The Demure Debutante - a Regency Novella Read Online Free PDF

dismounted her horse and went to collect some of the flowers. She gathered a fistful of sunflowers, because those were her favorite, and inhaled their sweet honeyed scent. When she turned around, she saw something that temporarily halted her heartbeat.
    Her horse was gone!
    “Um... Greymare ?!” Emilia shouted, because that was the horse's name, according to the stable hand. She did not think the horse would recognize its moniker, but it was worth a try. “Greymare!!”
    Emilia twirled in every direction, hoping she would catch a glimpse of an equine snout. Discarding her flowers, she returned to the woods, hoping to catch up to the animal if that was the direction she went. But Emilia saw nothing, not the merest flash of a mane or a horse's tail. When she turned around and headed back to the wildflowers, she tripped over a mossy stone and fell to the ground. Fortunately, she caught herself, so the damage was minimal. Her gloves were soiled, her dress was muddied, and her knees were slightly sore.
    However, when she tripped, Emilia lost her sense of direction. She tried to return to the field of flowers, but all she saw was woods. She eventually rediscovered the babbling brook, but it was a part of the brook she did not recognize. There was a wall of stones on one side of a brook, as well as a tiny waterfall. Emilia tried to follow the water, thinking it would lead her back to Sanborne Hall, but she must have been going the wrong way, because none of the scenery was familiar.
    “Dash it all...” Emilia cursed under her breath. She sat on the ground and pulled off her boots, which were unsuitable for walking long distances. She had expected to be riding, not gallivanting for miles. After giving her feet a quick massage, she donned her boots and laced them up as tightly as she could, hoping it would prevent them from rubbing her ankle.
    Emilia rose to her feet and continued her walk, but the situation went from bad to worse. She must have been roaming around much longer than she realized, because the sun was already sinking below the horizon. She was completely lost—and soon it would be getting dark.
    After another mile or so, Emilia sat on a fallen log and pulled off her dirty gloves. She buried her face in her hands and let out a dry sob. She was frustrated with herself for getting lost, and frustrated at her horse for abandoning her.
    As the sun made its final descent, Emilia thought she heard the sound of horse hooves. Gasping, she uncovered her face and leapt from the log. “Greymare?!” she cried out. “Greymare, is that you?!”
    “Miss Harcourt.”
    When she turned around and saw Arthur on his horse, she was simultaneously filled with relief and shame. Her journey had left her bedraggled, but at least she would be saved.
    Arthur dismounted his mare and hurried toward her. “What are you doing out here?!”
    “I... got lost.”
    “Why are you out here all alone?!”
    “I--”
    “Everyone's been worried about you! Your brother, my sister,” his scolding continued. “What possessed you to go riding by yourself?! You've been gone for hours!”
    “My apologies, Mr. Rochefort, I--”
    “It's too dangerous to go alone!”
    “I know!” Emilia lifted her gaze and glowered at him. After everything she had been through, she did not need any more of his brotherly tongue-lashings. “Believe me, it was not my intention to stay away as long as this! My horse abandoned me. I got lost!”
    When Arthur looked down at her muddied knees, his tone softened. “Are you hurt?”
    “I... tripped,” she confessed. “I am usually not quite so clumsy.”
    When Emilia started walking toward the horse, he noticed she was limping. “You are hurt, aren't you?”
    “I believe it is my feet, Mr. Rochefort,” she said. “They have been rubbed raw.”
    “I am sorry to hear that.” He fluidly mounted his horse and extended a hand toward her. “Come. Let us ride back.”
    “Together?!” she shrieked. “On the same