Journeyman

by Mark J Rose

This surprised Matt. “Which horses didn’t you like?”

  “The twins,” she replied. “They were too distracted with each other to have time for a human rider. Mr. Hancock always drives a coach, so they were a perfect choice.”

  “Do you like Shadow?” Matt had asked. “I heard only your father is allowed in with him.”

  “This much is true,” she said, smiling, “but it’s for Shadow’s safety, not mine.”

  “Shadow’s safety?” Matt asked, puzzled.

  “I struck Shadow square in the face this year,” she said. “Father won’t allow me near him because I wouldn’t pledge not to do it again.”

  “You hit a horse in the face?”

  “As hard as I could,” she said with a grin.

  “Why’d you do that?” This was the most entertaining thing he had learned about Grace thus far.

  “Anyone who spends time with Shadow wishes to strike him,” Grace said. “He deserved it.”

  “Did you hurt him?”

  “Not as much as I desired,” she answered. “I split his lip. He remembers when he sees me.”

  “Isn’t that a little extreme to strike a horse in the face?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “Is it extreme to strike a man in the face?”

  “Not if you’re defending yourself,” Matt admitted. “It’s entirely justified.”

  “We’re usually defending ourselves around that pernicious animal,” she said. “So you have your answer.”

  **********

  Grace arrived for their Thursday lesson dressed in a pair of blue breeches, a white shirt, and a dark Spanish-looking hat with a chinstrap, like something from a Zorro movie. It was hard not to be impressed as she trotted up on her silver stallion.

  “You ready to ride?” she asked. Matt detected a mild taunting in her voice.

  “Can you keep up on your tiny horse?” he replied.

  “I greatly desire to learn,” she said confidently.

  Matt had been standing beside Thunder, talking to him. He touched his head and whispered in his ear, “Let’s show the princess what we can do.” He mounted Thunder and pulled back on the reins to make him rear up slightly. He smiled proudly at Grace and looked down at Scout. “You coming?” The dog’s ears perked.

  “He should stay,” Grace said.

  “Afraid he’ll spook your horse?” Matt teased.

  She laughed and without a word pivoted Silver Star towards the gate and moved quickly out onto the road. Matt nodded to Scout as he clicked his heels against Thunder, and the three of them joined the chase. It was the first time Matt had ridden Thunder outside the ring. Grace cantered some distance before stopping to let them catch up.

  “I know you believe you’ve mastered riding, Mr. Miller,” she said, “but I’d proceed slowly.”

  “I don’t feel like I’ve mastered anything,” Matt replied. “Don’t forget that I’m still paying you to teach me.”

  “You’ll get what you paid for,” she said, smiling. “Today, you’ll learn to gallop.”

  “Do I need to gallop?”

  “He’ll be a weary animal should you never let him run. Do you wish him to grow melancholy?”

  “I was joking. Galloping seems way beyond my skill level.”

  “You’ve done a canter in the ring. Let’s go for a faster canter until you both are comfortable, and then we’ll attempt the gallop.”

  Grace and Matt rode side by side, with Scout following close behind, looking up in anticipation. Matt rose up in the saddle as Grace had shown him, and then tried to move Thunder out of the trot as quickly as possible. Easing into a canter smoothed the ride out enough that Matt didn’t feel like the horse was trying to bounce him off his back. They moved at a fast pace for a while and then Grace slowed.

  “Now,” she said, “begin to canter, then rise up from the saddle and squeeze your legs as you move your body forward. Grab onto his mane and guide him into a gallop. Can you do this?”

  “I think,” he said. “Yes.” It all seemed too out of control. He focused hard on looking confident.

  “If you start to lose him, ease back,” she said. “I don’t want him injured.”

  “What about me?” Matt said seriously.

  “Your broken leg will heal. Thunder would have to be put down.” She moved Silver Star forward and waved for Matt to follow. Matt kicked Thunder into motion and caught up to her so they could ride in parallel. “Now,” she yelled. “Ease him into a gallop.” Matt squeezed his legs together and leaned forward. The horse only cantered faster. Grace trailed behind them. “No,” she said, “a gallop.”

