Read Online Araminta (Regency Belles Series Book 2) by Caroline Ashton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline Ashton
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know I hate them.’
‘Well you’ll just have to accustom yourself ’Minta. Side-saddles is what young ladies use.’ He stared at the worn leather. ‘It’s only second hand. All they had available but I’ll get you a new one soon as may be.’
Araminta pushed the offending saddle towards the groom with a foot. ‘Tie him to the railings and put it on. I’ll be down in the quickest moment, as soon as I’ve changed.’
She ran into the house. Wilhelmina Orksville was crossing the hall. ‘What is all this clamour about?’
‘Pa has bought me a horse. He’s gorgeous. Go see.’ Araminta continued her charge towards the stairs.
‘First, it is
Papa has bought me a horse
, and second, where do you think you are going?’
Araminta lifted her skirts and took the stairs two at a time. ‘To change. I’m going to ride him in the Row.’
‘No.’
‘What?’ Araminta had reached the landing. She hung over the balustrade, scowling.
‘You are not rushing off to ride anywhere unaccompanied.’
Two flushed circles appeared on the cream cheeks. ‘I certainly am. He’s beautiful and I want to ride him.’
‘I want, never gets,’ Wilhelmina recited. ‘I shall speak to your papa.’
Her spindly shape glided across the hall. Araminta raced back down the stairs and arrived pink-faced beside her at the top of the three front steps.
‘Mr Neave. I understand your daughter wishes to ride out on that creature.’
‘Pa, tell her I may. He’s –’
An imperiously raised hand stopped her protest. ‘I have of course no objection to her riding out. Indeed with such a beautiful mount it would be cruel to refuse, but she must not go unaccompanied. It is not too late for a second, brief excursion today. If you will summon the barouche she may ride with me to the Park and then mount the animal once there. I cannot condone her taking even a short journey through the streets with nothing more than a groom at this time of day.’
Araminta’s short breaths subsided into a sigh. ‘Oh, I thought you were going to forbid me altogether.’
The slightest touch from Wilhelmina’s hand on Araminta’s elbow persuaded her into the hall. ‘Dear child, it is not a case of stopping you from doing the things you enjoy and that are acceptable. It is a matter of doing them
comme il faut
. Doing them in the correct manner. Now, go and change into your habit.’ A breath was drawn in. ‘It is not what I would like but it will be allowable for today.’
‘Perhaps for two or three days? Until my new one arrives?’ The charm of Araminta’s smile rarely failed to please.
‘Hmmm.’ Wilhelmina Orksville growled. ‘You are a much indulged child but quite appealing even so. Now off you go. We shall see later what will be allowed.’
Hollins was startled to find her presence was demanded immediately to help Miss don her riding habit. Some ten minutes later she was bursting to tell someone – anyone – that Miss’s riding habit consisted of a jacket and – Lord save us – a skirt divided into pair of voluminous pantaloons. With linen ones underneath.
The first person she met was Nesbit, inspecting the dust in a narrow, gloomy backstairs corridor. His council, forcibly expressed, was to keep all such intimate information to herself. Failure might cost her the promotion her new position had secured. Or any position at all. Hollins dawdled back to the Miss’s bedchamber to put away the abandoned blue dimity and take out the deep blue evening gown.
In the barouche, Araminta fidgeted with her whip all the way to Rotten Row. She only ceased squirming round to watch Pegasus’ elegant movement as Mellor led him behind them when Wilhelmina threatened to return home immediately if she did not abandon such vulgar behaviour.
Mellor pulled to a halt beside the carriage at the entrance to Hyde Park. ‘If you please, ma’am,’ he said. ‘Grooms mayn’t lead horses into the Row. It ain’t allowed.’
Wilhelmina Orksville
‘Well you’ll just have to accustom yourself ’Minta. Side-saddles is what young ladies use.’ He stared at the worn leather. ‘It’s only second hand. All they had available but I’ll get you a new one soon as may be.’
Araminta pushed the offending saddle towards the groom with a foot. ‘Tie him to the railings and put it on. I’ll be down in the quickest moment, as soon as I’ve changed.’
She ran into the house. Wilhelmina Orksville was crossing the hall. ‘What is all this clamour about?’
‘Pa has bought me a horse. He’s gorgeous. Go see.’ Araminta continued her charge towards the stairs.
‘First, it is
Papa has bought me a horse
, and second, where do you think you are going?’
Araminta lifted her skirts and took the stairs two at a time. ‘To change. I’m going to ride him in the Row.’
‘No.’
‘What?’ Araminta had reached the landing. She hung over the balustrade, scowling.
‘You are not rushing off to ride anywhere unaccompanied.’
Two flushed circles appeared on the cream cheeks. ‘I certainly am. He’s beautiful and I want to ride him.’
‘I want, never gets,’ Wilhelmina recited. ‘I shall speak to your papa.’
Her spindly shape glided across the hall. Araminta raced back down the stairs and arrived pink-faced beside her at the top of the three front steps.
‘Mr Neave. I understand your daughter wishes to ride out on that creature.’
‘Pa, tell her I may. He’s –’
An imperiously raised hand stopped her protest. ‘I have of course no objection to her riding out. Indeed with such a beautiful mount it would be cruel to refuse, but she must not go unaccompanied. It is not too late for a second, brief excursion today. If you will summon the barouche she may ride with me to the Park and then mount the animal once there. I cannot condone her taking even a short journey through the streets with nothing more than a groom at this time of day.’
Araminta’s short breaths subsided into a sigh. ‘Oh, I thought you were going to forbid me altogether.’
The slightest touch from Wilhelmina’s hand on Araminta’s elbow persuaded her into the hall. ‘Dear child, it is not a case of stopping you from doing the things you enjoy and that are acceptable. It is a matter of doing them
comme il faut
. Doing them in the correct manner. Now, go and change into your habit.’ A breath was drawn in. ‘It is not what I would like but it will be allowable for today.’
‘Perhaps for two or three days? Until my new one arrives?’ The charm of Araminta’s smile rarely failed to please.
‘Hmmm.’ Wilhelmina Orksville growled. ‘You are a much indulged child but quite appealing even so. Now off you go. We shall see later what will be allowed.’
Hollins was startled to find her presence was demanded immediately to help Miss don her riding habit. Some ten minutes later she was bursting to tell someone – anyone – that Miss’s riding habit consisted of a jacket and – Lord save us – a skirt divided into pair of voluminous pantaloons. With linen ones underneath.
The first person she met was Nesbit, inspecting the dust in a narrow, gloomy backstairs corridor. His council, forcibly expressed, was to keep all such intimate information to herself. Failure might cost her the promotion her new position had secured. Or any position at all. Hollins dawdled back to the Miss’s bedchamber to put away the abandoned blue dimity and take out the deep blue evening gown.
In the barouche, Araminta fidgeted with her whip all the way to Rotten Row. She only ceased squirming round to watch Pegasus’ elegant movement as Mellor led him behind them when Wilhelmina threatened to return home immediately if she did not abandon such vulgar behaviour.
Mellor pulled to a halt beside the carriage at the entrance to Hyde Park. ‘If you please, ma’am,’ he said. ‘Grooms mayn’t lead horses into the Row. It ain’t allowed.’
Wilhelmina Orksville
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