As soon as breakfast was over the next morning, Coralyn hurried to her room to change. The riding habit she had borrowed from Alice was a shade too small, but it would do until she could have one made in Roselund. Once satisfied with her appearance, she walked to the stables with excitement fueling her pace.
When she arrived, Christopher was already there, talking to the groom in a lowered voice. His dark blond hair shone in the early morning sunlight streaming through a window. The light caught on his face, illuminating his smile in the otherwise dark stable. She had seen the sunlight on him in that way so many times that it brought to mind the boy she’d once known. Yet he was a boy no longer. The masculinity in his features was obvious, and in all her moments of observing him these past days, she had not realized how handsome he’d become.
Christopher glanced her way, then said something to the groom, shook his hand, and led two horses from their stalls toward Coralyn. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
“Are you ready for your lesson, then?”
Coralyn took a deep breath, one filled with anxiety and excitement. “Very.”
“Good.” He handed the reins of one of the horses to her. “This is Pilot. I’ve been assured he’s quite tame and perfect for a first-time rider.” Christoper smiled at her. “Though I do certainly hope your memory serves you well.”
Coralyn stroked Pilot’s neck, savoring the feel of horsehair beneath her fingers. He was a dark bay with a jet black mane. “He’s beautiful.”
Christopher chuckled. “You think any horse is beautiful.”
She smiled back at him. “Yes, but because I get to ride him, he is even more so.”
Christopher led a black horse with a stripe of white down its nose. Coralyn nodded at him. “Is this your horse?”
Christopher nodded. “This is Black Lightning.” He rubbed the white stripe. “Unlike Pilot, he’s lively enough to keep things interesting.” He grinned at Coralyn.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Just you wait, Christopher Eversley. I’ll be riding your own horse before you know it.”
He laughed openly. “We shall see.”
The groom approached, holding the step for Coralyn. Though not as graceful as she perhaps ought to have been, she managed the climb and arranged her skirts appropriately. Her excitement grew and she held the reins to keep from fidgeting. She looked up at last to see Christopher already mounted, watching her with his head tilted to the side.
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
He moved his horse forward so they were side by side. “We’ll start slowly. Don’t forget to hold the reins loosely, and give him a little nudge.”
Coralyn did as directed and Pilot began forward in an easy walk. She walked Pilot around, following Christopher’s lead. She grew bored of the slow pace quickly, but let Christopher direct the lesson. At last he increased the pace to a steady trot. It took Coralyn a moment to fall into rhythm with Pilot’s movements, but before long she felt confident in her abilities.
“You are doing well, just as I’d hoped.”
Coralyn hesitated only one unsteady moment before reining Pilot to a stop beside Christopher. “While it is wonderful to ride again, I must say there is a particular joy in doing something I know my mother would forbid,” she said with a grin.
Christopher shook his head. “You take too much delight in going against your mother.”
Coralyn raised her chin high. “That is impossible. There is no such thing as too much delight.”
A sudden whim ran through her. More than just being on a horse again, she wanted to enjoy the wind in her face and the exhilaration which came from riding with speed. She turned her horse away from Christopher and his mount. Before he could question her motives, she pushed Pilot to a full gallop.
Her heart raced as she flew over the open land. The wind whipped her hair around her face, and she laughed out loud.
She was not mindful of their course and did not see the low wooden fence until it was too late to pull Pilot to a stop. He leapt over the fence, and Coralyn lurched in the saddle. The reins ripped from her hands. And yet Pilot continued to race forward. Coralyn clung to the pommel of the saddle, crying “Whoa!” to the frantic horse. Pilot did not slow.
Not a moment later, Christopher came up beside her, lying low over Black Lightning’s neck. “Hold on, Coralyn!”
He reached forward with one hand and grasped Pilot’s reins from around his neck. He leaned back in his saddle, calling to his own horse to slow and bringing Pilot to a stop.
