A Perfect Secret by Donna Hatch

Author:Donna Hatch [Hatch, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency
ISBN: 9781494496999
Google: e1H5oAEACAAJ
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
Published: 2013-12-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Genevieve eyed the horse in front of her and nervously fingered the strings on her bonnet. From the moment she awoke, a terrible foreboding had seized her. She’d tried to talk Christian out of the race, but he would hear none of it. She reached a trembling hand out to the horse to let him smell her.

“How did I let myself get talked into this?”

Rachel looked unrepentant. “Because you can’t say no to me.”

She let out a long sigh. It was true. She’d grown to adore Rachel in the short time she’d been here, and wanted to see her happy. Genevieve rubbed her eyes, burning and bleary from staying up so late mending one of Rachel’s coats after she went to her room on the pretense of retiring. Rachel was so focused on her work that she never noticed her own needs. But Genevieve loved taking care of Rachel; for the first time in years, she felt needed. At Wickburgh’s estate, she’d been forbidden to leave the house to do her duty in taking care of the tenants and the servants. Now Rachel wanted her to go hilltopping with her. Of course Genevieve had capitulated.

“You have ridden before, haven’t you?” Rachel asked, misunderstanding her fear.

“It’s been a long time.”

Christian said softly, “It’s only a tiny hamlet. Few people will be there.” A little louder, he said, “You won’t fall off. A few minutes in the saddle and it will all come back to you. Up you go.” Christian gave her a leg up.

After adjusting the skirts of her dark green riding habit that had once belonged to Alicia, Genevieve settled in on the side saddle. The horse moved slightly under her, and she was relieved to find the motion not entirely unfamiliar. Christian paused next to her, his hands out as if expecting to catch her as she slid off. As she found her seat, he glanced up at her with approval lighting his eyes. She tried to smile but her lips wavered.

Ever sensitive to her mood, he sobered, searching her face. “What is it?”

She opened her mouth, but couldn’t express the growing anxiety that knotted her stomach, nor identify its source.

Rachel interjected. “Your mare is very gentle. She probably won’t try to join in the race with the others, unlike this one,” she patted her mount, “who will find it hard to resist.”

Genevieve shifted slightly, relaxed into the saddle, and let out her breath in resignation. As she reacquainted herself to the sensation of sitting on horseback, she stroked her horse’s smooth neck. “What’s her name?”

“Pisces.”

“Are all your horses named after mythical characters?”

“All the ones who come from Cole. He’s mad about mythology and astronomy.”

“He’s horse-mad, too,” added Rachel, “in case you didn’t guess.”

Christian mounted his Erebos and they set off at an easy pace. The wizened stable hand came tottering out, yelling and shaking his fists. Laughing, they spurred their mounts and rode out of shouting range.

“Where did you dig up that old fossil?” Christian jerked a thumb behind them toward the stable.

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