Love at Twin Oaks Pt. 2
#3 of Love at Twin Oaks
"I'm leaving Tenderton"
Therese's mind whirled and she struggled to breathe as her throat constricted with the shock of the unexpected announcement. She barely heard as Florien explained that, although his father was a judge, the law held no allure for him. Since the election of the new president, national politics had intrigued him and, in order to pursue a position in government, he had to leave the small town of Tenderton and go to one of the large cities closer to the capital.
"I will miss you dearly, love, but I need to do this..." he trailed off as the blank expression on her face began to worry him. "Therese, are you all right?"
His concern finally broke the spell, and she rallied with surprising force. "How dare you lead me on like this? Thinking that we had a future together! I thought you loved me, how can you leave me?" she shrilled, "What will I do now?"
"I thought you were going to propose." the small doe whispered, worn out by the fiery burst of anger and pain.
Florien reached towards her, intending to pull her into a comforting embrace. "Oh sweetheart, I'm too young to think about marriage just yet. I'm only 23, how could I support a pretty little thing like yourself?"
"I'm not your 'pretty little' anything!" Therese screamed and turned on her heel, rushing into the forest in the direction of home.
Due to the winding nature of the road, Therese made it back to the estate before Florien and the buggy but, instead of entering the house, she skirted the outbuildings and slipped into the stable. Ever since she was a child she had found comfort with the horses her family bred. Her personal favourite was a dappled grey three-year-old filly she had christened Tullia. As Therese stroked the gentle horse's mane the tears finally broke through the fog of emotions swirling through her head. She pressed her face against the warm side of Tullia's neck and sobbed.
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Dirk was pitching the last forkful of hay from the loft when he heard a strange noise in one of the horse's stalls. As head groom he was responsible for the wellbeing of all the precious stock at Twin Oaks, and he hoped there wasn't a disease in the barn. As he approached the last stall on the right the hoarse, rasping sounds increased in pitch until, as the buck peeked his head over the bottom door he realized that the sound came not from one of the horses, but from the young mistress of the house. Dirk quietly backed away from the door but hung around in case the young woman needed any assistance.
Dirk had worked for the Jacobson family for fourteen of his twenty-seven years, ever since his father had been killed in a logging accident. He lived in a small room off the stable and spent all his time with the horses. In time his strength, riding ability and intuition gained him the position of head groom, where he supervised the breeding and health of the fine mounts Twin Oaks was famous for producing.
When, as a grief-stricken young boy, he had first come to stay at the farm his nights were spent crying in the hayloft. One evening, as the loneliness began creeping its way into his heart, he had heard a small voice down below. His sorrow overcome with curiosity, Dirk had peeked over the edge of the loft. Bathed in the glow of the lanterns was a tiny, four-year-old child toddling toward the stalls. "Hossie!" she had cried.
Dirk had quickly climbed down the ladder and picked up the truant child, intending to return her to the big house where the clamour of the search for her had just become audible, but as he turned toward the door her petite face had screwed up into a scowl and she had begun to whine. The young buck had initially been frightened that she was hurt but had soon realized what the youngster wanted. He had carried her over to one of the stalls and allowed her to peek in at the object of her desires.
After returning little Therese to her worried parents, Dirk had taken a protective attitude toward the girl. As she grew he had watched her play and taught her to ride the fat old pony, Chester. When she had lost her first tooth she had brought it to him. He had even given her the good-luck kiss at her sweet sixteen. In the year since then he had watched her bloom into an elegant young woman and, most recently, seen her start to attract the attentions of the wealthy young men of Tenderton county.
After a while Dirk looked up from cleaning one of the riding bridles as Therese's crying died down. She began talking to the horse and he strained his ears to make out what she was saying.
"How could he want to leave?" she questioned the uncomprehending Tullia, "Love like this can't be broken up just for a job, can it? He didn't say he doesn't love me.... but then, he didn't say that he did either..."
Suddenly her voice took on an excited tone, "I know, I'll follow him to the city, that way we can still be together!"
TO BE CONTINUED