  “I’m trying,” Matt said. “He won’t go any faster.”

  “Squeeze and move forward.”

  “He won’t go,” Matt repeated. No matter what he did, Thunder refused to run.

  “Follow me,” she directed as she jumped Silver Star ahead of him. Grace increased her distance, but it was evident that Thunder didn’t want to gallop. She was gradually moving away. The dog noticed and shot forward, running ahead after Grace. Thunder saw this and went off like a rocket. As the horse broke into a run, pounding Matt on his back, it took every ounce of Matt’s twenty-first-century composure not to throw himself off and be saved. Horse and rider moved in a state of controlled chaos as they chased Grace and the dog. They ran for nearly a minute before Grace eased Silver Star to a walk in front of them and Thunder throttled back to match their pace.

  “You did it,” Grace called. “Try again.”

  “If you want,” Matt replied. She took him at his word and kicked Silver Star forward. This time, Thunder didn’t need the dog to respond to Matt’s command. They were galloping, chasing Grace on the country road. She continued to lead, moving away for another minute before she slowed, allowing Matt to catch up. Both horses breathed heavily as they walked together.

  “Thunder will be pleased that you let him run,” she said. She looked at the sun in the sky. “We should probably return.”

  “Do we gallop back?”

  “No,” she said. “You never want him running to his stall or he’ll get the notion that he can run back whenever he pleases. Take your time so he knows who’s in control.”

  They turned their horses and started home. The dog saw this and took a position trotting in front of them, looking back regularly to make sure they were keeping up. They rode in silence down the dirt road for a while, enjoying the solitude and the warm sounds of the countryside, until Grace finally spoke.

  “Let me show you something,” she said, pointing to a trail ahead of them that intersected the road. She broke into a run out in front of him and was around the corner before he could think of following. The dog looked up at him, asking permission.

  “Go ahead!” Matt said. He kicked Thunder lightly as they rounded a bend and the horse cantered forward. The dog moved to the side as they passed him. Grace was now a fair distance away. The dog saw this and sprinted ahead. Much to Matt’s dismay, Thunder galloped after him. Matt grabbed the horse’s mane and put his head down, and they soon caught Grace.

  “I hoped you’d arrive eventually,” she said.

  “Strange coming from a woman who told me to be careful,” he said. “How fast do you want me to ride?”

  “Faster than a lady on sidesaddle.” She kicked and Silver Star leaped forward. Matt followed her out of the woods to a clearing that overlooked a river. “The James River,” she said, pointing.

  “It’s amazing,” Matt said. They were in a place where the river narrowed and fell over a raised cliff as a waterfall and then into a deep pool, which emptied as it continued downstream.

  “I often came here with Kathryn when we were girls.”

  “Everybody talks about how wonderful your sister was,” Matt said.

  “Beautiful…talented, friendly…graceful,” Grace explained. “I felt ugly and awkward around Kathryn.”

  Matt stayed quiet, mostly because he had no idea how to respond. He couldn’t imagine Grace feeling anything b
ut beautiful.

  “When I speak thus,” she said, “you’re obligated to reply, ‘Grace, you possess those qualities as well.’”

  Matt laughed. “Your name’s Grace,” he said. “I guess you have that covered.”

  She hit him on the shoulder lightly. “Not what I was seeking, certainly.” She turned on Silver Star and was off toward home, with the dog following close on her heels. They raced until they could see the gate and she slowed Silver Star in front of him. He trotted up beside her. The horses breathed heavily, sounding like locomotives.

  “You learned to gallop.”

  “What’s next?” he said back, smiling.

  “We should take a few more rides in the country to shake out the cobwebs. It’s been a long time since he’s run.” She motioned to Thunder. “He’s happy.”

  Matt reached down and patted Thunder’s neck.

  “See you in a moment,” Grace said. “It’s the last supper before the men go back to town.”

