SWNOVELS Chapter 23
Gifts
Chapter 23 — Heathcliff-1
We drive a little down the lane, over a slight rise, and then a barn comes into
sight. A beautiful barn, really, immaculately cared for and painted in shades of
gray. Three little gables peak out of the roof and two little cupolas crown it,
weathervanes at their peeks.
“Oh!” I say, completely charmed by the sight. But then I see the real draw. In a
series of pastures beyond the barn, my eyes can just barely see a group of
horses grazing in the afternoon light.
“Oh!” I say, louder this time, far more thrilled. “Is this a stable?!”
Kent laughs as he turns the car into a parking spot next to the barn. “I thought
you'd like it,” he says seriously. “One look at you and anyone could tell you grew
up dreaming of horses.”
I nod fervently, scrambling to unbuckle my seatbelt and open the door at once.
“Can we see them?!” I ask, my words falling over each other in my hurry. “Can I
feed them? Do they have any foals?!”
He laughs at me as I almost fall out of the car, climbing calmly out himself. Before
I can dash into the barn, he holds out an arm to stop me. “Let me take the lead
here, all right, Fay?”
I look up at him, shining with joy, and nod. I quickly look back towards the
entrance but then do a double-take, looking back at his face, which is
somehow...gentler? Kinder?
shoulders. He's dressed almost like a cowboy, with jeans tucked into western
boots and a button—down plaid shirt. He gives me
a happy nod and then turns his attention back to Kent. “He’s all ready for you,
gentle as can be. Areal beauty.”
Kent nods to the man and looks beyond him. “Well, I'm ready if you are.”
The man bobs his head and the three of us walk through the stable to the last
stall on the right, which the groom pulls open. Kent walks up to the open door
and leans on the far side of it, nodding into the stall.
“What do you think, Fay?” he asks.
Slowly, so excited I can barely breathe, I peak around the corner of the stall to
see the most gorgeous thing I've ever set eyes on in my life.
“Oh,” I say again, though this time it's barely a breath of air puffing out of my lips
as I take another step forward and cover my mouth with my fingertips, just staring
at him.
A beautiful blood bay gelding stands in front of me, an Arabian by the arch of his
neck and the height at which he holds his tail. The horse gently paws at the
shavings of his stall, looking over at us curiously.
My eyes sweep over him, his glossy mane, his wide and gentle eye. And
immediately, I know it. 'm in love.
“Can I...” I say, glancing over at Kent. “Can I go in? Can I touch him?”
but otherwise he does not balk as I walk towards him.
B
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Gifts
Chapter 23 — Heathcliff-2
I hold out a hand towards his nose, palm up, and he gently lips my palm, saying
hello, checking to see if I have a snack. Slowly, I raise my other hand to run over
the rich blaze that runs down his face, stepping close to run a hand over his
velvety neck.
“Do you like him?” Kent asks, behind me.
I turn back and glare at him a little. What a stupid question. Then I turn back to
the beautiful horse as I stroke his silky
mane.
“I thought you might,” Kent says, laughing. Then he pauses. “I'm rarely wrong in
my choice of presents. Never, really.”
I freeze at his words. What —
Did he mean
Slowly, I turn back to him and see him smile at my shock.
“He’s yours, Fay,” Kent says to me. “If you want him.”
I embarrass myself then by bursting into tears.
Kent nods to the groom, who quickly disappears. Then, laughing at me a little,
Kent joins me in the stall. He, too, raises a hand for
“Who knew,” Kent says, looking at the horse. “Here I was trying
to cheer you up, and all I've done is make you cry.” He smiles down at me.
“Guess I'll have to send him back to where he came
from.”
“Don’t you dare,” I growl at him, giving him a little shove away from my horse.
Then, I bite my lip.
“Really?” I ask, looking up at Kent. “He's mine?”
Kent shrugs. “This whole stable is mine, full of horses. What's the harm in you
having just one?”
“And I can come and see him?” I ask, desperate for it, hungry with anticipation.
“Under guard,” he says, looking at me seriously. “Yes, you can come every day, if
you want.”
