have to carry me’ is oh so true. I’ll be your passenger, you do the work.” She let the animal see the obstacle. He shook his head as if to say he was happy, and why did she worry, and with a laugh, Sophia walked him away, so they could get a decent run before he jumped.
He soared over the gate as if it was a milk stool. Sophia leaned forward and patted his powerful neck.
“You are a star,” she told him. He whinnied his agreement softly, and she laughed. “Not long and I can, I hope, provide you with a comfortable stable and some hay.” Sophia took up the reins and directed him along a winding bridleway. This was her land, and even though she may not visit it as often or for as long as she preferred, she still knew every inch of it intimately. They rounded a bend and reached one of the streams that crossed her land to join the river that wound its way along her northern boundary. Sophia led Thunder to the edge and lengthened the reins to let him dip his head and drink. She would have liked to get down from his back, and loosen his girth, but wasn’t sure she would be able to remount if she did. There were no convenient logs around to stand on to give her the height she would need. He was a tall horse; she estimated over seventeen hands, and the stirrup cups too high for her to reach unaided.
Her weight seemed not to matter to the animal, who drank and put his head up again. They moved on.
Sophia decided to approach her house in a circuitous way, and stayed firmly in the trees until she was behind the stables. It would be folly to get this far and be seen looking like a hoyden, or accosted by anyone who had been asked to look out for her. She didn’t think for one minute her absence would not be noticed or acted upon. Whether the twins would come to Midwood she didn’t know, whether her staff would act on their say so, she rather thought was in doubt. It would depend on what tales they were fed. If they thought she was in danger, every last man would now be scouring the countryside. She needed to get to her chambers unseen, and call Mrs. Lodden for help. The kindly woman would aid and abet Sophia and ask no questions until later. It had always been thus.
Sophia dismounted and tied Thunder to a tree. He whickered and blew through his nostrils, before he dropped his head and began to graze. She leaned against him for a moment enjoying his soft warmth. Then Sophia straightened; she had things to do.
“I’ll be back soon,” she whispered in his ear. “Then it’s a proper stable for you.”
The horse whinnied, as if to agree with her.
“Why not give him his stable now?”
She whirled round, and screamed.
Chapter Seven
Jasper Thorne leaned against the tree trunk and enjoyed the way Sophia reacted. It gave him some satisfaction to know his suspicions had been correct, and she had found her way home. Arriving a scant ten minutes earlier, he had been about to rouse her household to ask if she was there when he’d heard the familiar whinny of Emperor, his favorite horse.
He’d followed the sound to see Sophia crooning in the animal’s ear. The rush of anger that flooded him surprised him with its vehemence. Jasper was annoyed, and disappointed that Sophia had chosen flight over talk, but if he was honest, he understood why she had acted as she did. He and his twin together could perhaps be a little overwhelming. But he had thought they would be able to talk together and come to an acceptable conclusion. He ignored the tiny voice that added, acceptable to him and Nat. The idea that Sophia might baulk at their wants was not to be born.
Now he waited to see what she would do next.
She glared and his cock twitched. She was magnificent in her anger. All he wanted to do was bend her over a convenient branch and fuck her until they could no longer stand. As he thought it was highly unlikely Sophia would agree to such treatment, he quelled his desire and waited.
“What in hades are you doing here? ” she
He soared over the gate as if it was a milk stool. Sophia leaned forward and patted his powerful neck.
“You are a star,” she told him. He whinnied his agreement softly, and she laughed. “Not long and I can, I hope, provide you with a comfortable stable and some hay.” Sophia took up the reins and directed him along a winding bridleway. This was her land, and even though she may not visit it as often or for as long as she preferred, she still knew every inch of it intimately. They rounded a bend and reached one of the streams that crossed her land to join the river that wound its way along her northern boundary. Sophia led Thunder to the edge and lengthened the reins to let him dip his head and drink. She would have liked to get down from his back, and loosen his girth, but wasn’t sure she would be able to remount if she did. There were no convenient logs around to stand on to give her the height she would need. He was a tall horse; she estimated over seventeen hands, and the stirrup cups too high for her to reach unaided.
Her weight seemed not to matter to the animal, who drank and put his head up again. They moved on.
Sophia decided to approach her house in a circuitous way, and stayed firmly in the trees until she was behind the stables. It would be folly to get this far and be seen looking like a hoyden, or accosted by anyone who had been asked to look out for her. She didn’t think for one minute her absence would not be noticed or acted upon. Whether the twins would come to Midwood she didn’t know, whether her staff would act on their say so, she rather thought was in doubt. It would depend on what tales they were fed. If they thought she was in danger, every last man would now be scouring the countryside. She needed to get to her chambers unseen, and call Mrs. Lodden for help. The kindly woman would aid and abet Sophia and ask no questions until later. It had always been thus.
Sophia dismounted and tied Thunder to a tree. He whickered and blew through his nostrils, before he dropped his head and began to graze. She leaned against him for a moment enjoying his soft warmth. Then Sophia straightened; she had things to do.
“I’ll be back soon,” she whispered in his ear. “Then it’s a proper stable for you.”
The horse whinnied, as if to agree with her.
“Why not give him his stable now?”
She whirled round, and screamed.
Chapter Seven
Jasper Thorne leaned against the tree trunk and enjoyed the way Sophia reacted. It gave him some satisfaction to know his suspicions had been correct, and she had found her way home. Arriving a scant ten minutes earlier, he had been about to rouse her household to ask if she was there when he’d heard the familiar whinny of Emperor, his favorite horse.
He’d followed the sound to see Sophia crooning in the animal’s ear. The rush of anger that flooded him surprised him with its vehemence. Jasper was annoyed, and disappointed that Sophia had chosen flight over talk, but if he was honest, he understood why she had acted as she did. He and his twin together could perhaps be a little overwhelming. But he had thought they would be able to talk together and come to an acceptable conclusion. He ignored the tiny voice that added, acceptable to him and Nat. The idea that Sophia might baulk at their wants was not to be born.
Now he waited to see what she would do next.
She glared and his cock twitched. She was magnificent in her anger. All he wanted to do was bend her over a convenient branch and fuck her until they could no longer stand. As he thought it was highly unlikely Sophia would agree to such treatment, he quelled his desire and waited.
“What in hades are you doing here? ” she
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