Saving Sabine

Chapter 1

Down the end of the stable was a tack room where the general tack belonged. Puissant’s was special, which was why it was kept in her stall along with her blanket and the saddle that had been a gift from her father one Christmas. When she entered the tack room, her eyes found Puissant’s straight away. The saddle was stored with the rest of them as well. Clearly the stable boy had no idea what he was doing. She picked up Puissant’s tack and her personal bridle. As she was about to collect the saddle as male voice startled her.        

“Dinna steal anything and I’ll put in a good word for ye with the master,” came a heavily accented voice from behind her.

His Scottish accent was very apparent, as if he’d lived in his motherland until he’d received the job at Southerby. Sabine turned around slowly as she prepared to give the stable boy a piece of her mind. Before she could speak though she noticed his appearance … his very handsome appearance.

The stable boy was no boy at all, he was a man, a very tall and muscular man. She wasn’t guessing her was muscular, she could see it as the only piece of clothing he was wearing on his torso was a dirty and unbuttoned white shirt that highlighted every single line that protruded from his chest and stomach.

His dark blonde hair was longer than most men’s and was quite untidy, clearly he had never seen a comb before. But what caught her attention were his dark brown eyes. He was glaring at her. He really did think her a thief.

“I won’ repeat my offer, lass,” he said again, in a serious voice. “Put down that tack and I’m sure the master won’ call the law on ye.”

“You’ll put in a good word for me with the master?” she asked innocently, playing along.  

The man, who she presumed to be Mr McKenzie, nodded. “I will, lass, just don’ steal Lady Sabine’s tack, the master said she’d have my hide if anything belonging to her mare, Puissant, went missing.” Sabine tried not to smile when she heard him pronounce Puissant’s name in his heavy Scottish accent.

Sabine smiled sweetly. “Of course,” she agreed, putting the tack back in the place where he had wrongly stored it. “I surrender, take me to the master.”

Mr McKenzie took hold of her elbow and began to lead her from the tack room. She could feel the rough, workman’s hands through the thin material of her dress so she was sure he was used to hard work. If he had experience, she was sure that he could find employment elsewhere.

Sabine considered revealing her identity but she knew when her father saw her and he knew how grievous a mistake he had made that it would make the enjoyment of seeing him leave all the more pleasing. As soon as it was done she would be sure to right the stables again and have everything back to normal.

Mr McKenzie didn’t walk through the servant’s exit, instead he chose the household’s back door which she thought was a bold move. Servant’s never used the doors belonging to the house, they had their own hallways and quarters that kept them from sight.

A small smile crept onto her face as the familiar walls of home surrounded her. IT had been too long and she missed it. She knew her parents would be sitting in the drawing room at that time of day so that’s where Mr McKenzie was heading.

He knocked on the door twice, tightening his grip on Sabine’s elbow, though he wasn’t hurting her. He opened the door once he was summoned and entered with Sabine. Her father was sitting on the settee with her mother in front of him. They were both reading the same book together, a romantic hobby they both shared.

They looked up at her with a surprised look on their face. Before they could say anything though, Mr McKenzie spoke. “Lord Southerby, Lady Southerby, I caught this girl in the tack room, she was trying to steal Lady Sabine’s tack. Now, she agreed to come and see you so I don’ think the police will be necessary, but I still thought you ought to know.”