Angel of Mercy

Chapter 18

After taking Daisy out and ensuring she was fed Emma found herself wandering to the stables. The smell, though still awful, was not as displeasing as on her first visit.

She stopped by Aquila's stall and stroked his face. He was a magnificent animal with a sleek coat as black as the deepest depths of the ocean. Nathan found her and produced a carrot she could feed Aquila. Nathan was dressed similarly as before only today he wore a brown woolen coat.

"I wonder Nathan," Emma mused. "Could you take me to the spot where Lord Salisbury had his accident."

"Certainly, ma'am but we'll have to ride. It is a fair distance away."

"It's been some time since I've ridden a horse," Emma admitted. On the farm they'd only had a goat and donkey and she'd spent the last few years traveling in carriages.

"We'll ride the same horse then if that's alright with you."

Emma smiled at Nathan. "That would be fine."

Nathan saddled a chestnut mare and helped Emma atop.

"Hold onto me," Nathan advised as Emma wrapped her arms around his waist. It was a good thing Emma's gown was so plain or she'd never have made it onto the horse, Nathan informed her was called Mercury.

After about twenty minutes Nathan stopped in front of a large oak tree.

It was a chilly cloudy day, expected with November around the corner. Emma regretted not bringing her coat. The tree was huge and bare. Its leaves scattered on the ground in shades of yellow, red, and brown.

"This is the one Lord Salisbury hit."

Nathan helped Emma down and she walked over to the tree.

"Any idea how far he flew before crashing."

Nathan shrugged, "Maybe twenty feet."

"If he had been closer, the impact would have been worse. He could have snapped his neck."

"It's by God's grace that he didn't." Nathan declared.

"Reggie seemed convinced Lord Salisbury was dead. It doesn't sound as though he examined him before returning to the manor otherwise, he would have known he was still alive."

"To be perfectly blunt ma'am, Reggie isn't very smart." Nathan informed her.

Yes, that was quite apparent she thought.

"What sort of creatures live around here?" Emma asked next, circling the tree.

"Creatures?" Nathan asked, perplexed.

"Yes, squirrels, rabbits, that sort of thing."

"Well, we've certainly plenty of those."

"Could one have frightened Aquila?" she speculated.

"They generally don't venture very far from the woods."

Emma returned to Nathan's side with a frown on her face.

"Something frightened Aquila and we need to find out what. I'd like to meet with the head groom you mentioned. Could you arrange that?"

Nathan nodded, "Can't promise it will be any time soon."

"Whatever you can manage."

Nathanhelped her back onto the horse. She was so focused on holding onto Nathan thatit never occurred to her that Ethan could see them through his bedroom window.