horses."
"Wait, Jack! Let me introduce you to my friend. Jack?" But it was too late. He had disappeared into the night. Sara was bewildered as to why he left so abruptly.
Before Sara had time to wonder about his peculiar behavior, Clara had arrived and was hugging her.
"Sara, I've looked all over for you! I couldn't wait to see you. It's been such a long time."
They kissed each other's cheeks and hugged again.
"Who was that man you were sitting with?" Clara asked. Sara looked up at her friend. "His name is Jack Summers. I met him this morning. It's a long story that I can't wait to tell you!"
"All I know is that he wasn't Montague Fordice."
"No," Sara said sadly. "And Jack's nothing like Montague Fordice either."
Clara raised an eyebrow. "I can't wait to hear everything."
"Can you join me here?"
Clara looked down at her black blouse and skirt with the white ruffled apron. "I've finished working, and I was just walking home when I saw you here, so I have time to talk. But I'm not allowed to sit on the piazza in my uniform."
"Then let's go to my cottage."
"Just like old times." Clara extended her hands to help Sara up.
With arms linked, they strolled and talked non-stop, remembering the past and catching up on the present.
# # #
"Damnation!" Jack said as he kicked a stone on his way to the stables. He knew that Sara had been ready to say something about the incident before Clara had happened upon them.
Clara Cunningham of all people. She would recognize him for sure. He was always at their house in his younger days, and Steve was always at his. They both used to tease Clara unmercifully. He'd lost track of Steve over the years, and would have loved to talk to Clara and ask her about him, but he couldn't until his mission was finished.
# # #
Nervously, Bea fingered the broach at her neckline, as she watched Montague Fordice blot at his upper lip with a folded handkerchief. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked. . . puffy.
"My word, this is scandalous! I cannot have my betrothed keeping company with another man. They should have been back hours ago," he said in his haughty voice that had come to grate on her nerves.
"I must say I agree with you, Montague," Bond said. "I do not like this one bit."
"What do you know about Summers?"
"He came very highly recommended by a professor of veterinary science at Cornell University," Bond stated. "He said he knew someone who would like a position for the season working with horses, and I said that I would make an appointment to speak with the man. Later, Jack came to my office, I liked what he had to say, so I gave him complete control over my stable. I believe him to be a good man, but truthfully I don't know much more about him."
"And now he's disappeared with your daughter," Monty snapped.
“And your fiancé.” Bond’s hands clenching into fists. "We must find her."
Listening to the exchange, Bea took a deep breath of the warm night air. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed Jack and Sara together so quickly and suggested they go for a walk. But even though she didn't know much about Jack Summers, she liked him a whole lot better than the arrogant popinjay in front of her.
"I'm sure nothing has happened," she assured both men. "They're probably strolling in the courtyard, and we probably just keep missing them."
"Well, you know she can't walk fast with that limp of hers," Montague hissed.
Bond and Bea looked at him sharply.
"I am simply stating fact. I mean no disrespect in regard to her...ah...affliction. We've already walked twice around the piazza. We've looked around the courtyard, too. Let's check the front verandah. That's probably where they are–watching the passersby on Broadway." Montague checked his pocket watch.
Bea started down the walk. "I'll go back to the cottage to see if she might be there."
"Good idea, Bea. I'll meet you back at the cottage in fifteen minutes. If she's not at either place, I shall call in the police," Bond said.
"And I
"Wait, Jack! Let me introduce you to my friend. Jack?" But it was too late. He had disappeared into the night. Sara was bewildered as to why he left so abruptly.
Before Sara had time to wonder about his peculiar behavior, Clara had arrived and was hugging her.
"Sara, I've looked all over for you! I couldn't wait to see you. It's been such a long time."
They kissed each other's cheeks and hugged again.
"Who was that man you were sitting with?" Clara asked. Sara looked up at her friend. "His name is Jack Summers. I met him this morning. It's a long story that I can't wait to tell you!"
"All I know is that he wasn't Montague Fordice."
"No," Sara said sadly. "And Jack's nothing like Montague Fordice either."
Clara raised an eyebrow. "I can't wait to hear everything."
"Can you join me here?"
Clara looked down at her black blouse and skirt with the white ruffled apron. "I've finished working, and I was just walking home when I saw you here, so I have time to talk. But I'm not allowed to sit on the piazza in my uniform."
"Then let's go to my cottage."
"Just like old times." Clara extended her hands to help Sara up.
With arms linked, they strolled and talked non-stop, remembering the past and catching up on the present.
# # #
"Damnation!" Jack said as he kicked a stone on his way to the stables. He knew that Sara had been ready to say something about the incident before Clara had happened upon them.
Clara Cunningham of all people. She would recognize him for sure. He was always at their house in his younger days, and Steve was always at his. They both used to tease Clara unmercifully. He'd lost track of Steve over the years, and would have loved to talk to Clara and ask her about him, but he couldn't until his mission was finished.
# # #
Nervously, Bea fingered the broach at her neckline, as she watched Montague Fordice blot at his upper lip with a folded handkerchief. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked. . . puffy.
"My word, this is scandalous! I cannot have my betrothed keeping company with another man. They should have been back hours ago," he said in his haughty voice that had come to grate on her nerves.
"I must say I agree with you, Montague," Bond said. "I do not like this one bit."
"What do you know about Summers?"
"He came very highly recommended by a professor of veterinary science at Cornell University," Bond stated. "He said he knew someone who would like a position for the season working with horses, and I said that I would make an appointment to speak with the man. Later, Jack came to my office, I liked what he had to say, so I gave him complete control over my stable. I believe him to be a good man, but truthfully I don't know much more about him."
"And now he's disappeared with your daughter," Monty snapped.
“And your fiancé.” Bond’s hands clenching into fists. "We must find her."
Listening to the exchange, Bea took a deep breath of the warm night air. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed Jack and Sara together so quickly and suggested they go for a walk. But even though she didn't know much about Jack Summers, she liked him a whole lot better than the arrogant popinjay in front of her.
"I'm sure nothing has happened," she assured both men. "They're probably strolling in the courtyard, and we probably just keep missing them."
"Well, you know she can't walk fast with that limp of hers," Montague hissed.
Bond and Bea looked at him sharply.
"I am simply stating fact. I mean no disrespect in regard to her...ah...affliction. We've already walked twice around the piazza. We've looked around the courtyard, too. Let's check the front verandah. That's probably where they are–watching the passersby on Broadway." Montague checked his pocket watch.
Bea started down the walk. "I'll go back to the cottage to see if she might be there."
"Good idea, Bea. I'll meet you back at the cottage in fifteen minutes. If she's not at either place, I shall call in the police," Bond said.
"And I
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