The Moon by Night by Gilbert Morris, Lynn Morris Page B

that Californy, you know.” He pronounced the name of the state in a half whisper, as if it were vulgar.
    Mr. Roe, his eyes still eagerly watching Cheney and the open stable doors, murmured, “I did hear that, I surely did, Mr. Jack, but I could hardly credit it. Surely Miss Cheney didn’t ride that poor little princess all the way from the other side of the world, as it were?”
    â€œOh no. She does have better horse sense than that,” Mr. Jack said with clear reluctance. “No, she and Mr. Shiloh sent their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Blue, all the way out to Californy on that new railroad to fetch Herself and that wicked old Balaam. You just watch, he’ll be a- limpin’ and a-groanin’ fit to break your heart when Mr. Shiloh rides him in.”
    â€œAnd then that old joker will be lame on t’other leg when we get him out to walk it off,” Mr. Roe said knowingly. “I’ve never seen a horse that could act as good as that Balaam. He should be on the stage, I’m of the firm belief. He can make you believe more nonsense than most of them hoity-toity players ever did, such as that murderin’ John Wilkes Booth, and you can’t tell me his brother is any better, for all his Shakespeare. Now, let me see, Mr. and Mrs. Blue…Blue, oh yes, I remember now. Mrs. Blue, that sweet-faced lady and Captain Blue from the orphanage. They’ve got that poor little tyke what’s not right, don’t they? Little angel she was, that day they came to the hospital grand opening, in her little blue coat with the white fur.”
    â€œThat’s them,” Mr. Jack agreed. “When Mr. Shiloh and Miss Cheney got back from their honeymoon, they had to have their new house worked on, like, and they had no horses of their own here in New York, havin’ been fol-der-rollin’ all over the country and leaving horses here and there like they was dropped hankies or summat. And Miss Cheney’s two tantes in New Orleans wouldn’t send back their two horses because Miss Tante Elyse was so foolish over them. So Miss Cheney and Mr. Shiloh decided to give poor Captain and Mrs. Blue a vacation and sent them out there to the back side of the badlands to bring back these two horses. And they stayed at the orphanage and took care of that little Laura Blue while Captain and Mrs. Blue took their holiday, the first they’d ever had, either of ’em.”
    Mr. Roe nodded, now with approval, and started to respond, but Shiloh came thundering in on Balaam. Balaam reared up and pawed the air, grunting and growling around his bit as if he were in close battle.
    â€œThere you are, finally,” Cheney said merrily from her languid stance by the door. “Eugènie and I took a little turn around the block before we even came in.”
    â€œDid you hear that, you old grump,” Shiloh muttered as he dismounted. Balaam immediately calmed down and shifted hard on his feet, as if one hoof had gone lame. “I’d be ashamed, you big lazy heifer, letting that fancy-pants Eugènie beat you. Huh? Oh no, no, mister, I know better. You just stand up straight, and James or John will be in here to fetch you in a minute, and I don’t want you to give them any nonsense about a stone bruise either. They know your little game as good as I do, you old swindler.” Shiloh slapped him affectionately as James, grinning, came in and grabbed Balaam’s bridle. Balaam mouthed it noisily with much slobber and followed him outside with a pronounced limp.
    â€œYou didn’t either circle the block. You’re as big a sharp as Balaam is,” Shiloh said accusingly, grabbing Cheney around the waist. Neither of them had noticed the two men down at the far end of the stables.
    â€œI couldn’t be half the ham he is,” Cheney scoffed.
    Shiloh, with his hands resting on her waist, leaned back for a moment and looked her up and down. She looked stunning. She was wearing