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Soon enough, they reached the stables and found William guiding a horse towards the watering trough. Thomasrecognized the new mare, from the distinct dappled gray pattern on her coat.

“She’s a beauty, Thomas,” William said, softly patting her neck as she leaned down to drink water.

“I can see that,” Thomas replied. “Cousin Matthew takes his horses very seriously.”

“She could make a great racehorse, you know.”

“Out of the question, William.”

“Come now, imagine the impression we could make.” William had that look in his eyes, the one that had cost him the entirety of his allowance on many an occasion.

“She’s to help us with breeding. I won’t return her to my cousin in a worse state than I received her,” Thomas chided firmly, brooking no argument.

They proceeded to converse about the merits of the mare for a while until William turned, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

“What the blazes…” he said, with no small amount of distaste.

Thomas turned to check, already guessing who it might be.

It was Sophia. She was wearing a bright smile, with her hair half hidden by some manner of scarf that she had tied over it. But most importantly and shockingly, she was wearing gentlemen’s riding trousers, long leather riding boots, and a tight-fitting riding jacket that left so very little to the imagination.

Not that Thomas’s needed any encouragement.

“Good day, gentlemen,” she said as she approached and bowed. “Looks like a lovely day for horse riding, doesn’t it?”

Thomas collected himself, furrowing his brow. “Sophia, would you like to explain your appearance?”

“What is wrong with my appearance?” she asked blithely, twirling in place. “Is my attire torn somewhere?”

“That is a gentleman’s outfit.”

“I beg your pardon?” she said with offense. “Au contraire, this is a rider’s outfit.”

Thomas swept a stressed hand through his hair. “You know well enough that women are to ride horses side-saddle with an appropriate ridingdress.”

He was having some difficulty concentrating on his outrage when his gaze kept flitting to her shapely thighs, perfectly exposed by the tight light-brown trousers. As for the hourglass shape of her waist, cinched by the riding jacket… the morehe looked, the more he wanted to fit his hands around that narrowness, just to see if he could.

“Who would dream of making you such… inappropriate garments?” he asked with genuine curiosity, but he thought of the answer almost immediately.

The Kendalls, who care so little for propriety.

“I’ll have you know that my parents have provided me with riding trousers ever since I started learning.” She shrugged. “It is simply more effective than trying to ride with a tangle of skirts or a great train of fabric flapping behind you.”

“Yet, it is still inappropriate!”

Sophia ignored him with a gesture as she approached the new horse. “What a beautiful beast,” she said as she extended a hand to pet the mare.

Thomas noticed William almost making a movement to stop her, but the younger Pratt thought otherwise, Thomas’s words from the ill-fated luncheon probably still fresh in his mind.

“Does she have a name?” Sophia asked.

“Violetta,” answered William. “She’s on loan from our cousin’s family in Reighton.”

The horse nickered happily at Sophia’s touch, which made her smile.

“Do you mind if I take her for a ride?” she asked, but then her eyes lit up as she had an idea. “Oh! Thomas, let’s have a friendly race!”

“What? No, out of the question,” Thomas responded, but then William butted in.