Page 18 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander (Falling for Highland Villains #5)
CHAPTER 18
The first thing Ava woke up to the next morning was Margaret. The girl looked down at her, wide-eyed, a hint of excitement flickering in her eyes.
Ava sat up, memories of the previous night vivid in her mind.
“Little one.” She yawned.
Before she could utter another word, Margaret had reached for her hand and tugged it, almost like she was trying to drag her out of bed.
Ava laughed and let herself get dragged. “What is going on? You seem quite chipper this morning.”
The smile on Margaret’s face grew wider. Before Ava could ask what the reason could possibly be, Flora stepped into the room, the same excitement flickering on her face.
“Alright, what is the matter here? What is going on?” Ava asked, unable to resist being kept in the dark anymore.
“Hurry and put on yer dress, Ava. Wear yer stockings too,” Flora urged.
“Stockings? What is going on?” Ava asked, her face contorting in puzzlement.
“We’re goin’ horse ridin’,” Flora announced.
Ava swallowed. “What?”
“Brodrick is at the stables with the horses already. He woke up this morning, came to me, and asked if we could ride out into the fields. Something must’ve happened to make him incredibly happy overnight because we havenae ridden out to the fields in months,” Flora explained, the words practically rushing out of her in one breath.
Ava bit back a cough.
Yes. Something.
“Just hurry up and get to the courtyard. The horses are ready. We’re only waitin’ for ye.”
“I’ll be right out,” Ava responded, watching Flora leave the room with Margaret.
A quick bath and a change of clothes later, Ava stepped out of her room and headed to the courtyard. She was wearing a long black coat that stopped just above her ankles. Her visible grey stockings hugged her legs sensually, and her gloved hands were tucked in her coat pockets as she approached the stables. Sure enough, Brodrick was standing near a horse with Margaret and Flora.
“Governess,” he greeted.
Something about calling her by the nickname he had come up with while they were alone made her stomach flutter.
“Glad ye could join us.”
Ava nodded and moved closer to the stables. Brodrick led her to a shiny white mare. It stood majestically at the entrance of its stall, its mane fluttering in the wind.
“Her name is Susie,” Brodrick revealed. “She belonged to Davina. But for today, ye get to ride her.”
Ava could see out of the corner of her eye Flora’s jaw slackening in what she could only assume was surprise… and disappointment.
“Ye’re lettin’ her ride Susie? Ye never let me ride her,” Flora protested, a whine in her voice.
“Because ye have yer own horse. And Susie doesnae like ye anyway.”
“We have settled our differences.”
“I am certain ye havenae,” Brodrick scoffed, then turned to Ava. “The last time she tried to ride the mare, she broke so many bones she had to spend a week in Irene’s surgery.”
“That was a long time ago,” Flora argued, crossing her arms over her chest.
Brodrick ignored her. Instead, he reached for Ava’s hand.
Ava placed her gloved hand in his, and he lifted her onto the horse. She slipped her feet into the stirrups and straddled the horse. Soon, her grip tightened on the reins, and Brodrick’s eyes swept over her and the horse one more time.
“It suits ye,” he whispered.
Ava laughed. She believed so too, but she said nothing about it. She used to love riding as well, before she was jilted at the altar and inherited the estate from her grandmother. Something about being on a horse after such a long time ignited the fire she had once thought dead.
A wide smile spread across her face as she watched Brodrick lift Margaret onto a smaller brown horse.
“Ye dinnae need help,” he muttered to Flora before she could even ask.
Ava laughed again. She watched him move to his horse, a dark stallion that seemed to recognize him. It lowered its head and allowed Brodrick to climb up without using the saddle.
“You must have a great relationship with your horse.”
“Oh, well. Ye ken what they say. Everything ye need to ken about a man is in how he treats his horse.”
Ava narrowed her eyes at him. “Who says that?”
“Now’s nae the time, Ava.”
As Ava opened her mouth to retort, a man walked into the stables. He was dressed just like Brodrick had been that day in her kitchen—in a shirt, a kilt, and a swordbelt.
Ava frowned at the sight of him. She had seen him once or twice with Brodrick, but she had never bothered to learn his name.
“Darach,” Brodrick greeted, jumping off the horse. “Is everything quite all right?”
“I am afraid nae, M’Laird,” the man—Darach—responded. “I bring… news.”
As Brodrick stepped closer to him, Ava exchanged a confused look with Flora.