"I think I'm just going to stand here for a few minutes and not waste my breath," Margaret said. "That way everyone will believe I tried." She crossed her arms and wasted time tapping her foot and looking at her nails.

Pleasant got up from the bed and went over to the window.

"My mother is tired of you crying out at night and refusing to leave the house," Margaret said. "I don't understand what has come over you, Pleasant but it is making things very difficult here."

Pleasant turned slowly from the window and went over to the wardrobe. Opening it up she took down her pinafore.

"What are you doing?" Margaret-Gay asked.

"I'm going to school."

"You are? I mean...you are," Margaret stepped behind her cousin and helped her tie the ribbons. "Why the sudden change of mind?"

"May is a lot sicker than I am," Pleasant said. "I'm doing it for her."

"Oh," Margaret shrugged. "Well we'd better hurry or we'll be late. I have you know you've been making me late all the days you've refused to come." When her cousin moved too slowly she grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs. The girls met up with Susanna who gave them their lunch pails before seeing them off with Bertie.

After seeing the girls off to school she found Mrs. Singer in her private rooms with her personal maid helping her pick out a hat.

"I trust that the child has been dealt with," she said as she pulled half a bird's wing from a box. "What about this one Julia, I like the stripped plumes." She turned to Susanna and raised her brows for an answer.

"Madam, something is terribly wrong with Miss Pleasant," Susanna said. "Perhaps she should see a doctor."

Mrs. Singer went over to the standing mirror with Julia quick behind her. She let the maid put the hat on her swatting at her hand when he pulled her hair. "The child has been carrying on since her mother passed away—different hat—she acts out because she wants attention. I've tried comforting her but nothing works."

"Yes, ma'am," Susanna said as Mrs. Singer tried on another hat. "Ma'am?"

"Yes, Susanna?"

"With all due respect I—"

With the pattern of words Mrs. Singer turned to the maid ready to smite her challenge. "Go on."

"With all due respect I think her grief started earlier than when her mother passed away," Susanna said. She followed Mrs. Singer with her eyes as the woman went and sat in her vanity chair. "You see, it started back in mid-March and Mrs. Day passed away in mid-April. The little lass just wasn't the same after she fell through the ice."

Mrs. Singer scoffed. "And what do you want me to do about it?" she asked. "If it was her mother dying then I could understand but an accident on the lake is no excuse for these terrible fits she has."

Susanna took a deep breath. "I don't mean to say that it was the accident but that perhaps something else—"

"Pleasant is not an infant she has no reason to scream and put on as she has been doing all spring. If she continues to carry on we will be forced to put her in the mad house. I run a tight home and I will not have her tantrums influencing Margaret-Gay."

Julie and Susanna exchanged glances knowing Margaret needed no goading for bad behavior.

"Are you finished?"

"Yes, ma'am," Susanna said with her head low as expected.

"Then be off to your chores," Mrs. Singer said. "I expect you to keep the girl in line. I do not want Mr. Singer troubled by this. "Go now. You too, Julie." The maids curtsied and left the room.

The whole ride to school Margaret-Gay kept talking. She was excited to tell Pleasant about a new club the girls had invented at recess and how a new student had joined the class.

"I think it is foolish to join this late in the term," Margaret said as they entered the school yard. "Why not just wait until winter term begins in November? It's August!"

Pleasant paid her cousin no mind as they entered into the shadow of the school. Miss Sanders stepped out of the building and rang the bell for the children to line up for entering. Each girl curtsied as she passed her teacher receiving a nod of approval from her.

"Pleasant?" Miss. Sanders said when she reached her. The woman blinked in surprise and smiled. "How nice to have you with us again."

Pleasant entered the classroom aware of the stares and whispers she received from the other students. Her old desk had been taken so she went and stood next to May's until Miss. Sanders started class. As prayer was said she stared down at the wooden floor imagining the grain was a rushing river as she recited the prayer.

