It was the first morning at Stanley Hall since our arrival and before we emptied the house for the sport on horseback very early after breakfast I went off on my own to sneak a closer look at the horses since I had wished to ride one of them since Mr. Howard surprised me that day in Bridgeston by interrupting my walk though then I was only a maid yet now as a lady at last it was acceptable that I rode one of them here in Stanley Hall.

"Good morning," I said to the stable boy, looking at the horses and their shiny different colored bodies from spotted gray, to brown, amber yet all of equally groomed airs.

"Good morning milady," he bowed and I walked in slowly as to not scare any of them, "I am almost done with them."

"Oh please take your time I came in early out of sheer curiosity, I am Lady Alice Stewart," I extended my hand introducing myself with no formality and he took it by nodding with a bow again.

"Lady Alice I picked a very sweet mare for you, would you like to see her?"

"Yes please," the thought somehow excited me.

"Here she is, this is... Charles? What are you doing here?" He said of the dog, it was Mr. Howard's dog just as the rumors said it was true.

"So this is Charles?" I observed as he tried to get under the skirt of my dress.

"Charles no, bad dog," he pulled Charles away from me but I still touched his head, he had named his dog after his favorite author, only a man with such peculiarities as Mr. Howard would do such a thing, for it was an insult to society to name a dog with a respectable name.

"Oh it is no bother, right Charles? Just curious of your house guests and so you should be, have you found anyone to your liking?" I laughed as it ran it's body against the sleeves of my dress.

"Milady I believe he is hungry may I?"

"Oh of course please do," he excused himself and I touched the mare who was ready to ride.

"And what might your name be? Your owner has a tendency to name his property with noble names so maybe Elizabeth after the queen? Victoria? Or Mary? No?" I talked to it whose color was a white kind of gray but had a black spot on its belly resembling of a heart.

"You have a heart? How wonderful, it must be wonderful," I said to have a whole heart there for all to see, unashamed of it she was and then I caught of glimpse of one horse who was locked in his stall and not saddled.

"Well who is that? Who is your friend over there?" I left my designated mare to go see the other one, this horse had a sturdier way of standing, his throat extended up from the rest in height agitating he huffed and puffed kicking the sides of the stall.

"Hi there," I said trying to approach the stallion without setting him off and saw the long flowing black and dark brown thick coat of hair, he must have been newly acquired for he neighed loudly and I kept a direct stare with him seeing the door was secure enough for me to go nearer.

"They have you all locked up don't they? Yes I see, you must not be very obedient then are you?" I asked and he ceased his violent kicking as before.

"Do you happen to be like your master, like that stubborn goat," I complained. "Why? Do you wish to be locked up in here forever? Would it not be more fun to enjoy the company of the other horses? You should be out riding, strutting your nature given wild beauty, not locked away in here like your owner," I touched the horse's muzzle and he did not pull away though I was more caught up in talking.

"Look at that, maybe you are not like your master, you do not despise me so," I caressed his hair and continued to talk as if we were friends, "maybe you could teach your master how to behave towards me? You are doing better than him you know?" I said and then the hay crinkled beneath someone's feet.

"What are you doing Alice!" Mr. Howard shouted and from the fright I fell back into the hay.

"Ugh," I said seeing the hay had gotten all over my hair and got up on my own, "my apologies Lord Bridgeston I was only..."

"Only what?! Why are you near that horse! He is untrained and untamed!" And as I had said earlier, the horse was definitely better suited for conversation than a gentleman.

"Not as far as I have seen sir."

"Step back I said he is dangerous!" He shouted when I went near the horse and when I touched its head it came closer to where I was on the other side of the stall.

"He is not dangerous are you now?"

Mr. Howard was incredulous and I smiled at my triumph and I questioned, "what is his name?"

"Uh William."

"Like your father?" I asked and I must have been right for he did not answer it, "I shall take him for a ride."

