�We can�t take on another one, Jenny, you know that.�
�Well I can tell you that she won�t live another week without some sort of immediate attention.�
�I know that, and I�m sorry. It�s not the first time one of Old Man Keller�s animals has been neglected this way. I just don�t have a stall for her�or a paddock. We�re full. . .and the mare will undoubtedly need a lot of care if she�s expected to live�care for which none of us has time.�
�I don�t see how you can pass her off so easily!�
�It�s not a matter of passing her off! It�s a simple statement that we can�t take on another animal.�
�So she has to die, then? Because that nasty man doesn�t give a da��
�Jenny!�
�I�m sorry, Father! I can�t stand it! I don�t know how you can be so cruel!�
The door opened, and Jenny Rexford fled down the barn isle. Royce watched her go and waited a moment before knocking on the open door.
�Yes?�
He stepped in and cleared his throat. �Ah, I came to pay for Kate�s lessons for next month. . . but that hardly seems important compared to what I�ve heard. Keller has another �situation?�
Robert Rexford sighed and leaned back in his chair. �Yes�that small pony mare he bought at the horse fair in the spring. Lovely little black Welsh with four socks and a star. Well-bred. He bought her for Angelica, before she had the fever. Now there�s no use for the pony, so apparently it matters not if she starves. She was in the dirt paddock with that monster stallion, who tore her to shreds when she ah, declined an interest in his advances. Keller gave her the consideration of getting her out of the paddock, but did nothing for her injuries. She�s emaciated and too weak to stand. Many of her cuts are infected, and Lord knows what she looks like on the side she�s been lying on.�
Royce shuddered involuntarily. There had been a lot of rain, and if the pony had been lying in mud for an extended period of time, her skin would be riddled with sores by now.
�So,� Rexford continued, �Jenny, naturally, wants to rescue her, but as you heard me explaining, we simply don�t have room. And, frankly, the poor animal would probably be better off if someone did away with her.�
�Just a moment, Robert,� said Royce slowly, �Suppose someone had room for her and was willing to put the time and effort into making her well. How would we go about getting her?�
�Are you offering��
�Kate has been asking for a pony since she was five. My wife, although she loves horses, feels that a pony is an extravagance and does not wish for Kate to be spoiled. However, under these circumstances, I think she�d reconsider.�
�Do you have space?�
�We have a four-stall barn and a rather large paddock, yes. We have a driving horse now, but there is certainly room for a pony. Kate loves to tell me that she thinks Winchester is lonely, anyway.�
�If you can take her, I�ll gladly arrange a way to get her to you.�
�Buy her, if you must,� Royce said simply. He reached for the blank bank draft in his breast pocket. �Five hundred should persuade him.�
�Royce��
�And I believe I owe you for September�s lessons.� He laid a twenty dollar bill on the desk.
~
�Papa, may I go home with Clarice?� asked Kate as she latched the door of Piper�s stall and hung his halter on the hook.
�Have you been invited?�
�Yes, and I�ll be home before supper.�
�Then I shall make your excuses to your mother,� Royce smiled. He slipped Kate a coin from his pocket. �In case you two see the ice cream wagon on your way.�
�Thank you, Papa!�
�You�re quite welcome, Precious.� He kissed her slightly grubby cheek. �Don�t be late for dinner.�
�I won�t!�
Pleased with the fact that Kate was now diverted for the afternoon, Royce hurried home to discuss the situation with Victoria.
~
Victoria�s response was immediate. �Can we get her today?�
�I think that is the goal, yes. Obviously, the sooner the better.�
�Is the situation life-threatening?�
�Yes.�
�What about Kate? How do we handle this with her?�
�Ideally she won�t be around when the pony arrives. That part is going to be gruesome. The poor creature can�t even stand, much less walk. If we can keep her away until we get things more or less settled in the barn, I think that�s about as much as we can ask for. We won�t be able to keep her out after that.�
Victoria nodded thoughtfully. �You�re right, of course.�
�So when she wanted to go to Clarice�s house, I thought that removed her from things very neatly. She has no idea.�
�Good. We�ll need to prepare the stall before she gets here.�
~
Royce had always admired his wife, but his admiration found new depths as he observed her that afternoon. Because she left all of her riding clothes�save for one pair of good boots�at the ranch to be used during her visits there, she had no pants or anything else suitable for working in the barn. So she picked out her oldest skirt, put it on with a belt, and pulled the back hem forward between her legs and tucked it into the front of her belt. After that, she liberated one of Royce�s tattered shirts from the rag basket. Boots and a bandana to hold back the graceful wisps of hair which framed her face completed the ensemble.