Coralyn slid herself from the saddle as soon as she felt safe doing so. Pilot pulled against his reins and stomped his feet. Coralyn hurried back a few steps, tripping herself and falling into the cool grass. She wrapped her arms around her knees and put her face down, trying to control the racing of her heart and the unsteadiness of her breathing.
She heard running footsteps and felt Christopher fall to his knees on the ground beside her. “Coralyn, are you hurt?”
Coralyn shook her head, though she kept it buried in her arms.
Christopher’s hand slid between her face and her arms before lifting her head. She closed her eyes, certain he’d be as angry as he’d been on the beach. Seeing him angry might bring her to tears again. Something she’d done too much in the last few days.
“Coralyn, look at me.” His tone was gentle.
She opened her eyes and found his immediately. They were filled with concern.
“Are you certain you’re not injured?”
Coralyn nodded fiercely. “I’m sorry, Christopher. I am so very sorry.”
He sighed and shook his head. His eyes studied hers for a long moment before he shook his head again and sat beside her, his arm coming to a rest behind her.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, taking one shaking breath after another. “That was so stupid.”
He chuckled. “I was not going to say it, but yes, it was.” After a lengthy pause, he asked. “Why did you do it?”
It was essentially the same question he’d asked her two days ago, but the change in his demeanor made all the difference in the world. At the beach, she’d felt as if she’d had to defend herself. Now she felt foolish, of course, but felt as if he truly wanted to know the reason behind her choice.
“I wanted to feel that excitement, that freedom that comes from riding. Not just a lazy jaunt around the yard. I’ve missed the exhilaration.”
He turned his head away, but not before Coralyn caught sight of a smile.
“What?” She lifted her head from his shoulder, only now realizing the intimate position they had been in. It surprised her to find that she was not as embarrassed as she ought to have been.
The smile was there in full when he turned back to her. “Would you say you’ve received your fill of exhilaration?”
Coralyn could not hold back her smile, but put on a pout just the same. “Mock my fear, if you will.”
Christopher laughed. “I do not mean to mock you. Ridicule you, perhaps, but never mock.” As he watched her, his eyes took on a more serious expression. “I am glad you are not hurt. You really ought to be more careful in the future.”
“I know.” Coralyn looked down at her hands. “Thank you, again, for your assistance.”
Christopher nodded. “I am happy to provide it, though I do hope not to have to again.” Even his voice reflected his teasing this time, and Coralyn looked up with a smile to meet his own.
He stood and brushed off his trousers. “Shall we return to the house?” He held out his hand to help her to her feet.
As she rose she cast Pilot a wary scowl. The groom who’d been accompanying them now held Pilot’s reins, waiting for instructions.
She peered up into Christopher’s gaze. “Do not think me anxious, but I believe I’d rather walk back just now.”
“I would gladly let you, but the walk is more than a few miles. We’ve wandered far.”
Coralyn glanced back the way
they had come. “I would rather not ride.”
Christopher looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’ve an idea.” He led Coralyn to Black Lightning.
A shiver of fear pierced her heart. “If I do not wish to ride Pilot, why would I want to ride Black Lightning?”
“You do not have to,” Christopher said softly, before lifting her easily into the saddle.
Before she could object, he put his foot into the stirrup and swung into the saddle behind her. His arms came around her, holding the reins. “Lead Pilot back to the stables,” he said to the groom, before turning Black Lightning and settling into an easy trot. The restrictions of the saddle left Coralyn pressed closer to Christopher than she’d ever been to a man before. Yet instead of feeling awkward, as she’d expected, she felt perfectly at ease, as if she’d been meant to fit into the space between his arms. She had to hold back her laugh when she thought of her mother, and the expression she might have upon seeing her thus in a man’s arms.
As if sensing her thoughts, Christopher leaned close and whispered. “Do not tell your mother about this.”
A shiver ran down her spine which had nothing to do with her mother and everything to do with the man behind her.
