A Summer Smile by Iris Johanson

Author:Iris Johanson
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

6

Daniel lifted Zilah easily to the top rail of the white wooden fence that separated the stableyard from the pasture. “There, you can have a bird’seye view and still not get in the way of the grooms who are exercising horses. In the morning the stable area has a tendency to get as busy as Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Derby.”

Zilah swung her leg over the rail to straddle it. Her gaze traveled eagerly over the long, low stable that was as spotless as the grounds themselves, and then crossed the fence to the lush green of the pasture, which contained a variety of obstacle jumps. “I can see that. What a wonderful place. It reminds me a little of a picture of the Calumet stables I’ve seen.”

“It should,” Daniel said dryly. “Philip’s father sent a trainer to Calumet to study methods and architecture before having this stable built. Nothing but the best for his only son.” He leaned lazily against the fence and lit a cigarette. He blew a thin stream of smoke into the air before studying her with narrowed eyes. “You seem to have livened up a bit. You were very quiet on the way from the house.” He looked down at the tip of his cigarette. “Did you get through to your mother?”

The smile faded from her face. “Yes.” She looked out at the obstacle course where a groom, who looked little more than a child, was fighting a huge black stallion for control. Despite his size, the boy seemed to be a fine horseman, she thought. “She was very happy. She said she looked forward to seeing me soon.” The words were stilted. “She cried.”

“That must have been upsetting for you,” Daniel said gently. “Are you close?”

“We used to be.” She shifted restlessly. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.” She was silent a moment before she spoke again. “She’s uncomfortable around me now. I think she still feels a sense of guilt.”

“Guilt? Why should she feel guilty?”

“She shouldn’t. I tried to tell her that.” Zilah’s hands clenched unconsciously on the rail. “She blames herself for my…illness, for leaving me with my grandmother while she was working. That’s one of the reasons I came back to Sedikhan. No one should have to live with guilt like that. I wanted to show her that I’m well and happy now.”

“And are you?”

She lifted her chin. “Of course.” Her gaze returned again to the boy on the black horse. “Look, he’s going to jump him.” She frowned. “Aren’t the bars awfully high? That must be a six-foot jump.”

Daniel’s eyes hadn’t left her face. “All of Philip’s grooms are very competent. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“He doesn’t look old enough to be that competent. He can’t be more than eleven or twelve.”

His head turned casually to glance out at the pasture. He muttered a low curse, tossed his cigarette to the ground, and crushed it beneath the heel of his boot. He was up on the rail beside her with one swift movement.

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