She walked into the barn carrying a bucket, soap and a scrub brush, laughing. �Isn�t this the most ridiculous getup you�ve ever seen?�
�Quite possibly,� he agreed, looking her over from the loft. He tossed another bale of straw bedding down to the isle below. Victoria opened the stall door and looked inside, then made straight for the water pump.
Together they scrubbed the stall walls, window and door, raked the clay floor, spread several bales of straw bedding, washed and re-hung feed and water buckets, and set up a table outside the door for all the medical supplies they were sure to need. Victoria found several salves and dressings and Royce tossed a flake of alfalfa into the rack in the corner. Then, changing his mind, he pulled it out and set it on the floor. �If she can�t stand, how will she reach it up there?� he asked nobody in particular.
Victoria smiled inwardly and went to him, surveying their progress. �We work well together,� she observed.
�I�ve had occasion to acknowledge that before,� he smiled, slipping his arms around her.
�I�m all dirty,� she objected.
�And your nose is hot,� he said, lifting one finger and smudging the tiny droplets of perspiration that formed there.
�How unappetizing!�
�I think it�s quite fetching,� he replied, lowering his lips to hers and occupying them for several moments. �I do love you, Victoria.�
She smiled. �I do love hearing that.�
~
They were still wearing their grubby barn clothes, sitting in the porch swing sipping lemonade when the wagon appeared. Pulled by a team of Percherons, it carried an oddly shaped lump covered with a tarp. When it turned down the drive, the head of a small pony was visible, poking out from under the tarp. She looked dead.
Abandoning their glasses, Royce and Victoria ran to the barn. Robert Rexford was climbing down from the driver�s seat. �It�s worse than we thought, Royce,� he said by way of greeting, nodding at Victoria. �John and Dan helped me get her in here,� he indicated Stonybrook�s grooms, �And we�ll help you get her settled, but I don�t think it will make much difference. If you don�t do away with her, she�ll probably die on her own.�
�We�ll do everything we can.� Royce turned to his wife, but found that she had moved to the back of the wagon and was gently rubbing the pony�s face. He joined her. �I�d like for you to be inside,� he said quietly.
�Royce, I�ve seen��
�I know that. But I�d like for you to be absent this time, my love.�
�I can help you, though! Don�t give me the �little wife� treatment, Royce. I don�t appreciate it.� The worry in her voice added an extra edge.
�Victoria, if this pony has to be shot, I�d prefer for you to not be here. Do I make myself clear?�
She paled. �Is it that bad?�
�Robert seems to think so.�
�I�ll go in�start her a mash and get some things together.�
�Thank you.�
�I�m sorry I spoke sharply.�
He cupped her cheek in his hand. �You didn�t mean it.�
~
The four men easily lifted the pony from the wagon into the stall. She seemed to not care; her eyes were dull and glazed-over and she was scarcely breathing.
�She has to go on her right side in the stall, she�s been on her left out in that mud hole,� Robert said as they positioned her. Once she was down, he continued, �The stallion tore her up pretty badly, but I don�t think anything is broken. The surface wounds will heal eventually, but she�s starving to death, she has a bad cold and her spirit is broken. This is a huge undertaking, you understand.�
Royce nodded. �We�ll have the vet out first thing in the morning. In the meantime, we�ll make her as comfortable as possible, dress the wounds and see if we can get some food in her. Victoria is making a bran mash.�
Robert returned Royce�s bank draft, saying that there had been no need for it. When they were gone, Royce returned to the stall, kneeling beside the animal. �You�ll be all right now,� he murmured, trying to find a place to pat that wasn�t raw or sore or infected. He settled for a small area behind her ear and rubbed gently. She didn�t respond. He took stock of her injuries, most of which were open sores from constant contact with and exposure to the damp, muddy ground. Her feet were badly overgrown, her breath rattled and she reeked of infection. There were several bite and kick wounds�the work of the stallion�which had gone untreated and were festering. Her skin seemed to be stretched over her skeleton; her hips, spine and ribs protruded disgustingly. Royce stood and started for the house, his face grim.
