A Rose Between the Thornes by Raven McAllan

hiding in the armoire had been a risk, but the ruse seemed to have worked. The fact it had been locked had been in her favor because she’s hoped they would not think of it as a place she could access. The lock had opened easily with the help of a hairpin, and not for the first time Sophia has sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the errant stable boy who had taught her the skill. She’d scarcely dared breathe while she crouched inside and heard Jasper and Nathaniel looking for her. It would have been more than embarrassing to be found. She sternly quashed the arousing thoughts of what punishment might have been meted out to her, if they had discovered her. Her cunt clenched as her juices gathered. This was not the time to get wet with the thoughts of Jasper’s hands on her arse. Or, a wayward thought impinged on her consciousness, one of those interesting objects she had seen oh so briefly.
    Sophia tightened the girth on the saddle, and satisfied the horse was ready for her, led him out of the stable. She hoped the cloths she had covered each hoof with would deaden the noise of the horseshoes on the cobbles.
    No one accosted her as she encouraged the gelding toward a mounting block and got onto his back. It was a blessing her father had allowed Sophia to be somewhat of a hoyden in her younger days, and riding astride held no mysteries for her. Indeed, if she had the option she much preferred it. As she gathered up the reins and directed the animal in the direction of what she hoped was the main entrance, the sway of the horse, combined with the confines of the pantaloons she wore, set up a pleasant friction on her quim. It was no wonder the act of sex was sometimes called riding. She could imagine how exciting and arousing it would be to ride a horse with her men either side of her, one cock teasing her arse and her cunt tight up against a hard male body. Idly she pondered if there was a horse that could hold them all.
    Her men? Where had that thought come from. Would it ever be so? The horse shook his head and his tack jangled. With a start, Sophia realized she had let him choose his own direction. Where was she? Not that it matter, she reasoned; she had no idea where she had been before, so why would this make any difference. She didn’t know why she was riding away from her men. No one would miss her. Sophia was as sure as she could be that the staff at Midwood had no idea she was supposed to be visiting, and Hermione would not yet be worried about receiving no communication. Her heart felt light; for once she was free to do what she wanted. And she wanted to teach Nathaniel and Jasper a lesson.
    A lightening of the sky showed her which direction was east. She may as well head that way. The horse, who she named Thunder for no other reason than she thought there had been a grumble of thunder as the rain stopped earlier, was happy to head that way. The track they were on was perhaps two horse widths wide and with the dawn approaching she was confident she could see well enough to urge the horse on at a canter.
    Thunder responded like a perfect gentleman, and increased his speed. The track ended at a rutted road, and Sophia hesitated. Did it look familiar? It seemed so to the horse, who didn’t slacken his pace, but turned to the left and cantered on.
    As the road’s surface improved somewhat, the canter turned into a gallop. In the distance, the first houses of a village showed, smoke drifting from some chimneys. Sophia slowed him. She could not ride past them and risk being seen.
    A large, overgrown gateway appeared on her right, and Sophia stared at it. She could scarcely believe her eyes—or her stupidity. It may have been many a month since she had been in the area, but how had she not recognized the lane to the village of Chantery? She was just a few miles from her own home. The gateway was the disused entrance to the estate next to hers. Sir Miles and Lady Frichett had made a new and easier accessed entrance on