  Matt watched her trot away in her Zorro hat and smiled in wonder at a God that could have made such a gorgeous creature. He patted Thunder’s neck again and said, “Let’s get you put away.” He hopped off, removed the saddle, and walked the horse until he had cooled. He then let him in with the other horses and went with Scout to wash for dinner.

  “We should go see how Joshua is doing,” Matt said to the dog as they left the hay barn. The dog’s ears went up and he trotted out ahead to lead the way to Joshua’s corral. When they rounded the corner, they saw that Grace was already there checking his back, and so Matt stopped outside the gate of the corral. “How’s he look?” Matt said.

  “There’s even hair starting to fill in the bare spots,” she replied. “Do you want to see?”

  “I believe you,” he said. “You coming to supper?”

  “Wait,” she replied, motioning with her forefinger. She reached up and rubbed Joshua’s cheeks with her hands, then pulled his head down and kissed him on the nose. She whispered something to him, then walked to the gate where Matt was standing and let herself out.

  “Father wants to know when we should let him back in with the others,” she said.

  “I thought he’s the one who would decide.”

  “He said ’tis the apothecary’s decision.”

  “I want to wait a full ten days,” Matt said. “Does it matter?”

  “He’s growing fat,” she replied. “He should be out running.”

  “One more day in the corral and then you can let him in with the others,” Matt said. “Don’t wash the medicine off until Monday to be safe.”

  Grace was walking beside him now between the barns. “Fine.”

  “Simple as that?” Matt replied. “Fine?”

  She stopped abruptly to face him and Matt was forced to stop with her. “What about fine vexes you?” she asked. There was a good-humored grin on her face.

  “Usually you’ve some smart reply,” he replied. “I’m used to more is all.”

  She looked up at him silently and stepped forward, and the next thing he knew, she was kissing him. When it was finished, he leaned away from her in surprise. It all had happened so fast he had trouble remembering the kiss.

  “What was that for?” he said.

  “I don’t know,” she replied.

  “Didn’t you just kiss the horse?”

  She stepped close again, slid one hand around his waist, put another on his neck, and pulled his head towards her. He had no trouble remembering what her kiss felt like the second time; it was deliberate, firm, and wet, and he had barely kept his knees from collapsing beneath him. Afterwards, she stepped slowly away and walked toward the house as he watched her. She turned back and smiled. “Are you coming?” she said as she rounded the corner out of sight.

  Matt looked down at the dog. “That really happened…right?”

  32

  Harvest’s End

  The men were festive and happy now that the end of harvest was near. Matt was standing in line with Charles and Zachariah, waiting for what looked to be a substantial feast. The two Richmond men talked excitedly about having been offered steady work, and they speculated as to their future prospects. Hiring full-time employees was new for the Taylors, and they would be working out the details as they went.

  Despite his desire to share their excitement, Matt couldn’t help but be distracted as he regularly stared towards the farmhouse, trying to catch a glimpse of Grace.

  “You once mentioned you would return to Philadelphia,” Zachariah said.

  “As soon as my business is complete in Richmond,” Matt replied. “I’ll learn more in town tomorrow.”

  “What kind of business?” Zachariah asked.

  “I have something for sale at auction up North. I’m waiting for that.”

  “You said you’d buy a horse,” Charles said. “Have you found an animal?”

  “I’ve put a deposit down on Thunder,” Matt said. “The large chestnut here on the farm.”

  “You bought a Taylor horse?” Zachariah asked, surprised.

  “I put a deposit down. The auction should bring enough money to pay for the horse.”

  “I’ve seen Thunder. He’s a beautiful animal and could comfortably carry a man my size,” Charles said. “Next thing you know, you’ll be courting the Taylor daughter.” He smacked Matt on the shoulder in good humor and laughed. “Don’t forget me when you’re a wealthy merchant.”

  “And don’t forget me, either, when you’re one,” Matt said.

  This made Charles smile. “It’s a deal. When do you go back to Philadelphia?”

