Emily's Dream (4 page)

“There,” Dede said as the halter slipped into place. She led the horse over to the carriage, and Emily hurried along beside her.

“I bought him from Mr. Mitchell,” Dede said at last. “He's got a few years left in him, and he's a good all-around workhorse. He's well behaved, and Mr. Mitchell said he'll carry a rider or pull a carriage.”

“And his name?” Emily prompted.

“He's called Johnny,” Dede said as she harnessed the horse to the carriage.

“Johnny,” Emily whispered, bending close to the horse's nose so that she could feel his
warm breath on her face. It felt like a secret or a promise shared between them.

“Can I go for a drive?” Emily asked as Dede climbed up to the carriage seat, holding her skirts in one hand.

“Certainly not,” Dede said. “Mr. Piddington is taking the carriage. I'm just bringing it out to the front of the house.”

Emily's heart sank. The arrival of the horse had made her forget about the Piddingtons. But now they dropped back in front of her like a big stone in her way. Her disappointment over not getting a ride in the carriage turned to anger as she realized that Dede had purchased the horse just to please Mr. Piddington.

“Why can't he buy his own horse?” Emily said.

“Emily!” Dede said warningly. “The Piddington's are our guests. They are guests to our city and to our home, and I intend to show them the best hospitality possible. Furthermore, I did not purchase the horse for Mr. Piddington. I wanted the use of the phaeton myself to visit house-bound church members.”

When the Carrs had last had a horse Dede had often taken old people out for drives or visited sick people on the edge of town, but Emily was sure Dede was just using this as an excuse now. However, she kept this thought to herself and stepped back from the carriage as Dede took up the reins and gave them a shake. Johnny started to walk, and the carriage moved forward.

“Open the gate!” Dede ordered, and Emily ran ahead of Johnny to throw open the double fence gate. She glared after the carriage as it drove through, then she shut the gate and latched it. She watched the back of the carriage until it disappeared around the front of the house.

At least Mr. Piddington would be away from the house for awhile.

 7 
Serving the Piddingtons

Supper was late because Dede made them all wait for Mr. Piddington's return. At last they heard the carriage pull up in front of the house and Mr. Piddington come in the front door.

“He's just left the horse there,” Emily complained. “Does he think servants are going to come dashing out to do everything for him?”

Dede's eyes narrowed.

“You and Dick go,” she ordered. “And make sure you put the carriage away properly.”

“I won't be his servant!” Emily protested. “Don't be selfish,” Dede said. “Do you want the horse left standing?”

Mrs. Piddington's shrill voice carried down the hall as she greeted her husband. Emily turned back to Dede.

“I'm only doing it for the horse,” she hissed and hurried away before she had to see Mr. Piddington. Dick followed her as she slipped out the back door.

Johnny was still breathing heavily when Emily and Dick reached him, his sides heaving in and out.

“That nasty Piddington better not have worked you too hard,” Emily whispered to Johnny.

“Yeah,” Dick said, coming up beside her. “I bet he stayed too long at one of the road-houses and then had to rush back.”

They walked Johnny over to the barn and unhitched him from the carriage.

“I heard he used to be a circus horse,” Dick told Emily. “Do you think it's true?”

Emily shrugged. She remembered the day several years ago when a circus had appeared in the field across the street. It was before the new houses had been built. She'd gone to bed one night, and the next
morning three big, striped tents had been poking up into the sky. She hadn't even heard the wagons arrive or the tents being set up. Father had taken them all to see the animals and the big top show, and Emily had watched with envy the fancy-dressed woman who rode a horse around the ring, standing on its back.

Emily walked Johnny around the field until he had cooled down and his breathing was regular. As she led him back to the barn, he nudged her gently with his nose, and she scratched the top of his head. It was hard to imagine this quiet old beast galloping around a circus ring.

Back at the barn, Dick had found a piece of old blanket to rub the sweat and road dirt from Johnny's body.

