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Authors: Susan Gee Heino
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pushed them too hard for the last mile of their journey. In his efforts to get out of the storm, he must have overtaxed the already exhausted pony. If the poor thing collapsed now, it could only be his fault.
"I just thought you might want to know, Miss, and I don't think that you do, else you probably would have said something."
"What is it, man?" Myserleigh chided.
"The pony, sir. She's... well, she ain't just fat like I first thought she was."
Miss Meriwether wrinkled her brow. "But what's happened to her?"
More hat twisting from the shepherd. "Er... she's gone into her labors, Miss. It seems your fat pony has rather a good reason for being so round."
Miss Meriwether still appeared confused. Myserleigh understood completely, though.
"Good grief, you mean to say I dragged an expectant mother halfway across the country today?"
"It seems that way, sir," the shepherd replied. "Your little miss seemed so concerned for her I thought I'd better come in from the stables and tell ye."
"Thank you," Myserleigh said. "Are there any grooms out there who can attend the mare for us?"
"The grooms are rather tied up, I'm afraid, but I can help ye with the birthing. Can't be much different than my ewes, I imagine."
"Birthing! Oh heavens," Miss Meriwether said, the whole thing becoming clear at last. "That poor pony. All this time I had no idea—I should not have made her travel so far."
"These beasts are made for this, missy," the shepherd assured her. "Don't see no reason she should n't come through it fine. Ye'll have a healthy young foal there by morning."
"I should go out to her!" Miss Meriwether exclaimed, leaping up from her chair and gathering her wrap.
Myserleigh tried to convince her to allow the shepherd and other stable hands to take care of things, but knew from the start he was fighting a losing battle. Shed' been charged with the care of the pony and, by God, she was going to do just that.
Before she could escape the room and rush out through the rain to the stables, though, Basil and Mel showed up, blocking her way.
"We thought you'd be wanting an update on Jasper," Basil —or maybe it was Mel; Myserleigh really never knew the difference—announced.
"Yes, of course," Miss Meriwether replied, only slightly breathless from her pony concerns. "How is he?"
"He's going to be just fine. Nana said that cut on his head was all bluster without much ado. She patched it up and says a few days of plaster will have it mended good as new."
"And what of his arm?" Myserleigh asked.
"Broken, but not badly. Nana put a splint on it and told us we'll have to do things for him until the bone fixes together again. He's likely to run us ragged, the scapegrace."
"I'm so happy to hear it," Miss Meriwether said, earnestly beaming for them. "I was so worried for him."
"Takes more than an overturned carriage to do away with us Kings," Basil—or whoever—said with a roguish wink at her. "But we do thank you both for helping us out."
His brother agreed. "We'd have been in a sore shape if you hadn't come along, and we won't soon forget it."
"I'm happy we were able to help out," Myserleigh said and realized he actually meant it. There was something decidedly pleasant in feeling that he had done worthwhile things for his fellow man today.
"Did you hear the news about my pony?" Miss Meriwether said , changing the subject and practically bouncing up and down.
The young men were very interested —or at least they pretended to be—as she told what she had just learned from the shepherd. Myserleigh watched her eyes as they grew larger and larger, her smile infectious as she described her excitement and shock at this stunning turn of events. And then she was all worry and concern again.
"But what will we do? What if there are difficulties? Oh, I need to get out to the stable. Holly should have someone with her she knows she can trust."
And of course that meant they were heading for the stable. Myserleigh bid good evening to the
"I just thought you might want to know, Miss, and I don't think that you do, else you probably would have said something."
"What is it, man?" Myserleigh chided.
"The pony, sir. She's... well, she ain't just fat like I first thought she was."
Miss Meriwether wrinkled her brow. "But what's happened to her?"
More hat twisting from the shepherd. "Er... she's gone into her labors, Miss. It seems your fat pony has rather a good reason for being so round."
Miss Meriwether still appeared confused. Myserleigh understood completely, though.
"Good grief, you mean to say I dragged an expectant mother halfway across the country today?"
"It seems that way, sir," the shepherd replied. "Your little miss seemed so concerned for her I thought I'd better come in from the stables and tell ye."
"Thank you," Myserleigh said. "Are there any grooms out there who can attend the mare for us?"
"The grooms are rather tied up, I'm afraid, but I can help ye with the birthing. Can't be much different than my ewes, I imagine."
"Birthing! Oh heavens," Miss Meriwether said, the whole thing becoming clear at last. "That poor pony. All this time I had no idea—I should not have made her travel so far."
"These beasts are made for this, missy," the shepherd assured her. "Don't see no reason she should n't come through it fine. Ye'll have a healthy young foal there by morning."
"I should go out to her!" Miss Meriwether exclaimed, leaping up from her chair and gathering her wrap.
Myserleigh tried to convince her to allow the shepherd and other stable hands to take care of things, but knew from the start he was fighting a losing battle. Shed' been charged with the care of the pony and, by God, she was going to do just that.
Before she could escape the room and rush out through the rain to the stables, though, Basil and Mel showed up, blocking her way.
"We thought you'd be wanting an update on Jasper," Basil —or maybe it was Mel; Myserleigh really never knew the difference—announced.
"Yes, of course," Miss Meriwether replied, only slightly breathless from her pony concerns. "How is he?"
"He's going to be just fine. Nana said that cut on his head was all bluster without much ado. She patched it up and says a few days of plaster will have it mended good as new."
"And what of his arm?" Myserleigh asked.
"Broken, but not badly. Nana put a splint on it and told us we'll have to do things for him until the bone fixes together again. He's likely to run us ragged, the scapegrace."
"I'm so happy to hear it," Miss Meriwether said, earnestly beaming for them. "I was so worried for him."
"Takes more than an overturned carriage to do away with us Kings," Basil—or whoever—said with a roguish wink at her. "But we do thank you both for helping us out."
His brother agreed. "We'd have been in a sore shape if you hadn't come along, and we won't soon forget it."
"I'm happy we were able to help out," Myserleigh said and realized he actually meant it. There was something decidedly pleasant in feeling that he had done worthwhile things for his fellow man today.
"Did you hear the news about my pony?" Miss Meriwether said , changing the subject and practically bouncing up and down.
The young men were very interested —or at least they pretended to be—as she told what she had just learned from the shepherd. Myserleigh watched her eyes as they grew larger and larger, her smile infectious as she described her excitement and shock at this stunning turn of events. And then she was all worry and concern again.
"But what will we do? What if there are difficulties? Oh, I need to get out to the stable. Holly should have someone with her she knows she can trust."
And of course that meant they were heading for the stable. Myserleigh bid good evening to the
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