The Right to Ride Astride

By Ron Irving

The Right to Ride Astride is set in the year 1831 in Northwest England and is the story of two young women, Hannah – 22 – masculine and plain, who hates men; and Sarah –18 – feminine and attractive, who knows how to manipulate men. These women defy the customs as written in the Holy Book, whereby the duty of a female is to marry and obey her husband. Hannah, illegitimate, having spent her entire life in boarding schools, where her only friends were horses, meets Sarah, an orphan, whose entire family has been killed by mining disasters or disease, and is alive because she chose to work in a brothel instead of a mine. When Hannah manages to ride a large and fast stallion named Hannibal, who, until this time, has never been ridden, Hannah and Sarah realize they cannot only survive, but with the help of a powerful family, they can prosper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: Aug 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463960301

Ron Irving

The author was born in Michigan as the son of an English immigrant from Barrow-in-Furness. Due to the Vietnam War, he found himself in Washington DC. Worked as an accountant but found himself conflicted by being a language oriented person occupying space in a numbers oriented world. Now retired, accompanied by a stray cat named GreyC, he finds time to write and reflect living in a small house in a small town devoid of any social amenities. He has two grown daughters and a grandson.

Book preview

Introduction

This story is set in 1831, in the coal mining town of Whitehaven in northwestern England. In order to survive at this time, individuals, whether they are male or female, required unity, which was provided, in almost all cases, by the family. All members of the family, including both males and females, were expected to work which required members as young as six to often work in dangerous and unpleasant occupations like mining, manufacturing, and fishing. Convention, at the time, dictated that the family was under the control of the male members because practically all occupations were restricted to males. The exception being many women worked as domestic servants, where part of the remuneration included room and board. All institutions; the family, the church, the schools, and the government were adamant that conformity had to be maintained, at whatever cost.

For women in this pre-feminist period, voting was not an issue because only landowners could vote, and because women could not own anything or inherit anything; voting was on no women’s horizon. In fact, married women were considered the property of their husbands, and single women remained under the guardianship of their fathers until the responsibility passed to their husband upon marriage. Men ran the family, the church, the schools, and the government. Therefore, if men didn’t want to lose control of either their power or their women, they must never lose control of their institutions. Having been trained to accept the role of the second class citizen since birth, and recognizing the futility of disobedience, few women chose to rebel, and those who did often found another institution ready to provide proper guidance, the ‘asylum’ for the ‘insane’. A woman could be incarcerated in such an institution for ‘her own good’ for disobeying her husband, or refusing a proposal of marriage if the woman’s rejection brought dishonor to a male or his family. The universal diagnosis was called Hysteria, a female disorder, where the misalignment of the womb results in women showing signs of depression, hostility, or disinterest in performing rites that the husband thought to be necessary for the happiness of the family.

It is in this deplorable situation, that a chance meeting occurred between a 22-year-old, Hannah Drummond, illegitimate at birth, who has spent her entire life in boarding schools, thus raised with no parental love, and little religious training, meets an 18-year-old orphan, Sarah Cunliffe, who quit working in the coal mines, and instead, taking work in a brothel to help support her family. This is the story of an unconventional union whereby two females unite in order to survive. Such a union will not become even slightly accepted for 170 years, so in their days, Hannah and Sarah are truly extraordinary.

Hannah was not a true lesbian, but instead, more of an asexual being who hates men and the control men exercised over her because of custom, not ability. Her physical strength and her tenacious drive to succeed made it natural for her to assume a masculine role, while Sarah, on the other hand, was feminine, thus she looked on Hannah as her provider, at least in the beginning, her husband in a way, but one requiring no sexual accommodation. For the two of them to survive, which is the primary goal of the union, Sarah has to learn to control her talented, driven, and often unstable partner. The reason that Sarah chose to form a union with Hannah instead of a man, again was prescribed by custom. Having once been a coal miner, and later a whore, meant no family of substance would welcome Sarah. Thus, her choice was easy; she could look forward to a life of lower-class poverty by marrying any man who would accept her, or form this mutually-agreeable union with Hannah, who welcomed her as her partner.

