grass. Her heart was in her throat. He couldn’t be dead!
Deaths come in three,
a voice whispered in her ear. “No! No!” she cried aloud to dispel her fear.
Suddenly Antonia could not breathe and a loud drumming in her ears threatened to deafen her. She glanced up and saw the sturdy figure of Mr. Burke cutting through the hedge. As he bent down to her brother, Anthony suddenly sat up, rubbed his head, and grinned foolishly. “Stab me, I must look a damned fool to fetch everyone running.”
Antonia realized the drumming in her ears was her own heartbeat. “Tony, you great fool—I feared you were dead!”
Mr. Burke helped him to his feet and, embarrassed, Anthony brushed himself off and refused to be aided back to the Hall.
“Go with Mr. Burke. I’ll get your horse,” Antonia ordered in her most bullying tone.
Mr. Burke was more diplomatic. “Come back to the Hall and reassure your grandmother that you only took a harmless tumble.”
By now the mare had quieted and stood trembling. As Antonia reached for her bridle she saw that her face was bloodied. “Venus … hush, darling. Let me see what’s wrong.”
The horse had been cut about the face by something on the halter. Antonia slipped it off and ran her fingers over the jagged studs. She saw that the bit had cut clean through the strap and it was lucky Venus hadn’t choked on it. She smoothed her hand along the horse’s neck and murmured soothing words to her.
When Antonia began to walk back to the stables the mare followed her. By the time they arrived, the saddle had slipped to one side and was hanging off.
“Bradshaw,” she said to their carriage driver, “I had no idea the harness was in such bad shape. Don’t use this again, and check all the other tack too. We’ll have to buy new.”
Antonia went to the stable supply cupboard and took down a cake of carbolic soap and a bottle of linament. She washed the cuts and dabbed on the oil of wintergreen linament while Bradshaw held the mare’s mane. Venus whickered and rolled her eyes, but displayed none of the wildness that had been brought on by sharp pain stabbing into her cheeks.
By the time Antonia went into the Hall, Anthony had changed his clothes and she heard him downplay the fall to Roz. “The belly strap broke and the saddle slipped just as I took the hedge.”
Antonia spoke up. “The tack you were using is worn out. We’ll have to buy new. Poor Venus came off a lot worse than Tony.”
“Is she all right?” he asked with concern as he headed for the stables.
“Cut her face a bit, but she’ll be all right. Take a look at the sharp studs on the inside of that halter.”
When he had gone, Antonia placed her hand over her still rapidly beating heart. “Oh, Roz, he was lying there sostill and so pale, I thought he was dead, but he was only unconscious for a minute.”
Roz looked at her keenly. “You’ve had a real fright, darling. Come, I’ll give you a little brandy.”
Antonia shuddered and coughed, for as the brandy went down it took away her breath, but it certainly gave her a warm feeling of confidence as it spread like a red rose inside her chest. “I was overcome with fear when I saw him lying there. I felt utterly alone without him, as if I’d been abandoned.”
“Praise God it was only a little accident and not fatal. If anything happened to Anthony, we’d have more to worry about than missing him.”
“What do you mean?”
“That wretchedly smooth, fortune-hunting cousin of yours, Bernard Lamb, would inherit not only the title, but the Hall and the property that goes with it. Even the town house in London. You and I would be out on our derrieres to put it crudely.”
Antonia shivered as if a goose had walked over her grave, in spite of the brandy. She had lost all desire to go sailing. Instead she became thoughtful about how dependent women were upon their men. She picked up a book and wandered out to the garden, but it lay in her lap unread as one
Deaths come in three,
a voice whispered in her ear. “No! No!” she cried aloud to dispel her fear.
Suddenly Antonia could not breathe and a loud drumming in her ears threatened to deafen her. She glanced up and saw the sturdy figure of Mr. Burke cutting through the hedge. As he bent down to her brother, Anthony suddenly sat up, rubbed his head, and grinned foolishly. “Stab me, I must look a damned fool to fetch everyone running.”
Antonia realized the drumming in her ears was her own heartbeat. “Tony, you great fool—I feared you were dead!”
Mr. Burke helped him to his feet and, embarrassed, Anthony brushed himself off and refused to be aided back to the Hall.
“Go with Mr. Burke. I’ll get your horse,” Antonia ordered in her most bullying tone.
Mr. Burke was more diplomatic. “Come back to the Hall and reassure your grandmother that you only took a harmless tumble.”
By now the mare had quieted and stood trembling. As Antonia reached for her bridle she saw that her face was bloodied. “Venus … hush, darling. Let me see what’s wrong.”
The horse had been cut about the face by something on the halter. Antonia slipped it off and ran her fingers over the jagged studs. She saw that the bit had cut clean through the strap and it was lucky Venus hadn’t choked on it. She smoothed her hand along the horse’s neck and murmured soothing words to her.
When Antonia began to walk back to the stables the mare followed her. By the time they arrived, the saddle had slipped to one side and was hanging off.
“Bradshaw,” she said to their carriage driver, “I had no idea the harness was in such bad shape. Don’t use this again, and check all the other tack too. We’ll have to buy new.”
Antonia went to the stable supply cupboard and took down a cake of carbolic soap and a bottle of linament. She washed the cuts and dabbed on the oil of wintergreen linament while Bradshaw held the mare’s mane. Venus whickered and rolled her eyes, but displayed none of the wildness that had been brought on by sharp pain stabbing into her cheeks.
By the time Antonia went into the Hall, Anthony had changed his clothes and she heard him downplay the fall to Roz. “The belly strap broke and the saddle slipped just as I took the hedge.”
Antonia spoke up. “The tack you were using is worn out. We’ll have to buy new. Poor Venus came off a lot worse than Tony.”
“Is she all right?” he asked with concern as he headed for the stables.
“Cut her face a bit, but she’ll be all right. Take a look at the sharp studs on the inside of that halter.”
When he had gone, Antonia placed her hand over her still rapidly beating heart. “Oh, Roz, he was lying there sostill and so pale, I thought he was dead, but he was only unconscious for a minute.”
Roz looked at her keenly. “You’ve had a real fright, darling. Come, I’ll give you a little brandy.”
Antonia shuddered and coughed, for as the brandy went down it took away her breath, but it certainly gave her a warm feeling of confidence as it spread like a red rose inside her chest. “I was overcome with fear when I saw him lying there. I felt utterly alone without him, as if I’d been abandoned.”
“Praise God it was only a little accident and not fatal. If anything happened to Anthony, we’d have more to worry about than missing him.”
“What do you mean?”
“That wretchedly smooth, fortune-hunting cousin of yours, Bernard Lamb, would inherit not only the title, but the Hall and the property that goes with it. Even the town house in London. You and I would be out on our derrieres to put it crudely.”
Antonia shivered as if a goose had walked over her grave, in spite of the brandy. She had lost all desire to go sailing. Instead she became thoughtful about how dependent women were upon their men. She picked up a book and wandered out to the garden, but it lay in her lap unread as one
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