She made sure the manor was far away enough so that no one would see her. It was silly to worry, she supposed. No one had been the wiser when Toby stepped into the stream. She had been curious about what it would be like to feel the cool water on her feet. Toby seemed to enjoy it, and while he’d been out there, she had to hold back the urge to free herself of her inhibitions and join him. With another glance around to make sure no one was nearby, she slipped out of her riding boots then removed her stockings. She lifted the hem of her riding skirt and petticoats. Her heartbeat picked up in excitement as she stepped on the grass. She’d never exposed so much of herself in public in her entire life. Granted, no one was there to see her, but the possibility someone might was enough. Taking a deep breath, she edged closer to the stream. The area was muddy, given last night’s storm, so she tried to be careful as she proceeded forward. But as she stepped down toward the stream, she tripped on a tree root and lost her balance.
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