Victoria was contemplating a pot on the stove when he came in. �Did you get her in the stall?� she asked, taking the concoction off the heat and reaching for the bowl of finely chopped carrots, stirring them in.
�Yes.� He watched her mix diced apples into the bran mash, then a dash of salt and a liberal helping of brown sugar.
�There�s hot water, several washcloths, towels and the strong lye soap ready to go.� While he gathered them, she covered the mash with a towel to keep the heat in, and they returned to the barn.
Washing, drying and dressing the wounds was a long and tedious process, but Victoria never flinched. When Royce appeared to be all thumbs with the soap and washcloth, she nudged him out of the way and kept him busy fetching supplies. Finally, she dried her hands and peered into the bucket to see what progress Royce had made with the bran mash.
�She�s eaten more than half,� he offered.
�Don�t you think that�s probably enough for now? We can feed her again later tonight.�
He nodded. �Kate will be home any minute; I told her not to be late for dinner.�
�Dinner which is almost ready.� She swiped her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a streak of dirt there. �Shall we go up?�
Inside, Kate had arrived and Mrs. Bonds had packed her off to the bathtub. �Child was filthy,� she informed them, �Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes.�
�Good, then we have enough time to get cleaned up.�
Over dinner, Kate regaled her parents with vivid descriptions of her adventures that afternoon, and afterwards excused herself to finish her latest book.
Royce was smoking his after-dinner cigar as he and Victoria laid out a schedule of when to feed and tend the pony. It was determined that she should eat frequent small meals rather than fewer big meals, and that as soon as she had been checked by the veterinarian, they would try to persuade her to stand. Mrs. Bonds walked lightly into the room and announced that someone from the office was here to see Mr. Wardell.
�Show them in, Mrs. Bonds.�
�I�ll get some coffee,� said Victoria, leaving the room.
While her parents were occupied with their company, Kate slipped into the kitchen for a carrot. It was her ritual to take a treat to Winchester and bid him goodnight each evening, and she never forgot about it. She found him standing at the fence expectantly and when she drew closer, he nickered a greeting. What surprised her was the answering nicker coming from inside the barn. Absently handing the gelding his carrot, she crept towards the barn door.
~
There was just enough daylight to illuminate the interior, and she could make out a table outside of the end stall. That hadn�t been there before. She slowly undid the latch and pulled the door back, catching her breath sharply. There, lying on the straw was the saddest-looking pony she�d ever seen. She crept in, holding out her hand in a calming way. �Easy, pony� How did you get here? Where�d you come from, hmm?� When the pony did not offer a reply, she sat carefully beside its head, mindful of the front legs. Nick had warned her about sitting with the horses when they were lying down, because, in order to get up, they strike out with their front legs. Looking the pony over, she took stock of all the injuries and nearly recoiled when she felt the bones so plainly through the thin skin.
�How did you get this way? Are you starving? I think you and Maudie are about the same size�only she�s fat! I bet Papa found you and brought you home. Papa loves horses. Mother does too, only she says I can�t have a pony right now on account of I�ll get spoiled and she says that nobody likes spoiled little girls. But I bet if she saw you, she�d want you to get better and would let you stay. Maybe she already saw you and thinks you�re nice�are you a surprise? You would be a very good surprise.�
The pony picked up her head slightly, coughed and put it back down.
�Do you have a cold?� Kate laid a hand on the animal�s cool neck. �You feel kinda cold. I bet Winchester wouldn�t mind if you used his blanket. I�ll get it. Don�t move!�
She lost no time in fetching the plaid Baker blanket, which was much too big for the little pony. She spread it over the black frame and tucked it in so as to stave off drafts. Sitting back down, she asked �Is that better?�
The pony blinked slowly, then yawned.
