Night of Eden 52

Chapter 52

***

"Lower your heels while stepping into the stirrups. The line from your head, butt, and heels should be straight.”

Dana tensed her whole body and did as she was told.

"Now, you're on your own."

Tobias, the coachman, untied the auxiliary strap. Dana gripped the reins tightly and took a slow lope along the track.

Tobias watched, a little surprised.

"...You've ridden a horse before?"

"A few times..."

Noah often took Dana for rides when he exercised his horses. Three months ago, they'd even gone to the waterfront boardwalk on the same "pooch" they were riding now.

"So how far can you ride it? Have you ridden it faster?"

"No. I just... I just walked slowly."

"For how long?"

"About half an hour?"

"Do you know how to ride with your legs together like the ladies?"

"No."

Hmm, Tobias stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, that'll have to do. Tomorrow we can take a ride along the promenade, for the Duchess said you should be able to give directions to the lady's friends. I didn't think it was possible, but now I see you can do that."

Lady Liana, guests, directions...

All the words that came out of Tobias's mouth were floating in thin air.

"Just try a few more laps. Ride with your legs apart like that for now, and when you get used to it, we'll learn how to ride elegantly like the young ladies. You'll have to learn both and then ride accordingly."

"Yes, sir."

"Here we go again."

Dana took a deep breath and kicked the horse's flank lightly.

Pooch purred, snorted, and lurched forward.

The brick-colored mane brushed against the back of her hand in a soft flutter. The ground rose and fell as the horse's back jerked under the saddle.

With all five senses so vivid, she felt like she was dreaming. She couldn’t seem to get her sense of reality back.

Should I go to him and beg him? Please stop?

Or I could just run away and not let anyone know.

Yeah, I'd rather...

"Ha."

Dana sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

"What are you doing, concentrate! You need to get your posture right!"

At the sharp reprimand, Dana forced her body to focus and tried to pull herself together.

Through her blurry vision, she could see someone approaching from the side of the hill. No matter how far away, Dana could recognize it at a glance. Her pulse quickened rapidly and her breath became hotter.

The man in the houndstooth sports jacket walked slowly until he was right in front of the fence.

Tobias recognized him and quickly removed his hat in greeting.

"What can I do for you, Master?"

Theodore leaned against the fence wordlessly. His upper body leaned back, the patches on his elbows catching at the corners. The whip dangling from his fingertips drew small circles.

Tobias realized then that the Master had come to watch the trainee maid.

"She had a good form," he said, "and she has been on horseback a few times, so don't worry, I'll teach her well."

The coachman said a few more words after that, but none of them reached Dana's ears.

She was busy turning the horse's head to avoid Theodore. Even though she was looking the other way, she could feel it all. The man's gaze traveled from her crown to her shoulders to her waist.

"Keep your upper body straight. Don't tense up."

Dana tried to follow the coachman's instructions. But to her dismay, her back muscles kept getting stiffer and stiffer, and her rhythm got out of whack.

"No, what's wrong with you? You did exactly as you were told earlier...."

The coachman spoke bluntly and glanced at Theodore. He was a little embarrassed that Dana hadn't done as well as he'd hoped, even though he'd told the master she was good.

"Let's pick up the pace ......, stand up on my 'one' and sit down on my 'two'!"

One, two, one, two...

Dana tightened and loosened her muscles in time with the beat.

Theodore pushed himself up from his stiff reclining position and watched the slender body move rhythmically.

The side of the woman's back was clearly visible through the thickening dust.

A stray strand of hair fell over her sweaty forehead. Each time the long braid swayed to and fro, Theodore felt a sense of precariousness. A fierce excitement pulsed through his dull pupils.

"Faster."

Dana pushed up on her toes and thrust her upper body as hard as she could to pick up the pace.

Suddenly, she felt something snap at her ankle, and her body lurched, nearly falling to the ground.

Tobias rushed over and grabbed the reins to steady her. Dana barely managed to stay upright.

"That could have been bad."

He looked over at Dana and noticed that one end of her boot had caught on the metal part of the stirrup.

"This is what you did?"

Dana tried to get off the horse to remove the lace.

"Uh, stay put, it's dangerous, I'll do it for you."

Tobias said, and reached for the hem of her skirt. But the shaggy-haired man's hand went nowhere, and he had to stop in midair.

The sharp end of a whip blocked his way.

"Master?"

Tobias whirled around in surprise.

"Go and get the horse ready. I'll do that."

"Yes?"

Theodore pushed Tobias away and reached for Dana's ankle.

"Oh, no."

Dana jerked her foot back in a panic. But it was no use. Her ankle was seized, and with a flick, a swish of cloth, her white shins were exposed. The air was chilly, but her skin felt warm against his touch.

"You know the first thing I learned the first time I rode a horse?"

Theodore, pulling off her boot laces.

"Make sure you have the right chaps on your calves, make sure your stirrups are the right length, make sure you're dressed right, all that stuff. It's all about safety. And I'm not sure that furry bastard got it right."

