"What is it, my daughter? I can see you have things on your mind. Are you worried about the marriage? Do you not wish to go through with it?" her mother asked and Alessandra shook her head.
"No! Mother, I am happy to be here, and now that I am getting to know Edward, I think we can both be very happy as husband and wife."
"Then what is it, my child?"
"Before you and Father leave I want to make sure that I know about you - how you grew up and what kind of life you have lived."
Her mother stopped and looked at her.
"You speak as if we shall never see each other again."
Alessandra looked sad.
"Mother, this place is a long way from home. It might be a very long time before we see each other again. Please tell me about your family, and the home you grew up in."
They sat down on a bench in the sunshine and her mother began to speak. In the two hours that followed Alessandra learned about her mother's childhood in Italy, her brothers and sisters, her parents, and the process of becoming betrothed to Alessandra's father. For the first time in her life, Alessandra could see her mother as a woman and not just as her mother.
"Your father has always been very kind to me…" her mother was saying.
"He loves you," Alessandra replied, as if it were the natural answer.
"Now, yes. But when we met we did not know each other. And I was like you - shy and sometimes flustered with myself - but he was not deterred," her mother continued, starting to look youthful and blushing herself. "He is a good man. I always knew that, from the moment I first saw him," she said, and turned to look at her daughter. "I believe Edward is a good man too. There has been nothing so far that has made me question how he will treat you if he marries you."
Alessandra nodded.
"I think so too, Mother. He certainly has been patient with me so far."
The mother and daughter hugged each other and continued to sit quietly, each in their own thoughts.
Chapter Eleven
Over the next week Alessandra found herself being drawn into more and more conversation with Edward and both of his parents. Even though they came from such different upbringings and lifestyles, she found that they were both friendly toward her, and didn't seem to judge her for the quiet life that she had lived till now.
But as time passed she also became aware that, inevitably, one day soon her father and mother would leave and return to their home, leaving her behind in this place, and she would not know when - or even if - she would see either of them again. In pondering this, she found herself becoming remorse even though she knew she should only be happy to have been accepted so well into this new family.
"You do not look happy, child," Alessandra heard someone say in the glass room that she had come to enjoy solitude in. When she turned, she saw Edward's father approaching her.
She took a moment to consider how to reply, before speaking.
"I know the time is approaching where my mother and father will leave, and I do feel sad about that."
Edward's father sat down beside her and she heard him take a deep breath.
"Ahh, one of the saddest things about marriage for a young woman is having to leave her family behind. But Alessandra, your parents are welcome here and can come to stay anytime they wish to," he said with only kindness in his voice.
"But, Sir, they have no money themselves, and everything that was left in trust to me will go to Edward when we marry, so they will still have no means to travel this far," she replied, instantly regretting it afterward, knowing the words could have been interpreted as an offence.
But Edward's father only smiled and spoke softly again.
"I will let them know that whenever they wish to come, the estate will cover the cost. There will be no need for you to not see them as often as you wish. Do not worry yourself about such things." He sat in silence before continuing. "I remember when Edward's mother came here, how upset she was when her father was leaving. Such is the circle of life, but it makes it no easier, does it."
They sat together in silence for a few minutes longer before he stood up to leave. As he approached the door, it opened, and in walked Edward. Alessandra saw his father whisper something in his ear before he left, and Edward approached the bench she was sitting on and sat down.
"I shan't tell you not to be sad about your parents leaving, as I know sadness is not something we can control, but Alessandra, please believe that I will do my best to make you happy," he said and she smiled at him softly.
"I do believe that."
They sat together comfortably until Edward took her hand and brought it to his lips, a show of physical affection that moved her heart unbearably. When she looked at him she started to feel such a longing for him, something new that she had never felt before.
As if feeling it also, and needing it to stop, he stood up quickly.
"I think it is time I got you on your horse! Mother said your riding habit has just arrived, so what do you think? Are you feeling brave?"
She stood up as she laughed quietly.
"I will certainly give it a go, Edward."
Chapter Twelve
Alessandra dressed in her riding habit, feeling the strangeness of it compared to her usual daily attire, but also appreciating in the looking glass how she looked in it. Edward's mother had chosen a dark burgundy as its colour, with a gold trim and accent, and it felt luxurious to Alessandra.
Heading downstairs she met Edward waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and his face revealed exactly what he thought of the vision before him. Looking up at her he thought she looked like she had been made for the outfit, not the other way around, and the colour brought out the brown of her eyes, far more so than her usual clothing. He felt stunned as he looked at her, but was brought out of his thoughts as she approached him and stood at his eye level and smiled at him.
"I am so thankful to your mother for her kindness toward me, as I do love this," she said, running her hands over the front of her new clothes. "Do you?"