~
�What have you done with your daughter, my love?� Royce asked as he came down the stairs later.
�What do you mean? Isn�t she finishing her book?�
�No, I just checked her room.�
�Kate!� Victoria called, in her you�d-better-answer voice.
�Kate Precious?� Royce tried.
�Well where is she?�
�That�s what I came to ask you.�
�Has she�oh, no.�
�What?�
�She�s discovered the pony.�
�How could she�of course. She took Winchester a carrot and��
�Yes.�
�Let�s go.�
It was dark out, so they walked to the barn by lantern-light. Inside, what they found made them both smile. The pony was encased in Winchester�s blanket. Kate had toppled over onto her neck, and they were both asleep.
Victoria sighed and leaned against her husband. �Well, I suppose she got her pony.�
�You can�t say that this is an extravagance.�
�No.� After a moment, �She needs another mash.�
Royce held the lantern while Victoria crept over to the sleeping child, knelt and kissed the smooth cheek. �Kate, darling.�
Kate lifted her head and blinked at her mother. �May we keep the pony, Mother?� she asked sleepily.
�Of course.�
�She�s a very nice pony.�
�She needs a lot of care; she�s not very healthy right now.�
�Was someone mean to her?�
�Yes, Kate.�
�Why?�
As she considered her answer, Victoria plucked several pieces of straw from Kate�s auburn curls. �People do unkind things for many reasons. Sometimes they are unhappy with themselves and lash out at everything around them as a result�but most of the time it is just ignorance. People who resort to this sort of behavior are often to be pitied, for they have nothing to make their lives happy. The main thing now is to make the pony well and strong again.�
�I want to help!�
�Of course, and we want you to! But understand this, darling, she is very, very sick. It is going to take a long time and a lot of work before she is healthy and happy like Winchester.�
�We can make her better! I know we can!�
�I hope so, Kate. In the meantime, you must get ready for bed. Papa will take you and I�ll be in to say goodnight.�
�Are you staying out here?�
�I have to feed her again. I�ll let you help tomorrow�on the condition that you go to bed like a good girl tonight!�
�Yes, Mother.� She stroked the pony�s neck. �Does she have a name?�
�Not that we know of. She needs a good name�you can think about that while getting ready for bed!�
~
�I think our Kate has a new best friend,� Royce said as he crossed behind Victoria�s vanity that night.
�And her taste has certainly improved!�
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. �Now, now��
Their eyes met in the mirror. �I hope this works out,� she murmured.
�As do I. I think I might be quite devastated if anything �took a turn for the worse.�
�So would your daughter.�
He gave the back of her neck an affectionate squeeze. �So would you.�
�Yes.� She rolled her head back and looked at him upside-down. �Don�t stop.�
�Stop what?�
�That felt good.�
�Oh.� He continued.
�I haven�t worked so hard in years as I did today.�
�I don�t intend for you to ever have to work.� His hands moved to her shoulders.
�It was rather fun, though. I can�t remember the last time I took down a stall.�
�You�re rather an expert, I must say. You were, perhaps, a stable boy in another life?�
She sighed. �I was a ranch hand in another life.�
They were silent for a moment, Royce�s hands turning her tired, stiff back to putty as he contemplated her words. Bending to her ear, he whispered, �I adore you��
�And I adore you.�
�Wait, my love, you didn�t let me finish. I adore you�but if you expect any more of this, you�ll have to put yourself at a more advantageous angle. Frankly, I�m not of a mind to stoop behind your vanity stool for the remainder of the evening.�
She turned around. �Why didn�t you just tell me to come to bed?�
�It didn�t seem very gallant. One doesn�t tell, one points the way.�
�As if I need a guide�shouldn�t I have the route memorized by now?� Her eyebrow arched.
�Are you about to become wicked?�
�Very possibly.�
He leaned over and blew out the lamp. Taking her hands in the dark, he pulled her to her feet, kissed her and said, �Come to bed, Victoria.�
~
The next morning, Kate informed Dr. Brambleton that Beatrice Genevieve had finished her breakfast with gusto.
