The park allocated for exercising horses was unusually quiet the next morning as Cordelia rode alongside her aunt. Usually on their morning stroll, they would catch glimpses of the elegant ladies and handsome gentlemen astride magnificent horses on their way to the park. Although she had noted early on that it was used as more of an effort to be seen and a silent battle on who could outshine who in terms of grandness rather than to exercise the animals.

It was peculiar how quiet the park was, and she commented to her aunt, who responded, "They are all tired from the Opera last night, followed by a stroll in the pleasure garden. I would not have believed them to arrive home before three o'clock."

She glanced at the lady beside her, taking note of how the older woman kept her hands light on the reins as the impressive black stallion pranced beneath her. "Leviathan appears rather spirited this morning," she remarked, watching the bold horse's impressive display of strength and quality breeding.

"Indeed, and it is making me wonder if Carlson has been exercising him as he should," she replied with a light frown as the stallion snapped at the reins slightly. She patted her riding crop lightly against his shoulder to remind him of his manners, and he settled briefly before prancing once again.

"He is used to the open country gallops. The exercise he has been receiving is most likely not sufficient enough, but I am sure Carlson is trying his best."

"You are quite right, Cordelia," the Countess stated as she tightened her grasp on the reins and sighed. "But I was hoping for a relaxing ride this morning."

"Would you prefer me to ride him instead?"

"Cordelia, I may be getting older, but I am not that old," her aunt bit back with a frown, but the lack of flame in her eyes made Cordelia aware that she was only joking with her.

She grinned back cheekily, but when it would have resulted in the start of a race, Cordelia quickly remembered that she was now in the city. Racing each other would not have been at all ladylike. Her lips twisted in a frustrated frown, which her aunt's perceptive gaze noticed instantly.

"What is the matter?"

Cordelia's grip tightened on the reins. "London is . . . stifling. Everyone is always watching and then criticises anything someone does."

"Well, that is the way of any social life, I am afraid. What were you wanting to do?"

"I would have loved to have raced. Carlson and I sometimes did when he needed to accompany me on a ride."

"I am glad you realize that such an activity is not appropriate here, though you should not be racing at all," her aunt chastised with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"It was fun though, and I love the feeling of a strong gallop. It almost feels as though I am flying."

The Countess thought to herself for a moment while Leviathan continued to prance about beneath her. She glanced at his bustling energy and then looked back to her niece. "Well, Leviathan will not calm down unless he has a good run. Since the park is quiet, I would say it is safe to gallop. But not for long, mind you."

Cordelia did not need to be told twice. Her horse burst forth into a gallop with the slight change in the position of her seat, and the Countess was quick to follow. Hooves pounded beneath them, the wind whipping past with such speed that tears began to form in Cordelia's eyes. But she could not stop the laughter from escaping her lips, basking in the feeling that she received whenever she rode, the feeling of being free.

They continued to gallop for a little longer before gently easing the horses to a halt at the end of the grass. The ladies each gave their steeds a few strokes on their necks before letting them cool after the run with a brisk walk on their return.

Horses had been one of their only topics of common interest when Cordelia first arrived in London. Initially, she had thought that she and her aunt were nothing alike, but as they grew used to each other's company, she found that the Countess was an avid horse lover and that the horses in her stables were some of the finest specimens in the country. But the Countess' pride and joy in recent years was Leviathan, a seven–year–old stallion whom many admired but few could handle.

As they made their way towards the centre of the park, a few more people were dotting the landscape, but as the grass gave way to cobblestone, Cordelia felt her breath hitch in her lungs at the sight of two people in particular, who almost appeared to be waiting for them.

"Good morning, Lord Midrake and Lady Alicia," the Countess was the first to greet them as they eased their mounts to a halt before the couple.

Styled in a beautiful plum-coloured riding habit, Alicia looked remarkable as she sat astride a beautiful bay that complimented the colour of her outfit. She smiled at them warmly. "Good morning to you as well."

Lord Midrake looked handsome as well with his dark coat and matching top hat. The stallion he was seated upon was one of the smartest that Cordelia had ever received the pleasure of viewing, a dark dapple grey that seemed to mirror the shade of his eyes perfectly.

Cordelia's bay snorted, straining his neck forward to greet the two new horses.

"Good morning," the Marquis greeted in return, his appreciative gaze looking over the two horses and lingering on the younger rider. "We were just admiring how splendidly you ladies ride. It has been some time since I watched women so confident in the saddle."

His compliment made Cordelia's cheeks flush so unexpectedly that she peeked at him shyly from beneath her top hat, only to feel her cheeks grow warmer still when she noticed his focus was upon her. She averted her eyes quickly and watched Leviathan begin to prance beneath her aunt once more, his back arching at the unknown stallion before him.

"You are too kind, Lord Midrake, and my apologies for cutting our conversation short, but my stallion is rather restless today, and I do not wish to cause any trouble."

The Marquis nodded, urging his stallion to move out of the way slightly. "Of course. I only wanted to speak to you to confirm that you will be attending the ball that my mother is holding this evening."

"It is to commemorate my arrival! Is that not so, Landon?" Lady Alicia smiled brightly as she looked at him, her emerald gaze sparkling in the morning sun.

Cordelia noted how she addressed him by his Christian name so effortlessly, and an unexplainable feeling of tightness wrapped around her torso. Her jaw clenched, and she twisted the reins in her hands, not liking the discomfort she experienced at all.

"Yes, we will be in attendance. Thank you," the Countess said calmly, glancing at her niece's expression briefly as Leviathan tossed his head, straining against the tight reins. "If you will excuse us. Enjoy the rest of your day."

She turned the black stallion away, but as she did so, he caught sight of a mare. He squealed and tossed his head into the air, almost cantering on the spot as foam began to gather at his mouth. He tossed his head again, and the Countess pulled tight on the reins to regain some semblance of control.

