SHE LANDED WITH a heavy thud on the ground, her eyes snapping close as pain filled her in. Julia lay there, breathing excruciatingly slowly, pain clear on her chest and also on her side. She curled into a ball, willing the pain to go away.

"Julia! Julia!" Someone bellowed. And then the stranger was shaking her gently.

She wanted to smile, but she couldn't manage it. How did the stranger know her name? Surely not someone she was acquainted with. She wanted to open her eyes yet she couldn't. Tears stung at her eyes as she snapped them closed once more.

"Open your eyes! Julia! Look at me."

The stranger was tapping her cheeks repeatedly, and it irritated her. She opened her eyes and tried to glare at the stranger, but somehow all she could manage was a blank look.

Julia waited for her eyes to focus so she could see the person in front of her, but stared into the eyes of Lord Hanton.

"Cole?" She whispered. Already used to calling him Cole behind closed door while discussing with Victoria. It easily slipped out her mouth now she wasn't on guard.

"Are you hurt? Do you feel pain?" He asked, concern etched all over his face.

"I think I am quite better now."

He moved to help her up. Drawing her so she was seated on the ground. He waited as she dusted off traces of leaves on her cloth and on her hair before he opened his mouth and said. "Why were you riding at such speed?"

Julia was surprised it took him this long to satisfy his curiosity. He must be a very patient man.

She spoke weakly. "I wanted to feel free. I wanted the wind on my face as it pushed my hair from its coiffure." she paused, "I wanted it all, the excitement."

He managed a nod, his eyes gleaming in a way that said he understood her.

"why were you chasing me?"

"I was not chasing you," he supplied.

"Yes, you were. I saw you."

Cole raised and brow and shrugged. "Well, if you must know, I was heading to the serpentine. I wanted to take a dip. Then I saw you, of course, I didn't know it was you at that time. You were riding at a quick pace, and I thought perhaps you couldn't handle the mare. I was so sure you would fall and break your neck, or perhaps your skirt would tangle on the saddle and you would fall. I meant to help."

"I wasn't even riding with a saddle!" Julia cried.

"Yes, that I noticed," he said as he turned around to eye her mare which was already resting by one of the trees chewing grass.

"Come on, I think you need to leave," he said as he hauled her up. "Before someone finds you. I think it's best if you take a walk before attempting to ride again." Julia managed a nod to show that she agreed and followed leisurely behind him.

"Why are you up when most of the gentlemen are still abed?"

"I am not most of the gentlemen, besides I like to ride in the morning." He shrugged, "I can't say that I don't enjoy every minute of it."

"You don't like to attend social functions, yet you are here in London, why? Julia asked.

He shrugged, "I am here on business. I am training one of my latest Arabian thoroughbred, hafza for a race. One lord had a mind to buy one. He had been pestering me. But hafza was not yet tame enough. Last month he even tossed me."

"He tossed you," Julia echoed.

"Yes."

Julia frowned. "Isn't that how your father died?"

He clenched his teeth. "Yes."

"And you are still training them? She asked.

He didn't speak for a while. He just walked faster. Cole was already a few steps ahead of her before he noticed she wasn't following. He stopped and craned his head over his neck. His features were harsh. His eyes, frosty, deep as the bottom of a sea.

"I'm sorry, " Julia rasped out.

"I beg your pardon."

"I know what it feels like to lose someone."

His features softened. "How would you know?" He queried.

"Because I have lost someone before."

Cole turned properly. "Who?"

"My father. How old were you when yours died?" Julia asked.

"I was twelve." He answered, his voice tight.

"I'm sorry. It must have been very hard for you. And your mother? How old were you when she died? Julia asked.

"One and four," he rasped out.

"I'm quite sor----"

He raised his hand, forestalling her. "Please don't say that again."

Julia frowned. "please don't say what? I'm sor" she clamped her hand on her mouth as she realised what she had been doing. He smiled. It was the first time she had seen him smile. She smiled back as they fell into silence. The kind that did not require any need to fill it. The kind that one was happy and content in.

~~~~

THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY to the theatre. Sebastian had allowed them the use of his private box. Of course, his sister was accompanying them, why else would he concede to them using his box.

Julia was seated next to Victoria. Opposite them was her mother. There was bound to be a chaperon after all. In her own opinion, her mother did not quite make a very good chaperone.

Inside the carriage, Julia drifted in and out of her thoughts as the carriage roared to life.

The grand entrance to the theatre was through a spacious hall, leading to boxes and pit. Four large doors lead from the hall into the house and into a rotunda of great beauty and elegance. And on each side of the rotunda were passages to the great stairs, which were grand and spacious. The body of the theatre presented nearly three fourth of a circle from the stage. The colour of the interior was gold upon the blue. There were three circles of boxes, each containing about 26 boxes.

As they assumed their seat on their own private box. The first thing Ophelia did was to bring out her quizzing glass and peer at the audience, looking for any familiar faces. Julia was perplexed. She didn't even know her mother had carried a quizzing glass with her. Let alone using one at precisely that moment.

Ophelia was busy scanning the theatre, oblivious to Victoria who was gaping at her. Obviously, she had never seen Ophelia in what Julia would consider her element. Granted, Ophelia and Victoria's mother were good friends when she was still alive. After all, their estates rivalled one another. But Victoria had never seen Ophelia act in that manner before.

A production of hamlet was being played with the right touch of elegance that captivated both Victoria and Julia. They had already missed the first act because Ophelia believed that it was best if they were fashionably late.

"Aha! I knew the duke of Finchfort would be in attendance. Oh! here is also lord Bretley," Ophelia said. She peered through her quizzing glass and moved at another angle. "La! Isn't that lady Romley, what's with that robe she is wearing, it unbecoming, any higher than that, the neckline of that bodice would choke her." She huffed. "With a turban of that size, am sure her partners won't be seeing nary a thing tonight."

Victoria chuckled, "poor lady Romley."

Ophelia lowered her quizzing glass as she turned so she faced Victoria. "There is nothing poor about that woman, her husband is one of the wealthiest lords. Why, he has a seat in the house of the lords yet she still dresses like that." Ophelia cried pointing sideways towards a direction that could be where lady Romley was sitting.

"Mother," Julia said. "I think we ought to stop talking loudly. It's frightfully rude. People are staring at us."

Turning left and right as if to see the people who were staring at them. With a wave of her hand, she said, "drat it all, let them stare. At least I am not like lady Romley, whose turban, I am sure, is obstructing her partners from enjoying the play."

Raising her glass again so she might stare at the audience, Ophelia frowned. "Didn't you say that your brother would not grace us with his presence, yet here he is?"

"He is here?" Victoria asked. She frowned. "But he said he couldn't attend because he had matters to settle. If he is here, then it must be because something happened."

"I daresay, he is not here because anything has happened. If he would attend after lending us the use of his private box. I daresay he would be squashed between the three of us! With nothing more than the company of his sister, a matchmaking mother and a young unmarried lady! Tell me what more could terrify a young eligible bachelor than the prospect of being attacked by a marriage-minded mother who has her daughter in tow." Ophelia scoffed.

"Well, if you put it that way I can see why he didn't accompany us," Victoria said while Julia blushed.