A smile spreads over my face and I resist the urge to throw my arms around him,
so thrilled am I. But, I have more questions.
“Why?” I ask, a little breathless now. “Why did you do this for
me?”
Kent leans back against the low wall. “Because I could tell you were miserable,
Fay. You might not believe it, but I don’t take pleasure singularly in making
people unhappy. I want you to be safe, for Daniel's sake, as his future bride,” he
looks at me carefully, “but there's no reason you should be so sad about this life.”
I look down at the floor of the stall. Have I been that obvious? I knew that he
noticed, but I wasn’t aware that his perception ran
have noticed. No more illicit trips to the basement, no more obstinate
disobedience.” He smirks, then. “Or at least, not much.”
I keep my face expressionless, not really wanting to tell him that I wasn’t being
good for his sake. There just hadn’t been a lot of opportunity for rebellion in the
last few weeks. Or I might have taken it, for the sake of variety.
“When those in my care are good,” he says carefully, studying my face closely,
“they get presents. When they are bad, they get punished.” He lowers his face,
bringing it closer to mine.
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Gifts
Chapter 23 — Heathcliff-3
My gaze shifts to his mouth, watching it form his words. “I'd recommend, Fay,” he
says softly, “that you stay on my good side. Then you can have more rewards.”
A chill runs down my spine and a darker part of me
one that hasn't raised its head for awhile — wonders which one, really, I
want more.
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The horse nickers softly, nudging at
y
the pocket of Kent's coat. Kent turns
his attention away from me,
: “ : )
chuckling. “All right, boy, you've found
» . i
me out,” he says, reaching into the
pocket and producing two sugar
cubes. He holds them out to the
horse, who eats them eagerly from
his palm. The content is on
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Then, Kent produces two more sugar cubes and hands them to me. “To get your
friendship off right.”
Kent takes a few steps back as I feed the horse, enjoying the feel of his coarse
little mouth hairs against my palm. When he’s finished eating, I go back to petting
him, marveling at this beautiful creature. I can’t believe that he’s mine.
A few minutes pass in silence as Kent lets me get to know my new friend. Then, I
hear his voice again.
“What will you name him?” Kent asks, still watching me from the doorway.
“Hmm,” I say, considering it, looking at the horse. Then, I decide. “Heathcliff.” I
sav.
You don't like it? What's wrong with it?”
“Such an ugly name,” he says, but there's no real bite in his words, “for such a
beautiful horse. Why did you pick that?”
“Because,” I say, turning to Heathcliff and smiling lovingly into his face.
“Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” I say, brushing his
forelock away from his rich brown eyes. As if he understands me, Heathcliff
presses his nose to my
chest.
A beat passes and then I look back to Kent, curious as to why he doesn't tease
me further.
“Well well,” he says slowly. “The young lady has read her Brontg, at least.
Though I do wonder if such a great passion is a
bit wasted on a horse.”
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I blink at him, shocked, really, that he
p
understood my reference. I wouldn't
have thought Wuthering Heights was
on the reading list for the Mafia King.
> S 5 ”
Then, I speak without thinking. “Well, I
suppose that until a greater passion
reveals itself, I will spend all my love
. » :
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Kent lifts himself from the wall, standing solidly in the stable doorway with his
arms crossed. “l wonder what my son would say to that,” he says, low and soft.
1
I blink at him, panicking suddenly as I realize my mistake. I have just tacitly
admitted that there is no passion between me and Daniel.
Neither of us say a word for minute, but then Kent turns away. “Come,” he says,
looking back towards the parking lot. “That's
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I take a quick moment to lay a kiss in
the whorl of hair right in the middle of
1 Offa] wp
Heathcliff's forehead. “I'll be back
” : : “py .
soon,” I whisper to him. “I'll bring you
» 3 > 5
apples.” He knickers in friendly
response as I bolt the stable door
and hurry after Kent. The content is
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I stare at the barn until it fades from my sight. Then, I turn back to the front of the
car, steeling myself for the return to Kent's world. Because tonight, I know, he
and my father have arranged something else for me.
Perhaps the horse was just a way to butter me up, get me on Kent's good side
before the real trial.
B
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