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chestnut and stroked his neck. She
stepped onto the mounting block and settled into
the saddle.
    Cassie moved her horse forward, away from the
barn. The squire placed his foot into the iron and
pushed off the ground to mount. He slipped and the
boot in the iron dropped to the ground.
    The bay shied, moving away from him. Cassie could not watch after the second attempt. She presumed there might have been a third. Subsequently,
squire, horse, and groom disappeared around the corner where Cassie had used the mounting block. The
squire might have used it as well for he emerged atop
his horse, ready to leave the grounds.

    “It has been quite a while since I’ve ridden,” he
admitted to her, as more of a humble apology than
excuse. “Although my brain may remember what to
do, my limbs may not be up to the task.”
    “Then we shall not overtax you,” Cassie offered.
“May I suggest we keep today’s excursion to a minimum?”
    “A splendid idea. I thank you for your kind understanding and consideration.” With an incline of his
head he accepted her proposal. He led the way out of
the stable area and onto the road. “Would it be permissible to have Romeo come along? I dare say he’d
enjoy himself immensely.”
    “I don’t think so. Father and I would leave Romeo
behind when taking afternoon rides in the country,
fearing he might be lost or trampled upon by the
horses’ hooves”
    “Perhaps we could find a way to provide him with
a saddle of his own or a perch of some sort.”
    How kind of the squire to consider her pet. Cassie
had never thought him capable of any type of benevolent feelings. She’d been wrong.
    “I think I am ready to post, but I should warn you it may not last for long” He urged his mount into a
trot and Cassie kept her horse next to his.

    They rode into town and once around the park at a
leisurely canter before returning to Stewart Hall.
    They met in the breakfast room after their outing.
Julian’s legs felt more like jelly and he wasn’t sure
if descending the stairs would be his undoing. He
might have landed in a heap on the ground floor. That
would have been more embarrassing than the three
attempts at mounting his horse that morning.
    To his relief, Lady Cassandra had been the first to
visit the sideboard and she was already seated by the
time he arrived. Thank goodness. He did not know
how he would have managed to rise when she entered the room. As it was, how he would manage to
stand and leave in a half hour’s time, he had no idea.
    “I would like to thank you for this morning,” she
said to him. “It was nice to be out in the fresh air and
I had forgotten how much I missed riding.”
    “Even with me as an escort? I am woefully underskilled as an equestrian.” He noticed she had added a
plate of eggs to her usual solitary slice of toast.
    “You are sure to improve, especially if we make
it a daily habit.” She glanced over the rim of her cup
at him.
    “It is my sincerest hope I can regain my strength
by tomorrow so we might venture out again.” Without feeling self-conscious, Julian felt encouraged at
her words. “I would be quite ashamed to be held to Edward’s standards. He is accomplished at every endeavor he attempts”

    Cassie could hear the pain and vulnerability in his
voice. She couldn’t imagine what caused him to continue.
    “I’ve never been good on my feet. It’s not a well
known fact,” he went on to say, “but I don’t know
how to dance” He didn’t seem to express any shame.
“Right now I suppose I do harbor some regrets.” His
soft, kind hazel eyes met Cassie’s. “I know Lorna
wanted her first waltz to be with Edward. I’m afraid I
will not be able to accommodate her.”
    Was he truly admitting his weakness to her? “I
could instruct you,” she offered and then wondered
why she’d said those words. She could read the uncertainty in his eyes. “For Lorna’s sake. I believe there is
more than