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Authors: Victoria Holt
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the history and geography lessons which I set for that morning.
She took luncheon with her father while I ate alone in the schoolroom, and after that I decided to approach Connan TreMellyn.
While I was wondering where I could find him I saw him leave the house and go across to the stables. I immediately followed him and, when I arrived at the stables, I heard him giving orders to Billy Trehay to saddle Royal Russet for him.
He looked surprised to see me; and then he smiled and I was sure that he was remembering the last time he had seen me in dishabille.
” Why,” he said, ” it is Miss Leigh.”
” I had hoped to have a few words with you,” I said primly. ” Perhaps this is an inconvenient time.”
” That depends,” he said, ” on how many words you wish us to exchange.” He took out his watch and looked at it. ” I can give you five minutes, Miss Leigh.”
I was aware of Billy Trehay, and if Connan TreMellyn was going to snub me I was eager that no servant should overhear.
Connan TreMellyn said: ” Let us walk across the lawn. Ready in five minutes, Billy?”
” Very good, Master,” answered Billy.
With that Connan TreMellyn began to walk away from the stables, and I fell into step beside him.
” In my youth,” I said, ” I was constantly in the saddle. I believe Alvean wishes to learn to ride. I am asking your permission to teach her.”
” You have my permission to try, Miss Leigh,” he said.
” You sound as though you doubt my ability to succeed.”
” I fear I do.”
” I don’t understand why you should doubt my ability to teach when you have not tested my skill.”
” Oh, Miss Leigh,” he said almost mockingly, ” you wrong me. It is not your ability to teach that I doubt; it is Alvean’s to learn.”
” You mean others have failed to teach her?”
” I have failed.”
” But surely ” He lifted a hand. ” It is strange,” he said, ” to find such fear in a child. Most children take to it like breathing.”
His tone was clipped, his expression hard; I wanted to shout at him:
What sort of father are you! I pictured the lessons, the lack of understanding, the expectation of miracles. No wonder the child had been scared.
He went on: ” There are some people who can never learn to ride.”
Before I could stop myself I had burst out: ” There are some people who cannot teach.”
He stopped to stare at me in astonishment, and I knew that nobody in this house had ever dared to talk to him in such a way.
I thought: This is it. I shall now be told that my services are no longer required, and at the end of the month I may pack my bags and depart.
There was a violent temper there, and I could see that he was fighting to control it. He still looked at me and I could not read the expression in those light eyes. I believed it was contemptuous. Then he glanced back at the stables.
” You must excuse me, Miss Leigh,” he said; and he left me.
I went straight back to Alvean. I found her in the schoolroom. There was the sullen defiant look in her eyes, and I believed she had seen me talking to her father.
I came straight to the point. ” Your father has said I may give you riding lessons, Alvean. Would you like that?”
I saw the muscles of her face tighten, and my heart sank. Would it be possible to teach a child who was as scared as that?
I went on quickly, before she had time to answer : ” When we were your age my sister and I were keen riders. She was two years younger than I and we used to compete together in the local shows. The exciting days in our lives were those when there was a horse show in our village.”
” They have them here,” she said.
” It’s great fun. And once you’ve really mastered the trick you feel quite at home in the saddle.”
She was silent for a moment, then she said : ” I can’t do it. I don’t like horses.”
” You don’t like horses!” My voice was shocked. ” Why, they’re the gentlest creatures in the
She took luncheon with her father while I ate alone in the schoolroom, and after that I decided to approach Connan TreMellyn.
While I was wondering where I could find him I saw him leave the house and go across to the stables. I immediately followed him and, when I arrived at the stables, I heard him giving orders to Billy Trehay to saddle Royal Russet for him.
He looked surprised to see me; and then he smiled and I was sure that he was remembering the last time he had seen me in dishabille.
” Why,” he said, ” it is Miss Leigh.”
” I had hoped to have a few words with you,” I said primly. ” Perhaps this is an inconvenient time.”
” That depends,” he said, ” on how many words you wish us to exchange.” He took out his watch and looked at it. ” I can give you five minutes, Miss Leigh.”
I was aware of Billy Trehay, and if Connan TreMellyn was going to snub me I was eager that no servant should overhear.
Connan TreMellyn said: ” Let us walk across the lawn. Ready in five minutes, Billy?”
” Very good, Master,” answered Billy.
With that Connan TreMellyn began to walk away from the stables, and I fell into step beside him.
” In my youth,” I said, ” I was constantly in the saddle. I believe Alvean wishes to learn to ride. I am asking your permission to teach her.”
” You have my permission to try, Miss Leigh,” he said.
” You sound as though you doubt my ability to succeed.”
” I fear I do.”
” I don’t understand why you should doubt my ability to teach when you have not tested my skill.”
” Oh, Miss Leigh,” he said almost mockingly, ” you wrong me. It is not your ability to teach that I doubt; it is Alvean’s to learn.”
” You mean others have failed to teach her?”
” I have failed.”
” But surely ” He lifted a hand. ” It is strange,” he said, ” to find such fear in a child. Most children take to it like breathing.”
His tone was clipped, his expression hard; I wanted to shout at him:
What sort of father are you! I pictured the lessons, the lack of understanding, the expectation of miracles. No wonder the child had been scared.
He went on: ” There are some people who can never learn to ride.”
Before I could stop myself I had burst out: ” There are some people who cannot teach.”
He stopped to stare at me in astonishment, and I knew that nobody in this house had ever dared to talk to him in such a way.
I thought: This is it. I shall now be told that my services are no longer required, and at the end of the month I may pack my bags and depart.
There was a violent temper there, and I could see that he was fighting to control it. He still looked at me and I could not read the expression in those light eyes. I believed it was contemptuous. Then he glanced back at the stables.
” You must excuse me, Miss Leigh,” he said; and he left me.
I went straight back to Alvean. I found her in the schoolroom. There was the sullen defiant look in her eyes, and I believed she had seen me talking to her father.
I came straight to the point. ” Your father has said I may give you riding lessons, Alvean. Would you like that?”
I saw the muscles of her face tighten, and my heart sank. Would it be possible to teach a child who was as scared as that?
I went on quickly, before she had time to answer : ” When we were your age my sister and I were keen riders. She was two years younger than I and we used to compete together in the local shows. The exciting days in our lives were those when there was a horse show in our village.”
” They have them here,” she said.
” It’s great fun. And once you’ve really mastered the trick you feel quite at home in the saddle.”
She was silent for a moment, then she said : ” I can’t do it. I don’t like horses.”
” You don’t like horses!” My voice was shocked. ” Why, they’re the gentlest creatures in the
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