Read Online Saratoga Sunrise by Christine Wenger - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christine Wenger
Tags: General Fiction
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happened?"
She remembered the horrible event with abhorrence. "Last year, a man by the name of George Wheeler hurt one of our horses, Tempest Wind. Cut him badly with a bottle. My father caught the man and turned him over to the authorities. Tempest Wind had to be destroyed. My father was quite distraught, and we left."
"Did your father actually see Wheeler cut the horse?"
Sara's eyes grew wide. "I don't know."
"Did your father give him a chance to explain?" He hurled the words at her and tossed his plate on the linen spread.
"I-I don't know. There was a jury trial and–"
"And Wheeler was convicted and sent to prison."
She hesitated, feeling alarmed. "W-Why y-yes he w-was." She put her half-finished lunch down next to his, her gaze never wavering from his face. "Why are you interrogating me about this?"
Jack sighed that looked away as if he was trying to gather his thoughts. "I read about it in the paper. I just thought the evidence was circumstantial, that's all."
"Apparently a jury did not think so."
"A jury can be swayed, and so can a judge."
She wrung her hands nervously in her lap, not understanding why he seemed so steadfast in his demeanor. "Mr. Summers, can we please change this topic of conversation?"
"I apologize sincerely if I gave you indigestion." He grinned, and the easy-going Jack was back once again. "How about if I show you that spring now?"
She breathed a sigh of relief. "I would like that very much. Is it far?"
"It's by the bend in the trees. See? Right there." He pointed. "You can see the steam if you look right between those two big maples.
"I see it! How grand!"
He helped her up, they packed away what was left of the picnic, and walked toward the spring arm-in-arm.
Water swirled in the bend of the small creek and gave off a pungent smell–sulfur perhaps. A light fog hovered like a ghostly figure from the water then vanished in the air. Rust-colored rocks lining the banks and the edges of the creek had streaks of blue and yellow, and rocks higher up from the water were covered with a yellow-green moss. In between the crevices of the rocks, bunches of purple and pink wild flowers cascaded at random.
Sara looked closer at the water and saw masses of tiny bubbles percolating to the surface. A tree that looked like it had been struck by lightning, made a natural bridge from one side of the bank to the other, just over the spring.
It was a magnificent setting, more tranquil and more beautiful than Sara could have imagined. She gave a contented sigh.
"I used to come here all the time. It's a great place to just sit and think," Jack said.
She couldn't contain her enthusiasm and swung her arms open wide. "I love it here, Jack. I absolutely love it."
He smiled warmly. "Do you want to give the spring a try?"
She swallowed the despair in her throat. "I don't see how I could get down there without your help, and without–"
"Taking your dress off?"
"Yes."
"And I would have to take my trousers off or they would be wet for the walk home."
"Yes," she whispered, as she thought of Jack without his trousers. She had never seen a man in such a state. While she couldn't contain her anticipation of seeing Jack's form, she knew she was being terribly bold in her reply. What must he think of her?
"As long as you don't mind, that's fine with me," he said with a rakish grin.
Panic flooded her very soul mixed with a tingle of excitement. "Heavens! I cannot. You cannot. We shouldn't!"
"No. We cannot." He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll help you across that fallen tree and you can dunk your feet," Jack said. "How's that?"
"But you would see my bare legs! Mr. Summers you are becoming much too presumptuous."
His smile was as intimate as a kiss. "I'll try not to look."
She looked longingly at the water below and decided she might not have another opportunity like this again. "All right. Turn your back while I take my shoes and...ahem...while I bare my feet."
# # #
Jack chuckled,
She remembered the horrible event with abhorrence. "Last year, a man by the name of George Wheeler hurt one of our horses, Tempest Wind. Cut him badly with a bottle. My father caught the man and turned him over to the authorities. Tempest Wind had to be destroyed. My father was quite distraught, and we left."
"Did your father actually see Wheeler cut the horse?"
Sara's eyes grew wide. "I don't know."
"Did your father give him a chance to explain?" He hurled the words at her and tossed his plate on the linen spread.
"I-I don't know. There was a jury trial and–"
"And Wheeler was convicted and sent to prison."
She hesitated, feeling alarmed. "W-Why y-yes he w-was." She put her half-finished lunch down next to his, her gaze never wavering from his face. "Why are you interrogating me about this?"
Jack sighed that looked away as if he was trying to gather his thoughts. "I read about it in the paper. I just thought the evidence was circumstantial, that's all."
"Apparently a jury did not think so."
"A jury can be swayed, and so can a judge."
She wrung her hands nervously in her lap, not understanding why he seemed so steadfast in his demeanor. "Mr. Summers, can we please change this topic of conversation?"
"I apologize sincerely if I gave you indigestion." He grinned, and the easy-going Jack was back once again. "How about if I show you that spring now?"
She breathed a sigh of relief. "I would like that very much. Is it far?"
"It's by the bend in the trees. See? Right there." He pointed. "You can see the steam if you look right between those two big maples.
"I see it! How grand!"
He helped her up, they packed away what was left of the picnic, and walked toward the spring arm-in-arm.
Water swirled in the bend of the small creek and gave off a pungent smell–sulfur perhaps. A light fog hovered like a ghostly figure from the water then vanished in the air. Rust-colored rocks lining the banks and the edges of the creek had streaks of blue and yellow, and rocks higher up from the water were covered with a yellow-green moss. In between the crevices of the rocks, bunches of purple and pink wild flowers cascaded at random.
Sara looked closer at the water and saw masses of tiny bubbles percolating to the surface. A tree that looked like it had been struck by lightning, made a natural bridge from one side of the bank to the other, just over the spring.
It was a magnificent setting, more tranquil and more beautiful than Sara could have imagined. She gave a contented sigh.
"I used to come here all the time. It's a great place to just sit and think," Jack said.
She couldn't contain her enthusiasm and swung her arms open wide. "I love it here, Jack. I absolutely love it."
He smiled warmly. "Do you want to give the spring a try?"
She swallowed the despair in her throat. "I don't see how I could get down there without your help, and without–"
"Taking your dress off?"
"Yes."
"And I would have to take my trousers off or they would be wet for the walk home."
"Yes," she whispered, as she thought of Jack without his trousers. She had never seen a man in such a state. While she couldn't contain her anticipation of seeing Jack's form, she knew she was being terribly bold in her reply. What must he think of her?
"As long as you don't mind, that's fine with me," he said with a rakish grin.
Panic flooded her very soul mixed with a tingle of excitement. "Heavens! I cannot. You cannot. We shouldn't!"
"No. We cannot." He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll help you across that fallen tree and you can dunk your feet," Jack said. "How's that?"
"But you would see my bare legs! Mr. Summers you are becoming much too presumptuous."
His smile was as intimate as a kiss. "I'll try not to look."
She looked longingly at the water below and decided she might not have another opportunity like this again. "All right. Turn your back while I take my shoes and...ahem...while I bare my feet."
# # #
Jack chuckled,
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