Taming Jane

Epilogue

“Papa better not hire an imbecile, I don’t want Puissant being tended by an incompetent fool,” Sabine murmured as she stroked her chestnut mare’s back. Jane loved the name Sabine had chosen when she’d received her after she’s outgrown Freckles about ten years before. ‘Puissant’ was French for ‘mighty’ and Puissant was definitely mighty. She had beautiful, strong legs and a long, lean body.

Jane smiled. “Speaking of your father and brothers, where are they? They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.” She stuck her head around the outside of the stables towards the house to see if her husband and two sons were on their way down to the stables. It was something the Winchester family liked doing, riding. The family always tried, at least once a week, to take time out from what they were doing to go riding together. Sabine and Jane rode daily, but it was extra special when the entire family could come.

“We’re here,” called Daniel as arrived at the stables with their sons.

“About time!” Sabine exclaimed. “We were about to leave without you!”

Daniel made a shocked face as he arrived at the stables. He planted a kiss on her forehead before going to saddle his own horse.

Jane frowned as Philip and Louis arrived before her in their riding attire, except they were both covered in green grass stains. “Care to explain?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Philip, at sixteen, was already a man. He was very tall already and towered over his little mother. He had the same shade of brown hair as Jane; however his eyes were the same chocolate hue as his father’s. “You can’t say no to a challenge, mama, it is cowardly,” he answered simply.  

Jane rolled her eyes and looked down to her twelve year old son who was still a little small than her. Louis looked at her sheepishly. His eyes were the same colour blue as hers which only made him look guiltier. “I only said that I bet he couldn’t roll down the hill in a straight line. He could do it so then I had to do it too!”

She shook her head and sighed. “What am I going to do with the two of you?”

“Alright,” Daniel said as he gestured for his family to exit the stables with their horses. “Everyone out ... and boys, seriously? You’re home from Eton for two days and you’re already acting like buffoons.”

“Papa, you know you’d think less of us if we didn’t accept the challenges we’re faced with,” Philip replied to his father politely. Philip had a way of making even the most absurd things seem absolutely logical.

“Yes, but the challenges I imagine you facing are mathematical at the moment, not whether your younger brother can convince you to roll down a hill,” Daniel said exasperatedly.

“Papa,” Louis sighed. “There are just some things that old people don’t get,” he shook his head sadly. “Sometimes one needs to just roll down a hill, it’s as simple as that.”

Both Jane and Sabine burst out laughing as Daniel just stared at his twelve year old son.

“It’s as simple as that, is it?” Daniel repeated with his eyebrows raised.

Jane walked over to her husband and slipped her arm around his waist. “Darling, just give it up, they’re boys, they’re going to get dirty,” she smiled as she kissed his cheek.

“It’s all from you, I’ve heard many wild tales from your childhood from your mother,” he said comically.

“Don’t believe mama, she exaggerates,” Jane whispered in his ear.

Daniel leaned down to plant a kiss on Jane’s waiting lips. As it happened the three children all groaned and made gagging noises.

“Please, parents! Not in front of us!” Sabine exclaimed dramatically, covering her eyes.

Jane laughed as she left Daniel’s side and climbed into the saddle. “Are we going to take this ride, or not?”

They all mounted and kicked their heels into the sides of the horses to set off down towards the woodland trails.

This was what Jane loved. She loved looking around at the four members of her family and seeing the freeing smiles of each of their faces as they rode. Jane lived for it. Every now and then she and Daniel would have a horrid argument, she and Sabine wouldn’t be speaking over some silly subject and her sons would either be away at school or too embarrassed to be seen with their mother, but at the end of the day, they were family and they loved each other. Jane realised she hadn’t lived until she’d had her family; there was no love like it. Her memory never fully came back, one memory would suddenly resurface from time to time but there were still holes, but she didn’t mind so much anymore, and that was because of them. Family was passion, and her family was her passion.     

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