"You may be seated. You may be seated, Pleasant."

Pleasant snapped out of her daze and looked around. The variously colored eyes of her schoolmates were all on her as she slowly eased into her seat.

Rose and Violet, with silk flowers on their dresses, whispered to each other and another girl averted her eyes when Pleasant turned her way. She was already regretting coming to school.

At recess she sat on the back steps with her head rested on her knees as all the girls played.

Margaret-Gay skipped up to her with a hoop and smiled. "You didn't participate very much in class today," she pointed out.

"They all stared at me," Pleasant said. "They made me feel like I was some sort of pariah."

Margaret joined her on the steps. "Well you have been absent from school," she said putting her feet through the hoop. "All you have to do is try to make friends. And don't worry I didn't tell anyone about those marks Susanna found on your legs; not even Alice so it isn't my fault."

"Margaret, come on! Ida Thomas shouted as she ran up to the cousins. "We're about to read the next chapter of Little Women."

Rose and Violet arrived behind her along with the other girls who had joined the club.

"Shall we have it under the old oak tree again?" Rose asked and Margaret nodded.

Pleasant watched as Violet whispered to her sister and laughed. Gathering her courage she got up from the steps. Ida looked down at her shiny brown boots. "Might I come too and read the book?" she asked.

Ida's blue eyes got very guilty. "Gee, I'd love for you to come, Pleasant," she said. "But you see... it's Rose and Violet. They can be mean and well...I just don't want them to make fun of me too." She went to turn away and Pleasant stepped forward quickly.

"I'll sit in the back," she said. "I won't even read; I'll just sit there."

"I'm sorry, Pleasant," Ida said. "If they make fun of me then no one might want to be friends anymore and I have trouble making friends. I have to go; they'll all be waiting for me."

Pleasant looked down as Ida hurried away, calling to another girl to join them. She turned to her cousin who  was toying with the hoop. "Don't you want to join them?"

Margaret gave guilty smile. "You won't be cross with me?"

Pleasant shook her head and went back to the steps. She turned away as Margaret joined the other girls under the oak tree. She regretted going back to school.

When school let out Pleasant didn't wait for Bertie. She ran all the way to Timber Acre Farm. When the geese saw her coming they moved out of the way before she could send them scattering. Running into the stables, she opened the first stall and ducked inside, sitting against the door. She buried her face and her knees and prayed. "God, send one angel down." When she felt a burst of hot breath on her scalp she jerked her head up to find herself looking into a long black face with a white star. Too late she realized that she had invaded the horse's space. Her eyes went down to his powerful legs and hooves that could easily pound her into the earth.

She tried backing away but the stall door stopped her. Getting to her feet fumbled with the latch and jumped out, slamming the door behind her.

The black horse tossed his head and neighed before retreating into the darkness of the stall. If it wasn't for his white star, Pleasant would have second guessed that there was ever a horse inside.

"Confederate, come away from there!" Havelock shouted. He dropped the buckets he was carrying and ran towards her grabbing her back.

Pleasant promptly fought him away and retreated to Oneida's stall on the opposite side. The paint horse had poked his head out when she slammed the stall. "I'm all right," she whispered to him.

Havelock turned away from the stall and faced Pleasant. "You shouldn't go petting horses you don't know. This one is more than a match for a little girl like you. He's very wild. He'll hardly let me near him. Just look at the damage he's done to himself."

"Why do you keep him in the dark?" Pleasant asked.

"That's how he likes it," Havelock said. "I know it sounds queer but sunlight makes him angry. I'm worried if I turn him out in the pasture at night that he'll escape again so for now we keep him here." The horse came back to the stall door and thrust his head at Havelock making him step back.

"Those ears..." Pleasant said to herself.

"All Marwari horses have those ears." Havelock pointed out. "They say the black ones are bad luck."

"Marwari?"

"That's what breed of horse he is," Havelock picked up his buckets. "They come from India."

Pleasant started back toward the stall.

