Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me
Chapter 31
I’m stupid.
I’m so, so, irredeemably stupid.
I worked tirelessly over that brace; I bled over that brace. And then I gave it to Valerie’s personal maid. I might as well have handed it over to the brazen thief myself.
“I made it,” I whisper, feeling anger coil in my belly.
Eliza cocks her head towards me. “Huh?”
“I made that brace,” I say louder, my voice shaking with fury.
Her eyes widen slightly. “What?”
“I noticed his knee pain. I slaved over that brace for two days.” I raise my hands to show her the small pinpricks all over.
“Oh my God!” Eliza gasps. “That thieving bitch! How did she convince him it was hers, didn’t you give it to him?”
I shake my head. “I’m so stupid.”
Eliza grabs my hand and starts to tug me back in the direction of the dining hall. “We’re going back right now; we’re clearing this up.”
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“Wait.” I tug her back, forcing her to stop.
I shrug helplessly. “I have no proof. It’ll be her word against mine.”
Eliza deflates. “April…”
I sigh. “I just wanted him to have something to ease his discomfort. I guess it doesn’t matter who he thinks it’s from.” Even as I say the words, they taste bitter, but what can I do?
If I go back in there and cause a scene, it won’t end well. Something tells me no one will believe me, and I’ll end up looking like a liar and a perpetual troublemaker. The sentiment behind the gift will be
ruined.
So I smile at my friend. “It’s okay, as long as he got the gift, it’s fine.”
And I force myself to believe it.
***
The following morning, the stylists weave my hair into a simple crown braid on my head. Then I slip into white fitted pants, a pale blue high–collared blouse, a navy blue riding jacket, and tall leather polished riding boots.
When they hand me riding gloves and a small black helmet, my heart skips a beat. I’m either being prepared for a costume party–or we’re going horseback riding.
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Sure enough, every other contestant is dressed similarly to me, and after breakfast, we’re ushered into private cars. I reluctantly leave June behind again after extracting sworn promises from Jessica and Lucy that no harm will come to her.
I’m surprised when we don’t drive out of the gates; rather, we go further into the estate, driving for almost ten minutes before we reach a wide, open ring bordered by a white picket fence.
When I exit the car, I can’t stop my mouth from dropping in awe. It’s bad enough that this sprawling mass of land is literally in the Ashford’s backyard, but its stunning beauty makes it look completely
unreal.
Past the white picket fence is a large stable made of wood and red bricks, and I can hear the horses whinnying softly.
A tall, dark–skinned man strolls towards us from that direction. Behind him are Nathan, Lucas, and Peter, dressed in matching clothes
like ours.
The sight of Nathan, handsome in his breeches, makes my breath catch. When I try to avert my gaze, I see something that makes my stomach turn–he’s wearing the brace.
“Hello, ladies,” the man at the head greets, and I force my gaze away from Nathan. He’s wearing the brace because horse riding can be physically exerting, and it would help his knee. Not because he favors Valerie.
“My name is Mason and I’m the stable manager,” he says. “The
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Ashfords love horse riding and the future brides need to be able to fit seamlessly into what is essentially a family bonding activity, so today you will be learning the very basics of horse riding and some of you might even ride some at the end of your lessons.”
I hear a little squeal next to me, and when I turn, I see Eliza dancing on the balls of her feet.
“What?”
She beams, her face glowing with excitement. “I’m bad with people, but I love horses,” she says. “I have two mares and a stallion at home and I’ve missed them so much.”
Her statement reminds me that although she’s different from the other girls here–in that she’s kind and sweet, Eliza is still very much a wealthy girl, leagues above me.
We follow Mason and the heirs into the stables. The smell of fresh hay, leather, and soap hangs in the air, and Eliza takes a long, deep breath that makes me giggle.
She doesn’t seem shy, surrounded by the horses, and it’s nice to see her like this.
We pass through the stables and out into the open fields where about fifteen horses wait, each manned by a stable hand.
They’re all gorgeous animals, evidently well–bred and cared for.
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Mason launches into a mini–lecture about the basics of horse riding, how to mount, how to act around horses, and a bunch of other things I don’t quite understand.
He asks us to pick a horse and carefully listen to instructions from the stable hands. I follow Eliza, who’s drawn to a tall gray mare.
“She’s a Thoroughbred,” she whispers in awe as she strokes the horse’s mane. “Can I mount her?” she asks the stable hand.
He looks a little hesitant, glancing around.
All around us, the girls are acting like they’ve never seen horses before. One girl at the far end–Gabriella–actually whimpers after touching the horse. I watch Lucas go to her and smile kindly before taking her hand and patting the horse with it, showing her that it’s harmless.
The victorious smirk she shoots the girls next to her tells me it’s for show. All of them are putting on a show, I realize. And the ones that put on the best show attract the most attention from the Ashford
heirs.
“Don’t worry,“–Eliza smirks as she puts her feet in the stirrup and gracefully mounts the horse-“I’ve been riding since I was five; I’m a pro.”
“Is that so?” a smug voice asks. “Care to prove that?” Peter crosses his arms, and I see a challenge glint in his eyes.
I see Eliza’s confidence and bravado falter before Peter Ashford, and
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before she can retreat to her shell, I find myself saying. “What did
have in mind?”
He grins, not taking his eyes off Eliza. I don’t blame him, she looks majestic atop the horse, the wind whipping tendrils of her dark hair across her pretty face.
“The obstacle course.” He gestures to the field where, indeed, an obstacle course is set up.
Eliza glances at me, and I nod encouragingly. She turns back to Peter and smirks. “Try and keep up.”
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