Grace's Story by Jennie Walters

Author:Jennie Walters
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Swallowcliffe Hall Book 2
Published: 2011-09-03T23:00:00+00:00

I ran up Bella and Moonlight’s stirrups and tied them by their reins to rings in the yard. Then I waited for what seemed like a lifetime. Nothing on God’s earth would have made me go back into the stables, even though I was worried to death about Philip. Perhaps that was why. I didn’t want to see what might have happened to him. At long last, three people emerged: my father and the captain, half-dragging, half-carrying Private Patterson between them. They led him straight towards the house, Da only glancing over in my direction to make sure I was well out of the way. A few minutes later, Philip was standing in the stable doorway and I was running over to meet him, and then somehow his arms were around me and we were holding each other, and the wave of relief washing over me was so wonderful that I wanted to cry.

‘It’s all right,’ he said, stroking my hair. ‘Grace, you saved my life! How can I ever thank you?’

‘But you saved mine to begin with, so we’re even.’

Talking had broken the spell, though, and suddenly I was hot with embarrassment. What were we doing, Philip and I, clutching each other like this where anyone could see us? The same thought must have occurred to him; he dropped his arms and we hurriedly stepped apart. I searched in my breeches pocket for a handkerchief, not wanting to meet his eyes. When I risked a quick look, he was rubbing his arm and gazing into the distance.

‘Did he hurt you?’ I asked.

Philip shook his head; I noticed he was blushing a little too. ‘Not really. That cold water seemed to bring him to his senses.’

I tried to think of something else to say. ‘He was always so quiet before. Do you know what brought this on?’

‘The army want him back at the Front - we heard this morning. His mind might have been shot to pieces but he could hold a gun and see where to shoot, and that’s all they seem to care about. Well, he’ll be no use to them now, poor fellow.’

‘What’ll happen to him?’

‘He’ll go to a secure hospital for treatment, I hope.’ Philip sighed. ‘I should have seen this coming. We’ll have to stop the patients riding, it’s too much of a risk.’

‘No, you won’t! Not on my account, anyway. Look how they enjoy it, and the good it does them. Something like this won’t ever happen again.’

‘We’ll make sure it doesn’t. Your father and I will have to stay with the men all the time, and you must come and find us if you think something’s wrong.’ He took my hand. ‘Promise me you’ll be careful for once, Grace. If you came to any harm, I’d never forgive myself.’

‘All right, I promise.’ I had to extricate my hand after a few seconds; he didn’t seem to want to let it go. ‘Better see to the horses and tidy the place up, I suppose,’ I said eventually.

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