much wine myself that I barely remember what occurred."
Her burden lightened, she scampered ahead of him into the thickening curtain of snowflakes. Arriving at the corral, Shelby found that Gadabout had already been saddled and was prancing to and fro in anticipation.
For several hours the adventure held, and all five of them had fun. They'd eaten so much at breakfast, and they were so busy all day, that no one wanted to return to the house for lunch. Instead the men toiled over fences at the far reaches of the property while Shelby did what she could to help, like unrolling coils of barbed wire or holding a post still while a man pounded it into the mushy ground.
The previous day's rain made working conditions less than ideal, for though it was cold enough to snow, it wasn't so cold that the mud had hardened. Sometimes they got tired of slogging around in sloppy boots, but then Shelby would hit someone with a playfully tossed snowball, or they'd realize how close they were to finishing the fence once and for all, and decide to work on. "Just a few dozen more yards!" became an oft-heard yell.
Everybody pretended not to notice that the snow had begun to stick to the ground and was falling harder by the hour. When Lucius snapped at Cal at about three o'clock, Shelby diplomatically suggested that everyone was hungry and tired. She would go back to the house and get some food.
She was in the kitchen—packing rolls and ham into saddlebags, and heating lots of coffee—when Cal burst into the back door, accompanied by frigid gusts of snow, and more snow.
"It's a whole lot worse!" he exclaimed, red-faced and gasping for breath, Cal added, "Geoff says I should tell you to stay put right here, where you'll be safe 'n' dry. We're doin' our best to round up the cattle and bring 'em back—"
"What about the fence? Did you finish?"
"Yes'm." Snow dripped off his hat, reminding Shelby of the storm he and the others had endured the night before. Exhaustion creased his gaunt face. "I b'lieve so. The only part that wasn't done was way out to the south, beyond the grazin' land your cattle favor. We'll do our best to round 'em all up and get 'em in anyways, so they don't freeze."
She made him drink down a cup of hot coffee with cream and let him go back to join the others, though she hated to stay behind. In the meantime, Shelby warmed some stew, cut the meat and vegetables into tiny pieces, and took the dish, plus a cup of tea, into Mr. Manypenny. He was snoring mightily, his domed brow pink with fever, but Shelby managed to rouse the manservant and encourage him to eat. Then she saw to the chickens and cows they kept to provide eggs, milk, butter, and cheese for the household. After feeding and watering the animals, she brought in the snowy bales of hay that stood in the yard, and latched the barn doors against the blizzard.
Manypenny was dozing, still holding the fork in his long, pale hand, when Shelby returned. He'd eaten most of the stew, and drunk the tea laced with the Twenty-Minute Cold Cure. "Mr. Manypenny," she whispered, "will you be all right if I leave you for a bit? I think I should check on the men."
His hooded lids flickered and a smile touched his mouth. "Call me Percy, my dear. And, yes, indeed, do look for his lordship. He has no business mucking about in a snowstorm." Slowly, he looked toward the window, adding, "It is snowing, is it not? I was momentarily fearful that I might be in Heaven."
Shelby wanted to hug him, but instead patted his hand. "No, you are very much alive... Percy." She had to smile, imagining Geoff's expression if he could hear her. "I'll be back soon, with... his lordship."
"Fine, fine. Enjoy yourself." In the next instant, he was once more asleep.
Even though she was well aware that Geoff would be furious with her, Shelby couldn't bear to wait any longer. Since childhood, she'd been galled by the notion that females stayed behind whenever there was excitement. It was a scenario that she
Her burden lightened, she scampered ahead of him into the thickening curtain of snowflakes. Arriving at the corral, Shelby found that Gadabout had already been saddled and was prancing to and fro in anticipation.
For several hours the adventure held, and all five of them had fun. They'd eaten so much at breakfast, and they were so busy all day, that no one wanted to return to the house for lunch. Instead the men toiled over fences at the far reaches of the property while Shelby did what she could to help, like unrolling coils of barbed wire or holding a post still while a man pounded it into the mushy ground.
The previous day's rain made working conditions less than ideal, for though it was cold enough to snow, it wasn't so cold that the mud had hardened. Sometimes they got tired of slogging around in sloppy boots, but then Shelby would hit someone with a playfully tossed snowball, or they'd realize how close they were to finishing the fence once and for all, and decide to work on. "Just a few dozen more yards!" became an oft-heard yell.
Everybody pretended not to notice that the snow had begun to stick to the ground and was falling harder by the hour. When Lucius snapped at Cal at about three o'clock, Shelby diplomatically suggested that everyone was hungry and tired. She would go back to the house and get some food.
She was in the kitchen—packing rolls and ham into saddlebags, and heating lots of coffee—when Cal burst into the back door, accompanied by frigid gusts of snow, and more snow.
"It's a whole lot worse!" he exclaimed, red-faced and gasping for breath, Cal added, "Geoff says I should tell you to stay put right here, where you'll be safe 'n' dry. We're doin' our best to round up the cattle and bring 'em back—"
"What about the fence? Did you finish?"
"Yes'm." Snow dripped off his hat, reminding Shelby of the storm he and the others had endured the night before. Exhaustion creased his gaunt face. "I b'lieve so. The only part that wasn't done was way out to the south, beyond the grazin' land your cattle favor. We'll do our best to round 'em all up and get 'em in anyways, so they don't freeze."
She made him drink down a cup of hot coffee with cream and let him go back to join the others, though she hated to stay behind. In the meantime, Shelby warmed some stew, cut the meat and vegetables into tiny pieces, and took the dish, plus a cup of tea, into Mr. Manypenny. He was snoring mightily, his domed brow pink with fever, but Shelby managed to rouse the manservant and encourage him to eat. Then she saw to the chickens and cows they kept to provide eggs, milk, butter, and cheese for the household. After feeding and watering the animals, she brought in the snowy bales of hay that stood in the yard, and latched the barn doors against the blizzard.
Manypenny was dozing, still holding the fork in his long, pale hand, when Shelby returned. He'd eaten most of the stew, and drunk the tea laced with the Twenty-Minute Cold Cure. "Mr. Manypenny," she whispered, "will you be all right if I leave you for a bit? I think I should check on the men."
His hooded lids flickered and a smile touched his mouth. "Call me Percy, my dear. And, yes, indeed, do look for his lordship. He has no business mucking about in a snowstorm." Slowly, he looked toward the window, adding, "It is snowing, is it not? I was momentarily fearful that I might be in Heaven."
Shelby wanted to hug him, but instead patted his hand. "No, you are very much alive... Percy." She had to smile, imagining Geoff's expression if he could hear her. "I'll be back soon, with... his lordship."
"Fine, fine. Enjoy yourself." In the next instant, he was once more asleep.
Even though she was well aware that Geoff would be furious with her, Shelby couldn't bear to wait any longer. Since childhood, she'd been galled by the notion that females stayed behind whenever there was excitement. It was a scenario that she
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