off towards the horse. It could have been anything, but she was well prepared for it. James, her late fiance, had taught her very well about horses. She rounded the corner, her legs already on fire from walking and the short jog, and the sorry sight greeted her. A man, tangled up in his reins, his foot caught somehow from where he was on the ground as if he had been thrown from the saddle and improperly corrected himself. The handsome black stallion kept lifting and rearing, lifting the poor man from where he was on the ground as the man whispered placations with impossible calmness.
From his attire, he must have been a groom or perhaps a gentleman farmer with property somewhere just beyond these woods. Perhaps it was a new occupation, but from the artful way he kept dodging the stamping of the horse’s feet, it implied a great ease with distressed horses.
James’ steady voice echoed in her mind’s eye. It seemed that it would be impossible to separate the past from her present today. Images of James’ bright smile as he broke in another stallion, muttering about exposures and how to soothe a frightened horse. Her late fiance had an impossibly steady countenance. So much so that she knew a great many people found him boring or plain, but that was merely because they had never been given the privilege of hearing him speak about his passions. Anna could have listened to him gush about horses all day and night for how he managed to turn a subject that she had been seemingly disinterested in into something thrilling.
This gentleman knew enough to keep the frightened creature steady, but the constant jerking of his body weight against the reins would not end well. They needed to free his foot, and at once.
Anna did not wait for an invitation, nor did her heart feel a single ounce of fear as she grabbed a firm hold of the reins and pulled down, humming a soft melody that she hoped would soothe him. She was far too slight to combat his strength, but combined with the man’s weight on the reins, it seemed to be helping the pair regain control over the situation.
Something similar to this had happened during one of her morning rides with James, so this was all too familiar. Their rides had been one of the few pleasures they had shared together before his fever had stolen him from her. He was the best horse master that London had ever seen, and she was willing to stake just about anything on that claim.
Working together, she helped the man untangle his foot, and he dropped heavily to the ground. Anna quickly grabbed the reins with both hands and applied a steady downward pressure as she hummed just that much louder.
“Thank you for your assistance. I was in a rather difficult position there!” the man said as he reached around her hand to grasp the reins, his other hand reaching for the horse’s face and stroking comfortingly down his long muzzle. “He does not mean any harm, of course. This whole thing was my own fault.”
“I should imagine so,” Anna remarked without thinking, only to stop herself. “Oh, I mean, I did not mean to imply that you had done anything wrong, sir, I merely meant–”
She trailed off, cursing herself under her breath as she quickly relinquished her hold on the reins and put three paces of distance between them. The man in front of her was of average height but still nearly a good head taller than herself. He had broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. However, it was the way that his bright blue eyes were such a striking contrast to his dark, unruly hair, styled a touch longer than was typically considered fashionable. The waves naturally curled away from his face, highlighting his high cheekbones and strong jaw. Handsome. Painfully so in such a disarming way. It was hard to speak properly when he looked at her; his bright smile only made him more charming.
“Please, go on. What did you mean?” he continued.
Timidly, she glanced up to take a better look at his features as she could not get a read on his tone. The man did not sound as if he were admonishing her but rather reserving his judgement as to whether he should be offended by her suggestion until she explained. From his expression, he seemed genuinely curious to hear what she had to say, which was very refreshing considering that was not usually the reaction Anna got when she knew more than those she was speaking to.
“I only mean that if …” she continued. “I fear there is not going to be a way for me to explain myself without digging the hole that I stand in even deeper.”
He almost smiled at that. Just the corner of his lip twitched upwards. “Please, speak freely.”
Did he mean that? Most people did not care to have her thoughts or opinions expressed so directly. “I only mean to say that for a frightened horse, it is best to sit deeply in your saddle.” Her arms moved as her body mimicked the position she was speaking about. “Always try to gently guide your stallion’s head upwards to prevent bucking and then redirect in a circle … it is how they can soothe themselves. It will help to bond you to your handsome stallion as well.”
