Free Corner of the Housetop: Buried Secrets by Leen Elle Page A

shook his head, nudging the boy in the side with his nose.
    Smiling a little, Derek said, "He thinks you've got a snack for him in your pocket. I used to bring him carrots all the time." Brushing down his side, he said, "Can't anymore."
    "I can bring you down some sugar cubes for him later."
    Almost as if she understood that Blueberry was going to get a treat and she wasn't, Lady Sarah Mary-Ruth kicked the wall, snorting loudly.
    Gabriel jumped, looking at her. After a second he laughed. "You're still alive?"
    "Unfortunately," Derek said with a laugh. "You wanna brush her?"
    After a hesitant moment, Gabriel said, "I'll brush him."
    Handing over the brush gladly, Derek went to get the other lead. As much as he was hoping to not have to deal with the stubborn mare he was grateful for anything that would make his work go faster. The sooner he finished, the sooner he and Devon would be on their way to town.
    If Lady Sarah Mary-Ruth didn't like Derek, it was nothing to how she felt about Gabriel. When Derek tied her to the post near him and Blueberry, she snorted and scuffed her hooves on the floor, shaking her head and pulling against the lead, trying to get back in her stall.
    "What did you do to her?" Derek asked, trying to soothe her.
    "She's never liked me. I think she's jealous that I get more of Mother's attention than she does."
    "It wouldn't surprise me." When she settled down, content to shoot glares at the boy, her ears back, her teeth bared, Derek brushed her quickly. "Maybe if you gave her a sugar cube she'd forgive you," he suggested with a smirk.
    Gabriel laughed.
    From the time they were young, Lady Sarah Mary-Ruth had been a noisy addition to their lives that both boys felt they would rather do without.
    "I don't know why Mother keeps her. She never rides anymore and it's not like Lady does anything useful." As he spoke, he brushed Blueberry's back. "I think she'd do better at a glue factory, myself."
    They both looked at her for a second then laughed.
    It was times like these that Derek really hated Anthony Clayton and Marcus Baxter. It was Gabriel's friendship with those two that ended his relationship with Derek. Without their influence, the two could have still been just as close as they were as children. He was sure it had to be some sort of socialite poison that Anthony was spooning into Gabriel's impressionable mind that ruined him.
    Suddenly, Devon shuffled into the stable. "You done, boy?"
    "Yes, sir. I just have to put her back and Blue'll be ready to go."
    "Where are you going?"
    "Into town. We need to pick up a few things at the store." The envy on Gabriel's face was almost as satisfying as the fact that he was allowed to go in the first place.
    "Too bad I couldn't go."
    "Why not? Devon won't mind, will you?"
    Grunting, Devon untied Blueberry and led him out of the stable. "I'll met you over there when you're done pickin' up here," he called back, disappearing around the front of the building.
    "Yes, sir."
    "Wish I could go," Gabriel said longingly. "But Aniline and Mrs. Clayton are coming over for tea today."
    "That's nice," Derek said flatly.
    "Aniline's nice," the other boy defended feebly.
    "Yeah, if you like people like your mother. If I were you, I'd just bring a random string of girls home and marry the first one she didn't like. That's the surest way of getting a good wife."
    Despite himself, Gabriel chuckled a little. "Well, I should go back to the house."
    Derek nodded, still smiling. "Yeah. Make sure to tell Catherine I'm fine."
    "I will. She'll be glad to hear it."
    After Gabriel left, Derek cleaned up the brushes and double-checked the latch on Lady Sarah Mary-Ruth's stall gate. Climbing the ladder to his loft as quickly as he could, Derek opened his chest and dug through for the few coins he'd been saving. He didn't think he'd get a better chance to spend them.
    "See you later, old lady," he said as he pulled the door closed on his way out.
    Walking over the hill, Derek crossed the front