“There you go, Johnny,” Emily said as they finished. She stroked the horse's neck, and he whickered softly. Emily didn't care whether or not he really had been a circus horse. It was enough that he was here.

Inside the house, Emily and Dick cleaned up and hurried into the dining room. As
Emily passed Mr. Piddington, she was sure she smelled liquor on him. She wondered if Dede knew where her precious guest had spent his time. Dede did not approve of roadhouses and taverns.

After supper, Dede and the Piddingtons retired to the drawing room, while Emily and her other sisters cleared the table and washed the dishes. Although Emily had always helped with the cleaning up after supper, it felt different with the Piddingtons staying at the house.

“They think we're servants,” Emily said to Alice.

“Don't be silly, Emily,” Alice said. “Do you expect guests to wash their own dishes?”

“I bet neither of them has done a speck of work in their whole lives,” Emily said.

“Let he who has never sinned throw the first stone,” said Lizzie.

Emily groaned. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means, you only talk to try to get out of doing the work yourself,” Lizzie said.

“That's not true!” Emily's voice rose.

“Hush!” Alice whispered.

Emily turned her back on Lizzie and thrust her hands into the soapy sink water, attacking the dirty dishes.

“Not so hard!” Alice urged. “You're going to break a dish.”

Once the dishes were done, Emily retreated upstairs to the room she shared with Alice.

“I wish you could be more patient, Milly,” Alice said softy, following Emily into the room. “The Piddingtons won't be here much longer.”

“Oh, have they said when they're planning to leave?”

“No, but…”

“Doesn't Dede see through them?” Emily asked, not letting Alice finish.

“See through what?” asked Alice.

Emily looked at her.

“Oh, never mind,” she said. She knew Alice was reluctant to believe anything bad of anyone.

Alice was quiet for a minute as she let down her long red-brown hair.

“Don't you see, Milly?” she said after awhile. “The Piddingtons' visit is good for Dede.”

Emily sniffed.

“You want her to have friends, don't you?” Alice continued. “You don't want her whole life to be just taking care of us.”

“I guess not,” Emily said, feeling a bit guilty. Still, she didn't know what Dede saw in the Piddingtons.

 8 
A Proposal

The next day, Emily came home from school to find Johnny in his field and the Piddingtons nowhere to be seen.

“They've gone out in a hired dog cart,” Dede told Emily. Emily knew this was a high two-wheeled cart that men liked to drive.

“Is our horse and carriage not good enough for them?” Emily fumed.

A dark look crossed Dede's face. Emily wondered if it was only her words that had annoyed Dede or if Dede might actually be offended by her guests' actions.

“We have to excuse men,” Dede said lightly. “They'd rather sit up high and look
out over everything than ride in a low women's carriage.”

Men. Why did they get to do whatever they wanted?

“You can't blame anyone for wanting the best view along our ocean drive,” continued Dede.

Emily doubted the Piddingtons knew how to appreciate any view properly, but she didn't say this out loud. Her mind returned to Johnny. He wouldn't be getting any exercise today. If only Dede would let her ride him.

Emily opened her mouth to ask, then caught herself. If she blurted out the idea, Dede would surely say “no” on reflex. Emily would have to broach the subject a little more carefully.

“Are you going to be taking the carriage out later?” Emily asked.

“No, not tonight, Emily.”

“Has the horse had any exercise today?”

“No.”

“Will you be taking him out tomorrow?”

“I don't know, Emily,” Dede snapped. “If
you're wanting me to take you for a drive, I don't have time to take the carriage out just for fun.”

“I know,” Emily said carefully. “I was just worried about the horse not getting enough exercise.”

Dede looked troubled.

“Yes, I thought the Piddingtons would be using him more,” she said, more to herself than to Emily. “And I've got the bishop coming over tomorrow, so I won't be able to go anywhere.”

“I could ride him around the back field,” Emily suggested, trying not to let her eagerness show. “Just to give him a bit of exercise.”