Ellie and the Prince (Faraway Castle #1)(19)
“How can I do that and still get my work done?” Ellie asked.
Bence shook his head and said, “That’s a tough one.” Which answer was no help at all.
Ellie spent the rest of the morning filling out paperwork about the accident and her actions, wondering how any of it could be useful. If the guests were never at fault even when they broke the rules, how could a staff member ever be right? She wasn’t seriously worried, since the Gamekeeper had long ago made clear that Ellie worked directly under his authority.
But Madame could certainly make her life more difficult.
Ellie ate a quick lunch in the staff dining hall with Jeralee and Rosa, who both ranted quietly about her public reprimand. But the situation was too painful and puzzling for her to discuss easily. “You two are the best,” she said sincerely as she rose to carry her tray to the counter. “I really do appreciate your support.”
Rosa nodded. “We understand. When and if you’re ready to talk about it, we’ll be here.”
“She won’t dare fire you, Ellie,” Jeralee repeated for at least the third time. “You work for the Gamekeeper.”
Ellie tried to smile. “Hope you’re right. See you later. I’ve got to report at the stables.”
At least, she thought while taking a shortcut through the garden, she enjoyed working with horses, though she wasn’t much of a rider. The three dwarfs and two brownies who ran the stables were her old friends, so this “punishment” assignment should be enjoyable.
A few hours of shoveling manure and toting carts of muck outside to dump on a compost heap gave Ellie plenty of time to think. Perhaps a few days of stable work involving no contact with Prince Omar would allow Madame’s displeasure to fasten on someone else. One could hope.
She enjoyed listening while Cog the stable manager, Tea, his wife, and their son, Kai, discussed the arrival of new foals. Horses shifted in their box stalls, and through the open barn door she could see others grazing peacefully at pasture. A sense of deep contentment pushed worry from her heart.
Then a message came from the castle: Six hunters were required for a cross-country outing in thirty minutes.
The dwarfs hopped to work, and Ellie scrambled to help groom and saddle the horses. Like most animals, horses responded well to her soothing magic, so she enjoyed renewing her acquaintance with a sweet chestnut mare called Solvig and a handsome bay gelding known as Dustin.
Just as Kai led out the sixth horse, the riding party arrived, four men and two ladies, all dressed in fine riding attire and safety helmets. Ellie scanned them with little interest until a face caught her eye. Prince Omar looked particularly classy in buff breeches, a black polo shirt, and a glossy pair of riding boots. And on either side of him, Raquel and the Honorable Gillian in chic, snug-fitting jackets, jodhpurs, and boots.
Suddenly short of breath, her stomach aching, Ellie ducked behind the horse closest to the stable, hoping to slip inside unnoticed. But just when she reached the doorway, a familiar voice said quietly, “May I have some help over here?”
She slowly turned. The others were all mounting up, but Omar stood beside the tall gray, his expression somewhere between respectful and hopeful. “I seem to have a problem with the bridle.”
“Of course.” She hadn’t tacked up this horse, but she still might be useful. When she approached, Omar handed her the reins, put his hand on the bridle’s cheek strap as if he were showing her something, then leaned close and said, “I hear you’re in trouble about yesterday. Is there any way I can fix it? You were in no way at fault.”
She shook her head. “Bence says I need to keep my head down for a while. Which means not socializing with guests. I thought you would be at the lake today.”
His expression made her knees melt. “I was, but you weren’t there,” he said. “So now I’m here, and today is no longer a total loss.”
“Omar!” Raquel’s sharp voice called, startling Ellie so that she jumped and had to stop herself from looking around. “Hurry up! We’re ready to ride out.”
He held Ellie’s gaze one moment longer, touched her fingers when he took back the reins, then leaped up on his horse, swung his leg over, and settled into the saddle in one continuous motion. “Sorry,” he said to the group. “Something needed fixing.”
And the entire group rode off, hoofbeats thundering nearly as erratically as Ellie’s heart. Did she welcome further attention from Omar despite the director’s warnings? Yes. Emphatically, yes.
Cog started assigning work. “Kai,” he said, “you and Ellie clean the nursery barn.”
Oh joy. More manure.
Kai was a sweet young dwarf near Ellie’s age, but he always clammed up around her. Shy, no doubt. Today she wished he were more of a talker, for shoveling out stalls occupied her body but not her mind, and her thoughts tended to run in dizzying circles. What could she do to prove her competence to Madame Genevieve? Did Omar truly care for her, or was he merely flirting? He had always seemed more studious than flirtatious, but maybe he had changed during the past year.
Within the hour, they heard a shout from outside. “Are they back already?” Ellie asked.
Kai looked puzzled. “We didn’t expect them for another hour at least.”
They laid aside their rakes and hurried outside to see the entire group enter the stable yard, several of their horses lathered and wild-eyed. The mare Solvig was riderless, while another carried two people: Gillian perched behind Omar on his horse, her arms around his waist. As Ellie hurried forward with the others to take reins and calm the agitated horses, she saw Omar jump down from his horse and reach up to help Gillian down.