"Seems I do," she said with amusement. Then she did as he instructed her to do, and eventually had Dora back in the stables. She looked down at him from her perch and said, "I'll likely need help down, I won't lie," she said, craning her neck so she saw the ground from where she sat. Woops, she ought not to have done that, she thought and clamped her eyes shut and her thighs tightened around the belly of the horse. Her mouth quirked and she said, "I think I do need help," with a laugh.

Lorn had walked along with Karen and Dora keeping an eye on how Karen was doing.  Once she had stopped in front of the stables, he nodded hearing her comment and seeing her reaction to looking down.  He gave gentle smile.  "It's okay.  Take a breath and then focus on the back of Dora's head."  He paused waiting for her to feel more secure again after having looked down earlier. 

"Now, loosely hold the reign while holding the saddle horn with both hands firmly.  That will be your pivot focus as you move the far leg over the saddle."  He explained moving to put his hand on her ankle again and the other hand still on the back of the saddle just in case.

"Put your weight on the leg on the stirrup closest to me as you move your other leg over Dora's rump."  He said calmly and watching her movements, though a bit distracted for a moment as he gazed at Karen's rump.  It was more interesting than Dora's.  Then very quickly he focused himself back on the lesson. 

"Don't be afraid.  I won't let you fall.  Just focus on the process I explained."  He assured her.

She slowly came off of Dora, unaware that he was admiring her rear. Once she was on solid ground again, she stumbled because there were muscles cramping that she didn't recall using before. Luckily he was close enough that she was able to grab his arm and keep from falling. Assuming he caught her, she looked up at him with a grin and said, "Fancy meetin' ye here, Lorn," and laughed softly. She had the urge to hug him.

Her face grew serious again as she looked up at him. She wanted another kiss very badly, but she was almost shy feeling at the moment with this new relationship in bloom.

Lorn moved the hand from the saddle to her shoulder to keep her steady once she was on the ground.  His face was pleasant and his eyes sparkling at her comment.  "Yes, fancy meeting me."  He chuckled briefly.  "So, how did that feel? Think you are brave enough to try another lesson tomorrow?"  He asked raising his right brow. 

He glanced around seeing the various young grooms working at various tasks.  "It's about lunchtime.  As I know you are hungry," he winked thinking of her stomach's sound earlier, "I was planning to go to the kitchen and see what they had set up for the staff.  Want to join me or do you need to get right away to the twins?"  He generally went to peek in on Heidi before she took her afternoon nap but there were times when he had not been able to get in time.  So, she would not worry about him if he missed it to go eat with Karen.

"We can eat lunch..." it was the first real break she'd had from her children since their birth and she was going to take advantage of it while she could. "I'd love ta see what ye have," she said and smiled up at him, her eyes meeting his again. "I am sore in places I didn't know existed," she admitted, "but twas lovely and I thank ye for it, Lorn," she said softly, tilting her head flirtatiously. "I'll be happy ta do it again soon if ye still want ta teach me." Her eyes shone. She seemed even more cheerful after their talk, smiling and laughing more. He may notice that she loved to touch him in subtle ways... a brush of the hand over the arm, for example. "I had fun."

"Miss Cora tries to make me sit down and eat a good lunch.  But unless a client comes in to talk about business, I generally am out here working with the trainers and grooms.  Seems a waste to set up the table just for me.  I do have breakfast and the evening meal with Heidi though."  He admitted.  He would sneak in to get the little girl to join him when he was doing tasks that were safe for her to be around.  He wanted her to always know he was there for her.

He waved over one of the grooms.  "Take care of Dora for me will you, Tom?  I'll be back up later to check on the breaking of that new mare.  She is more spirited than I want the younger boys trying to do it."  He planned to break the mare to a rider himself, as he didn't want any of his people hurt. 

As Tom took, Dora to have her saddle removed, Lorn waved on toward the main house and indicated they start heading to the house.  "We are just in time, looks like it is lunch break." 

He smiled as Bella, the cook assistant, who was coming from the house to the stable with a huge basket of the lunch for the stable staff with one of the grooms, Bruce, holding the other side of the basket. 

Lorn winked at the young woman with the basket.  "Looks like you have a strong arm helping you there, Miss Bella."  The young woman grinned back at him and nodded.  

He chuckled, then once the young people had gone past where Lorn and Karen were positioned.  "I am thinking they have feelings for each other."  He whispered leaning into Karen's ear.  At the comment about being sore in various places.  "It will be like that till you get used to riding."  He responded.

When she indicated she wanted more lessons, his eyes twinkled.  "Next time, we will go for a ride together.  Duke and Dora with the two of us.  Get you used to ride for longer distances."  He suggested.  Inside the main house, they would enter the back kitchen door.  Miss Cora would be fussing around putting the food on the table for the house staff.

