Page 36 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
He raised the lantern, peering into the darkness. And that was when he saw it. The black horse, standing beside a stream, drinking.
He approached it slowly, almost crawling towards it, trying to make as little noise as possible. The rope was tight in his hand. As soon as he was close enough, he would lasso it, get it firmly in control, by the neck.
A twig cracked loudly beneath his feet. The horse raised its head, staring at him.
Jasper’s heart sank a little. He had been counting on the element of surprise, but the horse was aware of him now. There was nothing to do but keep approaching it, calmly, and hope that it did not spook entirely, running in the other direction.
“Hello, boy,” he whispered, still creeping slowly. “You know me. I am your friend …”
The horse shuddered but didn’t move. He kept inching forward until he was almost upon him, tightening his grip on the rope.
Suddenly, the horse reared up on its hind legs, neighing loudly. Jasper knew that he was too close to it. If it decided to come down now, it would surely trample him. He could almost feel the hooves sinking into his flesh.
His heart started to beat faster. He should back away, show Blitzen he was not threatening him, but strangely, but he stood his ground, gazing up at the horse. It was as if he was rooted to the spot.
The horse reeled back in confusion. It had obviously been expecting that he would cower and submit to it. Suddenly, it lost its footing, careening down the incline, neighing in distress.
Jasper ran after it, stumbling down the incline. The horse was on its side, seemingly unable to get up. He approached it cautiously, making soothing sounds. This time, Blitzen let him approach so that he was able to put out a tentative hand to stroke its head.
“There, there,” he whispered. “All will be well.”
The horse shuddered with emotion, almost as if it was surrendering to something. Slowly, he put the rope around its neck, stroking it the whole time. When he was sure it was ready, he encouraged it to stand up, making sure that all its legs were sound. It didn’t stagger; he was almost certain there were no breaks.
“That’s it, boy,” he whispered into its neck. “That’s it. You are doing so well.”
The horse passively followed him as he led it back up the incline. It was slow going, but eventually they were back in the woods, descending, heading towards the estate.
There was only one moment when he thought that it might rear up again. A large stone, underneath its left hoof, became lodged. The horse looked panicked. Quickly, Jasper dislodged it, throwing it away. The horse calmed again, staring at him with his large velvet brown eyes.
“There is something about that stone, isn’t there?” he whispered, stroking it again. “You became upset about a stone the other day, as well. If only you could talk, and tell me, what is bothering you about it.”
They were on level ground, now. Quickly, he mounted the horse, waiting for a reaction, but the horse was calm. He spurred it on, riding bareback over the fields, towards the estate. He was so close now, he could see the lanterns that had been lit in the stables blazing like fireflies in the distance.
He frowned, thinking about the horse’s reaction to the stone. He was almost certain, now, that something traumatic had happened, that involved a stone, of similar size and appearance.
Susannah had told him that Blitzen had been a steady horse, prior to the accident that had killed her husband, and that the horse had been close to its master. His frown deepened. It seemed less and less unlikely that the horse had suddenly taken fright, bucking wildly, to dislodge Gilbert Drake.
Something else had happened on that night. Something that had scared the horse so much, it had never been the same since.
“We will figure it out,” he whispered into the horse’s neck as he sped over the fields. “I promise you, we will figure it out, and you do not have to be scared again.”
He frowned again. He had been so busy pursuing the horses, he had not had time to think about it, up until now. But he had seen the broken lock on the main gate to the stables. Someone had deliberately sabotaged it, wanting the horses to go. All of the internal gates to the individual stables had been opened, as well.
Who would do such a thing? And why?
They were almost upon the estate. Suddenly, he saw the figure of a woman, standing there, holding a lantern high in her hands. The soft light of dawn was just starting to glow around her.
His heart started to thud painfully in his chest. He would recognise that figure anywhere, now, even in the darkness. A tall, willowy figure, with a long neck and wild, streaming hair. Her black cloak was wrapped around her, fending off the cold.
It was Susannah. She was standing there, waiting for him. Standing sentinel like a woman who was waiting for her husband to return from war.
His eyes met hers. And at that moment, he knew that he was lost, forever.
Chapter 16
Susannah almost didn’t trust her eyes when the figure emerged on horseback, out of the woodlands, riding slowly towards her. Was it really him?
She knew, in her heart, that it could be no other. The large black horse was definitely Blitzen, but he looked different, somehow. His head was bent down, looking at the ground, meekly going where the rider commanded. That wild, skittish spirit that had seemed to invade the horse since Gilbert’s death was no longer there. It was as if all the fight had suddenly left the animal.
