do you think?” Ben asked after he had given Sean a rundown of the animal’s unfortunate history. “Fancy a go at him? I shall compensate you for the extra work of course.”
“Yeah.” Sean nodded gamely and climbed over the fence.
Surprised, Ben said, “What — now ?”
“Aye, sir, I intend to introduce myself and welcome our friend properly.” Sean approached the animal, cooing softly in Gaelic.
With raised brows, Ben glanced at Sarah. “Now,” he repeated and joined Sean in the paddock.
Catie watched in disbelief as the animal responded almost magically to Sean’s voice. The horse even whinnied and lifted its head with a coltish snort, demanding more attention. Once the gelding’s anxiety began to ease, Sean disappeared into the stable and came back with a bridle. Thrilled, Catie climbed upon the fence and sat on the top rail to gain a better vantage.
“Get down, Sis!” Ben hissed at her under his breath. “Can you not see how unpredictable the animal is?”
Catie obeyed but grumbled, “Must he always speak to me as if I’m seven years old?”
Sarah laughed shortly. “He will not always be so blind, my dear sister. But until he sees better you must do what women have always done.”
“What’s that?” Catie asked, glowering at her brother.
“Endure.”
Neighing contemptuously, the horse wasn’t so keen on the bridle, repeatedly rejecting it. Sean coaxed gently but firmly until the gelding submitted and allowed the bridle to be hung loosely over his ears. Caught up in the moment, Catie jumped carelessly upon the fence again and cried out, “He did it!”
The sudden movement spooked the horse, and the feral shadow fell back over him in an instant. Wild-eyed, the powerful thoroughbred reared back and charged aggressively towards Catie. She hit the ground hard as the thud of hooves crashed down around her like the rain of a sudden and violent storm. Terrified, she coiled into a protective ball, expecting the heavy blow of a hoof, but the clopping grew faint. The horse had galloped off, leaving her filthy but unharmed. Excited voices came from all around but all she could hear was the thumping of her rapidly beating heart.
“Don’t move, Catie,” Sarah, who was first to her side, cautioned frantically. “Is anything broken?”
“No,” Catie replied, rolling onto her back and wiping dirt from her face.
“My God, Sis, did he come down on you?” Ben stooped, checking her carefully from head to toe. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.” Catie shook her head. “He didn’t land on me.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fine, Brother — just dirty.”
“Help her up, Ben,” Sarah instructed, and he carefully lifted his sister to her feet.
Catie looked down at her hands, which stung badly, and saw that she had scraped off a good deal of skin in trying to brace her fall. “Bloody horse!” she uttered spitefully.
“Bloody horse !” Ben gave her shoulder a censorious shake. “You’re lucky you weren’t trampled!”
“I know.” Catie didn’t dare meet her brother’s eyes. Even worse, Sean Kelly stood in the background listening as Ben scolded her like a child.
“Shall I go fetch the horse, Mr. Darcy?” Sean asked as if sensing Catie’s discomfort.
“Yes,” Ben answered in an aggravated tone. “Sarah, take Catie to the house while I go with Sean. The horse took out the top rail of the fence, and I’ll need to be there if he’s broken his leg.”
Startled, Catie looked at Ben. “You won’t shoot him, will you?”
“If he’s hurt badly, Catherine, I’ll have no choice.”
After Sarah bandaged Catie’s hands, Rose gave the girl two aspirin with a nip of brandy and marched her off to lie down until suppertime. With Catie safely upstairs, Sarah murmured a silent prayer for the horse and went to her sons, who were playing in the garden. She took a seat on a cushioned wicker lawn chair and was soon joined by her husband.
“Oh, Ben!” She sat up when she saw
“Yeah.” Sean nodded gamely and climbed over the fence.
Surprised, Ben said, “What — now ?”
“Aye, sir, I intend to introduce myself and welcome our friend properly.” Sean approached the animal, cooing softly in Gaelic.
With raised brows, Ben glanced at Sarah. “Now,” he repeated and joined Sean in the paddock.
Catie watched in disbelief as the animal responded almost magically to Sean’s voice. The horse even whinnied and lifted its head with a coltish snort, demanding more attention. Once the gelding’s anxiety began to ease, Sean disappeared into the stable and came back with a bridle. Thrilled, Catie climbed upon the fence and sat on the top rail to gain a better vantage.
“Get down, Sis!” Ben hissed at her under his breath. “Can you not see how unpredictable the animal is?”
Catie obeyed but grumbled, “Must he always speak to me as if I’m seven years old?”
Sarah laughed shortly. “He will not always be so blind, my dear sister. But until he sees better you must do what women have always done.”
“What’s that?” Catie asked, glowering at her brother.
“Endure.”
Neighing contemptuously, the horse wasn’t so keen on the bridle, repeatedly rejecting it. Sean coaxed gently but firmly until the gelding submitted and allowed the bridle to be hung loosely over his ears. Caught up in the moment, Catie jumped carelessly upon the fence again and cried out, “He did it!”
The sudden movement spooked the horse, and the feral shadow fell back over him in an instant. Wild-eyed, the powerful thoroughbred reared back and charged aggressively towards Catie. She hit the ground hard as the thud of hooves crashed down around her like the rain of a sudden and violent storm. Terrified, she coiled into a protective ball, expecting the heavy blow of a hoof, but the clopping grew faint. The horse had galloped off, leaving her filthy but unharmed. Excited voices came from all around but all she could hear was the thumping of her rapidly beating heart.
“Don’t move, Catie,” Sarah, who was first to her side, cautioned frantically. “Is anything broken?”
“No,” Catie replied, rolling onto her back and wiping dirt from her face.
“My God, Sis, did he come down on you?” Ben stooped, checking her carefully from head to toe. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.” Catie shook her head. “He didn’t land on me.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fine, Brother — just dirty.”
“Help her up, Ben,” Sarah instructed, and he carefully lifted his sister to her feet.
Catie looked down at her hands, which stung badly, and saw that she had scraped off a good deal of skin in trying to brace her fall. “Bloody horse!” she uttered spitefully.
“Bloody horse !” Ben gave her shoulder a censorious shake. “You’re lucky you weren’t trampled!”
“I know.” Catie didn’t dare meet her brother’s eyes. Even worse, Sean Kelly stood in the background listening as Ben scolded her like a child.
“Shall I go fetch the horse, Mr. Darcy?” Sean asked as if sensing Catie’s discomfort.
“Yes,” Ben answered in an aggravated tone. “Sarah, take Catie to the house while I go with Sean. The horse took out the top rail of the fence, and I’ll need to be there if he’s broken his leg.”
Startled, Catie looked at Ben. “You won’t shoot him, will you?”
“If he’s hurt badly, Catherine, I’ll have no choice.”
After Sarah bandaged Catie’s hands, Rose gave the girl two aspirin with a nip of brandy and marched her off to lie down until suppertime. With Catie safely upstairs, Sarah murmured a silent prayer for the horse and went to her sons, who were playing in the garden. She took a seat on a cushioned wicker lawn chair and was soon joined by her husband.
“Oh, Ben!” She sat up when she saw
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