�That�s a big name for a little pony, young lady.�
�I think she likes it.�
�She probably does at that.� He situated his instruments back in the black leather bag. �Only a slight fever and cough, but apart from being badly malnourished and having some nasty lacerations, there is no underlying illness�which is a miracle given the circumstances which you described. Keep the cuts and sores clean and dressed, but other than that just keep her fed and quiet. I expect she�ll be on her feet by the end of the day�horses don�t like to stay down, it�s against their instincts as prey animals. The weight gain is going to take a long time of steady feeding, but I must caution you against over-feeding her. Give her mashes and good alfalfa hay in small quantities and leave orchard grass hay in with her to eat as much as she likes. The alfalfa will put the weight on, but you don�t want to make her colic or give her laminitis. The laminitis is the biggest worry, because all this good food will make the blood pressure in her hooves rise tremendously.�
�Is laminitis the same thing as founder?� asked Kate. She had heard Nick refer to the latter but not the former.
�Yes, that�s the more common name, but they�re the same thing. Laminitis is the big medical word that I use because I�m a vet.�
�When I�m a doctor, I�ll talk like that too!�
�When can she be turned out, Doctor?� asked Victoria.
�As soon as she�s standing more often than not and moving about her stall. Don�t put her out with the other horse right away though. That stallion she was with probably traumatized her, and any trauma right now could adversely affect her progress.�
�Thank you very much for coming on such short notice,� Victoria said graciously as Dr. Brambleton was stepping into his buggy.
�Not at all, Mrs. Wardell. Unless I hear from you beforehand, I�ll be back to check on her next week.�
~
Over the next week, �Trixie� made steady progress. She advanced to nickering for her meals which she then ate, standing, out of the feed tub instead of having the bucket held for her, and she passed many hours with her little head out the window. She could barely reach it, but she tried anyway.
�I think she wants to go outside,� Kate announced one evening as the family observed this activity.
�We can take her out for a little while tomorrow morning, and gradually build up the time if she likes it,� agreed Royce, offering the pony a piece of peppermint candy.
�Really, Royce, you�ll spoil her.�
�Don�t I ever get to spoil anything around here?�
She smiled winningly at him.
�Besides you.�
Kate turned around, listening to this exchange. �Is Mother spoiled?� It had never occurred to her that a grown-up could be spoiled!
�Papa spoils us all,� Victoria answered.
�Only when you let me.� He took the leather halter off of the hook by the door. �Have you tried on her new halter, Precious?�
�Oh, yes! And it fits perfectly!� She took it from him and slipped it onto Trixie�s head, buckling the crown piece and stepping back. The halter was a rich, mahogany leather, and on the left cheek piece it sported an engraved brass plate which read Beatrice Genevieve. �She�s beautiful!�
�That she is, and I think she�s actually beginning to shine, thanks to all your good grooming.� Kate had been after Trixie with brushes and towels and elbow grease practically every waking minute. The stall gleamed and the buckets sparkled. Royce had also purchased a brass nameplate for the stall door so that it matched Winchester�s, and he was privy to the knowledge that Victoria was working on hand-monogramming a brand new red pony blanket.
That night, Victoria brushed and braided Kate�s hair as she listened to her daughter�s excitedly recited plans for all future endeavors concerning her pony. �What will she do without you when school starts?� she wanted to know.