Hannah is combative, angry, and male-like in her zeal to not only win but to make sure her male opponents lost, but more importantly, they admitted they lost to a woman. Sarah, on the other hand, is feminine and pragmatic, preferring to use Hannah’s male-like competitiveness while remaining within the confines of conformity. Simply put, Sarah preferred to ‘color within the lines’ where as long as men believe they are superior to women, they are easily manipulated. Hannah, never having experienced the family as a source of indoctrination or control, rebels against the indoctrination whereby the boarding schools used the teachings of the Holy Book to control her; while Sarah, raised by what she considers a loving family, only to see her family destroyed by accidents and disease, seeks comfort from the security of Hannah’s determination, choosing to ignore the Holy Book, only worried by Hannah’s apparent compulsion for self-destruction.

Having a limited formal education, Hannah acquires only one skill: the ability to ride, care for, and most importantly, to understand horses. It must be remembered that in 1831, horses were the main mode of transportation, and there were rules restricting how women rode, whereby aside or sidesaddle was the preferred method, and their dress while riding was of equal concern. Thus, only women of higher social rank rode because women of lower rank were basically restricted to their homes where they cooked the men’s meals, washed the men’s clothes, bore, and raised the men’s children, and provided the very important function of making sure the men felt appreciated. With the exception of prostitution or working underground in the mines, it was almost impossible for a woman to survive without being cared for by a man. This is how it is written in the Holy Book as Hannah has been led to believe, and yes, men are who wrote the book, a fact never far from Hannah’s thoughts. To her, the role of the Holy Book is not to provide comfort to the believers, but is a means of men suppressing women by establishing rules, which are never questioned because the rules are established by God. As indicative of the religion of the time, God looked harshly on those who broke his rules. Hannah, driven to fight convention, was very much aware that her disobedience would have its consequences. Thus for her own security, Sarah is required to do what is necessary to counter this nonsense. While a rebel, Hannah is a believer.

Instead of riding aside, Hannah taught herself to ride astride, where the legs straddle the saddle in the manor commonplace today. This riding style, when employed by women, was not only thought to be a symbol of vulgarity; it was against the law in many jurisdictions and was performed by only the most upper level of society, or by those in society who were bohemian enough to not give a damn. Catherine the Great of Russia rode astride, as did Marie Antoinette until her marriage to Louis XVI, when she was forced to give up the practice. In hindsight, she should have continued riding astride; forgoing marriage. As part of Hannah’s inquisitive nature, she questions why God should care how she rides a horse or what she wears when doing so. Sarah doesn’t think that there is anything in the Holy Book setting out equestrian rules, thus there is no chance of upsetting God over this. Hannah is tormented at night, knowing that she has broken many of the rules, so, while one infraction might be overlooked, Hannah believes that there is a point where God will have had enough.

At the time of this novel, the justification for not allowing a woman to ride astride involved potential injury to the hymen, thus making it appear that the woman is not a virgin, and also, the style of dress of the period made it difficult to ride astride and cover every inch of a woman’s body, which is another of the male created rules. Women wearing breeches were considered scandalous in London and illegal in Paris. Thus, those women who chose to ride astride did so mostly on large estates, away from the eyes of the general population. In 1831, the heir to the English throne was a 13-year-old girl named Victoria, whose support afforded Hannah the inspiration to become a major headache to the male population of the United Kingdom. Not only did Hannah and Sarah survive, but they prospered. At this time, the male belief was that what women gained, men lost. Men and many women disliked Hannah’s inappropriateness, and the feeling was mutual.

Thus, with the support of the future queen of England and the support of two influential families, the Lowther’s of Whitehaven; influential in coal and shipping, and the Drummond’s; famous for producing distinguished military men, Hannah and Sarah combined two very different personalities to successfully defy one social custom after another. Hannah no longer has to fear men because she confronts them and wins, and Sarah gains the security that she has wished for all her life. This is not the story of a lesbian relationship, but a story where two women form a family complete with rituals, vows, rules, and, yes, love. Because of Hannah’s modesty, she doesn’t allow Sarah to touch her in any intimate areas, a practice that the worldly Sarah finds both amusing and a good source of material to ridicule Hannah.

