Prologue
Rosalyn was riding King- a black arabian thoroughbred cross with fervour. She knew she was being unnecessarily reckless. But with her hair fluttering behind her as she raced into the woods, she figured she didn't care.
She was riding astride in breeches, instead of the sidesaddle in those silly frocks.
She hadn't felt this free in months...years. She felt powerful and in control. Besides, she had no reason to slow down, she was confident that she could handle this horse.
The wind whipped about her, she laughed like a lunatic, her breathy laughter and her horse's hoofbeats on the hard terrain the only sounds in the silent woods.
And then she heard another sound.
Hoofbeats.
But they weren't King's.
It was probably just another rider, she thought.
Very well, she'd have to change her direction.
She turned right and kept riding, thinking she'd left the rider behind.
And then she heard him again, riding at a speed rivalling hers.
Someone was following her.
Her heartbeat accelerated, fear settled in her belly. She didn't look back, she just kept riding, never once slowing down.
But the rider was following her relentlessly, now ridiculously close to her.
She looked back trying to see him, but with the sun barely rising on the horizon, she couldn't make out his features. But he was large and with that knowledge, came more fear.
There was a low hanging branch before her, but by the time she turned to the front and saw it, it was too late.
She was thrown from her horse, and hit the ground with a loud cry. But she was just a little sore and not severely hurt thanks to the soft patch of grass that had acted as a cushion.
In that moment she saw the rider and his white horse take a magnificent leap over the branch, landing gracefully a few feet away from her.
She gasped when she saw his face. He was so breathtakingly handsome that she couldn't rein in her reaction. Had she been more fanciful, she would've thought he was Prince Charming, with his white horse and impeccable riding attire.
But Rosalyn was not fanciful. And this was no prince. She realised that he was just an arrogant Lord who wanted to establish his superiority to her. Her suspicions were confirmed when he spoke, looking down at her.
"You shouldn't try riding such a large horse when you don't even know how," and rode off, leaving an angry, sputtering Rosalyn there.
March 1816
London
"You won't believe what just happened!" Rosalyn said as she stormed into the breakfast parlour in her house or rather, her brother- the Earl of Morley, Ralph Orford's house.
"Oh wait, let me guess! You were run over by a herd of cows," said Lady Sarah Gilbert, dryly.
"Very funny," Rosalyn muttered.
"You do look like that though," said Lady Alice Woodbury, her speech slurred because her mouth was stuffed with a piece of sausage.
"What happened?" asked Lady Vanessa Martin, the only one who showed some concern over Rosalyn's appearance.
She was dusty from her fall and had some scratches on her hands.
"I fell off my horse," Rosalyn said, disgruntled.
"You should try some of these scones," Alice said, not appearing to have heard her.
"Alice! At least pretend to be worried about me, I just had a god damned accident," Rosalyn said, beyond annoyed.
Alice tutted, "such language," and shook her head in the disapproving manner of a governess.
Rosalyn fumed while Vanessa and Sarah laughed at her furious expression.
After the laughter had subsided, Alice spoke up, "alright, I apologise. Now tell us everything."
And Rosalyn did.
Rosalyn, Sarah, Alice and Vanessa had been the best of friends from the time they were little girls. And they spent most of the time in Rosalyn's home because when she had been a child, she wasn't allowed to stay at her friends' houses. And now it was a habit. The girls were all one and twenty and unmarried. They had their own reasons.
By now, their conversation had taken a completely different route, Rosalyn's villain forgotten.
"Both of you really need to lose some weight," Vanessa was saying to Sarah and Alice.
"No, I don't," they said in unison.
"Yes, they don't. Have you seen how the men pant after them?" Rosalyn said making a face. Alice and Sarah grinned.
"Men are after us too," Vanessa said matter-of-factly.
"Correction, they're after you, I haven't received even a single proposal this season. You have the kind of face that inspires poetry while we're barely above average," Rosalyn complained.
"I think you're perfectly lovely," said Sarah to Rosa.
Alice guffawed, earning a reproachful look from Vanessa.
"Good morning, Ladies," said Ralph walking into the breakfast parlour.
"Good morning," they all said, dutifully.
He stopped short when he saw Rosa.
"What have I told you about traipsing about in men's garb?" He said, his voice low.
"But you never scold Alice!" She whined.
"Alice isn't my responsibility, you on the other hand, much too my inconvenience are."
"Yes, but I can get away with it. She doesn't even remotely resemble a man," Rosa said.
"Yes, she doesn't." Ralph choked out.
"That's just your way of calling me fat," Alice muttered.
Ralph looked up.
"Do you think I'm fat too, Ralph?" Alice asked, getting up and standing next to him.
"Not at all, but even if you were, you'd still be beautiful," he said, his gaze fixed on her face. "Thank you," she whispered and hugged him.
Did he just smell her hair? Interesting, Rosalyn thought grinning. Well, this certainly complicated things. Alice thought of Ralph as a brother and if what had just transpired was any indication, he had no brotherly feelings towards her.
She looked to Vanessa and Sarah to see if they'd seen this. Vanessa was eating her scone with unnecessary concentration. But Sarah caught her eye.
Rosa signalled to Ralph as he took his seat and Sarah nodded.
Aha! So she'd noticed.
They'd have to talk about this later.
"Do they happen to have more scones?" Vanessa asked.
"They do not, you ate all of them," Alice scolded.
Vanessa sighed.
"How do you eat so much and still manage to be so thin?" Sarah grumbled.
Vanessa just smiled winsomely and shrugged.
If only the ton could see her now, Rosa thought sadly. They all called her the ice queen. It was because of her perfect face and cool demeanour. Vanessa had been
raised by her parents to land a Duke at the least. So to keep any ineligible gentlemen from approaching her, she'd turn herself into an unapproachable statue, freezing the poor men dazzled by her beauty with her gaze.
But she was a complete darling. Unfortunately, she only showed her true nature to her friends. Rosalyn heartily hoped she'd find the right man, someone who broke the ice around her heart.