"You will never listen!” Emilia snapped but the ferret blinked up at her, ignored her and snuggled into the pillow. “Come down this minute, I am not kidding!” She yelled at the annoying pet of hers.
“You are putting your hairs all over the place, shoo!” She gestured with her hands.
The ferret up on its small four legs, ran in circles on the big bed as if pursuing its tail then settled down at the edge of the bed, its gaze fixed on Emilia.
Emilia jammed her hands on her hips in frustration and returned its look with a stern one. “Don’t you get it? When I mean you’re getting your hairs all over the bed, I mean you should get down!” she pointed from the bed to the floor.
The Ferret followed her finger with its eyes and made some pleading clucking noise in its throat but Emilia was not ready to succumb. “No..no..no, now!” she stabbed a finger at the floor.
The Ferret hesitated, rising slowly and suddenly crouching again stalling stubbornly. Emilia frowned and folded her arms. “Fine! You don’t get to go to Menxes with me then.”
The ferret tilted its head to the side and cocked its ears in alert regarding Emilia’s displeased look and the lower lip that quivered when she was angry.
It slowly rose, shook its body and leapt onto the floor scurrying to snuggle behind the drapes of one of the windows. “Better!” Emilia stated in relief.
She sat at her dressing table and began to brush her hair, though she knew she was supposed to wait on her lady-in-dressing whom she sent on an errand to fetch something but she loved doing things her way and on her own even though the Duchess doesn’t approve.
When she was done, she braided the length and hooked it up to her head with several beautiful hair pins. Grabbing her hand-fan, she went out into the garden with the ferret on her heels.
She stopped at the back porch leading down into the garden, tilted her face upward and closing her eyes, she inhaled the sweet smell of blooming flowers with a smile on her face.
“Sweet!” she whispered in joy and serenity, then looked down at her ferret. “Isn’t it so lovely to spend the day outdoors? Before she could blink an eye, the ferret darted past her skirts into the garden. “Thomas!” She yelled.
“Thomas! Come back here this minute! You ruin a single petal out there and you will be sorry! Thomas!” she yelled louder when he didn’t come back attracting the surprised gazes of the servants working by.
Ignoring the fact that as a high esteemed lady, she shouldn’t be heard raising her voice or doing anything unusual. She gathered her skirts and ran into the garden towards the direction her annoying pet had taken.
She ran until she found herself outside the gardens and in front of the stables. She slowed down to a walk, panting from the short run. “Thomas?” she called. “This isn’t funny anymore...out with you now...or else-”
She said, hoping to scare the animal out of hiding. “Thomas, I am not playing any hide and seek game, I’m warning you!” she paused for a while, catching her breath and scanning the surroundings for any sign of Thomas’s chubby backside or its blackish-white fur, that’s if he was hiding.
“Thomas!” she called more sternly. “Fine! You want it this way? You shall have it! I’m going to count to three and if you don’t come out here, I will cancel your dinner rations!”
she hesitated to see if her yelling voice would bring him out but nothing happened. She pressed her lips together and raised a finger to indicate her countdown. “One!” no sign of Thomas. “Two!” yet no sign, before she could raise the third finger and count three, a mouse burst out of a corner heading fast towards her with Thomas hot on its tail determined to get it.
She gathered her skirts up in shock as the mouse darted between her legs and she gave Thomas a very angry look and put out her palm. “Now, you stop right there, Mr.!” she gasped as Thomas either ignored her or didn’t hear her and bounded between her legs under her gown after the helpless mouse.
“Thomas!” she whirled around after them. “Leave that poor animal alone!”
The chase continued with both animals-The determined Predator and the agile prey. The animals ran into the stable and far down the aisle between several pens and finally dashed under the gate of one of the pens. Emilia ran after them and came to an abrupt halt as she almost collided with the large head of a brown horse, munching nonchalantly, with its head almost sticking out of the pen above the grate gate.
“Oh!” she smiled, her chest heaving from the chase. “Sorry!” she muttered. The horse only swished its tail and continued chewing. “Aren't you beautiful?” Emilia continued placing her hand on the horse’s forehead, caressing in between its black eyes. “You’ve got beautiful glossy eyes too and such a fine coat, I bet the hands are doing you well.”
She caressed the side of its long neck, combing her fingers through its mane. “You will sure make a knight a fine steed.” She commented.
The horse softly neighed in approval and that was when she noticed the ferret and the mouse running along the walls of the pen, the mouse quickly scurried underneath a small heap of hay for refuge and got the ferret scratching out hay, searching for it and squeaking.
When the mouse noticed that the ferret was almost upon it, it leapt out of hiding in fright and dashed for an exit running around the horse’s hooves but the ferret wouldn’t give up.
Emilia’s eyes widened in alarm. “Thomas! No! Don’t do that! You will frighten the horse and get yourself
trampled!” but the ferret paid no heed. “Thomas!”
Emilia’s face turned red in extreme annoyance and stamped her right foot twice. The ferret suddenly halted and looked up at her. The mouse quickly scampered away to safety.
Emilia glared down at the ferret. “You will sure be punished!” She chided, making the ferret cower in fear and released its anal gland secretion. It hissed in fear. “What a bully you are!”
The ferret glanced up at her with sad eyes and slowly began to crawl away from her to elude her anger. “Stop right there!” she ordered and it stopped, still ducking its head in shame.
“I will have you put in your cage, tonight!” the horse snorted as if agreeing to such a punishment.
Someone cleared her throat gently. Emilia spun around to find the duchess standing in the doorway of the large stable, hands locked behind her, her lady in waiting behind her put off an umbrella that must have been shading the Duchess from the sun.
YOU ARE READING
THE HEIRESS (Sample)
Historical FictionAidan, a homeless rogue who had a strong dislike for the female gender, never wanted a wife... Emilia, a rich proud-headed young lady never wanted a man in her life after her late mother's ordeal... He did it for the money... She did it to save her...