She felt as if she were repeating James’ words almost completely, just as they had been said to her. It brought her comfort to know that she was relaying accurate information. She always felt so much closer to his memory when she did, and if he had been here – he would have been most proud of her for speaking up.
Anna’s chin lifted, a smile on her full lips – only to be met with the gentleman’s guarded expression.
“I do not presume to tell you what to do, of course … I only mean–” Anna tried to backtrack. Oh, she had truly embarrassed him by claiming to know more about his horse than he did himself, had she not? “I … well, if you are quite all right, I shall just leave you to it …”
Better to retreat quickly than to stick her foot further into her mouth.
Only, the man took a step towards her, halting her retreat. “It is very fortunate for me that you know what you do. I do not know what I would have done had you not come along. I do not mean to bristle at your helpful words. I suppose I am just dreadfully unaccustomed to taking advice from others.”
“You mean advice from women?”
The man’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “No! That was not what I meant … I only meant that you clearly have a very valuable skill set, and I am somewhat embarrassed that I do not know as much as you might.”
“But then you are in the very fortunate position to learn more! Do you not find that prospect enthralling, sir?” Anna grinned. “But, I am sure that you wish to return to your ride, and I am afraid I also have matters to attend to.” She dipped into a hasty curtsy. “Good morning to you, sir.”
“Is there some way I can express my gratitude to you, miss?” the man continued. “Perhaps we could discuss how you have come to know so much about horses over tea?”
“I wish that were possible, sir, but I truly do have an appointment to keep.”
He walked with her, keeping pace with his now calmed stallion, trailing behind them slowly. “A pressing issue?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” she answered as she collected her carpet bag and brushed the dirt from the fabric to the best of her ability. “I am to begin my employment as a nursemaid in the Westford Manor, and I should hate to be late.” She grinned brightly. “I wish to make a good impression upon my new employer, after all.”
“What a coincidence. I am headed in the same direction. These roads have been rumoured to have troubles recently, and I would be only too happy to accompany you.”
“I do not wish to trouble you!”
“I am happy to be troubled,” he answered with a grin as he held her gaze. “It is the least I can do for your saving my life.”
“I do not know about your life, sir, but perhaps your leg?” Anna laughed.
He reached his hand towards her and took the carpet bag from her easily. “I would be useless without it.” He laughed as they started to walk slowly down the path towards the estate. “Does my rescuer have a name?”
“Anna.” She grinned. “Truly, you flatter me, but it is unnecessary. I was merely fortunate enough to have the skills needed at the right moment.”
“Edward,” he answered with a grin, and she noted that when he stood this close, she could see the flecks of green around his iris and the charming way his dimples indented his cheeks as he spoke. “Perhaps it would surprise you to know that most people would run in the opposite direction instead of rushing quickly towards potential danger. Those in the estate will be most fortunate to have somebody with such instincts.”
“I certainly hope to be useful,” Anna continued. “If only there were a market for women grooms, then perhaps I would have really dazzled them.”
“I have no doubt they will be dazzled, no matter what skills you choose to exhibit for them.”
“Oh, I do hope so!” Anna answered. “Do you know anything about the family? Perhaps I am improperly asking for such information, but any tips or hints you could offer me would be greatly appreciated.”
As the gates of Westford Manor loomed close, she found herself reluctant to leave the man’s company. She found herself hoping that he worked here in the manor as well, as it would be lovely to have another friendly face around when she was going to surround herself with so many strangers.
“I shall leave you with this: do not fear; you will do a wonderful job, I can tell. If you have any natural affinity with children as you do with horses, then you shall thrive.”
“Thank you, and be careful with him!” She nodded towards the stallion. “He shall need slow exposure to whatever spooked him. I expect a full report on his progress the next time we meet!”
She turned to the gates, inviting herself inside and casting a single glance back over her shoulder to the man standing at the gate, hoping that she would, in fact, see him again.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Whispers of Regency Love", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
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