Neptune's Shadow
Disguising
Normally on days when I had no commitments, I would take my horse for a ride around the grounds, but today, I did something a little different. I went to the stables as usual so that my behaviour wasn’t suspicious, but this time I carried a bag of stolen boy’s clothes with me. I tried not to feel guilty about it as the stable boy greeted me on the way in. “It’s a beautiful morning, Lady Rose.”
“Indeed it is.” I said, smiling at him. “Best not to waste it.”
“Which horse would you like today?” he said, smiling. I found myself avoiding his eyes.
“Appleby, if you please.”
The boy handed me the reins to a beautiful, white mare. Out of the seven horses that my family owned, she was my favourite. I stroked the face that I knew so well, and let her crunch an apple from my hand. “Thank you,” I nodded to the boy and allowed him to help me up onto the horse. Then, I clicked my heels against the mare, and I rode.
I left the manor and the grounds behind me and I delved deeper and deeper into the forest, making sure to circle the grounds in a way that would get me farther from the house and closer to the town. When I was nearing the edge of the forest and had the town in sight, I dismounted from the horse and tied her reins around a branch of the nearest tree. “Good girl,” I cooed, and fed her another apple in encouragement. I looked around me to check that no one was watching, before I turned from the main road and ducked behind some bushes.
I inspected the clothes from the bag and realised that boy’s clothes were much easier to dress with than girl’s ones, but undoing my own corset would not be easy, and putting it back on afterwards would be a nightmare. Still, this was important, so I decided to chance it and see how I would fare.
Kneeling further behind the bushes, so that none would see me, I carefully undid the fastenings that held my dress together, and slid it over my shoulders. I took the shirt and put it over my head, while sliding the dress down simultaneously. Just as the neck of my dress slithered over my knees, I heard the distinct sounds of horses coming up from the other direction. I couldn’t see them, because I was hidden in the bushes but they were definitely heading on the road towards me.
What if they rode past me? Maybe that would be okay, but they would definitely see my horse. My distinctive horse, actually. If the travellers were in touch with my family, then they would definitely be able to tell that that was my horse. And what if they decided to get off? They could definitely see me, crouching here, half undressed, half-dressed – this was a nightmare! There was no way that I could explain myself if such a situation did occur…
I found myself exhaling such a breath, I had no idea that my breathing had stilled in the first place! I could hear the horse steps getting closer, then –
“Father, is that not Lady Rose’s own horse?”
I gasped. I knew that voice! That was the voice of Edward Maybury, one of the potential suitors that Mother had listed for me! Could it be, they were planning on having a meeting this afternoon? What a disaster, and I was stuck there in a bush –
“It may be, Edward.”
“Is there a chance that she may be nearby, then?”
“Perhaps, Edward.”
“Shall we look for her?”
There was a silence between the two as the Father – Sir Maybury – was clearly contemplating his answer, in the meantime, I was practically gnawing my nails – which I never, ever do – until he gave his answer. Why were Edward and his father personally riding their horses, on the way to my – my family’s – house? I knew the answer of course – my mother had already started meeting with potential suitors for me! But why today, why now? Surely, she knew that that was the time that I usually liked to go riding, and now I will miss the meeting! Not that I wanted to go anyway, just because it is my future after all… or perhaps, she never intended for me to know? No matter what her reasoning was, I could always just pretend that I never knew, and that I never met them on my way –
But I hadn’t met them! At least, not until they find me in the bushes, dressed most strangely –
Please, I prayed. Please don’t let them find me here!
“Edward, we have an appointment to keep, remember? Let us keep moving forward. We do not want to be late for Lady Hart.”
“Of course, father.”
I almost cried with relief when I heard the tentative trots of the horses moving forward. Thank goodness they didn’t see me!
I dressed in a hurry after that, wanting no more chances of detection. I carefully folded my dress inside the bag, along with my shoes. I had the boy’s shoes on now, but they were far too big, I found it difficult to walk with them. It might be manageable, but it would just be difficult. After putting on the shirt, I also realised that I would have to take great care in hiding my growing breasts. On any normal day, I might lament how small they were (“Petit, darling!” my mother tells me), but today I was grateful. It was one less problem that I had to take care of.
I stuffed my hair under a flat cap and, pulling it over to shadow my face, I left the horse at her tether. I hope that she would stay calm until I returned. With the town in sight, I made my way down the road, excitement bubbling in my chest. This was the first time that I had ever gone to the town unaccompanied, but now I would also be unrecognized, hopefully. I had never really been to it before – except to show my face at the political events – so it would be a fresh experience by myself.
