Olivia was in her library, quill in hand as she finished writing a letter she would be sending to her father and mother to let them know of recent events; her very short lived marriage to Pierre and how sad she was to have to lose him so soon.

I truly was sorrowful at his passing. In the end, he did at least die a happy man. He’d said to me how much he simply wanted companionship. I know I was against the nuptials, but he was my friend and I mourned him as a friend and even a little as a companion. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

I shall not be returning to America for some time, and I simply wish to be left to my own devices for a time. I will write to you when I am ready to see you again. Please understand…

She signed the letter, sanded it, folded it, and sealed it with a wax wafer. She’d send the letter out and know they would not be returning to fetch her. After all, she had done her part of the dastardly bargain her father had drummed up; she married a dying old French nobleman, and her father had given her the villa and the lands with it. It had made her feel rotten.

Add to that, she thought as she shifted her attention to her ledgers to crunch numbers and keep it up to date, she was starting to catch wind of rumors that were being spread through the grapevine about her and her behavior. Olive didn’t care, really, about being a prim and proper socialite. Indeed, the thought of going to parties simply for the sake of having fun was not her idea of what life should be like. Let them all think she was a woman of ill repute, what did they know? Besides, bad publicity was still publicity, was it not?

Hmph.

Once she finished the addition of the two foals that her mare had just given her, payments to the servants and other mundane frippery, she was more than ready to be outside where she was happiest. Olive closed the ledger and slipped it into the bottom drawer of her desk, locking that and returning the ring of keys to her hip.

She’d have changed into her customary breeches and blouse, but she was impatient to get to her horses. She brushed the dove gray skirt of her day dress, flicking away some grains of sand that had nested within the folds of fabric. She was in the stables soon enough, bag of apples and carrots in hand so she could spoil each of her happy beasts, going up to the stall with the mare and her two foals first. With a smile, she offered an apple to the mare while speaking to the stable master, ”I think you should increase the oat mash for her tonight. She’s done her job well, has she not?”

War! Huh, yeah. What is it good for? Business.

By spring, word of the execution of Louis XVI had spread across Europe. On top of the wars France had already fought with Austria, Britain, the Dutch Republic, and the Kingdom of Prussia. The Doge proclaimed that the army was up to the task of keeping Venice safe for all. Privately, anyone with coin to spare had begun preparations to defend themselves from incursion.

Business for Lewis had never been better, but that brought its own challenges. Not everyone had the means or the inclination to pay once a weapons delivery had been made. Those who could had to worry about their purchase being stolen and sold on the growing black market. In some cases, the delivery never arrived at the agreed upon destination.

Lewis didn’t know where to begin the task of setting up his own means of weapons delivery. A few inquiries led him to someone who agreed to build a carriage. Apprentices could be armed and taught basic horsemanship. Hiring someone carried too many risks. As for the horses themselves, a blacksmith passed on word of a young socialite who had begun caring for two foals. Seemed as good of a place as any to start.

Dressed in a white shirt along with black pants and shoes, Lewis hired a ride to Madame Shirley’s estate. Times being dangerous, a holstered pistol hung off his belt. Not enough to fend off a group of highway robbers, but it would give at least one of them a good scare.

Fortunately, the ride proved uneventful. Arriving at the estate, Lewis sought out one of the servants and asked to see Madame Shirley. The young man led him to the stables where Olivia had been feeding the horses and informed her that the gunsmith Lewis Mastersen wished to pay her a visit. He introduced himself with a bow and a quick kiss to her hand, ”A pleasure to meet you, Madame Shirley. Word had reached me of the addition of these foals. I wished to discuss what possible plans you had for them.”

@Kimmie

There was a man who... knew her name, and she had just found his out. Her fingers, which should have been soft since she looked like a well bred miss, were calloused in such an un-ladylike fashion. It always felt odd when a gentleman kissed the back of her rough hand like that. "Mister Masterson," she murmured with a nod and squeeze of fingers in a warm fashion, then took a breath of a pause. "Ahhh, yes... My two babies. I guess I am sparking rumors, then?" That was a rhetoric. "My foals are strong and healthy if you wish to take a look. They are still quite young, not yet weened, so I haven't planned for them as of yet."

Indeed, she had thought to wait until she knew whether she should keep one or both in the herd, but she also knew that some people didn't think much about breeding as long as the horse was a good one. She led him to the large stall where her pretty broodmare had her head over the stall door, watching with gentle eyes as her owner approached. Olive patted the neck of the beast fondly and went on to say, "I suppose the better question is," she drawled out, "what are you looking for in a horse? A good work horse? Breeding? Anything in particular to suit your needs?"

Her eyes crinkled when the filly foal nickered up at her mother and began to root around for a teat to nurse from. "I can provide either or."

@Alan

Lewis nodded in response to the question about rumors traveling far and wide, ”The unrest in France has led them to declare war and resulted in the execution of Louis XVI. I probably don’t need to tell you that anything related to war, which includes horses, now fetches a premium.” He followed Olivia over to the stall and continued, “Be surprised if this is the first inquiry. Business has never been better, but I must now look into transporting my own goods to reduce theft.”

Looking in on the stall, he couldn’t tell for what purpose these horses had been bred, ”A good work horse or two for drawing the carriage containing crates for delivery. Horsemanship is far from my strong suit, so I would need one or two of my people trained as well.” Lewis had noticed her hands were almost as rough as his, ”A hard working woman such as yourself might not have time for such things, so I any recommendations are appreciated if you are too busy for such a thing.”

