Back To The Past: Jane Austen Fourteen

Bradley pulled away from Jennifer and kissed her cheek. "I would love to kiss you all day but people might think we are misbehaving. We can go to my house and misbehave." Jennifer blushed. Bradley had a sheepish look on his face and said: "I mean I would never do anything to tarnish you. I am a gentleman." Bradley seemed to stumble for words.

"It is alright, Bradley. I know what you mean. " Jennifer smiled. Bradley patted her arm and drew on the reins as the carriage continued on to Bradley's plantation.

Vicki entered the room with a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies. Miles was on his knees and Vicki blushed. OH NO! WAS MILES DAWSON PROPOSING TO MEGAN?

Miles got off the floor. "You remenber, Miles, don't you Vicki?" Megan asked.

"Yes, I do. How are you, Miles?" Vicki smiled.

"Fine, Mamn." Miles had been on his knees kissing Megan's hand. He knew it looked like a marriage proposal. but Megan was already married.

Vicki excused herself and told Megan she and Bill were going into town. The gypsies were yelling and some were singing and dancing. Hopefuly, the gypsies were harmless.

Megan told Vicki she and Miles were going to ride horses. Vicki told Megan the carmel colored horse was gentle and that was the one she always rode.

"Miles, do you want to ride horses?" Megan asked.

"I would love to." Miles would do anything to be with Megan.

Megan and Miles walked to the barn and Jed, the groomsmen smiled at them as he was grooming a beautiful black horse.

"Hi Jed. Vicki said there a carmel colored horse I could ride." Megan liked how Jed was good to the horses.

Jed was a young man with blonde hair and nice looking. Rumor had it that he came from a long line of Vikings. "You want to ride Betsy? She is a gentle creature."

"Do you have time to saddle her up? