Oh, Cherry Ripe

“Oh … I am sorry, Felix … can’t you and your sister ride?” It was a taunt, though a gentle one.

“Of course we can ride!” Felix’s chin was well up.

“Then, would you like to?”

“Yes … well … I mean …” Felix stumbled over himself.

His sister picked up the slack. “But do you have a riding habit? None of our other governesses ever did.” Francine cast a practical eye over Cherry.

“Ah, there is the rub,” Cherry answered cheerfully. “Do you think you will be ashamed of me if I hop up as I am?” She was wearing her simple dark blue traveling gown, but she had on her half boots, which she had worn the night she rode out on Bessy. “And …” She made a show of sighing. “I suppose I shall have to ride a lady’s saddle, though I would rather ride astride.”

“Ride astride?” Felix squealed in astonishment. “Girls can’t ride astride.”

“Oh, but they can, and I do very often—however, I suppose the proprieties must be observed now that I am a governess, and so I will cave in and ride a lady’s saddle.” She smiled amiably at both of them.

“Is this the first time you were hired as a governess?” Francine asked in some awe.

“It is,” Cherry answered with a clap of her hands. “So you must help me, you see, and tell me when I do something very wrong, for I understand you two have experience with these things.”

Felix and Francine eyed one another again, and Felix tugged his sister’s skirt as Cherry moved off to look out the window.

“Nightmare … this is a nightmare,” he whispered.

“I think she is wonderful,” Francine said dreamily.

“Exactly! It won’t be so easy to get rid of her.”

Cherry had heard every word, but she did not allow them to see that as she turned back to them and said brightly, “Well then, is it agreed? Shall we ride?”

Felix was made of stern stuff and put on a frown as he said, “Come on then, let’s not take all day about it.” With that he led the way.

“Right,” Cherry said with a soft smile as she took Francine’s ready little hand and followed.

* * *

Freddy Bromley was seventeen. He was fair, tall, lean, and up to every rig. He was mischievous and full with his need for adventure. He was also the firstborn Bromley male and therefore held the title.

His young lordship had over the last year acquired a sense of self and felt he had no one but himself to answer to, with the exception of his older half-brother, whom he adored.

For as far back as he could remember he held Sky as the standard for all men. However, Sky was hardly ever at Bromley, and although he made excuses for his older brother’s absence, Freddy missed him sorely and would have liked to discuss with him any number of items that plagued his mind.

Now, he was in the suds. Disgraced and sent home of all things—and he knew Skyler would not be happy about this. He was more than a little concerned, and thus he assumed false bravado with a shrug of his shoulders and made his leisurely way home. He stopped along the way to dally with various sporting (if older) gentlemen that he met at the inn where he put up for the night.

At any rate, he was fairly certain that Sky would not be at Bromley and therefore would not yet be apprised of his present predicament. When he arrived at his home he stopped first at the stables, where Tom gave him a hearty greeting and took his horse in tow as they chatted.

Mixed feeling assaulted him when he learned his brother was indeed still in London. Something stronger than the fear of censure took hold, and he had a great desire to see Sky and confess all …

However, this apparently was not to be, and he arrived at his front door to be met by his old friend and butler, Thurston, whom he heartily greeted and managed to make smile in spite of his calling.

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; “Where are the little brats?” he inquired affectionately of the twins.

“Off riding with their new governess.”

“New governess—riding? Why … I never heard of such a thing.” Freddy’s eyes opened wide, and his fair brows were high. “We have nothing in our stables suitable for a prim old governess.”

“Well, as to that, Miss Parker is neither prim or old. In fact, she is not quite like any of the other governesses the children have had in the past, m’lord.”