Then, in one smooth motion that left the entire crowd frozen in disbelief, Elsie gripped his mane and swung herself up onto his bare back.
For one heart-stopping second, nothing happened. Tempest stood perfectly still, and the silence stretched so long that even Nathaniel's smug grin faltered. Then the stallion reared, his front legs striking the air, and several people screamed, certain Elsie would be thrown to the ground.
But she held firm, leaning into his movement instead of fighting it, her body moving with him rather than against him. When his hooves landed back on the earth, Tempest did not buck or bolt. Instead, he broke into a smooth, powerful gallop around the paddock, carrying Elsie effortlessly across the open ground as her hair streamed behind her and her face lit up with pure, unguarded joy.
The crowd stood in stunned silence, watching the impossible unfold before their eyes: a maid riding the untamable stallion as though she had done it a thousand times before. Among the onlookers who had stepped quietly out onto the balcony to watch, Duke Alaric Vane stood transfixed, his untouched cup of tea growing cold in his hand, unable to look away.
News of the ride spread far beyond the estate walls within a single day. Merchants in the nearby village spoke of it. Neighboring households sent letters asking if the story was true. The quiet maid who tamed the untamable stallion became the only topic anyone wanted to discuss, and Elsie found herself the center of attention she had never asked for and did not particularly want.