small clearing that housed Ivy Cottage. Corbin wandered in that direction often.
“Where are you hiding, Alice?” Edmund called out, still amused and lighthearted.
The children were playing hide-and-seek, Corbin realized. He looked around the clearing and spotted Edmund.
“I am going to find you!” the boy called out, laughing as he knelt to look behind a small bush growing near the cottage.
Alice had, apparently, eluded Edmund. Corbin smiled at that. She was a precocious little thing.
Corbin searched the small clearing once more. Clara was nowhere in sight. He felt torn between disappointment and relief. He didn’t feel entirely ready to display his well-rehearsed but still uncomfortable persona.
Corbin tugged a little at the collar of the shirt he wore. Hub from the stables was the closest in size to Corbin, but his clothing was not made of the most comfortable fabrics. And, Corbin had realized, the stable hand’s neck was smaller than his. He’d had to leave the collar unbuttoned, something he would not usually consider doing.
The boots he wore still smelled strongly of the stable. They were his mucking boots, very nearly destroyed after years of working in them.
Corbin adjusted the shapeless hat on his head. It was yet another way he and Hub were not of a size. The blasted thing kept slipping half over his eyes.
He was beginning to doubt this latest attempt to capture Clara’s attention. He probably looked more like a fool than the powerful, in-charge gentleman Jason had insisted he needed to portray.
“Alice?” Edmund’s tone had intensified a little, which caught Corbin’s attention. “Alice?”
Edmund looked a little frantic. Corbin quickly realized the game had come to an abrupt halt. Either Alice had really outdone herself hiding, or she was missing.
There weren’t many places to hide in the small clearing or around the outside of the house. Edmund surely ought to have seen her by now. A thought occurred to Corbin that made his stomach clench. Suppose Alice had wandered into the thicket of trees? She would be very difficult to find.
“Alice?” Corbin called, quietly but urgently, looking all around him, his heart pounding. “Alice?”
Elf nickered, drawing Corbin’s gaze. He tipped his head back enough to see from under the sagging brim of his borrowed hat. There, standing among the horse’s powerful hooves was Alice, gazing up in wonder at Elf’s underbelly.
Merciful heavens! His heart thudded to a halt. If something were to spook Elf, Alice could be trampled. “Alice,” he whispered as gently as possible.
She turned her face toward him, one finger hooked over her lip.
Corbin inched forward, slipping off his hat so his view would not be impeded.
Recognition lit her beloved features. “Mister!” she called out.
Elf shifted slightly.
“Alice, dear.” Corbin continued to talk softly, gesturing for her to keep quiet. “Don’t move. Wait right there.”
She scrunched her eyes a bit, focusing on him. Corbin smiled. She held her arms out as if asking to be held, one hand coming within inches of brushing Elf’s right foreleg. That would have startled the horse for sure.
“Do you want to be held, dear?” Corbin asked, one eye on Elf, one eye on Alice.
She nodded and smiled even brighter.
“Very well.” Corbin moved a little faster. “Let me come to you.”
He was at Elf’s head, then. Corbin gave him a reassuring rub on his nose, grateful Elf seemed calm. He patted the horse’s shoulder, then squatted enough to reach out for Alice. The girl wrapped her arms around Corbin’s neck, and he stood up.
Lud, she might have been trampled to death right in front of him.
“Oh, sweet Alice,” he whispered, clutching her to him, holding her as tightly as he dared.
“Mister. You dirty.”
He was, indeed. Dirty. Disheveled. A small pebble in his boot helped with the swagger. He pulled his hat on his head once more. Alice giggled. His new persona wasn’t supposed to be
“Where are you hiding, Alice?” Edmund called out, still amused and lighthearted.
The children were playing hide-and-seek, Corbin realized. He looked around the clearing and spotted Edmund.
“I am going to find you!” the boy called out, laughing as he knelt to look behind a small bush growing near the cottage.
Alice had, apparently, eluded Edmund. Corbin smiled at that. She was a precocious little thing.
Corbin searched the small clearing once more. Clara was nowhere in sight. He felt torn between disappointment and relief. He didn’t feel entirely ready to display his well-rehearsed but still uncomfortable persona.
Corbin tugged a little at the collar of the shirt he wore. Hub from the stables was the closest in size to Corbin, but his clothing was not made of the most comfortable fabrics. And, Corbin had realized, the stable hand’s neck was smaller than his. He’d had to leave the collar unbuttoned, something he would not usually consider doing.
The boots he wore still smelled strongly of the stable. They were his mucking boots, very nearly destroyed after years of working in them.
Corbin adjusted the shapeless hat on his head. It was yet another way he and Hub were not of a size. The blasted thing kept slipping half over his eyes.
He was beginning to doubt this latest attempt to capture Clara’s attention. He probably looked more like a fool than the powerful, in-charge gentleman Jason had insisted he needed to portray.
“Alice?” Edmund’s tone had intensified a little, which caught Corbin’s attention. “Alice?”
Edmund looked a little frantic. Corbin quickly realized the game had come to an abrupt halt. Either Alice had really outdone herself hiding, or she was missing.
There weren’t many places to hide in the small clearing or around the outside of the house. Edmund surely ought to have seen her by now. A thought occurred to Corbin that made his stomach clench. Suppose Alice had wandered into the thicket of trees? She would be very difficult to find.
“Alice?” Corbin called, quietly but urgently, looking all around him, his heart pounding. “Alice?”
Elf nickered, drawing Corbin’s gaze. He tipped his head back enough to see from under the sagging brim of his borrowed hat. There, standing among the horse’s powerful hooves was Alice, gazing up in wonder at Elf’s underbelly.
Merciful heavens! His heart thudded to a halt. If something were to spook Elf, Alice could be trampled. “Alice,” he whispered as gently as possible.
She turned her face toward him, one finger hooked over her lip.
Corbin inched forward, slipping off his hat so his view would not be impeded.
Recognition lit her beloved features. “Mister!” she called out.
Elf shifted slightly.
“Alice, dear.” Corbin continued to talk softly, gesturing for her to keep quiet. “Don’t move. Wait right there.”
She scrunched her eyes a bit, focusing on him. Corbin smiled. She held her arms out as if asking to be held, one hand coming within inches of brushing Elf’s right foreleg. That would have startled the horse for sure.
“Do you want to be held, dear?” Corbin asked, one eye on Elf, one eye on Alice.
She nodded and smiled even brighter.
“Very well.” Corbin moved a little faster. “Let me come to you.”
He was at Elf’s head, then. Corbin gave him a reassuring rub on his nose, grateful Elf seemed calm. He patted the horse’s shoulder, then squatted enough to reach out for Alice. The girl wrapped her arms around Corbin’s neck, and he stood up.
Lud, she might have been trampled to death right in front of him.
“Oh, sweet Alice,” he whispered, clutching her to him, holding her as tightly as he dared.
“Mister. You dirty.”
He was, indeed. Dirty. Disheveled. A small pebble in his boot helped with the swagger. He pulled his hat on his head once more. Alice giggled. His new persona wasn’t supposed to be
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