Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell

Author:Ellen O'Connell [O'Connell, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Western, Romance, Historical, Adult
ISBN: 9781452325521
Google: 897BbwAACAAJ
Amazon: B003GDJOFU
Barnesnoble: B003GDJOFU
Goodreads: 10518175
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2009-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 26

THE PEOPLE OF MASON REFERRED to John and Virginia Stone’s property as an estate, and as she rode up the winding driveway beside Cord, Anne could see why. Maybe the house wasn’t quite as big as her Aunt Clara’s mansion in Chicago, but set on a hill with acres of land on all sides, it looked even more impressive.

The barn had also been built as much to impress as for utility. Everything was white with green trim. Two long rows of stalls were separated by a wide center aisle, and the hay loft above gave the barn more height than a two-story building.

Even though she had never been to the Stones’ before, Anne was struck by the familiarity of the scene. As on the day they delivered Adamson’s horses to the train, there was an unexpected crowd of curious townsfolk already leaning against most of the pretty white fence surrounding the riding areas. When they were close, she could see Ephraim and Martha, Frank, Pete, and Luke in the crowd.

Following Cord’s lead, she ignored them all, and they rode right to the barn and tied Keeper and Lady outside. John and Virginia Stone and her stableman, introduced only as Lennie, were waiting.

John Stone was as elegant as his wife, a slim man of moderate height with dark hair frosted with silver on the sides and a sharply trimmed short beard. He and Lennie seemed to be having a contest to see who could look more bored by having to put up with this hopeless, last ditch effort.

Virginia Stone was upset and more than slightly embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mention this to anyone, but it seems my husband has.”

John Stone was not apologetic. He just leaned against the barn wall and crossed his arms.

Cord ignored them all and walked over to look at the horse through the barred top of the stall. Beside him, Anne caught her breath. The horse was a glowing deep red without a single marking. Quality showed in the shapely ears, the broad, flat forehead, small muzzle and tracing of veins visible under the satiny coat. Everything about the animal seemed to flow smoothly together. He looked powerful, yet refined.

Restlessly pacing the stall, Firebrand gave evidence of the quality and athletic ability that had lured Virginia Stone to buy him, and also of the foul, dangerous attitude that made John Stone want to see him shot.

Anne was ready to leave right then, but Cord moved to the Dutch door to the stall and opened the top half. The stallion immediately charged at him, not just with teeth bared, but with his whole mouth gaping wide enough to seize a man’s shoulder and crush it.

Cord evaded the charge easily, then left the top door open and leaned against the opposite wall of the aisleway. “Tell me about what he was like back East in a stall and what he was like when he first got here.”

Nervously, Mrs. Stone said the horse was docile and good natured in the stall when she first saw him.

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