“Indeed it is.” I said, smiling at him. “Best not to waste it.”
“Which horse would you like today?” he said, smiling. I found myself avoiding his eyes.
“Appleby, if you please.”
The boy handed me the reins to a beautiful, white mare. Out of the seven horses that my family owned, she was my favourite. I stroked the face that I knew so well, and let her crunch an apple from my hand. “Thank you,” I nodded to the boy and allowed him to help me up onto the horse. Then, I clicked my heels against the mare, and I rode.
I left the manor and the grounds behind me and I delved deeper and deeper into the forest, making sure to circle the grounds in a way that would get me farther from the house and closer to the town. When I was nearing the edge of the forest and had the town in sight, I dismounted from the horse and tied her reins around a branch of the nearest tree. “Good girl,” I cooed, and fed her another apple in encouragement. I looked around me to check that no one was watching, before I turned from the main road and ducked behind some bushes.
I inspected the clothes from the bag and realised that boy’s clothes were much easier to dress with than girl’s ones, but undoing my own corset would not be easy, and putting it back on afterwards would be a nightmare. Still, this was important, so I decided to chance it and see how I would fare.
Kneeling further behind the bushes, so that none would see me, I carefully undid the fastenings that held my dress together, and slid it over my shoulders. I took the shirt and put it over my head, while sliding the dress down simultaneously. Just as the neck of my dress slithered over my knees, I heard the distinct sounds of horses coming up from the other direction. I couldn’t see them, because I was hidden in the bushes but they were definitely heading on the road towards me.
What if they rode past me? Maybe that would be okay, but they would definitely see my horse. My distinctive horse, actually. If the travellers were in touch with my family, then they would definitely be able to tell that that was my horse. And what if they decided to get off? They could definitely see me, crouching here, half undressed, half-dressed – this was a nightmare! There was no way that I could explain myself if such a situation did occur…
I found myself exhaling such a breath, I had no idea that my breathing had stilled in the first place! I could hear the horse steps getting closer, then –
“Father, is that not Lady Rose’s own horse?”
I gasped. I knew that voice! That was the voice of Edward Maybury, one of the potential suitors that Mother had listed for me! Could it be, they were planning on having a meeting this afternoon? What a disaster, and I was stuck there in a bush –
“It may be, Edward.”
“Is there a chance that she may be nearby, then?”
“Perhaps, Edward.”
“Shall we look for her?”
There was a silence between the two as the Father – Sir Maybury – was clearly contemplating his answer, in the meantime, I was practically gnawing my nails – which I never, ever do – until he gave his answer. Why were Edward and his father personally riding their horses, on the way to my – my family’s – house? I knew the answer of course – my mother had already started meeting with potential suitors for me! But why today, why now? Surely, she knew that that was the time that I usually liked to go riding, and now I will miss the meeting! Not that I wanted to go anyway, just because it is my future after all… or perhaps, she never intended for me to know? No matter what her reasoning was, I could always just pretend that I never knew, and that I never met them on my way –
But I hadn’t met them! At least, not until they find me in the bushes, dressed most strangely –
Please, I prayed. Please don’t let them find me here!
“Edward, we have an appointment to keep, remember? Let us keep moving forward. We do not want to be late for Lady Hart.”
“Of course, father.”
I almost cried with relief when I heard the tentative trots of the horses moving forward. Thank goodness they didn’t see me!
I dressed in a hurry after that, wanting no more chances of detection. I carefully folded my dress inside the bag, along with my shoes. I had the boy’s shoes on now, but they were far too big, I found it difficult to walk with them. It might be manageable, but it would just be difficult. After putting on the shirt, I also realised that I would have to take great care in hiding my growing breasts. On any normal day, I might lament how small they were (“Petit, darling!” my mother tells me), but today I was grateful. It was one less problem that I had to take care of.
I stuffed my hair under a flat cap and, pulling it over to shadow my face, I left the horse at her tether. I hope that she would stay calm until I returned. With the town in sight, I made my way down the road, excitement bubbling in my chest. This was the first time that I had ever gone to the town unaccompanied, but now I would also be unrecognized, hopefully. I had never really been to it before – except to show my face at the political events – so it would be a fresh experience by myself.
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So I haven't updated in a while... this isn't a very exciting chapter so I apolgise for that, but it would have been a very long one otherwise! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think :) xx