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"And he has the temperament of a kitten," Epiny responded, as if o in a sidesaddle, but I tried it, and he does He was a bit surprised at first, but willing, and now I’m sure I could ride him anywhere, but Father will not let me He says I would first have to ask Nevare, and I told him, ‘How silly! Do you think Nevare will trust him to some stableboy to exercise, someone he has never even met, and then say no to his cousin whom he knows, his own flesh and blood?’ But Father insisted that I cannot take hi Nevare, may I ride your horse on the promenades in the park?"
All the while Epiny spoke, Sirlofty huffling her shoulder and nudging her to be stroked She petted hiood horseht sourly She could not have ineered it so I wanted to forbid her to ride hi selfish and unreasonable The best I could hedge , "I think we shall leave it up to your father Sirlofty is a lot of horse for someone your size"
"My Celeste actually tops hiaited than my mare Would you like to see her?" And with that she left Sirlofty’s stall and took us two doors down to a gray mare with a silky black mane As Epiny had said, she was taller than Sirlofty, but far more docile I knew instantly that Sirlofty’s fire hat attracted her, not his s away Spink had never owned a horse all to himself and had been almost relieved to know that he would not need to furnish his own mount until third year But he did find our little cavalry mounts insipid, and his descriptions of the spiritless beast that was his daily hter
We left the stables and followed an ornah a landscaped orchard of miniature trees It was late in the year and the trees were long bare of fruit or leaves, but Epiny insisted that we see it all The as rising and I could not understand Spink’s enthusiasm for the stroll Even the statuary looked cold to ; the fish hid under a layer of floating weeds and fallen leaves As we tried in vain to see the ornaan to fall Just as ere abandoning the pond and, I hoped, bound for the house, ere accosted by a stails She er at her, and ad around alone with young gentleht back at her and, bending slightly at the waist, inforentlemen, Purissa This one, as you know, is your cousin You didn’t even say ‘how do you do’ to our Cousin Nevare! And this one is a cadet from the Acadeirl obeyed each of Epiny’s coly and with more ain, Purissa," I told her, and her smile crinkled her nose when I bowed to her
Epiny was not char theo with you"
"No Run along"
"Then I shall tell Mother when she gets back"
"And I shall have to tell her that you were trotting about in the gardens alone during the hour when you are supposed to be studying the Holy Writ with Bessom Jamis"
The child did not look the least bit daunted "He fell asleep He’s snoring and his breath sarlic Ihad to run away"
"And now you have to run right back If you are wise, you will be there, head bent over your books when he awakes"
"His breath makes the whole schoolroom stink!"
I was horrified at both ined that girls had such discussions a I tried to shed openly and even Epiny looked ht She pulled a tiny handkerchief out of her pocket and gave it to her, instructing her, "Go to the lavender beds and fill this with leaves Then sit at your school table and hold it before your nose while you read It will fend off the garlic"
"The lesson today is boring It is the second chapter of the Dutiful Wife"
Epiny looked diser in at that spot, but read the Book of Punishment instead It is all about what happens to people for various sins in the afterlife It’s very gory and quite a, in a horrid sort of way When Bessom awakes, just flip the book open to where you should be" She leaned closer and added in a whisper, "You should see what it says will befall ard and harlotrous daughters"