"Don't."

She stopped and stood at the center of the corridor looking into the horse's eyes. She felt she was traveling through them back to a world surrounded by flames. "You...you're the colt from County Down."

The horse pawed the ground and spun in his stall.

Pleasant winched at the scars on his body. She started toward him as the horse calmed and Havelock didn't stop her. "You were there too when they all died. You were in the fire that killed Papa. You stayed with me." She slowly raised her arms and put them around the horse's neck feeling his sigh. "It's all right." She rubbed his face and placed a kiss on his star. "Polaris."

/

At the sound of someone approaching Havelock looked over his shoulder and smiled when he saw Pleasant coming. The September sun was just coming up and he was watching the sheep in the pasture as the day slowly began. "Up early," he said setting his teacup on a post.

"I thought we could go riding," Pleasant said.

"Well, haven't we become enthusiastic," Havelock said. "Sure. I may have time for a quick ride." He took his tea cup and the headed toward the stables.

They went into the stables and after handing Pleasant a bridle and lead rope he took down Oneida's tack. "Go ahead and get the bridle on him and I'll assist you with the saddle after I get Oneida ready."

Pleasant fitted Polaris with the bridle then led him from the stall. She waited patiently as she watched Havelock dress Oneida. The horse stayed calm through the whole process, turning his ears at distant sounds. Havelock put the blanket on and then the saddle, checking to make sure the girth belt didn't pinch.

Returning to the saddle rack he selected a side saddle for Pleasant and helped her fit Polaris with it. "You want to be able to get two fingers through here," he said pointing to the belts. He took her hand and instructed her how to check. "Maybe three fingers in your case. "This is your pommel, where your right leg goes. And the left on goes against the lower one here. Are you ready to get on?"

Pleasant nodded her head and led Polaris over to a stool where she mounted, sitting sideways. Havelock took her ankles and adjusted her legs accordingly. Pleasant held her breath through the whole process and shuddered when it was over. With trembling hands she took the reins when they were offered her.

"You seem nervous about riding," Havelock said as he double checked her balance strap.

"I'm not," Pleasant said.

Havelock looked into the girl's face. "If you say so," he said going back over to Oneida. "Hold down the fort," he said to Winterberry and Snow-on-Her then swung himself up into the saddle. The two rode out of the stabling and looked over the backs of the sheep at the coming sun.

Havelock turned and stole a glance at Pleasant. "What's wrong?"

Pleasant looked at him and touched her face as if to feel what had been there to make him ask such a question. "I was just thinking of my mother," she said.

Havelock looked down. "I'm sorry she passed," he said.

Pleasant nodded. "Havelock?"

"Yes?"

"If someone told you no one would believe you about something would you tell anyways?"

Havelock shrugged. "That depends on what it was and who the person was. I'd believe my brothers and my parents...I'd believe anyone in my family I suppose."

"Oh," Pleasant said looking down.

"Why do you ask?"

Pleasant shook her head. "Never mind. It was just a stupid question. Let's go riding."

Havelock let her get a few steps ahead of him then joined her. "You've done very good with Polaris. I just knew he wasn't as bad as they said he was." He reined his horse prompting Pleasant to stop too. "I want to give him to you, Pleasant."

"Me?"

Havelock nodded. "No one else will touch him and he seems very fond of you. I see no reason why he shouldn't be your horse. For a while you wouldn't smile but that all changed the day you met Polaris."

Pleasant looked down at the horse. "But my aunt and uncle..."

"You can keep him here," Havelock said. "I'll help you take care of him. I'll teach you anything. Baldwin thinks I'm making a mistake and that I shouldn't endanger you but I see a strange bond between the two of you. It's as though you have a secret understanding. I just...I just think it a shame, Pleasant, that this horse should belong to anyone else. Including me."

Pleasant smiled. Leaning forward she petted Polaris. She turned her head up to the sky as the last traces of night rolled up like a scroll and gave way to day.