  “Another week before I get my money,” Matt said. “I can’t sleep in the barn for much longer without Thomas Taylor chasing me out with a musket.”

  “Good evening, gentlemen,” said Will, walking up behind them. Matt glanced past Will to see that all the Taylors had arrived. Grace was standing next to her father, talking. She met Matt’s gaze but then quickly turned back to her father.

  “Mr. Miller!” Will had a sly smile on his face when Matt finally looked at him. Matt had no idea how many times Will had actually said his name. “David mentioned that you should speak with him.”

  Matt nodded and smiled. “I’ll go.”

  “Wear your blinders,” Will said, laughing as he put his hands up to his eyes. Charles and Zachariah looked at Will, puzzled.

  Matt rolled his eyes. “No comment.” He turned from them and walked over to where David was tending the fire.

  “It’s the final evening for most,” David said when he saw him. “You needn’t work in the stables tonight. This may be the last you see many of these men.” Matt had worked the last three nights in the stables cleaning out stalls to make up the time spent riding. “How are the lessons coming?”

  “I learned to gallop today,” Matt replied.

  “Grace is glad to ride again,” David said. “You get full credit.”

  “I’d never have gotten involved if it weren’t for our conversation,” Matt said.

  “Thomas said you’ll be letting Joshua back in with the other horses.”

  “One more day in the corral,” Matt said.

  “How much would you charge for something like that in Philadelphia?”

  “Four or five pounds,” Matt said, “for medicine and time spent.”

  “Five pounds, then?” David asked.

  “Zero pounds for you. I’d have paid my own money to see Joshua cured. Grace, Jonathan, Jeb, and I worked together.”

  “You healed that horse for Grace,” David said simply.

  Matt thought for a second and realized he was probably right. “Maybe I did,” he replied. “Does it matter?”

  “If what I observed is true,” David said.

  “What’ve you observed?” Matt asked.

  “That girl’s falling in love with you.”

  Matt’s stomach jumped with both surprise and satisfaction. He thought for a moment. “Would that be bad?” he asked. “I think I may have loved her sin
ce the first day we met.”

  “You seem to be doing everything possible to seduce her,” he replied. “She’s riding, the horse is cured, and she’s speaking with Graine Martin.” He threw his hands up in front of him in a “What’s next” gesture.

  “Maybe I have been doing it on purpose,” Matt said. “Don’t men spend their entire lives trying to make women happy?”

  “You’ve got a secret you’re not telling us,” David said, “and I don’t like it.”

  “What would it take?” Matt asked.

  “I’ve thought about this much since our ride into Richmond. Only time builds trust. I’ve known her other suitors for years.”

  “It’s really not an issue,” Matt said, irritated. “I’ll be leaving soon. I know enough about Richmond society that I’d never be accepted.”

  “Hold on, boy!” David said. “I didn’t say I wanted you off the farm!”

  “Do you think I’m so bold as to think that Grace Taylor would marry a simple farmhand?” Matt exclaimed.

  David looked back and laughed. “Son, I’d not put it past you.” His laughter was genuine, and it broke the tension that had built up between them. “You’d better tell her.” He paused for a moment and said, “We all know you’re not a simple farmhand.”

  “What do I say?” Matt asked.

  “Tell her your intentions,” David replied. “What’s there to lose?”

  “Easy for you.”

  “Now’s your chance,” David said, glancing over Matt’s shoulder.

  Matt turned his head to see Grace walking into the common. “I have to do this now?”

  “Before you lose your opportunity…or your fortitude.” David laughed again and gave Matt a warm smile, clearly looking forward to having some fun at the younger man’s expense.

  33

  Court Well, Mr. Miller

  An overwhelming sense of déjà vu debilitated him as he made his first step towards Grace. Strings of white light from his dreams pulled him to a place he had already been or seen. Flashes of the future jittered in his head and he had to stop walking to force himself out of what seemed like a waking dream. Fortunately, the visions and strings of light faded by the time he reached Grace.