Read Online A Kingdom in a Horse by Maia Wojciechowska - Free Book Online
Authors: Maia Wojciechowska
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“Sarah! I’ve been calling you all day yesterday and today!” She waited for an explanation, but receiving none, continued: “Of course
I
don’t believe it! I
refuse
to believe silly gossip about you going off and getting yourself a horse! Are you there, Sarah?”
“Yes, Margaret,” Sarah said with a sigh, “I’m here.”
“Well! You were not at choir practice! ”
“Oh, I forgot all about it,” Sarah said and then, making a sudden decision, she added, “I won’t be coming to sing in the choir anymore.”
“What!”
“I shall call Father Connen and tell him I can’t be in the choir since I no longer have the time for practice.”
There was an ominous silence on the other end of the wire, and Sarah smiled to herself because she could, in her mind’s eye, see the expression of outraged fury on Margaret’s face. She had known Margaret Evans for more years than she cared to recall. They had gone through school together, and even before that they used to play together. Margaret had not changed in all those years; even as a child she was much too bossy, too quick to anger over unimportant things. For the last forty years Margaret’s main preoccupation had been the church choir. She played the organ and was in charge of the choir composed of the ladies of the parish. Periodically Margaret Evans tried to enlist young people and men into the choir, but the young people didn’t seem to like her, and the men were openly terrified of her. The choir, never too pleasantly in harmony, had become dreadful in the last few years.
“Sarah Tierney!” Margaret exploded into the telephone. “I never would have thought
you
capable of such treachery!”
“But Margaret—”
“Don’t Margaret me! Then it’s true. You did get a horse, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Margaret, I did get a horse and it will keep me much too busy.”
“And
I
refused to believe it!” Margaret screeched. “What in heaven’s name possessed you to do such a stupid thing?”
Sarah looked out of the window. She could see her horse lying down in the grass, its eyes shut to the rays of the sun. She smiled at the beautiful sight of that big copper body on the green of the pasture.
“Sarah! Why don’t you answer me! ”
“What do you want me to say, Margaret? ”
“Well! Give me an explanation if you
can!”
“There is no use talking,” Sarah said quietly. Her patience was beginning to wear thin. “You’re much too excited and angry—”
“Wouldn’t you be excited and angry,” Margaret shouted, “if you found out your best friend was making an utter fool of herself? A horse! At your age!”
Sarah Tierney had never suspected that Margaret considered her her best friend. She was touched by this unexpected confession. It was in a much milder tone that she spoke.
“Margaret, you have no idea what a joy this horse is to me.”
“A joy?”
“Yes, a perfect joy. I wish you’d get a horse too.” “Stop it, Sarah!”
“You really should get a horse,” Sarah repeated with a smile. “It’s so wonderful! ”
“Please spare me your mad suggestions. And Sarah, I’ll never, never forgive you if that
beast
comes between us! We need you in the choir, and you
cannot
desert us now, not before Easter.”
“I’m sorry, Margaret, but I will have to. I’m sure you’ll get along without me.”
Margaret could not have heard all of Sarah’s last sentence. The hum on the other line told Sarah that her friend had hung up.
Sarah thought of saddling Gypsy and going for a ride, but instead she sat at the window and watched her horse graze. She thought about the changes that had come over Cornwall in the past years. When she was a girl the town was full of eager young people. But since World War II the population had begun to decline. The younger people were the first to leave, but now even the middle-aged ones were going away. The ones who stayed were either old or did not have children. Cornwall, except for Main Street, gave the
I
don’t believe it! I
refuse
to believe silly gossip about you going off and getting yourself a horse! Are you there, Sarah?”
“Yes, Margaret,” Sarah said with a sigh, “I’m here.”
“Well! You were not at choir practice! ”
“Oh, I forgot all about it,” Sarah said and then, making a sudden decision, she added, “I won’t be coming to sing in the choir anymore.”
“What!”
“I shall call Father Connen and tell him I can’t be in the choir since I no longer have the time for practice.”
There was an ominous silence on the other end of the wire, and Sarah smiled to herself because she could, in her mind’s eye, see the expression of outraged fury on Margaret’s face. She had known Margaret Evans for more years than she cared to recall. They had gone through school together, and even before that they used to play together. Margaret had not changed in all those years; even as a child she was much too bossy, too quick to anger over unimportant things. For the last forty years Margaret’s main preoccupation had been the church choir. She played the organ and was in charge of the choir composed of the ladies of the parish. Periodically Margaret Evans tried to enlist young people and men into the choir, but the young people didn’t seem to like her, and the men were openly terrified of her. The choir, never too pleasantly in harmony, had become dreadful in the last few years.
“Sarah Tierney!” Margaret exploded into the telephone. “I never would have thought
you
capable of such treachery!”
“But Margaret—”
“Don’t Margaret me! Then it’s true. You did get a horse, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Margaret, I did get a horse and it will keep me much too busy.”
“And
I
refused to believe it!” Margaret screeched. “What in heaven’s name possessed you to do such a stupid thing?”
Sarah looked out of the window. She could see her horse lying down in the grass, its eyes shut to the rays of the sun. She smiled at the beautiful sight of that big copper body on the green of the pasture.
“Sarah! Why don’t you answer me! ”
“What do you want me to say, Margaret? ”
“Well! Give me an explanation if you
can!”
“There is no use talking,” Sarah said quietly. Her patience was beginning to wear thin. “You’re much too excited and angry—”
“Wouldn’t you be excited and angry,” Margaret shouted, “if you found out your best friend was making an utter fool of herself? A horse! At your age!”
Sarah Tierney had never suspected that Margaret considered her her best friend. She was touched by this unexpected confession. It was in a much milder tone that she spoke.
“Margaret, you have no idea what a joy this horse is to me.”
“A joy?”
“Yes, a perfect joy. I wish you’d get a horse too.” “Stop it, Sarah!”
“You really should get a horse,” Sarah repeated with a smile. “It’s so wonderful! ”
“Please spare me your mad suggestions. And Sarah, I’ll never, never forgive you if that
beast
comes between us! We need you in the choir, and you
cannot
desert us now, not before Easter.”
“I’m sorry, Margaret, but I will have to. I’m sure you’ll get along without me.”
Margaret could not have heard all of Sarah’s last sentence. The hum on the other line told Sarah that her friend had hung up.
Sarah thought of saddling Gypsy and going for a ride, but instead she sat at the window and watched her horse graze. She thought about the changes that had come over Cornwall in the past years. When she was a girl the town was full of eager young people. But since World War II the population had begun to decline. The younger people were the first to leave, but now even the middle-aged ones were going away. The ones who stayed were either old or did not have children. Cornwall, except for Main Street, gave the
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