Serena

“You are … a … goddess!”

This set her off, and she roared with laughter. “Would that I were! I could flip my finger, and my lost hat would magically appear.”

Sir Newton called to them to tell them a hound was missing. “Spread out … must find the dear fellow.”

Serena moved away from Freddy as they went off calling for the hound. Soon the good boy came panting happily up to her horse, who touched noses with the speckled hound.

A few moments later, Sir Newton invited them to return to the kennels with them. Once there, and after she’d walked her horse, Serena took to fussing over the new puppy. Patting its belly as it rolled over, she giggled and then proceeded to give a great deal of affection to all the hounds.

Sir Newton laughed and said, “Your uncle is a lucky man, Serena. I tell him that all the time. You are a treasure. Come up to the house … and we’ll take tea.”

She, however, declined, exclaiming over her lost hat and chores she still had to attend to. After a few more minutes, she and Freddy were once again riding out.

Serena had fished in her saddle bag for another ribbon and was managing to tie her hair back once more when Freddy said, “Serena, may I escort you to town … if that is where you are going?”

“Freddy, don’t you have anything you would rather do than dance attendance on me?”

“There is nothing ever I would rather do than be with you,” he answered softly.

“Well then, let’s get it over with as I must get home. Hmm … I know a shortcut from here,” she said, thinking perhaps his infatuation would wear off if she allowed him to interact with her while she conducted mundane daily activities.

Surely his ardor would begin to pall after he had had a surfeit of her company, for she was certain his was but a fancy, a passing fancy without substance.

They hadn’t gone far and had nearly reached the main pike when Serena’s horse surprised her by spooking to the left.

She stopped and patted her mare’s lovely neck, saying, “There, there, Brandy, what is it, girl?”

She watched her horse’s ears flick nervously, but she could not see what it was that had disturbed Brandy. She turned to Freddy and put up a finger, for suddenly she felt a shiver of concern.

She could hear nothing untoward and finally shrugged, though she continued to eye the neighboring woods. Her mare paced nervously in place, her ears twitching and her body seriously jittery between Serena’s legs, even after she moved her along. Serena told Freddy, “Odd. Brandy rarely spooks … but she is still quite upset about something.”

“This path takes us near Buckler’s Hard, doesn’t it, Serena?” Freddy asked thoughtfully.

“Indeed. My, but you are getting to know your surroundings very well,” she said with a smile and then again stopped her horse. A sound assailed her ears, and something about it made her uneasy. “What was that? Did you hear it Freddy?”

“Trouble.” Freddy made a face, but his voice was full with excitement. “It sounded as though someone is in trouble.” He glanced at her and added, “Stay here—I’ll go and investigate.”

“Oh no, my friend. I am coming with you,” Serena answered and trotted up alongside him.

They both stopped short and sat very still, before they urged their horses forward. They definitely heard two men, evidently in a heated argument, shouting at one another.

“Look there … in the deep of the woods,” Freddy whispered.

“I see—the smaller man looks like he took a blow. His nose is bleeding,” Serena said.

“Aye, the other looks to be a seaman.”

Serena studied the two. Freddy was right—the large, burly fellow looked like a sailor in his dark woolens. The other was short and stout. His eyes were wide open, in a pale face and he was cowering. It was at that moment that both men turned startled expressions to Freddy and Serena.

The tall, husky seaman gave the other man a push. Then without doing anything further he mounted his horse and rode away. The smaller man had a bit of trouble mounting, as he couldn’t quite reach his stirrup, but finally managed. With a harried expression he glanced once more in their direction before he too weaved through the woods and away.

Freddy and Serena eyed one another, and Freddy grinned. “Odd that.”

“Yes, indeed it was, and I didn’t like the looks of that big bully of a sailor. I wonder what they were doing out here.” Serena went quiet for a moment and then said thoughtfully, “You know, Freddy, that seaman … I do believe I have seen him now and then at Buckler’s Hard.”

“Have you? They both looked like shady characters to me,” Freddy remarked.

“Yes, indeed they did,” Serena agreed. “Well, ’tis none of our affair, at any rate.”