The words seemed to be directed at Tobias. Dana opened her mouth, unfocused.

"No. I... he taught me well."

"Well, he doesn’t seem to be teaching, he’s just yelling."

He began lacing her shoes up in earnest. Each time the cold leather glove brushed against her shin, Dana felt an indescribable sensation.

Zip.

The suede laces tightened on either side, the soft fabric of the boot's lining pressing against her ankle. The man's hands worked skillfully, looping and twisting to form a knot.

Dana held her breath and stared down at the dark hair that fell across his chest. The man's eyes, shadowed further down, were deep and dark.

For some reason, her stomach churned. It was as if there was something alive in the depths of the cord.

She gulped in her breath, clenching her lower stomach, and Theodore suddenly looked up.

The fierce, raw form of the man he'd hidden beneath the cloak of modesty was revealed. Dana's heart leapt into her throat, as if she'd come face-to-face with a predator on a peaceful meadow.

***

No, no, no.

I can't do this.

Pacing back and forth, Dana stood still for a moment.

She had to do something. Anything.

A hand nervously touched her chin, and she opened a drawer and pulled out a tattered pad of paper, a dictionary, and ink. The maid had given them to her to practice her writing.

She pressed the paper firmly into her palm, unfolded it, and opened the cap of the ink. Dana paused for a moment as she dipped the nib.

If she made a mess, she would be laughed at.

Putting the pen down, she opened the drawer again and pulled out a thick wad of paper: a collection of old newspapers, discarded invitations, and correspondence.

"Master Edwin has asked you to read and dictate whenever you have time. Some maids write their masters' letters for them, and you should practice in case the lady asks you to do the same."

With that, no matter how tired she was, Dana didn't go straight to bed, but continued to scribble in her spare time. She had managed to pick up quite a few of the more advanced vocabulary and idioms of the nobility, but she hadn't quite mastered the spelling.

Dana swallowed dryly and laid the documents on the bed.

"Good."

She tied her hair back into a new bun and gripped her quill pen tightly.

A few hours later, Dana was reading over her letter.

It was more of a scribbling than actual writing, but it was convincing enough to look good.

She folded the letter twice and headed out the door. Her brisk steps took her to the east wing, where the guest rooms were located.

Ever since she had dared to call the heir to the Macmilan 'you'.

Dana felt like a colt that had been let loose. Her legs scrambled up the stairs and paused in front of the large sheep doors at the end of the hallway, and without hesitation, she thumped on them.

"Huh?"

As expected, Tilly came out first.

Over his shoulder, he saw Theodore standing by the window.

He had just finished bathing and was wearing only a loose robe. Where his shirt collar, sleeves, and jab-hinged pants should have been, toned forearms, collarbones, and shins had taken their place. His full hair was haphazardly tousled and shone black.

Dana whirled around in horror. Tilly, realizing he had exposed the Master's intimate side, quickly closed the door behind him.

"...What's going on?"

She blinked hard, trying to clear her eyes of the man's wetness.

"Master... I have something I need to give him."

Instead of asking, Tilly held out his palm. He wanted to see it first.

"I must give it to him in person."

A scowl crossed his face at Dana’s insistence. Dana grew impatient.

If she gave the letter to the huntsman, who was eager to please his master, he might just throw it away.

Fortunately, he told her to wait a moment and closed the door behind him.

Dana fished the letter out of her pocket.

Where would it look best?

She set the note down in the right spot and placed a fountain pen on top of it. The gilt-trimmed nib shone beautifully against the rough, yellowed paper.

Dana's stare was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Just because she knocked on the door curiously didn't mean she really wanted to come face to face with the man.

Dana trudged down the stairs. Her legs were wobbly and she struggled to walk.

The door opened again exactly twenty minutes later.

Theodore’s wet, tousled hair had been neatly slicked back with a pomade, and instead of a thin gown, a dark gray suit covered his body. A hint of musk drifted from the collar of his shirt, accented by a mustard-colored cravat tied with a ribbon.

But the dapper man who had wowed Tilly time and time again stood in the empty hallway, his eyes cold, his pupils hollow. His pupils darted about in the air until they found an object on the floor.

Theodore slowly bent down and picked up the fountain pen and Dana's note.

[I wanted to thank you for your kindness this afternoon. You reminded me of the importance of safety when riding a horse, and you were kind enough to teach me how to lace my boots.

I was very touched by your pure kindness.

But on the other hand, I'm also worried that people might have some strange misconceptions. Rumors are like flames in dry grass, you never know when or where they'll turn, and I'm nervous to hear that the heir to House Macmilan has been chasing after his maid.

Lastly, I have one more thing to apologize for.

No matter how much I think about it, this fountain pen is too much for me.

I'm leaving it here with the knowledge that no matter how many times you give it back to me, I will refuse it again and again. ]

Gasp.

Tilly, who had been peeking behind Theodore’s back, covered his mouth with his hand.

****

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