find the crossing place soon, but meanwhile we had a few moments to recover. Stanton was the first to reach me.
‘Rash, Eleanor,’ he commented. ‘Very rash.’ He fell into step beside me once more, and Arianna quickened her pace.
‘I knew the stream,’ I answered him, more defiantly than I felt. We broke into a trot. One of the huntsmen was blowing a horn.
‘But not the fallen tree. Do you not even know the phrase “look before you leap”?’
‘Yes, and the phrase “all’s well that ends well”,’ I retorted angrily.
There was no time for more, the hunt was pressing on, but Stanton called over his shoulder: ‘That’s a fine palfrey you have there. Too fine to risk her legs with reckless riding and showing off.’
‘I was not!’ I gasped. I was speaking to myself, however, for he could no longer hear me. He was galloping now, mud flying from his horse’s hooves. Arianna was fretting to keep up, but I was holding her back, gripping the reins tightly, my knuckles white. I was furious with Stanton, because he was right. The knowledge was humiliating. For a moment, I considered turning back. I could find my own way home easily. I won’t give him the satisfaction, I thought angrily, and gave Arianna her head once more. She was tired, but broke into a canter, and we followed the hunt more soberly than before.
It was soon after that we finally cornered the stag. The hounds surrounded the exhausted beast. He shook his antlers fiercely at them, courageous to the last. He tried to charge the dogs, but they quickly brought him down. Sir Walter rode forward to be in at the kill, but at the last minute I found I did not want to see the noble beast die, and averted my eyes.
The ride home was long. At first everyone discussed the chase in eager, excited voices, reliving the excitement of the last few hours. Gradually, however, weariness came upon us all, and we fell silent. Horses and riders alike were spent.
I brought Arianna alongside Gregory’s horse.
‘You did well today, Eleanor,’ he said. He had not seen the incident at the stream.
‘Thank you, cousin. You are a skilled rider yourself,’ I responded.
I could not take much pleasure from his praise. I was still smarting from Stanton’s reprimand. My cousin’s voice broke into my thoughts.
‘That’s a fine hunter Stanton has there. I wish I had one half as good. And he has at least one mount I envy for the joust as well.’
‘He has?’ I asked curiously. ‘He must be wealthy.’
‘Oh, very. He has a good estate in Hampshire. Well, you will see it soon, as you are to marry him.’
I cast a quick glance around but there was no one near.
‘Not if I can avoid it,’ I confided in him. He turned a startled face towards me.
‘What can you mean?’ he asked. ‘You are betrothed! Do you not like Stanton? He is considered a good match.’
‘I dislike him intensely,’ I replied fiercely.
Gregory frowned. ‘I thought all the ladies ran mad over him. He is a handsome fellow and rich. He’s only a viscount now, but he will inherit the earldom from his father. He is the eldest son.’
‘For all that, he is intolerable,’ I retorted.
I would have said more, in fact I would have liked to vent my feelings by enumerating all Stanton’s many faults to my cousin, but there was one point that could not be argued with. I lowered my voice:
‘I know him to be involved in the plot to do away with my mother,’ I said.
Gregory turned a shocked face towards me.
‘Eleanor, that cannot be. What would he have to gain from such a crime?’
I shrugged.
‘I have no idea. But Sir Walter told me so himself.’
My cousin opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment he was called from my side by Sir Walter who wished to speak with him.
Arianna and I jogged on steadily. My good mood was gone. I told myself I cared not for Stanton’s opinion of my riding. He was nothing but a low, murdering villain. But I did care, for I had been in the wrong, and I
‘Rash, Eleanor,’ he commented. ‘Very rash.’ He fell into step beside me once more, and Arianna quickened her pace.
‘I knew the stream,’ I answered him, more defiantly than I felt. We broke into a trot. One of the huntsmen was blowing a horn.
‘But not the fallen tree. Do you not even know the phrase “look before you leap”?’
‘Yes, and the phrase “all’s well that ends well”,’ I retorted angrily.
There was no time for more, the hunt was pressing on, but Stanton called over his shoulder: ‘That’s a fine palfrey you have there. Too fine to risk her legs with reckless riding and showing off.’
‘I was not!’ I gasped. I was speaking to myself, however, for he could no longer hear me. He was galloping now, mud flying from his horse’s hooves. Arianna was fretting to keep up, but I was holding her back, gripping the reins tightly, my knuckles white. I was furious with Stanton, because he was right. The knowledge was humiliating. For a moment, I considered turning back. I could find my own way home easily. I won’t give him the satisfaction, I thought angrily, and gave Arianna her head once more. She was tired, but broke into a canter, and we followed the hunt more soberly than before.
It was soon after that we finally cornered the stag. The hounds surrounded the exhausted beast. He shook his antlers fiercely at them, courageous to the last. He tried to charge the dogs, but they quickly brought him down. Sir Walter rode forward to be in at the kill, but at the last minute I found I did not want to see the noble beast die, and averted my eyes.
The ride home was long. At first everyone discussed the chase in eager, excited voices, reliving the excitement of the last few hours. Gradually, however, weariness came upon us all, and we fell silent. Horses and riders alike were spent.
I brought Arianna alongside Gregory’s horse.
‘You did well today, Eleanor,’ he said. He had not seen the incident at the stream.
‘Thank you, cousin. You are a skilled rider yourself,’ I responded.
I could not take much pleasure from his praise. I was still smarting from Stanton’s reprimand. My cousin’s voice broke into my thoughts.
‘That’s a fine hunter Stanton has there. I wish I had one half as good. And he has at least one mount I envy for the joust as well.’
‘He has?’ I asked curiously. ‘He must be wealthy.’
‘Oh, very. He has a good estate in Hampshire. Well, you will see it soon, as you are to marry him.’
I cast a quick glance around but there was no one near.
‘Not if I can avoid it,’ I confided in him. He turned a startled face towards me.
‘What can you mean?’ he asked. ‘You are betrothed! Do you not like Stanton? He is considered a good match.’
‘I dislike him intensely,’ I replied fiercely.
Gregory frowned. ‘I thought all the ladies ran mad over him. He is a handsome fellow and rich. He’s only a viscount now, but he will inherit the earldom from his father. He is the eldest son.’
‘For all that, he is intolerable,’ I retorted.
I would have said more, in fact I would have liked to vent my feelings by enumerating all Stanton’s many faults to my cousin, but there was one point that could not be argued with. I lowered my voice:
‘I know him to be involved in the plot to do away with my mother,’ I said.
Gregory turned a shocked face towards me.
‘Eleanor, that cannot be. What would he have to gain from such a crime?’
I shrugged.
‘I have no idea. But Sir Walter told me so himself.’
My cousin opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment he was called from my side by Sir Walter who wished to speak with him.
Arianna and I jogged on steadily. My good mood was gone. I told myself I cared not for Stanton’s opinion of my riding. He was nothing but a low, murdering villain. But I did care, for I had been in the wrong, and I
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