“My wife will always be a lady. I’ve ordered you a sidesaddle. I expect you to always wear a dress and act with decorum when you ride.”
With a deep breath to calm her rapidly rising anger, she walked over to Jakob.
“I am a lady. I will always be a lady, but I do not have a proper riding outfit. I’m not going to wear a dress and show more skin than I would if I wore men’s clothing. Riding with a sidesaddle is extremely dangerous as I’ve told you. I will never, ever, ride with a sidesaddle.”
His face was red, and she could tell she’d made him mad, but she had her limits and he’d just crossed one. In a sidesaddle, a woman could so easily be thrown off. She was not going to take the chance. And besides, she’d have to ride slowly.
That was not going to happen.
The horses pawed the ground and she could see that Sweetie was ready to go. She’d been waiting patiently long enough.
“All right, you can ride in men’s clothing today. But this week, we’re going to take you to town and get you a woman’s riding outfit.”
The thought of wearing one of those pompous-looking outfits struck her the wrong way. “I’ll choose the riding outfit.”
He frowned and walked over to her.
“You’re getting mighty saucy,” he warned.
“I’m not about to wear some fluffy outfit that gets in the way and is dangerous. I’m not willing to fall off of a horse because my outfit got tangled up in my reins or saddle. You want me to appear a lady and I will do my best. But I will also be practical and not accept something just because it looks proper.”
With a sigh, Jakob shook his head as he stared at her. She could tell he did not like her telling him what she would accept. Well, he would just have to get used to it.
“Let’s go,” Martin said.
A smile spread across Blanche’s face as she reached into her pocket and gave Sweetie a bite of a carrot.
“Are you ready for our first ride together,” she asked the horse. “I’m so glad you’re mine. Now let’s go.”
She stepped up into the saddle and turned to see Jakob gazing at her his eyes dark with anger.
Her husband was not happy with her, but he would just have to accept that she was not going to always please him.