Buffy looked up from where she was settled in the library, just trying to gather her thoughts to find an irate Edina in the doorway.
“Excuse me?”
“Some of the staff has approached me, telling me that you are questioning them about the samples,” Edina explained.
“I wanted to know who did it,” Buffy told her matter-of-factly.
“You’ve made them feel as if you don’t trust them.”
Normally, a question like that would make Buffy feel guilty, and when she thought back to her conversation with William earlier that morning, this was exactly the sort of reaction she hadn’t wanted.
Except that right now, she didn’t care.
“I didn’t accuse—“
“The simple act of asking them made them feel as though you don’t trust them! Maybe if you took the time to get to know some of them instead of gallivanting off with Mr. Giles, you would see how hard and how dedicated these people are to you and this house.”
“Edina, can you do me a favor?”
“What?” the older woman said incredulously.
“Shut the hell up and mind your own goddamn business.”
Edina stared at her in complete shock, her mouth dropping and her eyes widening.
“I’ve done nothing but try and be kind to you and everyone here. I even tried to include you in plans for this house, and you slapped my hand as if I were some ridiculous child with preposterous ideas. I’ve gone above and beyond to be kind to you when others would think I didn’t need to do so. But I did. Out of respect, and thus far, you have respected me, however, you have this uncanny way of telling me in one breath how this is my home and in the next breath telling me what I’ve done wrong with it, or, just underhandedly making me feel guilty for wanting to make some changes in this house. This house that hasn’t been touched in years! I realize that my sister was a busy woman, and I know she loved this house, but she didn’t have time to decorate, and I do. The house was left to me, and I’m through letting you or anyone else, especially some crabby ghosts having temper tantrums scare me out of this house. I’ve lived most of my natural life feeling as though I was under someone else’s thumb and I’m fucking done. Now kindly turn yourself around, keep your trap shut and go back to work!”
She didn’t have to be told twice, in a flash, Edina was out the door, red faced and sputtering. Buffy sat back, heaving a cleansing breath when she heard clapping. Looking up she found William entering the room, a big grin on his face.
She rolled her eyes. “Going to tell me how proud you are of me?”
“No. I know you don’t like that sort of thing.”
She had to grin at that. Shaking her head, she ran a hand through her hair and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Any luck?’
“None. In fact, they hadn’t a clue what I was talking about, which they couldn’t have feigned that confusion. Not to mention all of them whispered to me as if it were afraid to be heard by those who go bump in the night, ‘Was it …you know?’ and when I’d say ‘The ghosts?’, they became absolutely horrified. They don’t know anything.”
“No one on my end either. You’d think if they were all spooked by the ghosts that lived here, they’d have left. And yet they stay.”
“Well, perhaps they figure the Lady of the House has them all in hand.”
“The Lady of the House is ready to . . . to do something.”
William chuckled. “Like what?”
She jumped up, “I don’t know. I’m just frustrated. I think I just need to clear my head for a bit. I was actually thinking that I’d go visit the stables. I haven’t ridden in ages, not since I was here last with Dru and she taught me how.”
“Are you good on a horse?”
She shrugged, “Fair.”
“So, instead of the Ghost Whisperer, are you the next Horse Whisperer?”
“That was lame,” she told him, smiling.
“I know you do rather well in the saddle,” he continued.
Buffy giggled, “You really need to stop while you’re ahead.”
“Why don’t you save a horse and ride a cowboy?”
She couldn’t stop laughing, putting her hand on his arm, she implored him to stop. He took her by surprise by kissing her quickly, the laughter dying, replaced by the urge for more of him. He pulled away much too quickly and told her he was going to call some clients and come out to see her after.
Yearning for more, Buffy tore herself away and headed toward the stables.
Talking with Ed, the stable boy, or rather man, Buffy caught up on the horses and the routine Dru held with them. Apparently, she rode every day, and she alternated through the three horses she owned. Since she’d passed, Ed had brought out his niece’s, who consequently took lessons, and let them exercise the horses and help clean the stables every day.
“Is that all right, Miss, that I do that?” Ed asked as he taught Buffy how to saddle Midnight, Dru’s favorite sleek, black horse.
“Of course it is. . . Hey, Ed?”
“Yes, Miss?”
“Do your niece’s have a place to keep a horse?”
“Well, they’re working on that. They have enough of a field to put in a stable, but my brother is hesitant on whether or not he should put one in.”
“Is he afraid they wouldn’t take care of them if they had them?”
“Right, Miss.”
“How old are they?”
“Twelve and thirteen. They come out here with me, hoping I’ll put in a good word for them. I really think they’d do well, you know? They work hard out here with me, and they’re quite willin’ to learn. My brother just fears that’ll all change when they get what they want.”
“Well, Ed, here’s a plan that you can share with your brother, but not your niece’s.”
“What’s that, Miss?”
“Sugar and Plum are theirs if they want it, I just would like to keep Midnight since he was my sisters.”
Ed’s eyes bulged. “You mean that, Miss?”
“I do. No need for those two horses to not have a home with two girls that would love them, is there?”
“Oh, Miss, thank you. Thank you so very much.”
Buffy grinned. “You’re welcome. So. Now what?”
Buffy was a little rusty in her riding at first, but she soon got the hang of it. She opted to stick close to the house instead of venturing out further; sticking close by seemed to be the best and safest bet.
She could feel the muscles in her thighs acquiring a good workout, and it felt good to breathe in some fresh air. She would sleep well that night. When it started to grow dark, she made her way back to the stables. Dusk had fallen; her favorite time of the day. Guiding Midnight to the stables, she wondered if William had come looking for her. Maybe he’d be inside waiting for her come back. Or, maybe he’d made them a feast for dinner.
She chuckled to herself. “He’s like my bitch,” she joked, and decided he probably wouldn’t like to hear that, especially not in light of the past couple days. Not wanting to dwell on that, namely because she didn’t like to think about how much she hurt him, she focused instead on the task at hand.
Steering Midnight inside, she found the stables lit by one lamp; the rest seemed to be out. Midnight whinnied, causing Sugar and Plum to join in. Seeing that Midnight’s stable was open, she kicked him lightly to move toward it, but the horse resisted, and whinnied again, this time much more urgently.
“Come on, Midnight,” Buffy told the horse, as soothingly as possible despite the hair that was rising at the back of her neck.
Midnight whinnied; sounding distressed, and stepped backwards. Sugar and Plum whinnied back, sounding just as distressed.
Just as Buffy was about to slide off Midnight, she saw movement at the back of the stable. In horror, she watched a black cloud, a gigantic black cloud, take form into that of a man, or rather, a giant. It stood from the floor straight up to the rafters. It had the shape of a nose, two white eyes and a mouth at the top, the head as large as her body.
Its mouth opened and a tremendous roar erupted from it. It disappeared in a flash as Midnight sent Buffy hurtling to the ground when the horse reared up. As she was on her way down to the ground, she saw a head going by the stables, a woman’s head…Edina?
“Buffy!”
William was there, he was shouting her name, but all Buffy wanted to do, and could do, was close her eyes.