Chasing Cecilia

CHAPTER 1

Hampshire, England 1816

Cecilia:   

"Ce!" The shout punctured the still air of the forest and my head whipped around in the direction the call had come from. The small figure of Lacey, dressed from head to toe in pale lilac her hair swept into a neat coil, emerged from the dense foliage that surrounded the clearing I was stood in, a triumphant grin stretched across her face.

"Lacey," I laughed placing a hand over my chest, "You gave me a fright. I did not think you would be here so soon."

"Neither did we," a mumbled voice drifted into the opening before a rustle of leaves and a few muttered curse words followed a mop of dark auburn hair and a pair of olive green eyes. "Lacey here," William turned to shoot Lacey a look of annoyance from atop his horse,

"Dragged us from our game of cricket so as we might be here sooner." Finished another male voice as Denny appeared from behind an oak tree, the scowling Rory in tow.

"And just when I was about to bowl you out too." Rory cuffed Denny on the shoulder playfully.

"You were not!" Denny instantly retorted, batting away Rory's hand. "Just because I was winning."

"Were not!" Rory returned. I rolled my eyes and turned to Lacey who was still grinning.

"You wouldn't think they were men of twenty years." Lacey shook her head biting on her lip to stifle a laugh.

"Say, where is Sybil? She was right behind us-"

"Here!" Came a voice from the dense shrubbery of the forest but no person appeared.

"Sybil?" I called out questioningly. What had the girl gone and got herself into now?

"I'm just- dang and blast it, wretched branch." Silence fell once more over the glade before an exasperated huff interrupted the air followed by an irritated voice, "Would someone mind giving me a hand?" Denny immediately jumped down from his horse and retreated into the undergrowth as William and Rory let out knowing wolf whistles.

"Five pounds they're engaged before Michaelmas," William hollered.

"Ten!" Clamoured Rory. It wasn't a secret that Denny and Sybil were head over heels for each other. This year was to be Sybil's first season though and if Denny wasn't fast enough she'd be snatched up by some Duke or Earl in London within the month.

"You do realise we can hear everything you're saying." Denny's voice broke into the boys' laughter as he re-entered the clearing with Sybil trailing behind him, a few leaves stuck in her tangled hair and a rosy blush blossoming over her cheeks.

The boys burst into another round of laughs as they clapped Denny amiably on the back and Sybil rushed towards us, her mare following obediently behind her. Climbing down from atop Shadow, my beautiful stallion, I reached my arms out to her and she embraced me quickly, the blush slowly fading from her cheeks.

    Behind me Shadow whinnied and I turned around to stroke his soft nose, promising him he would not be left standing still long. Shadow was my pride and joy; I had seen him for sale at a market and had instantly fallen in love with his majestic beauty. I managed to get him for a reasonable price and named him Shadow, as his coat was the shiny blackness that you only find at the dead of night stealing between the branches of trees, small stars flecking the inky canvas beyond the canopy.

    I returned my attention to Sybil who had begun to talk of the position she had just taken up in a dressmakers. I listened tentatively to her animated chatter, even though the latest fashions were very trivial in my mind, to her they were of the utmost importance. I noticed Denny watching her from his place by William as she talked, a dreamy smile on his face lighting up his soft features.