She smiled as Dora was taken by the groom and then followed Lorn into the house where it seems lunch was already in full swing. This would be the first time that Karen actually saw a good chunk of his staff, for she'd hardly ventured out of her cottage since moving in other than to do her work or go to market. Even then, she tended to keep to herself and tried not to look for her brother while she was at it.

The laundress looked at the Cora and gave a smile and a slight nod, "Cora, it's good ta see ye again. How are ye?" She and Cora had talked off and on over the months, though they weren't close friends or anything she was always polite to the woman. Especially now that she knew she had an ally.

Cora looked over as Lorn and Karen came in.  "Quite well, Mrs. Karen.  And you did an amazing job getting that stain that I thought ruined my blouse completely out.  Thank you so very much."   It had been one of her favorite tops.

She kept an almost formal tone in the greeting as the Mister was there and Mrs. Pearson was big on the properties with the maids and her own boys.  Cora was more informal.  Though she did agree on how to act in front of Mr. Vaughn.  The man was an odd sort.  He did not seem to know how a property owner should interact with the staff.  Not that she minded it.  It was actually quite nice to be treated like a person rather than less.  Though she had learned it was how things were in Texas or many of them did anyway.  Even when Mr. Vaughn's parents had visited, they had acted the same way treating the staff like just anyone else.  Not a touch of uppity in that family. 

"Molly set up a second set in the dining room.  The Mister has a guest." 

She was always urging Lorn to eat lunch in the formal dining room, though Lorn had not made use of it for the middle meal unless he had clients there to join him.  He preferred eating with them there in the staff dining room/storage room just off the side of the kitchen.

Lorn shook his head.  "We will join you all.  Though, I would like to have a proper dinner with Mrs. Calloway in the dining room tomorrow evening." 

Cora and the staff passed around glances.  Some smiles spread here and there and twinkle in Cora's eyes.  Mrs. Pearson was a bit stiffer about it, but like the others, she disliked the fact that Lorn was so alone now other than little Heidi.  The man was either working outside with the horses or doing something with Heidi.  He was a wonderful father, but there was more to life especially as young as he still was.  It just was not proper that it was a staff member.  The man was an American though, so she figured it could not be helped that he just didn't understand that it was not proper.  Giving the laundress a glance, Mrs. Pearson gave a nod.  At least the young woman was good with children and a nice-looking little thing. 

"Molly bring over one more setting for the table.  Mr. Tinkerman, would you bring over two more chairs for the Mister and Mrs. Calloway, please?"  Mrs. Pearson requested as they had learned to keep a plate setting for Lorn even though there was also one always ready for in case he would go to the formal dining room.  She was a friendly woman but firm about how things were done.  She cared about the maids like they were her own, but wanted them to know how to do things properly in case they went to another household.

Mr. Tinkerman nodded, making a quick job of it, and would wait till Karen sat down to sit down himself once again.  Molly also just as quickly   Lorn indicated one of the chairs for Karen, and also would not sit down until she had sat down.  On the table were a steaming plate of sliced roast, a bowl of candied carrots, a plate of sliced fresh tomatoes, and slices of thick fresh bread.  There was a peach cobbler set aside next by for afterward.

"Oh, ye're welcome! The secret was bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar," she said with a grin, reaching out to touch the woman's hand as she was wont to do with most people. As she interacted with the staff, smiling and dimpling, Lorn might notice she was calm around people now that she'd had time to start things over again.

Karen blushed then when he declared his intention to court her in his way, but then saw the smiles and such from the others and relaxed.

She took the seat that Lorn offered after a few moments of chatting with one of the maids about how the twins were fairing. She looked at the spread and thanked her lucky stars that she had found a family, at last, to eat with.

Lorn had figured it would be best to get the relationship out there rather than be too much gossiping.  Though of course, there would still be some, he didn't want them to think he was being sneaky about it nor dishonoring Karen in any way in his actions and goals.  The gentlemen sat down and the dishes began to make their way around the large table to clockwise until each item had made its way around. 

Lorn had often offered to dish out the item for Karen before he put a portion on his own plate before handing it around if the dish was heavier or larger than the others.  When he just handed the serving dish to her, their fingers would briefly touch in the action.  His eyes would glance to her face when that happened with a smile and a happy look in his eyes. 

He also looked around at his staff.  He knew he was not like what they had expected when he hired them.  However, after they got used to it, they had become more at ease with him, though Mrs. Pearson and Miss Cora do still try to hint that he should do some things in the "proper" manner that a major property owner with a manor should.  He would watch over them as they looked over him and Heidi.  It was a family of sorts, and he glanced over to Karen and thought he had created a real home.

Mr. Tinkerman, once all was finished filling their plates and eating, looked over to Lorn.  "Mr. Vaugh, doesn't Miss Heidi have a birthday coming up?"

Lorn grinned finishing a bite he had just taken.  "Yes, seems hard to believe she will be four already.   It's next week."  He nodded.