He, for she was in no doubt the figure was a 'he' – the way he stood was commanding, broad shoulders, tall, a clear outline of a baggy shirt and breeches. Her instincts were proved correct as the figure called out, in an unmistakably deep, male voice, "who's there?"

Kitty didn't feel as scared as maybe she should have, she was not supposed to be here but she would wager this man wasn't either, and that voice didn't sound threatening. She realised her legs would not have carried her away should she chosen to have run anyway, her only option was to face the man and see how this interaction played out.

"Begging your pardon, sir...I couldn't sleep...I only wished to see the horses briefly, it helps me, sleep, eventually." She stuttered, cursing herself silently for her halting words, laced heavily with guilt. The figure was walking towards her now, he didn't seem to have a candle with him and she briefly wondered if he had left it somewhere or whether he was accustomed to sneaking around in the dark, like a criminal. She chastened herself for this final thought, for she would have looked no better, slipping into the stables in the dead of night.

He drew closer to her, a mere ten paces now and she lifted her candle to allow it's glow to illuminate enough of his features to be recognisable, Kitty couldn't help smiling at the man once he was touched by the light of the flame. "Richard!" She greeted him as though he were an old friend, the relief in her voice palpable and infectious. He grinned at her, "Aah, miss Kitty, how glad I am to see your beautiful face tonight!" He gushed and Kitty was grateful for the gloom as she blushed at his words. He continued hastily,fearing he had spoken out of turn, "I feared you were my mother,come to scold me for being out of bed at this ungodly hour."

"And why – if I may enquire – do you find yourself out of bed 'at this ungodly hour' as you so gently phrased it?" Kitty found it easy to talk to Richard, he felt like a brother, he expressed a familiarity people of his class did not usually dare show to people of hers. It was refreshing, it was endearing. Richard laughed, "same reason as you, miss." He winked at her and joined her at the stable door,standing at the other side of the horse who had remained leaning over the door, observing their conversation with a bored expression, but seemingly enjoying Kitty's patting too much to walk away. Richard turned his gaze away from Kitty to run his hand down the horse's neck. "I love these horses, they're my favourite thing about the inn...my family do a good job with this place, my parents running the kitchen and dealing with customers, my sister handling the rooms...this is my domain, here with the horses. My father wants me to learn about book-keeping and how to run the business, but all I want to do is ride, all I know how to keep are these beasts."

Kitty nodded, feeling his pain of not fitting in with his family's idea of who he should be, instead favouring the horses, she knew exactly how he felt and told him so, as he had been so honest with her. She felt at ease enough in his company to share something private about herself, something she'd never spoken about with anyone else. Perhaps it was because they had found each other where they shouldn't be, this exchange of stories helped to alleviate their guilt over their presence in the stables in the middle of the night.

"I have always loved horses too, I had to sneak rides when my parents left the estate and I would creep down to the stables to watch them during the night when everyone else is a-bed."

"Have you ever ridden at night?" Richard asked excitedly, "I was rebuked for riding out guest's horses without permission during the day, so I had to start coming here at night instead....I'm always careful with them," he added defensively.

Kitty stared at him in wonder, she had never been riding at night, was always too fearful, what if there was a rabbit hole hidden in the dark and her mount broke a leg? She couldn't live with herself if one of her precious horses were hurt, especially if that injury had been caused by her own negligence.

"Oh,no...I've never been riding in the dark. I'd be worried I caused an injury."

Richard grinned at her, "well, in that case, miss. I think we should definitely saddle up two of these fine specimens and take them out for a gentle ride!" His eyes sparkled with anticipation, the excitement of finding a a partner in crime strengthened his resolve and he would not be perturbed by her frown as she considered this proposal.

"I don't think it would be seemly..."

"Nonsense!" Richard was already striding past her to the tack room, with the confident gait of someone who has walked this path many times, with no light to show the loose slabs underfoot. He was someone who would always choose to focus on the adventure and ignore the danger, even if it did not appear to outweigh the risk. Life was for living after all, none of us know how many more tomorrows we'll be blessed with. Richard had decided that on his final day, he hoped he could smile with the memories of all the chances he'd taken, to welcome death with the knowledge he had lived the best life he could and had no regrets.

