When The Rain Falls

Chapter Eleven

My unsettled mood continued, and it didn't help that George failed to appear for several days. He did not return from his trip into the village and instead sent a messenger to Father, informing him that Cobalt had pulled up lame and would be out of commission for a few days. With no news of Joseph and as I could not speak to George about Rebecca, my thoughts spiralled out of control. Not even the comforting words from my novels were enough to calm the storm raging inside me.

I managed to avoid Father almost completely, seeing him only at mealtimes. It may have helped to keep my anger in check, but I knew it would not last forever no matter how much I wanted it to. Still, I enjoyed spending two days out from under his thumb and instead spent my time reading and playing with the stable cats rather than studying. Eventually, I would have to return to the way things were before, but I continued to live in ignorance for a little while longer. I would have visited Rebecca again, but Alice did not think it to be a good idea just in case Father found out.

By the third day, my patience was starting to wear thin. I knew George could not help being stuck in the village, but I hated having to wait around for news of Joseph. The books could no longer hold my attention for longer than a few minutes and the cats had started to become grouchy with me. I needed something different to do. I decided to take Lightning for a quick ride around the grounds and, perhaps, through the woods. At least on Lightning, I could avoid Father and it would need my full attention, so I didn't fall off again.

"How has it been without Joseph?" I asked Oliver as he tacked up Lightning for me.

"I never realised how much work he did around here until he wasn't around to do it," Oliver said, securing the stirrups. "The horses are a little unsettled too, which doesn't help."

"He spent a lot of time with them."

"Hm. My worry is what will happen next time we have a storm. Joseph was the only person able to keep Lightning from bolting out of his stall at any opportunity."

"The horses will miss him, Lightning especially."

"We all will." Oliver did one last check on Lightning's saddle and tack. "All finished, Master Nate."

"Thank you, Oliver."

"May I ask how long you will be gone for? Lightning is unsettled enough. I would hate for his feed schedule to become unsettled too."

"We'll be back before feeding time. I'm sure Lightning will make sure of it." Lightning's ears pricked up at the mention of food.

Oliver laughed. "I don't doubt that."

"We shall see you later."

I took Lightning's reins and clicked my tongue, instructing him to follow me outside. Once we had cleared the stable and emerged into the afternoon heat, I scrambled onto the saddle. It had been several days since I had last ridden Lightning, and it felt good to be back in the saddle and ready to go for a ride. Lightning seemed to agree. He needed little convincing before we walked around the grounds, Lightning leading the way for most of it. We started at a slower pace than usual before transitioning into a canter and gaining a little more speed.

Just feeling the wind in my hair and my heart beating in my chest was enough to calm the swirling thoughts in my head. I had always found a gentle ride to be relaxing, but a canter or gallop had to have been the best way to clear my head entirely. That and it made Lightning happy when we galloped around the grounds. After spending so much time in the stalls, he could do with a good run around. We both could.

We cantered around the grounds for a little while, my head feeling clear for the first time in days. I brought Lightning back to a walk, patting him gently on the neck. Even though the ride had done its job and cleared the fog, I didn't head back into the house immediately, as I knew the problems would come rushing back the moment I stepped over the threshold. Instead, I decided to take Lightning into the woods for a slight change of scenery. That, and I wanted a better look at Rebecca's hiding spot.