�Well, I�ll feed her and clean her stall in the morning, and make sure she has plenty of hay and then�� Kate looked anxiously at Victoria. �Oh Mother, you won�t let her get lonely, will you?�
Victoria pulled the child into her arms and gave her a squeeze. �Of course, I won�t.�
�And you�ll take her lunch and check her water and sing her the sun shines song?�
�Which song is that�and you actually expect me to SING to your pony?�
�Wait Till the Sun Shines, Trixie.�
�I thought it was Nellie.�
�I changed it.�
�Ah, I see.�
�Then you�ll sing to her? That�s her favorite!�
�I�m not going to even inquire as to how you attained this knowledge.�
�She might not get better if you don�t sing to her! Dr. Brambleton said we have to keep her happy.�
�Oh, Kate, all right! Just get into bed before you make me promise to dance and read Shakespeare too!�
�Trixie doesn�t like Shakespeare.�
Victoria didn�t reply as she pulled the covers up over Kate, who promptly sat back up and wrapped her arms around her mother�s neck. �I love you, Mother!�
�And I love you, darling. Papa will be in to say goodnight.�
~
True to her word, every morning before she went off for Miss Beauville�s School for Young Ladies, Kate went to the barn and turned Trixie out in the paddock for a few minutes while she cleaned her stall and spread fresh straw. She emptied, scrubbed and re-filled the water bucket, stocked her hay rack with one flake of alfalfa and one flake of orchard grass and carefully measured out her breakfast. She always brought a mash with her in the mornings, a towel spread over the top of the bucket to keep the heat in, but now Trixie was eating measures of corn and rolled oats mixed into it, along with the usual diced carrots and apples and a dousing of peppermint oil. After all this was finished, she fetched the pony from the paddock and returned her to her stall with admonitions to be a good girl and to eat every bite!
Also true to her word, every noon Victoria prepared an equally elaborate meal for Trixie. While the pony ate, Victoria picked out her stall, gave her another flake of hay, checked her water and dusted Trixie off with a soft brush. The cuts had almost all healed into fading scars, and though she was far from fat, she had definitely picked up some weight.
This had been going on for nearly two weeks when, one day, Royce happened to finish his business quite early and decided to take the afternoon off. Upon arriving home, he was not surprised to find his wife missing from the house, and immediately after shedding his jacket and tie he went out to the barn, entirely unprepared for the sound which met his ears.
��Sweetheart, you and IIIIII! Wait till the sun shines, Trixie, byyyyy aaaaaand byyyyyyy!!� warbled a low, throaty voice inside the structure.
She didn�t notice that he was watching until she emerged from the stall, brush in hand. One look at his head cocked to the side and his bemused smile and she burst into slightly-embarrassed laughter.
�I wasn�t aware that I�d married a crooner!�
�I have lots of hidden talents,� she answered smartly, returning the brush to the box of grooming supplies.
�I don�t doubt it.�
�Besides, that�s her favorite song and I�ve promised to sing to her every day,� she reported, gesturing to the pony.
He gathered her in his arms. �You�re a wonder,� he murmured against her hair.
�Well, I couldn�t help it! Kate was so emphatic and I�d never be able to lie to her!�
She could tell that he wasn�t really listening. He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her chin, skipping her mouth altogether. �What brings you home so early?�
His lips skimmed her jawbone and planted another light kiss beneath her ear. �I just missed you terribly and needed to��
�Royce.� She had tried to sound firm, but failed miserably.
�Both my meetings this afternoon were cancelled, so I finished some paperwork�nothing too important, and took the afternoon off. Mrs. Bonds had an engagement at one o�clock, so I thought perhaps��
�You just took care of everything, didn�t you?�
�Naturally, naturally.�
A wicked smile spread over her features. �Well..� she kissed him, �If you want me�you�ll have to catch me!� She slipped out of his arms and before he realized what was happening, she ran out the door.
�VICTORIA!!� he called, running after her. �We�re too old for this!�
�Speak for yourself!� came the yell from around the corner. She turned around to see her husband barreling towards her, so she bolted around the carriage house and then back towards the front porch, Royce hot on her heels.
�SLOW DOWN!� he sounded winded.
�And let you catch me? HA!� She was inside.
In the parlor, the faced each other on opposite sides of the sofa each trying to figure out which way the other was going to run. Finally, Royce pounced to the left, and Victoria fled. They went through the kitchen to the dining room, where Victoria cut a corner a little too sharply and sent the whole of her silver tea service crashing to the floor.
Outside, Mrs. Bonds was headed up the walk when she heard the crash. Thinking that someone had broken in or something equally horrendous was happening within, she hurried inside, only to find Victoria laughing hysterically as she clambered up the stairs. Royce, puffing, was right behind her. Doing a very rapid about-face, the blushing housekeeper quickly found herself on the sidewalk again and set about the task of finding something else to do for the rest of the afternoon.