Kitty gave her horse a final pat and followed Richard curiously into the tack room, he gathered what he needed, utilizing the single flame she held out at his instruction. He insisted on tacking up himself if she would stay close with the light for him to see by, they chatted happily, two young people ankle deep in the straw in the darkness,discussing their love of horses. The freedom of riding, their hopes for the future and their worries at being trapped in a life they did not fit in to.

Richard patted his horse's neck as he finished tacking up, turning to Kitty he regarded her nightdress and cloak. "I keep a spare set of riding clothes in the tack room, they'll be much warmer and more suited if you want to change in there while I finish up. You'll find them in the last barrel on the left." Kitty thanked him without hesitation and found the clothes, she quickly pulled them on,leaving her nightdress in the barrel in their place. Richard's breeches and the rough-spun shirt felt much more comfortable, her movement was delightfully unrestricted. She felt she could walk taller now and she envied his freedom.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Kitty asked as she returned to the horse Richard had tacked up for her. He stepped towards her, took the candle from her grasp and blew out the flame. There was a moment as the darkness consumed them both, when he spoke, his words seemed to echo in the night. Until the day she died she could recall his answer.

"No. But you know as well as I do, miss Kitty – we only get one chance at life – and I, for one would rather spend as much of it in the saddle as possible. It would seem that fate has dealt us both a cruel hand and we must take every chance of happiness whenever we can." She was left staring ahead into the darkness where he stood,feeling a sudden draught as he moved to place the candle on the floor outside the box.

"At first light tomorrow I'll be riding into town for the farrier, he'll shoe your horse and you'll be on your way with your family, you'll do the same things you've always done, you'll go to balls and meet a rich husband. You'll see the same people, live under the same restraints. You'll forget me, you'll forget the time you spent at a road-side inn and lowered yourself to speak to a commoner like me...but if you ride with me now, you'll never forget this night. I can promise you that, one night, for the rest of your life...it's up to you, miss Kitty."

She couldn't tell if he was serious or jesting with her in the dark, but his words rang true none the less, he had an uncanny ability to cut through the chaff to get to the heart of her thoughts. She told herself she would always remember this adventure but she knew he was right, before long he and this inn would fade from her memory. Unless, she used the cover of darkness to make memories so potent they would be forever etched onto the inside of her eyelids.

"Please call me Kitty, as my friends do, I'm not a lady tonight - dressed in your riding clothes, about to partake in a midnight ride with a man my parents wouldn't consider of high enough breeding for me to marry –even though he's already the best friend I've known. My parents would be appalled if they knew I could ride. The rules of my world don't apply tonight, and I am eager to experience yours, I put myself in your capable hands, let us make the most of this night, before the sun rises and the magic disappears." Kitty smiled at him, she knew there was no other option but to reach for the side of her horse's bridle ready to lead them out into the yard.

Richard grinned at her agreement, "Kitty, I am honoured to be sharing this with you." He slowly pushed open the main door and they led their horses out as quietly as possible. The horses plodded happily alongside as Richard took the lead, heading to the grassy verge to muffle the horse's hoofbeats. He was scared of waking his mother but even more terrified of incurring the wrath of Kitty's parents. She was of a different class, an actual lady, he didn't meet many people like her around these parts. He was pleasantly surprised at how open and friendly she was with him, treating him as an equal, when he knew he would have been lucky to be allowed no more than to clean her boots. He had half expected her to order him around and look down her nose at him, instead she laughed with him, she wasn't afraid to dirty herself around the horses, wear his scruffy clothes. He wished she didn't have to leave tomorrow, if their circumstances were different, if they both had the power to choose their own destinies,he knew he would live a wonderful life if he could marry her.

He shook off that uncharacteristic thought as he stopped, signalling they were far enough away from the inn now not to be heard, he commanded his horse to stay as if they were a dog and Kitty laughed as he prepared to give her a leg up. It felt strange for Kitty to be riding one of her family's horses here in these strange surroundings– with an innkeeper's boy of all people. She knew she wouldn't want to change a single detail of this night, other than to make it last a lifetime.

Kitty was very grateful for the years of practice she'd had on her own land. Those stolen hours in the saddle enabled her now to look like she knew what she was doing, her muscle memory took over - how to sit, what to do with her hands. Her mind racing with the thrill of  the ride as always, but this time it was twinged with self-consciousness, seeing Richard in front of her, the way he held himself on a horse was no less self-assured than the way he walked. He was clearly a natural horseman, Kitty could well believe he had led a horse out of the stables with stealth every night since he could walk, as practice for this.