Page 21 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

“Have you spoken to his family?” She raised her brows.

“Miss, a young man like that never has any family to speak of,” Masters said.

I bristled and wanted to yell at the man that Henry was my family. Emily put a steadying hand on my arm.

“It was a horrible thing to happen, miss,” Masters went on. “But not something that we will ever allow to happen again. Please know that your horses would be well cared for in our stables.”

“If it was an accident, how do you explain these burn marks on this horse’s flank?”

Masters pulled on his suspenders. I prayed that he not pull too hard because the suspenders looked like they were moments away from snapping.

“I don’t know, miss, but we have the very best veterinarian from the county here, and he cared for the animal. Terror is to make a full recovery. Now, I know you are here on an assignment from your father, but it would be best if you cut your visit short. I would be happy to plan a tour for your father at a later date.”

Emily wasn’t done yet. “Were you here when Henry died?”

Masters swallowed hard. “No. I live with my family on a small farm on the other side of the college. Henry died in the middle of the night. I was home with my wife and children.”

“Who was here?”

“There was no one inside of the stables when he died.” Masters’s voice had a slight edge to it as if he tired of Emily’s questions.

“But who would have been on the grounds?” She was relentless.

Masters clenched his jaw, and I thought for a moment that he wouldn’t answer. However, he finally said, “The stable apprentice, Jeremiah, and the Johnson family and their servants who live in the big house.”

I wondered what Emily would ask next because I had a dozen more questions spinning around inside my head. But to my surprise, she nodded and said that it was time for us to leave.

Jeremiah appeared then, and his eyes stared when he saw Emily and me there speaking to Masters.

“Oh, Jeremiah, you’re here,” Masters said. “Please show Miss Dickinson and her companion out of the stables.” There was something in his tone that said he didn’t wish us to come back anytime soon.

“Yes, sir,” Jeremiah said with a nod.

Emily followed Jeremiah in the direction of the entrance, but before I left, I took one more glance back at Terror. He forlornly hung his head over the stall gate again. In my mind, I promised him that I would find the person who hurt him and killed my brother.

Jeremiah didn’t say a word until we stood by the entrance. “You are lucky that Masters didn’t throw you out of here. He doesn’t like visitors.”

Emily sniffed. “He was not going to throw a Dickinson out if he knows what is good for him. Willa and I wanted to see Terror’s injuries for ourselves. He is a remarkable animal.”

Jeremiah nodded. “He is, and I hope he can pull through this. Despite his name, he has always been a good horse and he was especially fond of Henry. Every day, he would neigh until Henry scratched his nose and gave him an apple or carrot. It didn’t matter if another person was willing to give him a carrot; he would only take it from Henry’s hand. It does not make sense to me that Terror would hurt anyone, especially Henry. He loved Henry. Since Henry has... has been gone, Terror won’t eat. Masters is at his wit’s end over it, and Mr.Johnson is furious. He has great hopes for Terror on the racetrack. I’m afraid if the horse continues to refuse food and decline, Mr.Johnson will put him down.”

“Henry would not want the horse put down,” I said in a quiet voice. “His heart was too big for that. He would be upset at Terror’s sadness. Someone hurt the horse so he would attack my brother. That much is clear.”

“But who would do that?” Emily glanced at me. “Someone injured Terror, and if it was not Henry, who was it? If we answer that, we find the real killer and absolve the horse and Henry for being blamed for Terror’s injury.”

Jeremiah’s eyes went wide. “You think he was murdered too?”

Emily turned to him. “You believe Henry was murdered?”

Jeremiah chewed on his lower lip and pushed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. “I do.”

Those two simple words sucked all the air out of my lungs, and I felt faint. The next thing I knew I was being lowered on a straw bale outside of the barn. It was starting to snow and the cold snowflakes fell on my face.

“Take deep breaths. You need to bring air into your lungs and heart,” Emily said. Her face was just inches from mine, and her intelligent brown eyes were studying every detail of my person. “There you go. Deep breath.”

I did as I was instructed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

Emily stepped back. “It was shock. I don’t think anyone ever expects to hear a loved one has been murdered. I do not know what I would do in your place if it were my brother, Austin.” She turned slightly green at the thought.

---