As the unconventional believer, Hannah doesn’t give a damn what society thinks but is very concerned about how God is going to react to her committing one of God’s most serious offenses, in her eyes, worse than murder and adultery; loving another woman. Hannah draws no distinction between loving a woman and making love to a woman. Sarah, on the other hand, wants to keep hidden which the society will never accept; a job made difficult because Hannah is afraid of both the dark and what might happen to her during the hours of sleep, thus while she always considers Sarah’s needs concerning all decisions, she requires payment by forcing Sarah to allow Hannah to sleep with her. Living in a mansion with many servants, such a practice is difficult to conceal, requiring Sarah to accomplish a great deal of public relations work.

Chapter 1

My name is Hannah Drummond. From what I’ve been told, I am the illegitimate granddaughter of a famous English general, and the daughter of an English spy who while attempting to reduce the American influence in Canada, became involved with a Scottish female expatriate, who he unfortunately convinced to help him. I say ‘unfortunately’ because again, according to the story of my life as told to me, the woman committed suicide in order to avoid capture and torture, but not before becoming pregnant and giving birth to me. Supposedly, I was born in Canada, then transported to England and given my father’s requirement to travel extensively; I was presented in a somewhat surprising manner to my father’s wife with the instructions to raise me.

While knowing nothing of my origin or early childhood, I am painfully aware of the rest of my life. I have spent most of my 22 years in the care of boarding schools while my father was allegedly fighting enemies of the Crown somewhere in the world. I progressed through my early years at school, earning the title of precocious. In English boarding school parlance, that means, ‘we hope you find another school for your daughter, but we believe there is still hope’.

From Durham, I was dispatched to London where my step-mother was again told to find another school for me, but now, the headmaster is willing to pray that I will not grow up to create a daughter like me. Apparently, what was once hope now requires a bit more divine intervention to get me to where everyone wants me to be, which I believe is married, and conveniently forgotten.

At age 18, I discovered a well-illustrated book apparently advocating the advantages of women having sex with women instead of men. Not only did the book cause me to be removed from school and returned to my stepmother, it instilled in me an interest in such matters which has resulted in a great deal of guilt and torment. It must be stated, that while I have spent a great deal of time with only women, I have never developed a friendship with any woman where my interest in the book could be put into practice.

There is one thing that English boarding schools for girls do well is to scare a young woman into behaving in the prescribed manner by using scripture to describe what happens to young women who fail to adhere to the rules. Thus, while the illustrations in the book advocating lesbianism were interesting, the illustrations based on the scriptures are a compelling argument for not becoming a lesbian. Barely able to stay awake in Bible class, I still have problems sleeping because of the guarantee of eternal damnation for minor offenses like robbery and murder, but the penalties for major sins such as adultery and having sex with members of the same sex place a lot of emphasis on fire. At the hearing resulting in my dismissal for possessing the lesbian book, one priest pointed out that having already read the book makes absolution difficult and then he returned to the fire theme by telling me that a hundred years ago, I would not be expelled from school but would have been flogged and then burned at the stake. The entrance to this particular boarding school has a gate with the name of the school cast in wrought iron over it. To this date, I have nightmares about being chased through that gate by clergyman carrying torches. They eventually catch me and set me alight.

It should be pointed out that before being asked to remove myself from the school, a very serious incident occurred that while it terrified me at the time, has acted to reinforce a degree of security in my unstructured life. At the insistence of the headmaster and the local vicar, I endured a very quick trial whereby it was decided that because I was obviously suffering from Hysteria, the best course of action was to commit me to an ‘asylum’ for the ‘insane’. Roughly escorted from the school to an awaiting prisoner wagon, I was about to be dispatched into the rolling cell, where my attempt at non-compliance resulted in me being pulled into the awaiting wagon by my hair. With my upper half in the cell but my legs remaining outside, my terror was alleviated by a voice from a man on a horse, who I would learn later was the local magistrate, telling those involved with my abduction that none of the ruffians should take lightly my last name, and the fact I descend from not only a very influential family, but a very combative one, whereby my living relatives include not only two generals, one admiral, and many uncles who have fought in almost every war the United Kingdom has been involved. It was decided that I will depart the school immediately, and prepare myself for a long stage ride to Scotland.

