Chapter 1 #2
I sighed, picked up the book I’d dropped on the floor, and returned it to the shelf.
Being home for Christmas used to be so magical. But my parents' accident a few years ago changed everything. Before she died, Mom used to make sure we had a schedule full of parties, shopping, and traditions. Even after that, I had Darcy and Wickham.
But since we’d had a falling out with Wickham, which I tried never to think about, Darcy spent most of his time doing research and travelling.
I touched the window’s paned glass and looked out over our property.
Thickening fog covered the grounds, gardens, and surrounding forest. As a fae princess, I had a few gifts.
Communicating with nature, particularly plants and some animals, was high on this list. But the outdoors slept through the winter.
No meadows sang, no poetry floated through the ancient forests, and the world was quiet.
I shook my head. How ridiculous to be pouting in my enormous estate, just because Darcy had a romantic surprise visitor, and I didn't.
Riding would pull me out of this slump. I descended a hidden back staircase, stopped by my room to change into my riding habit, and continued down to the main level so I could exit on the stable’s side.
“Oh, Miss Georgiana,” our head butler, Oscar, called before I could make it outside. “You’ll want to be careful. There’s a storm rolling in, and we’ve got a lot of guests on the property. Watch for cars and all.”
I waved to Oscar. “Perhaps we should start sending guests away if the weather is too bad. But I’ll be fine.
I’m taking Luna, and she can handle a storm.
” Luna was the most reliable horse I’d ever owned.
She could steer us back to Pemberley on her own, and she could easily run for miles even in the fiercest weather.
Oscar furrowed his brow and wrung his hands together. “Of course. Do be careful, though. The weather report said there may be a squall.”
I paused for a moment but shrugged it off because nature was never at odds with me. Oscar worried way too much, but he meant well. “I have a GPS tag on Luna’s saddle, my phone, and I’ll stay on our property.”
With that, I was off to the stables, where I found Luna dozing in her stall. I brushed her silky black mane and offered her an apple. “You want to go for a ride, pretty girl?”
Luna’s wild energy spread through me. She loved to run. My fae communication with animals paled compared to my discourse with plants. But in a way, the primitive connection was stronger. Our emotional bond was undeniable, and it surpassed mere words.
She nudged me with her muzzle, snorting, and her silky coat twitched. When I was lonely, connecting with animals and nature grounded me and fed my soul.
“We could use an adventure today. Wouldn’t you say, Luna?”
Our stable hand was off for the afternoon, so I loaded her saddle and bridle myself.
Soon we were off, dodging trees and branches, coursing over Pemberley’s frost-covered grounds.
Ruins from days gone by revealed its history.
When the property was first established two centuries ago, it housed hundreds of people.
Modern life changed much of the landscape, and we had to hire out a lot of the upkeep, so the woods were largely uninhabited.
Now, only a few dozen tradespeople and farmers lived in the cottages on the land.
A few vacant cottages were in decent shape.
Darcy always worried about people sneaking into the uninhabited cottages.
I thought of him back home, trying to chat with Lizzy and not embarrass himself.
He was such a dork. Not that anyone else on the planet knew it.
But he was a sweet, well-intentioned dork.
With all the drama I had with Wickham, I doubted I’d ever find a guy I trusted as much as my brother.
And fortunately, he didn't know how fast I rode because he'd sell all the horses if he did.
I urged Luna, galloping past the main grounds and across the north field.
Cold air bit into my cheeks, the wind picked up, and a few clouds gathered on the horizon.
Oscar was right. A storm was coming in. Nothing I hadn’t dealt with before.
Luna would be fine since there was no thunder to spook her.
The densest woods surrounding Pemberley lined a paved road leading off the property.
One could hardly see through the thick coverage of pines and oaks from the forest floor.
Over the years, Luna and I forged a secret dirt-covered path, which climbed high above the paved road, and shielded us from view.
From the top of the ridge, I could see across the countryside for miles and encountered breathtaking coral sunsets.
Contagious excitement pumped through Luna’s heart as she ascended the hill, then tore over the terrain. We were in sync, and I no longer had to guide her.
“Good girl, Luna,” I cried. “We’re flying.”
For a moment, anyway.
We rounded a curve that formed a bit of a cliff over the road below. Darcy would have a heart attack if he knew how many times we’d run this stretch.
Just as we made the sharpest turn, an explosion echoed through the trees.
Luna reared, lurching to the side, and the inertia threw my body in the other direction.
The reins slipped through my fingers. A scream caught in my throat as I fell, hit the ground, and rolled down the embankment toward the single-lane paved road.
Through the blur of tree roots, snow, and dirt, I caught sight of a red sports car heading right toward me.