Ah, well, he shrugged, that was a bloody good day. Just didn't think I'd end up paying for it the rest of my natural life. Going on now a full seven years, and time hadn't mellowed any of the participants. He had to give the Embletons credit- they could hold a snit as good as he could.
And there was no sense in stirring the pot up further. Or in being seen as he was at that moment, sitting slumped and indecisive, like a beggar too fearful to knock for pittance at the back entrance of a rich man's manor.
Devil with 'em, he sneered as he turned the reins and clucked his tongue once more, urging the horse with his heels to an easy canter. The gelding knew the way as well as he; on past the Red Swan and a new bank of row houses, onto the Chiddingfold Road, west along the stream, thence over the wooden bridge to Chiswick lands, his rented corner of them, and home.
Where there's a better sort of welcome waiting, he grinned.
Chapter 2
'Ave 'at owf in a tick, sir," his groom told him as he alit in his stable yard. Bodkins took the reins and tied the horse, then knelt with a rag so Lewrie could prop his boot on a wooden bucket. " 'Ere ye be, sir… good'z noo."
"Thankee, Bodkins," Lewrie replied, free at last of rank goo. "Be sure he gets a good, warm rubdown. 'Tis a fearsome cold night."
" 'At I will, sir, never ye fear," the groom said. " 'Ere, Thomas, me lad. Untack 'e master's horse."
It was a fine new stone stable, attached to the older thatched-roof house that now served as the carriage house for two coaches; one light and open for good weather, and an older, boxy enclosed coach. Lewrie petted and fussed over the gelding before the stableboy led him away for his well-ieserved oats and rubdown. Lewrie crossed the stable yard, sure that his workers had shoveled before dark, sure he would;ncounter no more messy surprises lying in wait, on past the lulking older "wattle and daub" original barn where the prod-icts of the farm were stored to tide him, his kith and kin, and lis beasts, through the rest of the winter.