Eleanor's unrest communicated itself to her horse, who responded by acting in a manner much more consistent with his character when she first purchased him, than representative of her hard work in training him. His neck arched and his steps shortened into a prance, influencing the gray horse beside him to shy at a shadow crossing the path ahead.
Mr Moretyne reined his mount to the side and proceeded to focus his attention on schooling his mount into collection and softness, while Miss Thorne allowed herself to watch with admiration and even to admit silently to herself that his technique was worth learning.
She was engrossed in observing the action of the direct rein when she became aware of the rider on her right. "Grenville always was a capital horseman, from the time we were boys, but I must venture to say, Miss Thorne, that I have yet to see a lady with your skills."
She thanked him, but perfunctorily, and was ready to ride on when Lord Lansworth spoke again. "I expect that you would also appear to advantage with a team in hand."
Her gaze swung to meet his. He wore an innocent expression, but she knew he was leading up to something and waited expectantly.
"In the interest of distinguishing myself from your many admirers who wish to demonstrate their own skill, perhaps I could suggest a driving outing where you take the reins? I would greatly enjoy the experience of riding behind Miss Thorne's own team."
He was correct of course, the suggestion piqued her interest as such a thing had never been so openly suggested to her before. The gentlemen who had driven with her had always waited to encounter her already at the reins, trusting to coincidence to engineer the meeting, so the directness of his request placed him at an advantage. She offered a genuine smile. "I would be delighted to drive out with you someday, as long as you do not mind the fact that I purchased a younger team and am still training them."
"Better and better," his lordship agreed. "I shall be able to boast of witnessing their progress."
Eleanor shot him a look, but he shrugged and abandoned the topic as his cousin brought the gray horse mincing up beside them. She held her place easily in the ensuing discussion about carriage builders and harness makers, and when Lord Lansworth claimed an approaching appointment and left them, she felt as though she had been treated as an equal by both gentlemen.
The comfortable sensation of having her opinion respected continued after her return home. Miss Thorne had scarcely entered the house on Brook Street when she was waylaid by her brother and fairly dragged into the library.
Once there, however, he seemed at a loss to know how to begin, and spent several moments pacing up and down before the well-stocked shelves.
His sister watched with amusement, and finally said, "Harry, dearest, if you mean to continue like this I shall think you quite out of spirits! Whatever you have to say, it cannot be so very bad."
Mr. Thorne stopped in his tracks. "Bad! No, not bad at all—that is, hope you won't think so."
"Then I wish you will have done with this imitation of an unstarted colt in the stable yard for the first time, and tell me in plain English what is on your mind." Eleanor sat down and laid her gloves on the elegant little table beside the sofa.
"Miss Webster," he said simply.
"Do you plan to offer for her?" she inquired.
"Yes—well, I hope to speak with her father directly. Since I have come to know her I am sure there is no other woman I could ever consider as a wife! But I wanted you to be sure first, you know, I should never dream of making you feel unwanted, or unwelcome—"
"You are a dear, Harry, but I assure you I shall be delighted to welcome Harriet as a sister. You have not an unkind bone in your body, and neither does she, and I wish you every imaginable happiness!" As she spoke, she embraced him as tightly as she had once done when she was ten and he was eight, sprawling on the grass after being bucked off his pony-sized hunter.
He returned the gesture. "You are a good sister, Eleanor. I could not ask for better!"
"Then what are you waiting for? You should call upon Mr. Webster without any loss of time! I am sure the family will be quietly at home after their scare and Mrs. Webster's indifferent health."
"But I have not yet settled on the best way to propose to Harriet! Dashed if I can think of some way that would be romantic, but that I wouldn't make a muddle of!" her brother protested. "Any ideas, Eleanor? Daresay you would know what she would like the best!"
She contemplated the image of her quiet, sweet-natured friend for a moment. "I think Harriet is just like most women, and would prefer a simple and heartfelt declaration of your feelings to any grand gesture which may or may not work out exactly as planned. Tell her how much you care for her, without too much flummery, and ask her without any arrogant assumption of her response. You might take her flowers, and be sure you have Mother's ring, unless you would prefer to choose another for her."
Harry nodded, ticking off the items on his fingers as he committed them to memory. "Ring out of the safe—flowers—anything else?"
"Only that you are a dear, dear brother, and you should seek an audience with her father without delay."
"I shall—oh, but I have not asked after you? Did you enjoy your ride with Moretyne?"
Miss Thorne pursed her lips and avoided the question. "We were joined by Lord Lansworth, who, while his cousin was otherwise occupied, invited me to drive out with him, behind my own team."
"Dashed eager of him," Harry frowned quizzically. "Engaging a lady for an outing while she is on an outing with another gentleman—I never heard of Lansworth's being anything but a gentleman, but maybe his military history makes him inclined to try things other fellows wouldn't."
"He assures me he shall have no objection to driving out behind my bays," she said in demure tones. "But enough of my affairs! You have your own to tend to, and I shall change out of my riding habit and be content with a quiet supper with Mrs. Benson if you find yourself at the Websters' home."
She did not wish to create the impression of waiting up for him, but when Harry returned home much later that evening Eleanor was comfortably ensconced in the library with a treatise on estate management. Her chaperone was engaged in embroidering a screen, and when Mr. Thorne entered the room both ladies set aside their occupations to give him expectant looks.
"You may congratulate us, it is all settled!" he exclaimed.
Miss Thorne immediately rose to congratulate him with all the enthusiastic pleasure of feeling as though she had had a hand in bringing about the match. As eager as she was, though, it was not enough for Harry to accept her good wishes, he had to describe every detail of his love's acceptance of his proposal and his plans for their future felicity, and it was some time before they retired.