and she patted the horse gently.
“You won’t die, will you, Hayburner?” she whispered to him. The horse pawed at the ground nervously and tossed its head, then started toward the barn.
As she watched them go Diana remembered the words she had just uttered and wondered where they had come from. Surely not from herself. They were such cruel words, and she had seen the hurt they had caused Christie.
And yet she had said them.
She climbed slowly off the corral fence and started toward the house, still wondering what the words had meant.
They had come from somewhere deep within herself, from a part of her mind that she didn’t like to think about.
The part where she buried things.
But somehow the things never stayed buried. Instead they kept coming back, demanding to be acted upon.
She went into the kitchen, letting the door slam behind her as she had slammed doors on so much of her past.
7
Kim Sandler and Susan Gillespie scuffed along the road, then veered into the field that lay between them and the Ambers’ corral.
“Wow.” Kim’s voice was awed, and Susan, who had stooped down to investigate a rock, looked up. Kim was pointing ahead. “She’s got a horse!”
Susan stood up and gazed across the field to see Christie leading Hayburner around the corral. “Do you think she’ll let us ride it?” Susan asked. They broke into a run, entranced by the possibilities of access to a horse. Arriving at the corral, they scrambled up the rails, and Christie brought Hayburner to a halt next to them. The big gray gazed placidly at the two newcomers. Kim put out a hand to pat him, and the horse snuffled affably.
“Is he yours?” Susan asked.
“I guess so,” Christie began uncertainly. “His name’s Hayburner, and Aunt Diana gave him to me this morning. Isn’t he neat?”
“Gave him to you?” Kim demanded suspiciously. “To keep? I mean, could you sell him if you wanted to?”
“Why would I want to?” Christie countered.
“I didn’t mean you’d want to. I mean, is he really yours, or do you just get to ride him?”
Christie glanced at the house nervously, remembering Diana’s strange words. “He’s mine,” she insisted.“Anyway, that’s what Aunt Diana said.” Then, as if to prove the horse was really hers, she turned to Susan. “Want to ride him with me?”
Susan nodded eagerly, and after Christie had mounted, she scrambled from the corral fence onto the horse, her wiry body perched behind Christie. As Kim looked on enviously Hayburner obligingly trotted around the corral.
“Can he gallop?” Susan asked, her arms gripping Christie’s waist. Christie nodded. “Well, make him, Susan begged.
“There isn’t enough room in here,” Christie told her. She reined the horse to a halt, and Susan clambered back onto the fence. As Kim was about to take her place the three girls heard a voice calling from the house.
“Christie? Christie!”
All three of them turned toward the sound and saw Diana hurrying toward them. Instinctively Kim settled back onto the fence.
Approaching the corral, Diana ignored the two other girls, her attention focused on Christie. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice edged with annoyance.
“Just giving Susan and Kim a ride,” Christie replied, wondering what mistake she had made now.
“You barely know how to ride him yourself,” Diana protested. “You could get hurt.”
“Hayburner wouldn’t hurt anybody,” Christie said. “He didn’t mind. He likes us.”
“He really does, Miss Diana,” Susan added. For the first time Diana shifted her attention to the two other girls.
“What are you doing out here?” she demanded.
Susan and Kim exchanged a worried look, then Kim spoke for both of them. “We just came to see Christie.”
“ To see Christie.” The words echoed in Diana’s earsand anger surged through her. Her first impulse was to order them off the property. And yet, even as she was gripped by the same surge of jealousy she’d
“You won’t die, will you, Hayburner?” she whispered to him. The horse pawed at the ground nervously and tossed its head, then started toward the barn.
As she watched them go Diana remembered the words she had just uttered and wondered where they had come from. Surely not from herself. They were such cruel words, and she had seen the hurt they had caused Christie.
And yet she had said them.
She climbed slowly off the corral fence and started toward the house, still wondering what the words had meant.
They had come from somewhere deep within herself, from a part of her mind that she didn’t like to think about.
The part where she buried things.
But somehow the things never stayed buried. Instead they kept coming back, demanding to be acted upon.
She went into the kitchen, letting the door slam behind her as she had slammed doors on so much of her past.
7
Kim Sandler and Susan Gillespie scuffed along the road, then veered into the field that lay between them and the Ambers’ corral.
“Wow.” Kim’s voice was awed, and Susan, who had stooped down to investigate a rock, looked up. Kim was pointing ahead. “She’s got a horse!”
Susan stood up and gazed across the field to see Christie leading Hayburner around the corral. “Do you think she’ll let us ride it?” Susan asked. They broke into a run, entranced by the possibilities of access to a horse. Arriving at the corral, they scrambled up the rails, and Christie brought Hayburner to a halt next to them. The big gray gazed placidly at the two newcomers. Kim put out a hand to pat him, and the horse snuffled affably.
“Is he yours?” Susan asked.
“I guess so,” Christie began uncertainly. “His name’s Hayburner, and Aunt Diana gave him to me this morning. Isn’t he neat?”
“Gave him to you?” Kim demanded suspiciously. “To keep? I mean, could you sell him if you wanted to?”
“Why would I want to?” Christie countered.
“I didn’t mean you’d want to. I mean, is he really yours, or do you just get to ride him?”
Christie glanced at the house nervously, remembering Diana’s strange words. “He’s mine,” she insisted.“Anyway, that’s what Aunt Diana said.” Then, as if to prove the horse was really hers, she turned to Susan. “Want to ride him with me?”
Susan nodded eagerly, and after Christie had mounted, she scrambled from the corral fence onto the horse, her wiry body perched behind Christie. As Kim looked on enviously Hayburner obligingly trotted around the corral.
“Can he gallop?” Susan asked, her arms gripping Christie’s waist. Christie nodded. “Well, make him, Susan begged.
“There isn’t enough room in here,” Christie told her. She reined the horse to a halt, and Susan clambered back onto the fence. As Kim was about to take her place the three girls heard a voice calling from the house.
“Christie? Christie!”
All three of them turned toward the sound and saw Diana hurrying toward them. Instinctively Kim settled back onto the fence.
Approaching the corral, Diana ignored the two other girls, her attention focused on Christie. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice edged with annoyance.
“Just giving Susan and Kim a ride,” Christie replied, wondering what mistake she had made now.
“You barely know how to ride him yourself,” Diana protested. “You could get hurt.”
“Hayburner wouldn’t hurt anybody,” Christie said. “He didn’t mind. He likes us.”
“He really does, Miss Diana,” Susan added. For the first time Diana shifted her attention to the two other girls.
“What are you doing out here?” she demanded.
Susan and Kim exchanged a worried look, then Kim spoke for both of them. “We just came to see Christie.”
“ To see Christie.” The words echoed in Diana’s earsand anger surged through her. Her first impulse was to order them off the property. And yet, even as she was gripped by the same surge of jealousy she’d
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