He took a deep breath and looked at her full length before meeting her eyes again.
"Yes, you look beautiful in it."
She started to blush again, and he smiled at her in amusement as they both relaxed once more.
"Come, Alessandra, my wife to be. It is time," he said and led her out to the stable.
* * * * *
Outside, the groom had already prepared her pony for her, and walked it forward so it was closer to her, where Edward took the reins.
"Before you learn to ride, I think it might be best if you simply get used to being around her. Come closer," he said, prompting her to move forward to the animal that, to her, looked like a giant. "She is quite calm and peaceful, but always approach her from this angle, and quietly, so she can start to get used to you as well."
Alessandra moved closer to Edward and to the pony, standing so that her back was to Edward, and he was standing close behind her. They were both aware of it, but it only felt right, and not at all uncomfortable.
She reached up tentatively, moving toward touching the great animal in front of her, but found herself nervous again. Her hand stopped midair and she felt Edward lean forward to take her hand and gently place it on the pony's neck, guiding it in stroking softly. As he did so, he moved closer to her so that his front was lightly touching her back, and Alessandra felt comforted by his presence so close.
Inside she could feel herself shaking, due to both the regal animal in front of her, and Edward standing so close to her, but she determined to try to not let it show.
Both sets of parents looked on from where they stood, and the mothers looked knowingly at each other and smiled. Even if the young ones did not know how they were affecting each other, their mothers could see it clearly.
* * * * *
After what seemed like a long period of time, standing close to her pony and adjusting to being in such close vicinity to it, Edward asked Alessandra if she might like to just sit on the sad
dle.
She looked at him with fear showing on her face but she smiled at him and said she would try, and he admired her braveness whilst making sure he would not get ahead of himself in teaching her to ride.
He demonstrated to her what she needed to do once he lifted her up, and as he did so, she followed his instruction, as the studious student she was in all that she learned. Sitting up on the horse she felt like she was on top of a mountain, it felt so high, even though at a logical level she could see the ground wasn't too far away. She let Edward put her feet in the stirrups, while he never let go of the reins, and he watched her just sit there momentarily, not knowing what to do next.
"Are you alright?" he asked her and she kept her eyes on his while she nodded.
He smiled up at her with his hand on her thigh, a small gesture that meant nothing but felt so intimate to her.
Alessandra looked over at her mother, who was smiling the broadest smile she had ever seen on her, and returned a small, scared smile back at her.
"Hold on to this," Edward said, placing her hands where he wanted them to be. "I am going to walk her just a little bit. If it scares you, you need to let me know."
She nodded at him, doing as he instructed but now feeling a greater fear inside of her.
The pony suddenly started moving, and Alessandra held on tight, finding this new sensation of sitting on a moving animal very strange indeed. But as she forced herself to relax, and to look into Edward's eyes when he turned to face her, she found she was adjusting to it and her fear relaxed off.
Edward kept looking at her, even as he slowly walked the pony around the stable yard, and could visibly see her face changing in its level of relaxation. How brave she is, he thought to himself, as he tried to think of the last time he had tried anything completely new that he had never done before.
Alessandra sat and rode the pony for as long as it took before Edward stopped and looked up at her, again with his hand on her thigh.
"How are you feeling, Alessandra?" he asked, smiling but at the same time looking concerned that she might not be enjoying it after all.
She took a deep breath and smiled down at him.
"I am fine. With this I feel alright," she reassured him and could visibly see him let out a breath that he had been holding.
"Do you want to take the reins?" he asked but she shook her head.
"Could I try that tomorrow? I just need to get used to one thing at a time," she said, letting out a little, frail laugh.
He smiled up at her and made sure the pony was secure before lifting Alessandra down to the ground again, noting as he did that her knees almost gave way to her as she touched the ground. He laughed with her as she almost fell with nervousness and he caught her.
"Just wait a minute. Let your legs get used to being on the ground again," he said and she did as he instructed, revelling in being so close to him, with both of his arms supporting her.
"Thank you for being so patient with me," she said, almost in a whisper, they were so close. She was looking at his face so closely - his eyes and his mouth. And she felt like she did not want to stop.
Edward felt her eyes on him so intently, and fought to control his emotion as he looked at their parents standing not too far away.
"You are going to be fine. We shall do a little bit each day, and I am sure you will be a confident horsewoman in no time," he said, tearing his eyes away from her lips.
Chapter Thirteen
The next day Alessandra went through a similar ritual again - putting on her riding habit and walking with Edward out to the stable, where he helped her up onto her pony and led her around, helping her to feel more comfortable.
"Are you ready to try taking the reins yourself?" he finally asked, and she looked so afraid that for a moment he thought he had made the completely wrong suggestion to her. But then she smiled through that fear.