"No!" He said at once turning away pulling back his hair and I was out of loss on how to convince him, he was being more than unreasonably stubborn and though we had not talked yet he could at least pretend to be more polite and courteous since we were estranged now.

"Why not?"

"No and get away from him before he decides he no longer likes your company!"

"Well William it seems like I am thus prohibited from having you but do not be sad I will stay here a while longer to see Charles again. At which point the stable boy might also shout and try to tell me to leave you though I will not budge until all the other ladies arrive and I must take my leave for the hunting." I put my head on William's muzzle and closed my eyes, "I should not have given you the news for you will miss us, and while we are hunting you shall remain locked in here William."

"Have you all but bewitched my horse?" Mr. Howard was beside me when he began to take off the hay from my hair.

"May I ride him?" I said letting go of the horse with eyes on Mr. Howard's gesture of help.

"His temperament is too..."

"I know sir but may I, please?"

"Why are you insisting on this?"

"Because it is not fair to keep him here as if he were a household object, how long has he been bound to this small stall?"

"No this is against my better judgement," Mr. Howard shook his head.

"Is there any chance that I may change your mind?"

"I... He never lets anyone saddle him or groom him, this can be dangerous."

"Please?" Just then Charles his dog came running back in to his feet.

"Charles there you are," Mr. Howard said petting his head and then Charles ran under my skirt.

"Charles," I lifted up my skirt to get him out from under there, "oh Charles your master did not mean to raise his voice, you may come out now my dear," and Mr. Howard very cross with my words sighed while bent down to get Charles from under my skirt.

"Milady I forgot to tell you her name, your horse..." The stable boy came rushing in but luckily the dog was in Mr. Howard's arms and my skirt was down again, "milord" he stopped talking and nodded.

"Good morning uh Lady Alice will be riding William, if the horse acts up take her off him immediately even if against her will," Mr. Howard gave the orders.

"Yes milord," the poor stable boy was afraid of the orders and I delighted in the opportunity.

"Excuse me I must get dressed for the hunting, the prey await." Mr. Howard exited and the stable boy smiled sheepishly at myself and the horse only then I noticed Mr. Howard was in his usual morning disarray of clothes, like he had come all this way just for Charles, his dog.

William did fine and soon I was on his back, the stable boy had no directions to give me for he did not respond to anything as far as they could tell, yet William and I had an enjoyable pre-hunting ride. I was still getting accustomed sitting side saddle so when no one was looking I sat on William like the men did out of sheer wonder as to how different it would be.

"Okay William let us go down by the sea and back in time for the hunt," I said after fixing my legs and to my comfort I felt safer with my legs grasping against the horse then with both to one side, where if out balance a lady could fall over at any moment.

Then it was time for the hunting and I went back with William, got a drink in the kitchen and exited out again pretending to be riding William for the first time and Mr. Henry once again stayed near as we galloped away. The freedom of the wind was once again blowing on my hair and although the stallion gave me a fright at first with his speed as if trying to compete with the rest I settled into him and we set out to the hunt.

"I thought they would have given you a mare or at least a well behaved horse," Henry said.

"Oh they did Mr. Henry are you not the best one William?"

"Right."

Henry agreed trying to keep up with me for William powered through faster than all the horses though not in the right directions sometimes as if the horse somehow wished to be far from the others. As the day progressed I did not get lost and wished I could stay on top of William for many more hours to come, he was a fine horse and from up there not much bothered me as it did once standing still on the floor and one of those things was Joseph.

Joseph was much changed since we last saw each other, he was laughing and if I was not imagining things then Miss Lillian's affections were reciprocated by him. I did not see the potency of Joseph's feelings for me as they were for her, he barely paid attention to anything else but her and while I could have taken it as a disappointment I took it to observing them their spontaneous friendship.

"Mr. Henry may I ask you something of a delicate nature?"

"You may ask me anything you like Lady Alice," we rode side by side on our horses.

"How attached are Joseph and your sister?"

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Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.