"Easy, Leviathan. Steady," Lady Mayfield spoke as calmly as she could as she urged him to move in a tight circle.

But Leviathan would not hear of it.

He snapped at his bit and darted to the side, causing the Countess to lose her seat from the unexpected movement and the reins to fall. Taking his chance, Leviathan bolted with the Countess clinging to his mane.

Cordelia gasped and quickly turned her horse to go after them, urging him into a gallop. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Marquis do the same, and they both chased after the runaway horse and its rider. But as finely bred as their horses were, they were no match for the massive stallion that was quickly gaining distance between them.

She could see her aunt struggling to collect the reins in her hands, all the while continuously trying to keep her seat when he began to buck. It was then that Cordelia realized they were heading straight for the main road, and she urged her horse to go as fast as he possibly could, panic setting in about what could happen should they exit the park at such a speed.

But when Leviathan and her aunt were less than a hundred metres away from the exit, another rider came barrelling towards them, successfully cutting off the stallion's stampede and causing him to veer sharply to the right.

The Countess lost her balance completely then, and she fell right against the rider's side, who was quick enough to catch her. He looped his arm around her waist before pulling her to sit before him in the saddle as he drew his horse to a halt.

"Aunt Eloise, are you all right?" Cordelia cried as she reached them, the Marquis thundering past them in pursuit of Leviathan who, though disorientated from the change, continued running at a brisk pace.

The Countess looked the most unkempt Cordelia had ever seen her. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her dark hair tumbled down her back, creating a voluminous curtain around her; her top hat was long lost and forgotten.

"I—I think so," she stuttered, blinking harshly as she attempted to regain her wits.

"That was a close call, my lady," the unknown rider finally stated, drawing both ladies' attention to him.

He was an older gentleman with light salt and pepper hair visible beneath his top hat. But his broad shoulders indicated that he was still very much active with his sport, and the arm that was still wrapped around her waist was steady and supportive. His deep tawny gaze was gentle but filled with concern as he gazed upon her.

It was then that the Countess became aware of the predicament she was in and colour rose to her previously paled complexion as she hastily released her grip on the lapels of his jacket. "My profound apologies, sir," she said, averting her gaze quickly. "Um, thank you for your kind assistance."

"It is no problem at all. Are you quite recovered?" he enquired gently as his eyes surveyed the profile of her delicate face, searching for any signs of distress.

But the only distress that the Countess felt in that moment was the intense desire to remove herself from the compromising position in which she found herself "Quite so, sir. Thank you. If you could please let me down, I would greatly appreciate it."

She moved as if to dismount but the gentleman instinctively tightened his hold on her waist to restrict her, not liking the obvious pallor of her skin. "You still appear quite unsteady," he stated in a voice she found strangely soothing, gesturing to her trembling fingers that gripped his horse's mane.

"I can assure you that I am all right now," the Countess responded in a decidedly stronger tone as she looked up at him.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes! Let me down this instant!"

He complied, loosening his grip from her waist to swing one leg over the saddle to dismount. The horse shifted slightly from the change, and its ears flicked forward as its rider moved around to assist the lady down. He raised one gloved hand to her and waited, a knowing glint lighting his gaze.

The Countess hesitated then finally raised her chin and placed her hand in his. The moment her feet connected with the soft grass beneath her, she felt her knees buckle, and she gasped. The gentleman quickly wrapped his arm around her once more, offering her support as she struggled to regain strength in her limbs.

"You have had a great shock, my lady."

"I noticed," she muttered, finally admitting defeat as she leaned against him.

Cordelia, who had been somewhat forgotten in the interaction, urged her horse closer and met the eyes of the unknown gentleman. "I believe introductions are in order," she stated with a smile. "I am Miss Sutton, and this is my guardian, the Dowager Countess of Mayfield."

The gentleman smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is—"

"Lord Kentwood, this is a surprise," the Marquis stated as he returned on his horse, the heaving black stallion now placid beside him, the dark coat gleaming with sweat.

Lady Mayfield stiffened considerably in the gentleman's hold, her eyes widening as realization dawned on her. She cleared her throat and averted her gaze, straightening her posture and almost forcing herself from his grasp.

She turned to look at him, offering him a quick curtsy. "Thank you very much for your help, Lord Kentwood. I am in your debt."

With hurried steps, she moved to Leviathan's side. She gave a small stroke to the stallion's relaxed neck and thanked the Marquis for his assistance, only to frown when she realized that she would require aid in mounting.

Begrudgingly, she turned her head only to be startled by Lord Kentwood already standing beside her with a knowing expression on his face that was beginning to irk her.

"Do you need some assistance, Lady Mayfield?" he asked politely, but not at all innocently.

"If you do not mind," she responded tersely.

With a smile that revealed he was far too pleased with himself, he assisted her in mounting her stallion, who was now as quiet as a lamb beneath her. Once she was settled, he turned his gaze up to her, admiring the sight of her windswept hair framing her lovely face.

"I hope that this is not the last time we meet, Lady Mayfield. Even if it was under . . . unusual circumstances," he stated earnestly as he looked at her.

The Countess shifted in her saddle. "We shall have to wait and see, Lord Kentwood. Good day." She turned her stallion and urged him into a trot, her eagerness to be away from the situation very much obvious as she left them.

Cordelia, at a loss on whether to stay or follow after her aunt, looked to the two gentlemen. With a small inclination of her head, she thanked them once more for their kind assistance before finally turning to catch up to her aunt, wondering why she was so desperate to be away from someone who seemed to be an amiable gentleman.

FUN FACT: only engaged couples could be on a first-name basis. This was only once they were officially engaged and only when out of the public eye.