Chapter Two
A few days past and Sabine had spent the time correcting all of Connor’s changes. When she was satisfied that everything was as they way she left it, she felt that she could finally get back into her usual routine.
“Why do ye like horses so much?” Connor asked Sabine as she filled Puissant’s feed and water pails. “Don’ ye ladies like embroidery an’ things like that?”
Sabine arched one of her eyebrows in Connor’s direction. “Horses … well, they never leave you.”
“That’s not what Puissant was doing when I found her,” Connor shrugged with that same crooked grin on his face.
“It is said ‘Puissant’,” she corrected him. “The ‘t’ is silent as it is French. It means ‘mighty’. What exactly was she doing when you found her?” she asked, eyeing her beautiful chestnut mare. Puissant was watching them like the curious animal she was.
“Puissant,” he said correctly. “She truly is a fine horse, milady. She was a few miles from here, just running. I’ve never seen her equal in strong legs or speed.”
Sabine began to dress Puissant for a ride. She hadn’t ridden a horse in several months and she was desperate to feel the freedom again. “Why was she a few miles from here? She doesn’t leave the stables unless she is being exercised by me or by one of my family members,” she said icily. If one of her brothers had left Puissant’s stall unlatched then there would be hell to pay.
“It’s no’ like I let her out of her stall myself,” he retorted. “I happened upon your beautiful mare on my travels so I caught her and tracked her movements back to this estate. Her tack was too fine to be just a normal runaway. I knocked on the door and your da’ offered me a job. I guess you’re wrong then, milady. Horse do leave you.”
Sabine bit her lip to try to control her emotions. Abandonment was a very sensitive issue for her. She’d completely forgiven her father but sometimes the feelings still bubbled to the surface. Horses were the one thing she knew she could rely on. In silence she placed the blanket on Puissant’s back and fastened the saddle to her back. Fixing the stirrups to her height, Sabine seized the reins and made a point to push past Connor.
Connor didn’t say anything in response to Sabine’s abrasiveness, instead he just followed her out of the stables.
As Sabine was about to mount Puissant, she felt to hands on her hips. The ground disappeared beneath her as Connor placed her in the saddle. Much to her embarrassment, she felt her cheeks redden. She adjusted her position and tightened her grip on the reins. As she was about to thank Connor, he started speaking.
“You’re sitting in the saddle wrong, lass,” he noted.
Sabine furrowed her brows. She looked at her position and it was perfect. “No, I’m not.”
“Swing your leg over to the other side,” he instructed. “That can’ be comfortable.”
“Side saddle is how ladies ride, Mr McKenzie,” Sabine said firmly. “To ride with my legs apart would invite scandal.”
YOU ARE READING
Saving Sabine
RomanceSabine Winchester has always had a too sensible head on her shoulders. Her unsuccessful seasons in London result in her being called things like 'boring' and 'dull'. Her limited interests stem to her beloved horse, Puissant. But in arriving home, sh...