Victoria ran into their room and sprang onto the bed in time to see Royce barreling in after her. Thrilled with the prospect of finally capturing his fugitive wife, he leapt onto the bed beside her and rolled her onto her back. She put her face up for his kiss, after which he flopped over and stretched out, catching his breath.
She turned over and faced him, pawing at his shirt until she saw that he was clearly not interested in anything but a nap. �Royyyce,� she purred, hovering over him.
�You nearly killed me!�
�What�s the matter, can�t you take it?�
�No!�
She sighed, pillowing her head on his chest.
�You don�t want me to die, do you?�
�Certainly not.� She sighed again. �I suppose you�re right�you�re just too old for this.�
�There is no need for hostility,� he said, patting her.
She glanced at the clock. �We have about an hour before Kate will be home.�
�I plan to make good use of that time.�
�Oh?� She glanced at him sideways, finding his eyes closed and his face expressionless.
~
Amanda Cummings walked home from school with Kate one afternoon later in the week. Victoria greeted them at the door. �Good afternoon, Kate darling,� she smiled. �How was school? Hello, Amanda.�
�Hello, Mrs. Wardell,� Amanda replied.
�Amanda came to see Trixie,� Kate reported excitedly.
�So I surmised. I left her gleaming and her stall spotless at lunchtime, so she should be ready to receive guests.� Victoria�s eyes swept Amanda speculatively. Amanda had two ponies, both with show records a mile long. Her father paid for them to be boarded, groomed and exercised at Stonybrook, and they were always ready and waiting when Amanda went for her private riding lessons. Meanwhile, Kate, like most of the other children, was responsible for grooming and saddling her lesson mount, and took her lessons with two other girls, Clarice and Robin. Victoria steeled herself against what would inevitably happen when Amanda saw the still-shabby little pony in the barn.
~
All had been quiet for a little while when Victoria heard the first screech. Then a few garbled exchanges were punctuated by more howls. She ran out the door just in time to see Amanda and Kate toppling to the ground outside the barn in a heap of writhing legs and arms. Kate was on top and lost no time in planting a resounding slap across Amanda�s face. Amanda then yanked Kate�s hair and threw her to the side before piling on top of her with fists and elbows. They hadn�t even seen Victoria coming, but suddenly found themselves being wrenched apart by the petite matriarch.
�Amanda Cummings, you go home this instant! I�ll speak to your parents about this later on. Go!� She pointed in the direction of the sidewalk and Amanda slunk off without a word.
When she was gone, Victoria looked at her daughter for the first time. Kate was sitting on the ground, face in grubby hands, sobbing uncontrollably. �Katherine, I am going to tan your hide for this! I have never seen such conduct from a well-brought-up little girl! Shame on you!� She bent and roughly grabbed the child�s elbow, hauling her to her feet.
The look Kate gave her mother was one of such utter hurt and despair that Victoria felt like a trap door had been opened and all of her anger was falling out. �Please don�t spank me, Mother!� Kate pleaded through her sobs, dragging a fist across her dirty face. �Please!�
She hadn�t picked Kate up in quite a while, but that hadn�t even occurred to her until the child was on her hip, the little arms wound tightly around her neck. When she carried her into the living room, instead of putting Kate down, she simply sat on the sofa and cuddled her daughter on her lap, rubbing her back as Kate buried her face in Victoria�s shoulder.
Mrs. Bonds materialized to see what the commotion was, but when she saw Kate and Victoria, she returned to the kitchen, muttering something under her breath about that wretched Cummings brat.
For several minutes Victoria sat holding Kate and murmuring that it couldn�t be that bad and everything will be alright. Finally, she reached for a handkerchief and dried her tears, then held it while she blew her nose. �Can you talk about it now, darling?�
Kate nodded, her breath still coming in shuddering gasps. �I showed Amanda Trixie and told her about how we take care of her and�and�she said she was ugly!� The tears were back.
�Oh, surely not! Darling, darling�don�t cry! You�ll be sick if you keep this up! Mother hates it when her little Kate is so sad!� She tightened her arms around the hysterical eight-year-old and smoothed the rumpled curls.
