sat still. He stared at Felicity and said nothing. Then he asked, “How long can you keep doing this? You can’t do it forever. Mr. Nye will surely see you someday. And Penny is his horse.”
“I heard Mr. Nye say that anyone who could ride her could have her,” said Felicity. “I can ride her. So she will be mine.”
Ben sighed. “Felicity, you set your heart on things too much. I don’t believe Mr. Nye or your father will let you keep that horse.” He saw Felicity’s stubborn frown, and he grinned. “But then I never would have believed you could have ridden that horse, either.”
“I am going to get Penny away from Mr. Nye somehow,” Felicity said. “I have to.”
“Aye,” said Ben. “You’d best do it soon.”
“I can’t hurry Penny,” said Felicity. “I have to be patient with her.”
Ben nodded.
“So, then,” asked Felicity, “do you want your breeches back?”
“Not smelling the way they do!” laughed Ben. “No, you need them more than I do. You keep them as long as you like. I’ll keep your secret.”
“Thank you, Ben,” said Felicity. She gave him a quick grin and hurried in to breakfast.
Sharing Felicity’s secret seemed to change Ben. He wasn’t so shy. Sometimes he whistled, and he even surprised everyone by joking once or twice at supper. And he was true to his word.
That Sunday, Mrs. Merriman said, “Ben, have you still not found your good breeches? They were fine, expensive India cotton. ’Tis not like you to be so careless.”
“I beg your pardon, ma’am,” said Ben. “I know where they are now.”
Felicity felt her face growing red. Was Ben going to tell?
“I lent them to a friend,” said Ben easily.
“Indeed!” said Mrs. Merriman. “May I ask why?”
“My friend needs them more than I do,” said Ben.
“Well,” sighed Mrs. Merriman. “Dust off your old woolen breeches then. We needn’t go to church looking like a band of ruffians.”
Felicity smiled at Ben. He had called her his friend. He truly was a friend to her.
All that week, Felicity thought long and hard about what Ben had said. She knew he was right. She couldn’t keep her secret much longer.
Independence
Penny knew something was happening. She stood very still and let Felicity brush her.
“There, Penny, my beauty,” Felicity said at last. “No one would recognize you. You’re so clean and beautiful and so peaceful and calm.”
Penny nudged her affectionately. Felicity rubbed Penny’s nose. “I love you, Penny,” she said. “Are you ready?”
Penny stood next to the pasture fence and let Felicity climb on her back. Felicity wore her coral necklace for good luck. She wore her favorite gown, too, so that she and Penny would both look their best. “We’re off, girl,” Felicity said to Penny. “Now don’t you worry. Everything will be fine.”
The sun was rising, tinting the rooftops gold, as Felicity rode down the main street. The few people who were up stared and wondered. Was that the Merriman girl, riding astride a horse? And what a horse it was! A beauty! Where did such a horse come from?
Nan was carrying the breakfast bread from the kitchen to the house when Felicity rode into the yard. Nan’s mouth fell open in astonishment. She called out, “Mother! Father! Come quick!”
“What’s all the fuss and bother?” Mr. Merriman asked. He came outside wiping his face with a napkin. He stopped still when he saw Felicity riding Penny.
“Look!” cried William behind him. “Lissie’s horse! Lissie’s horse!”
“Felicity Merriman!” exclaimed Mother. “What are you doing? Where did you get that horse?”
“It’s Penny,” said Felicity. “It’s the horse I told you about.”
Ben came toward her. Penny stepped back nervously. “It’s all right, Penny,” said Felicity. “It’s all right.” She stroked the horse’s neck, and Penny calmed down. Slowly, Ben reached up and touched Penny’s neck.
“Is that the horse from Jiggy Nye’s tannery?” asked Mr. Merriman. “What on earth are you doing with Jiggy Nye’s horse? Does he know you have it? Why have you brought her here?”
“I wanted you to see her, Father,” said Felicity quickly. “I wanted to show you how lovely and gentle she is. Penny was never vicious. It was only that Mr. Nye beat her and hurt her. She did not trust him—or anyone. She wouldn’t let me ride her for the longest time.”
“The longest time?” asked Mrs. Merriman. “Whatever do you mean? How long have you been…been going to her?”
“Near five weeks now,” said Felicity. “Every morning.”
Mrs. Merriman sank down on the step. “Five weeks? And we never knew!”
“But how did you tame her?” asked Mr. Merriman. “Who showed you what to do?”
“Penny herself. She showed me what to do,” said Felicity. “All I had to do was to be patient and careful. I had to wait for her to trust me.”
“She’s a beautiful horse,” said Mr. Merriman. “And she seems as mild as a lamb. But she is not your horse to ride, even if you did tame her. You know it is wrong to borrow a horse without asking. You must take her back to the tannery now. You must apologize to Jiggy Nye for riding his horse. And you must never ride Penny again unless Jiggy Nye says that you may.”
“But Father, you don’t understand! I want to keep her!” cried Felicity. “I heard Mr. Nye say that anyone who could ride her could have her. I can ride her, so she’s mine.”
Mr. Merriman shook his head. “Lissie, Lissie,” he said. “It is you who misunderstood. No one would give away a horse like this. She belongs to Jiggy Nye. You must return her.”
“But