By now, Olivia probably had several offers for the horses and could choose as she wished. Lewis faced a similar situation in that he found himself turning away business for the first time. The odds seemed insurmountably low, but he had to try.

Lewis glanced around the stable and thought aloud, ”Do have some extra space at my main shop to convert into stables.” Little did he expect decades of gunsmithing to lead down this path.

@Kimmie

“I was hoping for good breeding stock with at least the filly. She seems to be exactly how I wish, so she might stay with me, but the stallion will either be sold to another breeder or be gelded and become a workhorse, depending on how he grows." There was pride in her voice as she regarded the two little babies. The broodmare nudged at her with her muzzle in demand of the treat her mistress had for her. Olive chuckled and revealed the apple she could never have kept hidden, the horse took it eagerly from her palm to casually munch away at the fruit.

"I do have workhorses I breed for the purposes you seek," she offered with a gesture toward the paddock where there were a few horses grazing. "Those lovelies have not been broken in yet; I do offer those services and I do break horses in from outside of my own stables. I will soon have another structure built to move my stock into so I can offer these stalls for holding. All of my horses are treated with love and respect so they are happier to set to their tasks once they have been sold. I also give full disclosure on each of their temperaments, say if one is skittish with strangers or not."

Her gaze moved back to him and she grinned, "As for training people, my stable master is very capable of doing so. I am very particular about choosing those who would handle my own horses, though I am sure a few people who I am not hiring can be apprentices for a time."

@Alan

Lewis smiled as the horse managed to find the hidden apple, ” You obviously have a natural born way with horses. Which one doesn’t matter to me, so I defer to your expertise.” The sight brought back a memory from his childhood, causing Lewis to inhale between gritted teeth before regaining composure, ”Reminds me of the one time I rode as a child. Friends of my parents owned horses. One day, I went riding with them. Even though I rode one of the horses which had a good disposition, he decided to run full speed for twenty or thirty yards. Scared the daylights out of me, and thus ended my riding career.”

He looked around the stables and nodded, “Certainly don’t mind paying for them to stay here, especially if you have the room. I’d be the first to admit this seems like a much better option.” Cost would have been an issue even a year ago, but now Lewis could afford it. ”They’ll be dealing with the same people day in and day out. Hopefully, familiarity would calm even skittish nerves.”

”It sounds like we can come to some sort of arrangement on training. That’s a detail I hadn’t worked out fully. One which I might need further advice.” Truth be told, Lewis had no idea what he’d do beyond an answer having jumped on the opportunity before giving it much thought.

@Kimmie

“Just don’t tell my father what you just said about my ability with the horses… If you ever happen across him in your travels, though it is safe to say you probably will not.” She gave a cheeky grin. Then she listened as he relayed a story about his youth and his riding. Olive commiserated, “I know that well. I just had the same happen to me in a short time ago. I was lucky to have been found, it was raining like the dickens and my horse was broken. I, however, merely had some bruises and a lump on my noggin. Shame I lost that gelding, but the storm spooked him.”

She nodded as he talked about housing the animals in her stables and she gestured toward the empty stall where the gelding had been staying. It was reserved for a new broodmare of the working sort. The stall was clean and a fresh bed of straw lined the stone floor. “I give them the best accommodations I can possibly give, whether for a workhorse or a thoroughbred. They are all too lovely to treat differently. They get oat mash every three to four days during the winter when the grazing is harder, and they all get one piece of fruit or vegetable whenever I come to visit. The happier the beast, the better they work. Of course, you should probably stop by every now and then for them to become familiar with you after they are saddle ready.” She mentioned nothing about using riding crops to tame the animals, though truth be told, she despised that method along with spurs.

He brought up needing advice and she tilted her head, “I might be able to help. What is it on your mind?”

Time. In spite of dramatically increased business, time had not become a precious commodity. Not having a family of any sort contributed to that. Having travelled thousands of miles back and forth between the new world and europe left no room to set down roots. He made friends wherever he lived, but that amounted to just a few hours per week. Lewis may not like horses, but he liked boredom far less.

”I will stop by. Maybe with time and some luck, I’ll overcome my fear of horses. Not like I have huge demands on my free time.” Little did he know that a stowaway aboard on a cargo wagon would change all that, but for the moment ignorance is bliss.

”Not sure what to look for or how to judge someone who would be a worthwhile candidate for training. Appreciate any advice you might have on the subject. Suspect that transport may grow to be a substantial part of my business. Don’t want to start out with the wrong people.”

The visit had been brief, but no red flags were raised, ”Looking forward to doing business with you. As for costs, I’m confident we can work out agreeable prices for both parties You have any questions or concerns?”

She nodded in agreement to everything he said, giving a smile as he brought up his worries. “I have been in the saddle since I could walk, and Ottavio has trained every one of the stable hands to my specifications.” She gestured toward a particularly suave looking fellow, the stable master. “I can promise you that if you need some lessons, he is the man for the job if I am not doing the job myself.”

He asked if she had any questions and she shook her head, “None at all. I look forward to doing future business with you.” She offered her hand with her palm facing the left, which indicated that no knuckle kiss was expected as men seemed to like to do with pretty women.

“You are welcome back any time, whether I am here or not, and Ottavio will see to any transactions on my behalf.” Her mouth curved into a smile.