A New Way of Seeing Things Pt. 03 Ch. 05

"It's a wrap!" Dorothy announced as she unlocked Natalie's cuffs. "Did you have fun?"

Gwen looked about, slightly bewildered. Gita and Neal were already dressed, the Australian back at the freshly restocked buffet table, and Liz was stepping into a long flowing skirt, apparently not bothering with underwear.

"We're done?" A wave of relief mixed with a tinge of disappointment flowed over her. "Uhh, yes, I guess," she replied, hurrying to her table, anxious to catch up with the others. "Did I do alright?"

"Ya did great, love!" Neal said over his shoulder as he forked shrimp on to a plate. "Ya looked like you were born to be out there! Your husband's a helluva lucky bloke!"

Now that it was over, the exhilaration of what she had just done finally hit her, and Gwen resisted the urge to chatter excitedly with the others, trying to maintain an image of calm as she had been taught to do when she still rode competitively. She no emotion, show no weakness...there was one particular weakness that would have to addressed, however, and she was anxious to be on her way to Liz's to just that. There was no question in her mind that once she was behind the door of the guest bedroom she would relive the evening in detail and satisfy of the urges that had been building since the morning. Liz and Natalie might again offer her the chance to join them in the master bedroom, but despite her needs she wasn't ready for that. Perhaps she might dare to ask Liz if she could borrow a vibrator, although given her current state of arousal, her fingers would probably do the trick in no time, likely more than once.

Rae pushed through the curtain as Gwen was fastening the button on her slacks. "Excuse, me, Gwen—it is Gwen, right?"

She turned to face the young redhead. "Yes that's me."

"Somebody would like a word with you. Do you have a moment?"

Gwen looked about and could see Natalie was as puzzled as she was. "Uh, yes, of course..."

"Could you follow me, please?" Rae led her out into the hall. Gwen followed and waited as the young woman stopped at a door further down, opened it, and stepped aside. Gwen entered a small office and the door closed behind her.

Mrs. Danning rose from behind the massive oak desk she was seated at and came around to the front, an impatient look on her face. "The boots you were wearing earlier, where did you get them?"

Gwen was not prepared for the sight of this woman, and certainly not prepared for the question. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"The boots you were wearing earlier," she slowly repeated, as if talking to a child, "where did you get them?"

The Lady panicked. She thinks you stole them! "They're mine," she answered carefully, "they were a gift from my husband." Tim had given them to her for their anniversary several years ago. She had scolded him for the costly extravagance and then scolded her daughters for helping him pick them out. "Cho asked that I bring them with me."

"I didn't recall Cho offering them in her selection of leather goods. They're Dolcevitas, very good riding boots. Very good, and very expensive. Were you aware of that?"

"Yes ma'am, I was."

"And are they just for show, or do you actually ride—horses, I mean. I would hope they've never had a motorcycle between them."

Gwen found herself becoming annoyed with the woman's attitude, wealth, power and KD's scholarship be damned. "Yes ma'am. I ride," she answered curtly. "Horses. I consider myself competent in the saddle."

Mrs. Danning broke into a smile and extended a hand. "You do, do you? Well, you look like a rider, and the way you led your friend in made it look like you've had some experience with animals with real tails rather than ones stuck in their ass. Sylvia Danning."

"Yes ma'am, I know," Gwen replied, slow to forgive the woman's brusqueness. "I read the equestrian magazines. Gwen Nelson."

The woman's smile did not change, seeming to ignore any slight the other woman might have intended. "Nelson...I awarded a Danning Cup to a Nelson five years ago. Any relation?"

"My daughter Kathryn Deanna, ma'am."

"Is that so? She was an easy choice—excellent rider and horse. It was obvious she had a good foundation and had been very well prepared. Where did she take her instruction?"

Gwen fought to catch up, surprised this woman remembered so much of an event that long ago. "Mostly at home, ma'am. I taught both of my daughters from the time they could sit on the back of a horse."

"You don't say? I ask because as I recall, your daughter had several mannerisms about her that reminded me of a certain instructor I know—Elsa Ritter. Do you know her?"

Gwen's heart raced from the surge of anxious adrenaline the name produced. "Yes ma'am, I know her. I was an instructor on her staff at Peachtree Stables before I was married."

Mrs. Danning's eyes flickered in surprise. "Well, that would explain that! It also speaks very highly of you. Elsa does not tolerate headstrong students or mediocre instructors."

Gwen could never remember anyone calling Miss Ritter by her first name, not even the owners of the stable. "I don't know what it says about me ma'am, but with others, at least, yes, she had rather high standards."

"Still does. Do you keep in touch with her?"

"No ma'am, I know she left Peachtree a year after I got married, but nothing after that."

"Well, I can tell you she's in Austria now, coaching their Women's National Junior Team. She was teaching for me at my Kentucky stables but left after she got into a dispute with a father who thought some of the instruction she was giving his little snowflake to be unusual and highly irregular ..." Mrs. Danning eyed the woman in front her thoughtfully. "I'm going over to the Prague Invitational next week. I'm sure I'll see her there. Shall I give her your regards?"

"Oh, thank you, that's very kind of you, but I doubt she'd remember me. It was a long time ago, and I'm sure she's had many people work for her."

"Many have worked for her, and a select few have worked under her," she replied with a mysterious smile. Mrs. Danning fell silent, but her smile remained constant as she seemed to size up the woman before her. Gwen defiantly held her gaze, sensing some sort of challenge. "Thank you for coming tonight," she finally said, offering her hand again. "And thank you for coming to talk to me."

Gwen knew she was being dismissed and again took the hand. "Thank you for having us."

Rae was waiting outside the door and escorted her back to the others. "Everything alright?" Natalie asked, a bit concerned. "What was that all about?"

"Mrs. Danning liked my boots."