The stables were quieter than the streets, but not by much. Even here, London found its way in. Voices carried from the yard, grooms moved with brisk efficiency, and the occasional well-dressed gentleman lingered longer than necessary, as though proximity to a horse might lend him some credibility he had not yet earned. Adam paid none of it any mind.
He stood beside his horse, sleeves pushed back just enough to free his hands, one gloved, the other not. The animal shifted under his touch, restless but responsive, its ears flicking as he adjusted the bridle with steady precision. There was nothing hurried in his movements; each buckle fastened, each strap checked as though the rest of the world did not exist beyond this narrow space. This, at least, made sense.
He ran a hand along the horse’s neck, firm, familiar, before reaching for the reins, before pausing. Someone was watching. Adam did not turn immediately. Instead, he continued what he was doing, tightening one last strap before finally glancing over his shoulder, his gaze landing easily on the figure nearby. Not startled. Not curious in any obvious way. Just...aware. "They’ve been telling me," he said, almost conversationally, as though picking up a thought already in motion, "that London horses are trained to behave."
A faint pull at the corner of his mouth suggested he did not think much of that. His hand rested briefly against the horse's neck again, feeling the quiet tension beneath its skin. "I’m beginning to suspect it’s the riders who are expected to do most of the work." Only then did he turn a little more fully, his attention settling on them properly.
A pause.
"If you’re waiting for something more impressive," he added, tone light but edged just enough, "I should warn you, you'll be disappointed. I've no intention of putting on a performance this morning." The horse shifted again, impatient, and Adam’s grip on the reins tightened just slightly; not to restrain, but to steady. His gaze didn’t waver. "Unless, of course," he went on, almost as an afterthought, "you were planning to do so instead."
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