The governess escorting me to Scotland became quite irritated by my attitude, and suggested that I should depart the coach at Manchester, and a story was concocted whereby I ran-off into the night in return for a few pounds. I am under the assumption that someone will provide a small monthly stipend for clothes and food, which commenced a few months later. At the time, I thought little of the incident, but after being in Manchester for less than a day, I received an offer of employment on a horse farm in rural Manchester, which is a perfect place for me. Being secluded, I can not only ride in peace but also ride astride in britches, some of which are cut off above the knee. For the next three years, I lived above the barn, fed two dogs and a few cats, and went for walks in my free time, and rode in the middle of the night because I often found sleep difficult because of the conflict between the two books previously mentioned.

For the past few years, I have perfected my job so as to gain more free time. First, I can ride twice as many horses if I don’t have to saddle them. Weather permitting; I ride bareback and barefoot using a halter rather than a bridle. I can put the halter over the horse’s head without having to ever place my bare feet on the often soiled ground. After doing this for some time, I developed an ability to control the animal using only the pressure of my feet and calves to tell the horse my preferred direction. This is not my invention; the North American natives have always done it, as have the Mongol hoards of the steppe. You can’t shoot a bow and arrow and hold onto the reins at the same time. I learned more at boarding school than the pros and cons of lesbianism and that conformity to the rules of the church are best maintained by an occasional inquisition.

I am of average appearance, possibly less primarily due to my red hair which I detest, but being a hereditary gift from my famous grandfather, I accept what I can’t change. Thursday is market day, when I ride to the village, and procure what I will eat during the week. As for the reaction of the village people to my style of riding and my dress, I receive three types of reactions: resentment from the older women, the clergy, and the Burgess; curiosity from all of the men except for those fore-mentioned; and admiration from all of the younger women who wish they could dress like me, enjoy the freedom I enjoy and ride astride like I do. At the Royal Mail, I retrieve a letter from my stepmother, the contents of which is terrible news. I have been exiled to a place called Whitehaven. My stepmother, supposedly with the full approval of my father, will be making my allowance available at a bank in Whitehaven; if I want the allowance, I will do what I’m told.

On the way home, I mentally add up my monthly expenses, and then add up my monthly income from Mr. Covington who owns the horse farm. Understandably upset, I try to develop a plan to save myself, but unable to do so, I take the best offer I can get. Mr. Covington allows me to take a good horse as part of my pay. Financially, it is best to leave as soon as possible. I am very good with numbers, quickly understanding, according to the threatening letter, I will receive no more funds where I am now. It will take me two days to get to Whitehaven. The month is half over. If I receive free food and lodging, not to mention horse food, the faster I get to Whitehaven, the better.

Whitehaven is a coal town like Durham; I know that I am going to hate it, but I will now have some time to develop a plan on how I’m going to survive. I made a promise to Charlotte, the name of my stepmother, I will not prostitute myself by marrying a man in order to survive. I’m glad I opened the letter before buying the food for the week.

If God is listening, I want him to know that I have never had sex with a woman, and as for men, my only deviation from your laws is allowing a young man named Samuel to unbutton half of the buttons on my blouse while we both were prone on the meadow grass. Because you know everything Lord, you know that in spite of the assertions made by my stepmother, I am a virgin, a moderately holy girl, who while missing Sunday services on a regular basis has remained true to the Holy Book, as far as I understand it. You must take some blame for this, God, because when you created women to be so inferior to men, you had to anticipate such confusion. A wise Priest pointed out in a quite convincing fashion that if I attended services on a regular basis, I would understand why you created women disproportionately possessed by defects. I have a question for you God, if you don’t want me to be the way I am; why did you create me like you did? Why did you create such a strong-willed person for the day and such a weak and insecure person for the night? If I had a sister to hold on to at night, I think I would be a better person. I am not in any way implying that you must share in my sins, but it is something to consider in your future plans.