"I can try. But she won't be able to run off with me, will she?" she asked, timidly.
He smiled at her.
"We are in an enclosed space and the gates are all closed. I am sure she will not run, but if she does, you need to hold on and relax, and she will soon enough stop."
He had meant to relax her but instead made her feel more afraid than she had been. But when he handed her the reins and talked her through what to do with her hands and her legs, to guide the pony, she found herself automatically in student mode again, set on learning and practising what he was teaching her.
As she started to move off by herself, putting her theory into practice, she felt a blend of fear mixed in with pride as she realised she was riding a horse! And that when she wanted it to move left, it was moving left; and when she wanted it to move right, it was moving right. How exhilarating, she thought to herself. She did not want to trot or move quickly in any way, but was happy enough being on the pony as it simply walked slowly, around and around the stable yard. She did not dare look up at anyone, keeping her concentration purposely on the pony and her alone.
"Can you walk her back to me?" she heard Edward call out, and she looked up briefly to see where he was from her, and moved closer to him.
As she neared him he came up to her and smiled brilliantly up at her.
"You are a natural," he said to her and saw her instantly blush. "After a few more days of this we shall take the horses out for a slow walk together, up to the summit," he continued, pointing up the hill not far from the house.
Alessandra looked at him doubtfully and he laughed at her.
"We will go at your pace, don't worry," he said, helping her down from the pony again.
Today their parents were not nearby, watching, and Edward took longer before he set her apart from him, enjoying being so close to her again. In the evenings he had started to feel himself thinking about her in her future role as his wife, and he knew things were changing inside of him, as he considered her in a different way now.
Chapter Fourteen
A few days later Alessandra went down to breakfast, as was her usual daily routine now, and everyone smiled at her in a way that made her sure that something had been discussed about her, without her there.
After a few minutes of sitting at the table her assumption was proven correct.
"I hear Edward is taking you up to the summit today, Alessandra," Edward's mother said, and Alessandra looked at Edward across the table, to see him smiling at her, but with a look that also showed his wonder at whether he was rushing her into something she did not want to do.
"Oh? Is today that day?" she asked him, teasing him and making him smile even more.
"Yes, if you have no objection, I think you are confident enough for us to walk the horses up at the pace you wish to set," he said, with his look of amusement well set in now. "Do you have any objection?"
She looked at him, aware that four parents were also at the table, and kept silent for a moment to tease him in anticipation some more.
"No, I look forward to it," she replied.
"I shall ask Cook to prepare you some picnic food to take with you, since the weather looks fine enough, and you can luncheon up there also," Edward's mother said, with a satisfied smile on her face.
* * * * *
Two hours later Alessandra was sitting on her pony, nervous about leaving the confines of the stable yard but also excited at again having something new to try and do. She watched Edward expertly and confidently mount his horse and slowly come up beside her.
"Are you ready?" he asked, with that smile of happiness and doubt blended together.
She nodded to him, presently unable to speak. Off to her side she could see her parents standing together, arms around each other's backs, watching, and nodded to them.
"Stay behind me. All you have to do is look at my horse, and follow me," he said, smiling at her one more time before he walked ahead slightly.
The gate was opened and both of them walked slowly through it, allowing Alessandra the view of Edward's back. She found herself wishing she could talk t
o him, but she was so nervous that she knew she had to concentrate heavily on what she was doing, otherwise she would make a mistake that might take her off in a different direction - literally.
Edward looked back at her now and then, but for the most part kept his eyes forward whilst ensuring his horse remained at a slow pace, even though he could feel Beauty wanting to move much faster.
Up they climbed, and to Alessandra it felt like it was going on forever, but then all of a sudden she heard Edward's voice.
"We are here. Look," he said, and as she looked up she realised she was high above the house, and could see land for miles.
He dismounted and tied the rein of his horse to a nearby tree that had on many occasion served this very purpose. Then he was next to her, helping her down, and walking her pony to the same tree to be secured.
Alessandra stood and looked out over the land - in all directions the view was beautiful and she found herself awestruck.
"Are you hungry?" Edward was asking, as he started to unpack the picnic Cook had presented him with before they left.
Alessandra nodded and moved to help him set out the large blanket and selection of food on the ground.
They both sat, in awe of the view from where they were.
"I never tire of this spot, Alessandra. All of this land that you see, right to the bottom of those hills over there, is part of the estate."
She turned to look at him, seeing such an amazing level of pride on his face. She had never known anyone who owned land of this size, and was in awe of having found herself in the position she could potentially be in.
He felt her looking at him, and turned to face her. For a moment they looked at each other, staring openly at each other's faces, into each other's eyes, before manners told him he should stop.
He looked down at the food and laughed.
Alessandra Page 4