Thanks so much for reading! It means a lot. Hope you enjoy chapter 2.

Chapter 2 A Rider like You

1782, one week before

Lauren Strider pulled her favorite mare to a halt in front of the stables of the estate. Dust surrounded them both, then again when Lauren's best friend Michael came to a halt beside her, "Ha, beat you again Michael! When will you learn?"

She turned to see Michael roll his eyes with a smile on his face just before sliding off his stallion, "I suppose I'll never learn. With a rider like you, that mare could win any race in the world."

He swung the horse's bridle forward to act as a lead as he walked around to help Lauren off the horse, "That's right, we could couldn't we Saphira?"

She patted the mare's mane before un-strapping her legs from the side saddle. Michael caught her by her corset wearing waist and placed her gently on the ground. The two bickered playfully as they walked into the large stables and put Saphira and Thomas in their separate stalls, "You couldn't win a girl's heart never mind a race with me," Lauren teased, but when she turned to watch Michael finish brushing Thomas' coat with a thin layer of sweat bead his forehead and his hair falling to his eyes, she couldn't help but lose her train of thought and stare.

Michael was to turn 18 in the next week and finally be given a sum of money and an estate from his good for little father. He'd filled his body well in the past year with lean muscle and long limbs, while before he looked gangly and too thin. His light brown hair shown in the sunlight, rays bouncing off his natural highlights with small curls covering every inch of his head.

He was oblivious to Lauren's staring and finished with the coat. Once he set the brush in its cubby, he turned to Lauren with a crooked smile, "I should get back before Father forgets he has a son."

Lauren rolled her eyes, "He'll soon find out what such a great man you are Michael and he'll regret pushing you away."

Michael looked at her with blue eyes that where so deep you could drown in them. They looked too old to be in a young man like him.

Lauren sighed and nodded, "Go then. I'll see you soon?"

Michael took her hand and bowed to kiss the back of it, "On the morrow in the library? We should catch up on our lessons."

He released her hand and started walking toward the front of the stables as Lauren nodded, "On the morrow then."

When Michael reached the entrance he smirked, "Race you to-"

Before he could finish his question, Lauren was bolting out the door, with the skirts of her dress pulled up slightly as not to trip on them. Michael was right behind her the whole way until they reached the front of the estate house and where stopped suddenly by a pair of dark blue eyes and a serpent cane, "Father. I-"

Michael was cut off by Lord Lehmann's raised hand, "Miss Strider, it is not ladylike for a woman of your status to run around like a baboon with your skirts raised. My son and I must be returning home for the evening. Michael, come along."

Lord Lehmann turned back to his coach without waiting for Michael and climbed inside. To anyone else Michael still wore his smile as if nothing was amiss, but Lauren could see his pointy yet strong jaw clench at his father's statements, "I'll see you on the morrow then?" asked Lauren quickly changing his thoughts to her before trouble began.

It worked, and Michael turned to her with a bright smile, "Of course Milady, on the morrow." He ducked again to kiss her hand and climb into the coach.

Lauren waited for the coach to be out of sight before then turning to climb the small number of stairs to the estate house. She would see Michael the next day and they would study in the library as planned every Friday morning for the past year and a half. Little did she know that tomorrow would be their last study together.