Page 13 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)

The next day, Alessandra went through a similar ritual again.

After putting on her riding habit, she walked with Edward out to the stable.

There 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.

She looked so afraid that, for a moment, he thought he'd made the completely wrong suggestion to her.

Then he saw her she smile through that fear.

"I can try, Edward," Alessandra replied.

"But she will not be able to run off with me, will she?"

"We are in an enclosed space, and the gates are all closed," Edward reassured her.

"I am sure she will not run, but if she does, you need to hold on and relax.

Soon enough, she will stop."

He had meant to relax her, but instead made her feel more afraid than she had been.

When he handed her the reins and talked her through what to do with her hands and her legs, to guide the pony, Alessandra 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, Alessandra felt a blend of fear mixed in with pride as she realised she was riding a horse! When she wanted it to move left, it was moving left.

When she wanted it to move right, it was moving right.

She found it exhilarating.

She didn't want to trot, or move quickly in any way, so she was happy enough being on the pony as it walked slowly around the stable yard. She didn't dare look up at anyone else. She wanted to maintain her concentration on the pony and her alone.

"Can you walk her back to me?" she heard Edward call out.

She looked up briefly to see where he was from her.

With confidence slowly growing, she moved the pony 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.

As Alessandra looked at Edward doubtfully, she saw him laugh at her.

"We will go at a pace you are comfortable with.

Do not worry," he said, helping her down from the pony again.

Knowing their parents were not nearby, watching, Edward took longer before he set her apart from him, enjoying being so close to her again.

In the evenings, he'd started to find himself thinking about her in her future role as his wife.

He knew things were changing inside of him, as he considered her in a much different way from when she'd first arrived.