Chapter Twelve
On Saturday morning, Kaitlyn touched the horse on the bridge of the nose, rubbing softly and staring into the huge eyes. “You’re a beauty, aren’t you?” She laughed when the horse nodded and whinnied. “And no false pride from you either. What a perfect little lady you are.”
It was such a relief to not be sitting in the parlor with the other women. In the movies, it had been so funny and entertaining to watch the wit and conversations coming from the women as they sat around working on their needlepoint or doing drawings or whatever was an acceptable way for women to pass their time. In real life, it was mind-numbingly boring. After a few days of wasting her time in the house with the women, Kaitlyn was about ready to go crazy. No wonder women spent so much time in pursuit of the men. They needed something that would break up the monotony of all that boring stuff.
She had never managed to sneak away into the stables to go riding with Reese and Jem. They were much earlier risers and she wanted to give them some time alone, but she was dying to get on a horse.
At home she had always been allowed to go riding on her own, but here, she wasn’t considered an independent adult. She was a woman of marriageable age and therefore a temptation to all men in the vicinity and must be protected or prevented from causing a man to fall victim to his base desires. And heaven forbid she would show a little bit of leg, or have a leg covered in pants of any kind.
When Jack and Cyrus entered the stable at the same time, puffed up like a couple of peacocks, she nearly rolled her eyes. Cyrus rode enough she was sure he’d do fine out here, but she doubted he was as excited at the option of riding as she was. Especially with Sir Hughes coming as well.
With the sound of movement from behind her, Kaitlyn turned to see a groom carrying a saddle. She took one look at it and shook her head.
“Oh no, I’m sorry, but I won’t be using a side saddle.”
The boy looked almost scandalized.
“But, miss, you can’t possibly…”
Sir Hughes cleared his throat. The boy stopped and turned red. “No offense, miss.” He shifted the saddle in his arms as if not sure what to do.
Kaitlyn smiled at him. “It might sound a little odd, but back home, I became accustomed to riding with a regular saddle. I’m afraid there would be more danger of me injuring myself if I were to try using one of these.”
“Miss Taylor,” Jack said. “Are you certain riding astride would be safe given the skirts you are wearing?”
Kaitlyn nodded. “After Reese rode the other day, she requested the servants work on making split skirts. Something used at home to give us more freedom in riding.”
Cyrus studied her skirt and she pulled on the side a little. She caught the light in his eyes the moment he realized what she was wearing. He nodded as if he approved. “Miss Taylor,” Cyrus said, almost mockingly. “I think your adjustments on your riding skirts are an excellent invention.”
“You mean this isn’t common in the Americas?” Jack asked.
Kaitlyn waved her hand. “Oh, this was not my invention. I’ve seen it before. It will keep me appropriately covered, but allow me the free movement I need. I don’t know why more women haven’t been seriously injured while riding if they are trapped in so many skirts. This is so much more practical.”
Jack turned to the young groom. “I dare say you’ll be able to find another saddle that will accommodate Miss Taylor.”
The boy nodded and moved away, but not before Kaitlyn registered he was only going after being told to do so by a man. As she rolled her eyes, she caught Cyrus smiling at her.
“What?” she whispered as he stepped closer.
“Nothing,” Cyrus said, still with a knowing smile.
Once the animal was properly saddled for their ride, she allowed Jack to help her up, though she didn’t really need the help. Or at least she wouldn’t have needed the help if she weren’t wearing pounds and pounds of extra fabric. Sometimes, the dresses of the day seemed incredibly ridiculously, but in a separate part of her heart, she really did love wearing them. Dressed up all fun and fancy had something special and almost magical to it.
Every once in a while when she walked by a mirror or felt the swoosh of her skirt, she had a rush of excitement fill her stomach which sent a million butterflies to flight into her heart. She smiled at the magic and joy of the moment. At this particular moment, while she tried to adjust the legs of the split skirt so that her ankles wouldn’t be exposed and open her up to ridicule or scandalous talk amongst the stable boys, she felt anything but joy and magic.
If she were a fairy godmother kind of woman like she thought Aunt Nellie was, then she would have put a spell on all the men and women of the time and made them think a little more progressively.
But then someone would probably find her and burn her at the stake as a witch.
***
Cyrus glared at the backs of Kaitlyn and Jack as they rode side by side up ahead of him through a denser area of the trail that wouldn’t allow for three horses to ride abreast. He couldn’t understand why Jack had to be along for the ride. When Jem and Reese suggested they should go riding, he pounced on the idea. It was the perfect excuse to go with Kaitlyn and have a few minutes to talk about how things were so strange and different here in the past. They could have been chaperoned by one of Nellie’s faerie staff who wouldn’t be confused when they talked of the future.
But Nellie seemed to have some kind of ulterior motive. He’d heard one of the servants mention Nellie was fond of finding love matches. And the way she watched all the different men and women who were guests of her house, he was almost sure she had plans for some of them. Before they had left the breakfast table, he’d heard Nellie talking with Jack. Her tone seemed teasing, but she had said it would please her to see him find a wife to become the lady of his estate and make him settle down.
Jack had chuckled. “I am avoiding the marriage market in town by coming here. I don’t need help finding a bride.” When Aunt Nellie looked away, Cyrus caught Jack looking at Kaitlyn a second time. Cyrus’s stomach dropped at the thought. He would do his best to protect her from anything of the sort.
As he saw Kaitlyn and Jack in easy conversation on the horses ahead of him, he almost wished they had a few more riders with them to go interrupt their discussion. If he joined them, he’d get another eye roll from Kaitlyn for interfering with her magical experience of living in the past and being the object of a baronet’s attention.
Would she really consider settling down and staying in the past with Jack? He doubted it, not if her annoyance at the stable boy’s actions was any indicator, but it was hard to know for sure. He would have to talk to Jem about it. See what he thought of his sister being courted by a baronet.