�And she asked if she could ride her and I said no b-b-because she�s still getting better and she said she was useless!� she cried into Victoria�s dress, �And she said she�d rather have no pony instead of an ugly pony that can�t do anything!�
�And then what happened?�
�And then I hit her�and she hit me back so I hit her again and knocked her down and she pulled my hair and bit me!� She offered her arm for inspection, and indeed, there were tooth-marks already darkening into little bruises. �And then I slapped and kicked and she threw me off and kicked me and tried to bite me again and�and I think you got us then.�
Victoria held Kate�s arm and gently ran one finger over the marks. �At least the skin isn�t broken. We can put some of my cream on it to make it feel cool.�
Royce walked in at that moment. �What�s going on in here? I heard Kate crying from the front steps!� He sat down beside his wife and stared at Kate.
�Amanda Cummings came home with Kate today to see Trixie,� said Victoria, her voice and eyebrows telling more of the story than her words. �She was quite insulting and there was a fight.�
�A fight? Did you strike her, Precious?�
�Yes, Papa,� Kate said miserably.
�She bit Kate.� Victoria showed Royce the bruise.
�Did you hit her first?�
�Yes, Papa.�
�I don�t have to tell you that that was the wrong thing to do. I�m very disappointed in you, Kate. You will go to Amanda�s house and apologize for your behavior.�
�But��
�There are no �buts�, Kate. We do not solve our problems with our hands. I realize that Amanda made you extremely upset, but there is never an acceptable reason for hitting anyone. Well-brought-up young ladies know that.�
Kate looked completely devastated. Papa never talked to her this way, and his words hurt more than Mother�s spoon would have. She buried her face back in Victoria�s shoulder, who then gave her another squeeze and planted a kiss on top of her head.
�Don�t coddle her, Victoria!�
The look she shot at him must have been icy, for he fell silent and remained that way for several moments. She pulled Kate up so that she was looking into the tear-streaked face. �You understand that what you did was absolutely wrong, don�t you darling?�
Kate nodded.
�So you know why you must go and apologize to Amanda. I know you�re mad at her, and I think you have every right to be mad. You don�t have to be sorry for being mad at her, but you should be sorry for hitting her because there are better ways for fine ladies to handle their feelings. Papa and I are both disappointed that you made a bad choice because you know better! It�s the choices we make, Kate, which determine the circumstances under which we must live our lives. Papa and I try very hard to teach you how to make good choices�not necessarily to make us happy, but to make you happy. We want you to be happy because we love you so very much!� She drew Kate back into her arms. �Now, I think Amanda behaved abominably and is not a very nice girl at all, and I think you are the one owed an apology. You won�t get one, because Amanda is not a well-brought-up little girl and doesn�t know the right thing to do. So you must show her�and her parents�what a nice young lady you are and make the gesture whether you feel that it is completely warranted or not. Do you understand?�
�Yes, Mother.�
�Papa will take you. You needn�t stay long.�
~
Victoria noticed a distinct change in Royce�s attitude when he arrived home with Kate. As soon as she went off for her bath, he followed her into their room and closed the door. �You won�t believe what that�.that �Colonel� Cummings said�right in front of Kate!� He was angry again, but fighting from Kate�s corner this time.
�What?� She wasn�t sure she wanted to know.
�He said, �This is not at all surprising coming from you Wardells�everyone knows how you pick up strays; ponies and children. Clearly you lack an eye for quality, but the breeding will tell. It always does.��
�No!�
�And then he and that woman tried to say how our little savage injured their perfect child�though they backed off some when they saw Kate�s arm. I told them that I thought biting was pretty savage, as long as we were using that word. I tell you, Victoria, I was ready to start hitting people too!�
�A fine example that would have been after the lecture we gave earlier.�
�I know, I know.� He took a deep breath, then looked at her and smiled slightly. �I just remembered something,� he said as he gathered her in his arms.
�I was wondering when you were going to get around to that! I haven�t been kissed since this morning!�
�Practically grounds for divorce!� he agreed, �And it would be entirely my fault. How terribly clumsy I am!�
�Of course, you aren�t.