A Country Mouse by Fenella Miller Read Free Book Online Page A

it not?'
    Two hours later Lady Althea was resting comfortably in her sitting-room, her hair freshly styled and her navy blue eyes alert. She was awaiting a visit from her younger daughters. What had become of Emily, she had no idea. Edwards had sent a message with one of the chambermaids to her room but had found it unoccupied.
    Serena and Millie were outside in the passageway and she smiled to think that now her precious girls would be able to grow up in the same luxurious surroundings as she had. If she had had any inkling of exactly what her normally sensible and sedate eldest daughter was doing, at that very moment, she would have been horrified.
    * * * *
    Sultan stamped his huge hooves impatiently, he was eager to return to his cosy stable. Being ignored again, he snatched his bridle from his master's hand stretching his nose high into the air. It had the desired effect.
     'Stand, sir. Enough of that nonsense.' Sebastian said, laughing at his mount's antics.
    'I believe he's trying to tell you that he wishes to be in his stable, not standing about here.'
    Emily reached up and stroked the velvety nose. She was already in love with this horse. She would dearly love to ride him but knew her cousin would never agree to such a thing. But something prompted her to ask.
    'Would you permit me to ride Sultan? He's similar to the stallion I was forced to sell after my father died.'
    Sebastian's eyebrows shot up under his hair. 'Good God! Are you saying you have ridden such an animal yourself?'
    Emily laughed, delighted she had surprised her cousin. 'Indeed I have; and I'm not ashamed to say that I always rode astride. I have a habit specially made for that purpose.'
    'I do not believe it. No girl alive could ride a horse like Sultan safely.' She bristled and her smile vanished. How dare he call her a liar! Emily threw back her head and challenged him.
    'Give me a leg up and you will see just how wrong you are.'
    For a moment Sebastian hesitated; it was an outrageous suggestion. Then he saw the fury in her remarkable eyes and decided it would not hurt her to learn a sharp lesson. He would call her bluff.
     'Very well; we will take him somewhere safer. The back paddock will do.' He viewed her dusty old-fashioned dress as they walked towards the field. 'Do you to need to change into your habit?'
    She shook her head. 'No, this skirt is full enough; I shall manage.'
    Sultan, on discovering he was not to be put into his box, began to show his displeasure by sidling and throwing his head about. Emily was beginning to regret her rash decision but she would not back down; she wished her cousin to discover that, unlike the usual debutantes, there was more to her than feminine fripperies and inane chatter.
    It quite escaped her attention that so far, in their brief acquaintance, she had not shown the slightest sign of being either feminine or a chatterbox.
    'Are you certain you wish to go through with this, cousin?  I will quite understand if you feel you are not up to riding Sultan when he is in this mood.' If he had not accompanied the suggestion with a superior smile Emily might have agreed. In spite of her prowess as a horse woman, she was starting to think that she would not be unable to a control the overexcited animal.
    'No, definitely not. I have said I shall ride him and ride him I shall.' They had reached the three acre meadow in which the house cows and miscellaneous poultry lived. The gate latch was stiff and Sultan refused to stand still and allow Sebastian to open it. Without a second thought Emily stepped up and removed the bridle from her cousin's hand.
    'Stop that, silly boy;' she murmured as she walked him in a small, tight circle. The horse was so surprised to be led by such a small human that he lowered his huge head and nuzzled her back. 'That's better; I don't understand what all the fuss is about.'
    'The gate is open. Bring him in,' Sebastian snapped, annoyed that his horse was behaving like a donkey with his smug