Magellan turned out to be the perfect companion. He was a happy fellow who put one foot in front of the other, marching along with the occasional snort. As promised, Rosalie kept the house in her sights as she made a circuit of the park, following random lanes.
Her morning might have started in an unexpected way, but nothing at Alcott had so far met her expectations. In most cases, all her expectations were exceeded—the comfort of her room, the hospitality of the Corbins, the entertainment, the food. She had an offer of employment to ponder…and a mystery yet to solve.
The more Rosalie sat with the duchess’ words, the more they unsettled her. What could possibly be motivating her to show such kindness? Rosalie had told no lie: her mother never mentioned her dear childhood friend the Duchess of Norland. It left Rosalie feeling unsettled. She wanted to understand more about what happened between them. Her Grace said they merely drifted apart. Surely there had to be more to the story. If Rosalie knew the whole truth of their parting, would she still be willing to accept the duchess’ offer? Perhaps James might know something—
Magellan jerked to a halt, ears alert, head raised high. Before Rosalie could register what was happening, a small herd of deer leapt from the trees right in front of them, bouncing through the grass with tails raised in alarm.
Rosalie jerked back on the reins as little Magellan spun around and darted into the trees. She pulled with all her might, but he just grabbed the bit in his teeth, jerked his head down, and ran. It was all she could do to protect her face from the branches as the spooked animal darted through the trees.
In a single moment—slowed until she could feel each pulsing beat of her heart—Rosalie saw the oncoming low-hanging branch. She braced for pain, the smashing of teeth, the cracking of bone. Then her eyes spotted a wide patch of green to the left. She unhooked her leg from the saddle, dropped her stirrup, and leapt.
The world flipped and she had the odd sensation of flying and falling. Her head and shoulder slammed into roots barely concealed by a thin layer of forest moss. With the wind thoroughly knocked out of her, she wheezed, rolling over on shaky arms, fingers clutching the ground. Little Magellan crashed away through the trees with a whinny.
Everything went hazy as Rosalie stumbled to her feet. She placed one hand on her aching head and the other gripped the closest tree. Her ears rang and the whole forest seemed to spin…or perhaps she was the one spinning. Flashes of sunlight danced through the trees, casting long shadows that made her dizzy. She wanted to retch. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, pulsing like the waves of a great ocean.
“Magellan!” she called, taking a couple unsteady steps forward.
Neither leg broken. Both arms in their sockets. She was lucky. Now she just had to find Magellan. She couldn’t leave him out here. He could snag his reins on a branch or put his leg through them and stumble. How could she face James or the duchess again if he got hurt?
“Magellan!” Blinking back tears of pain, she took another stumbling step forward, following the sound of scared whinnies. “Magellan, please come back!”