According to my stepmother, my problems are the result of my stubborn reluctance to accept the fact that social norms are established for a reason. Men are superior to women, and that to attempt to prove otherwise is against the teachings of the Holy Book. Now, with all of the problems befalling mankind, I find it inconceivable that you, God, have the time to concern yourself with how I ride a horse, or what I wear when doing so. If a man can ride astride, why is a woman unable to do so? If a man can ride in britches, why can’t a woman? The reason is simple, because men make the rules, and are supported by the weak and thoughtless women that such men choose to marry.

My banishment to the English Lake District until I either agree to marry a man, any man, or succumb to the upscale surroundings of the manor house; it is most important to convince the Lonsdale’s to hire me. It is my understanding that Whitehaven was chosen as the site of my incarceration because the owner, William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale and Lady Lonsdale, previously Augusta Fane, who is the daughter of the 9th Earl of Westmoreland, who with his 2nd wife had a daughter named Lady Susan Fane, who married my father’s brother. Because of disinterest, I don’t know if I am related to any of these people. When I first heard the confusing connection, I hoped that someday a fine coach would arrive at my door and inform me that I am now and will hereafter be Lady Hannah Drummond and that I have inherited a large estate in Sussex, where mothers of the landed gentry throughout England can send their bachelor sons, so I can find them something suitable to ride. In truth, I believe myself to be sent here for exactly that purpose, so that some fine young gentleman will consider me suitable to ride.

The current Lord Lonsdale was a member of parliament for a short-term, but concentrated his efforts establishing a large mining and shipping business. His son, William, who will someday become the 2nd Earl of Lonsdale, is currently a Tory Member of Parliament, carrying the title Lord Lowther. He is a true politician, whereas his father is more interested in money than the government.

Arriving in Whitehaven, I don’t go directly to the Lowther manor house, but to the town itself in order to obtain a dress that will fit me because I do not presently own a dress. Entering the store, two salesmen, observing my current wardrobe, hurriedly search not only their shop, but finally locate a dress that was donated to the workhouse. The fit is not perfect, but given the haste of the request, the dress is more than adequate.

Arriving at the manor house, with two canvas bags dangling on both sides of my saddle, one of the servants suggests that I use the kitchen entrance, which is not objectionable to me. Told where to go by the kitchen staff, I shortly come face to face with Victoria, who I believe introduced herself as the Servant in Charge, or something close to this. I do not believe that Victoria approves of my dress, but given the alternative, I pay her rudeness no mind, believing that she suffers from the same defects as my dress, being less than beautiful due to wear-and-tear. Shown to my room a young girl, near to my age named Rebecca, first attempts to unpack my bags, which I resist most vigorously because I don’t want anyone to see the britches.

Victoria, arriving just after the britches are put in a bureau drawer, first checks the armoire, and finding not one dress, asks what I plan on wearing to dinner which will be ready in half an hour.

Me: I was planning on wearing what I presently have on.

I uncomfortably share my room with Victoria while Rebecca, at the insistence of Victoria, leaves and after a short period returns with a dress. Removing my dress, I demonstrate my chaste nature by making it obvious that I am very uncomfortable changing clothes in front of strangers. Rebecca is taller by an inch and thinner. I will not be able to eat much and wear this dress, but apparently, Victoria is happy.

Me: When I get my allowance, I will buy some dresses.

Rebecca: You are a woman, and you don’t have any dresses?

Me: I live in Manchester, and my dresses were stolen along with all of my valuable jewelry and perfumes.

Victoria: I don’t believe that you are going to get your allowance because Lady Lonsdale told me that she is going to provide your wardrobe and your mother will reimburse her. Your lodging and meals will be taken care of while you are a guest of the Lord and Lady Lonsdale.

Me to Victoria: Assure Lady Lonsdale that my stepmother will have no problem repaying her.

Rebecca: I’ll be available to wait on you, ma’am.

Me: It’s miss.

I assume that when a new guest arrives, many people turn out to form an opinion. In truth, I don’t believe I impressed anyone, but because I don’t care, I am not upset by that fact. Lord Lonsdale’s agent, Mr. Peele, has shifty eyes, and his son is pompous. I don’t trust the chief of police because his eyes have an interrogative quality, not inquisitive, but appear to be looking for something that might threaten the peace of the community. The magistrate is