Promises in Moonlight

Part 32

Annie's eyes reflected her fear, "If Evie hadn't distracted him, he'd have got me, Uncle Seth."

"If Evie had shut the gate he wouldn't have been there in the first place." Seth muttered angrily. He couldn't believe that someone who had lived all her life on a farm could be so careless . And he expected Evie to protect his nieces and to teach them how to live on a farm.

His grandmother, Annabelle frowned. "Shut which gate?"

"The first paddock, Gran." He rubbed his jaw. "That bull would not have got in if the gate was closed." His exasperation was clear, as he carried on with his conclusion. "Evie obviously didn't close the gate when she went through."

Her grandmother shook her head. "Yes she did, Seth."

He narrowed his eyes and quirked a brow, "Gran!"

"I saw her do it." Annabelle frowned at her grandson. "She closed the gate."

"Gran, the bull didn't open the gate."

"I agree." With a thoughtful look, she went on to say, "I watched her head for the fence. She said she needed to check the posts, see if they needed to be reposted. But I know for a fact, I saw her close the gate. I distinctly remember her turning and latching it." Her brow furrowed as she tried to work out what had happened.

"I forgot to close it." Tina mumbled quietly.

Three pairs of eyes flashed to her. Seth's eyes flashed with surprise.

Tina bit her lip and said quietly, "I didn't realise. I think I just kind of pushed it close, but didn't actually latch it. I didn't recognise that. I am so sorry. I was so keen to speak to Evie. I just wanted to say sorry to Evie." She looked at the older woman, who smiled encouragingly at her.

"About what, Tina?" 

 "I heard someone at school talking about her, and yesterday, I just repeated what they said. To her." 

"Kids in your class were talking about her?" Seth frowned.

Tina nodded. "Yes."  On a roll, Tina spewed out what her classmates had said. "They said she was a wicked, cruel, stepaunt! That she spun a story that she was pregnant, and forced you to marry her.  They said she had nothing so wanted your money. They said she was really poor and took advantage of you!"

Seth snorted.

Not for the first time, Annabelle thought her family should have a discussion about this family. "Tina, sweetheart, if kids at school are talking about you or your family, ignore them! It has nothing to do with them, ok?"

"I know.  But you know it is hard to find new friends, when you move schools!" Tina said quietly.

Seth said , "I know, sweetheart. But why did you tell Evie she is a wicked stepaunt? She has been amazing with you and Annie. She is kind, and patient. She listens to your stories. She ..."

"I know Uncle Seth. That is why I wanted to say sorry. Obviously I did want anyone around, if you know what I mean.." She bit her lip, and hugged herself.

"So  you went to the paddock."

"Yes. I saw her leaving the house and saw her going to the second paddock. She was still there, when I went to the kitchen, so ran to the paddock, maybe that is why I forgot to latch the gate. I caught up with her. She was so kind." Tina smiled. "She said she accepted my apology! Then she gave me a hug and chuckled, and said, as the wicked stepaunt, I could tidy up my room and put away my recently ironed clothes before dinner!"

Both Seth and his grandmother smiled. Tina looked at her uncle, "I am so sorry, Annie.  It was not Evie's fault" She looked at her younger sister, her eyes welled up with tears, "I'm so sorry Annie, I put you in danger. I forgot to latched the gate."

"It's ok." Annie smiled with her usual eleven year old pragmatism, just before she tucked into one of the cookies Seth had brought her. She was enjoying her temporary patient status, with her family fussing around her.

Annabelle smiled at Tina, "I am proud of you Tina. You apologised to Evie. You held up your hand about not latching the gate." Tina felt a gentle squeeze as Seth's grandmother took her hand. "We all make mistakes."

"Well at least there was no harm done." Seth murmured, and wondered how he was going to apologise to Evie for berating her. He rubbed his jaw,  Evie would not be churlish. He was sure about that, given she accepted Tina's apology.  He just wished he had taken the time to find the truth before accusing her about things like not latching the gate.

"How is Evie?" His grandmother asked as she remembered watching Evie distract the bull. Seth shrugged. His grandmother frowned and mumbled as she replayed the scene in her mind, "It looked close."

"What do you mean? It looked close."

"I thought she was getting too close to the bull, drawing his attention away from Annie when he was charging." Annabelle announced as if it was obviously. "I remember thinking, she is too close to the bull, and watched the bull change his course.  Too close,  I thought."

"Yes. I was too far away to make any difference. She had to distract the bull. "

"I know. But when the bull noted her, he turned around  and charged Evie!" Her eyes flashed with concern. "She is fast, I grant you that. But, it looked really close. Too close." Seth frowned in concern, as he listened to his grandmother's tone, "In fact, when I saw her going flying over the fence I wondered if he had caught her or whether she'd hurled herself over. Not sure if it was a vault or she was thrown by the bull." She looked across at her grandson, as the scene replayed in her mind and she was reaching the conclusion she was tossed by the bull. "Seth, please can you go downstairs and check. Check that she is ok. She might need a whisky!"

"She was in the kitchen, when I brought Annie her hot chocolate. So obviously the bull missed. Gran, she seemed ok. "

"Check, Seth." Annabelle ordered but with a smile on her lips.

"I'll go." Tina got to her feet and raced out of the room. 

She was back a few minutes later. "She's not there."

"Well she must be fine then." Seth said with a fair amount of relief.

Some ten minutes later Seth pressed the bin foot pedal and as it lifted and he prepared to toss in the scraps he saw the wads of kitchen towel. Blood covered kitchen towel. He removed his foot and the bin lid snapped shut. He flew out of the kitchen and headed for her room. It was empty. He checked the other downstairs rooms. No sign of her. He popped his head into his grandmother's annex. No sign of Evie.

"Evie was injured." He told his grandmother with clear panic and worry in his voice. "There are blood soiled kitchen paper towels in the bin."

"Oh dear."

"I can't find her." He ran a hand through his hair. Riddled with guilt he found he couldn't think where she would be. Thankfully his grandmother could.

"She'll have gone to Sam and Elsie."  Annabelle got up and walked to the phone, dialled and with her eyes on Seth, she added, "She knows they care about her." She put the phone to her ear and waited for the phone to be answered at the other end.

"I care about her!" Seth all but bellowed and then rubbed the back of his neck as tension knotted those muscles tight. "We all do." He added in a more subdued voice.