The next three days passed in a cheerful blur. Coralyn was kept pleasantly busy between visits with friends, trips to Roselund, and time spent in the peaceful pursuit of reading. She found the most joy in her time spent with Christopher. There were times when he seemed just as dour as in those first few days, but Coralyn took it upon herself to charm him out of those moods. She was delighted that she always found success in this venture.
Early Friday afternoon, Coralyn and Aunt Agnes were coming down to the main foyer from the sitting room upstairs. The bell rang just as they reached the top of the staircase. They waited as the butler came to the door. A tall man entered and took off his hat. Coralyn instantly recognized his graying hair and perpetual frown.
Lord Seton?
“My name is Albert Cross, Marquis of Seton. I am here to see Miss Coralyn Fairchild.”
Aunt Agnes looked to her in surprise. “Lord Seton?” she whispered.
“I don’t know what he is doing here,” Coralyn whispered back.
As the butler took his hat, Lord Seton glanced around the entry hall, only then seeing Coralyn on the stairs. He smiled a large, toothsome grin. “Ah, there you are, Miss Fairchild.”
Coralyn gripped the hand rail. “Lord Seton. What are you doing here?”
He raised his brow at her. “I came to see you, of course.”
Coralyn smiled weakly and nodded. “Of course.”
Aunt Agnes coughed lightly.
“Oh! Excuse me.” She and Aunt Agnes came down the stairs. “Lord Seton, may I introduce my aunt, Lady Agnes Brickley. Aunt, the Marquis of Seton.”
“A pleasure to meet you, madam.”
“The pleasure is mine.” She looked between the marquis and Coralyn. “How kind of you to come from London to visit my niece. You pay her a great compliment.”
Lord Seton gave her a satisfied smile. “Thank you for being kind enough to welcome me into your home.”
Just then Alice came around the corner, looking bored. But her face lit up when she saw Lord Seton. She strode over gracefully. “Good afternoon, my lord.”
His eyes widened. “Lady Alice, what a pleasant surprise. I did not know you were acquainted with Miss Fairchild.”
“Yes, indeed. Our families have been friends for many years.”
“How wonderful.”
Coralyn watched the exchange with interest. She knew well that Lord Seton could be generally pleasing when he desired. But she had not ever seen Alice this poised and elegant.
“How long do you stay in Roselund Heights?” she asked.
His gaze shifted to Coralyn for a moment. “My plans are not fixed at the moment. I am pleased to say I am at my leisure for a time.”
“How fortunate!” Alice’s face lit. “I would ask Lady Agnes to invite you to dinner, but we are not to dine here tonight. Roselund Heights will hold it’s Christmas ball this evening. We would all be delighted if you would join us.”
A weight settled into Coralyn’s stomach. She would most certainly not be delighted to have Lord Seton join them. Just being with him now made her uneasy.
But Lord Seton smiled. “I am honored.” He regarded each of them in turn. “I will leave you then, for the time being, and will look forward to seeing you at the ball.” He faced Coralyn last. “You’ll dance the first with me, Miss Fairchild.”
Coralyn could not discern whether it was a request or a demand. She glanced up into his eyes and saw an edge to his usually cross expression. But she could not deny him now, and she sensed he knew that.
“Yes, thank you.”
He lifted his chin. “Thank you.” He returned his gaze to Alice. “May I request your hand in the second, Lady Alice?”
“I would be honored to stand up with you.”
“Then I shall see you all tonight.” He bowed in his stiff manner. “Good afternoon to you.”
When he had left, and the door closed behind him, Coralyn turned to Alice. “How do you know Lord Seton?”
She waved a hand through the air. “I am the daughter of an earl. I know many of those in high society.”
And how to behave around them as well.
Alice yawned. “Thank Heavens there is a ball tonight. The country life never can interest me as the city does.” She shook her head and wandered from the entry way.
Coralyn opened her mouth to apologize to her aunt for Alice’s indelicate remark, but Aunt Agnes laughed.
