Saving Sabine

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

“That’s the way!” Connor cheered as Sabine rode Puissant across the grounds. “Perfect!”  

Holding onto the reins, Sabine pushed Puissant to her limits as they tore across the clear terrain at Southerby. Concealed by the hill that blocked the stables from view, Sabine had no qualms with riding as masculinely as she wanted. Leaning forward, abandoning her perfect posture, she enjoyed the incredible speed at which her mare was able to run.

Her golden hair had fallen from her loose braid and was flying behind her and her skirts was around her calves but she didn’t care. The freedom she felt as she rode Puissant at her fasted was like no other experience. It was exhilarating. Closing her eyes for a second she felt as if she were really flying.

But Puissant was no longer a filly. She was ten years old and needed to be looked after. Opening her eyes, Sabine pulled on Puissant’s reins and slowed her down to a walk. Fixing her skirt, she slid off her back and beamed at Connor who was jogging over to her, clapping his hands.

“I’ll be honest with ye, lass, ye ride better than most men!” he exclaimed, taking Puissant’s reins from her.  

Sabine curtseyed playfully. “Thank you,” she grinned. She ran her hand along Puissant’s neck and felt that she was very sweaty. “She needs to be rubbed down,” she told him. “Let’s get her back to the stables – could you fetch a pail for water?” she asked him, furrowing her eyebrows.

Connor nodded, rubbing Puissant’s forehead affectionately. “Ye, my fair lady,” he said, speaking to Puissant. “Are a star. I’m no’ kiddin’, she is the exact kind of horse I want to raise. However did ye train her?” 

Sabine shrugged. “I haven’t trained her, I’ve just ridden her since I outgrew my pony. It’s trust that we share, you can’t train trust, it comes naturally between horse and rider.”

Connor did a double take. “Are ye a poet in ye spare time, milady?”

Sabine smiled coyly as she began walking back towards the stables, Connor followed leading Puissant. “I didn’t have many friends growing up so I spent a lot of my time with horses. I think they understand me better than people do,” she laughed.

“Why’d ye not have any friends?” he asked curiously. As he furrowed his brows, small lines became apparent between his eyebrows.

Sabine pursed her lips and sighed. “I didn’t have any siblings until my brothers were born and even then I was quite a few years older than them. I wasn’t educated in the schoolroom in the village with the rest of the children, I had a governess, and she never allowed me to go outside the estate. I was quite glad when she left me to be honest,” she admitted.

“Your governess never allowed ye?” he asked in disbelief. “Why’d she have a say? Why didn’t ye da’ or ye mama set her straight?” he demanded to know.

Sabine looked to the ground, a little sad. “I was alone here until I was five,” she said quietly. She didn’t blame her father for leaving her, he was grieving. But even if he had grieved at Southerby, at least neither of them would have been alone. But then again, if he had not left her, he would have never met Jane and she would not have her mama. It was a part of her childhood that was very lonely, something she had forgiven, but she would never forget.