“That girl reminds me so much of your mother.”
“My mother?” Coralyn stared in the direction Alice had gone before turning her skeptical gaze to her aunt. “My mother is nothing like that.”
“Oh, but she was.”
Coralyn barked a laugh. “I do not believe you.”
Aunt Agnes looped her arm through Coralyn’s and led her toward the drawing room. “I can easily understand why. She has changed so much since she was a child.” Aunt Agnes shook her head. “Believe it or not, your mother used to be a lively young woman, sought after by more than one young gentleman. She knew how to act with propriety, as a lady should, but she knew how to flirt and laugh as well.”
They entered the drawing room and Coralyn sat in a chair by the fireplace. Aunt Agnes settled across from her, gazing off as if viewing her memories before her eyes.
“What changed her?” Coralyn asked.
“Love changed her. She fell in love with someone Father believed below her. He forbade her to marry him, or he would cut her out of the inheritance she was to receive. When she told her love, he quit the attachment immediately. He was more interested in the money than in the person.”
“That is terrible.”
Aunt Agnes nodded. “She was never the same after that. While she never spoke to me about it, I sensed she felt as if love was folly. She created a long list of rules to follow, and when a nobleman asked for her hand, she accepted, securing her inheritance and a title.” She laughed sadly. “Although she never has recovered from being unable to produce an heir, either.”
Coralyn smirked. “That I am aware of. I am often reminded of the pain it causes my parents that I was not a boy.”
Aunt Agnes frowned at her. “It is not quite as cold as that. Your parents love you.”
“I know. But they love their titled status, too, and think life is wasted without a title.”
“Are you so against the peerage?” Aunt Agnes asked with a gleam in her eye.
“Not at all. I would be happy to marry a peer, but I would be just as happy to marry an untitled gentleman.” Coralyn shook her head. “But I will not marry without love. I have a firm belief that life without love is a life wasted.”
Her aunt nodded. “I am in agreement, having married for love myself.”
Coralyn smiled. “It is your marriage that first led me to these beliefs. I saw your mar
riage as a child and compared it to my parents’. While I do not believe either is unhappy, necessarily, they do not find joy in each other. I have lived enough of my life without joy; I’ll not spend the rest of it in the same way.”
Aunt Agnes’s smile turned sly. “Fortunately for you, I do not believe you will have to choose between love and a title.”
“I do not love Lord Seton.”
Aunt Agnes laughed. “I did not mean Lord Seton, dear girl. I know well enough that you do not even like him.”
“Then who—”
“Have you ever considered your feelings for Christopher?”
Coralyn’s breath caught in her throat. She swallowed down the tremor that built within her. “Christopher is my friend.”
“Yes, he is, and I am glad to see you two have become close again. But have you ever considered he might mean more to you than that?”
Does he?
“Of course he is more than a friend. He is my best friend.”
“Yes, but do you love him? Are you in love with him?”
Coralyn’s heart skittered in her chest and she placed her hand over it, willing it to still. “I hardly know what love feels like. How would I know if I were in love with him?”
“When it is love, you know it beyond a doubt.” A faraway look came into her eyes. “You feel it with every bit of you.”
Coralyn looked at her aunt anxiously. “And you believe I am in love with him?”
Aunt Agnes laughed and reached over to pat her hand. “That is not my question to answer. I am not trying to pressure you into anything, dear. I am only commenting on what I have observed.”
Coralyn sat back in her chair, reeling from the questions her aunt had put to her.
Aunt Agnes looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Speaking of love and marriage, what are you going to do about Lord Seton?”
Coralyn sighed, though grateful to be in a safer area of conversation. She was certain of what she felt for that gentleman. “I do not know. I don’t understand why he is here. If he believes he can win my affections, he is sorely mistaken. I do not want to have to refuse his offer twice.”
Forgotten Friend (Roselund Heights) Page 6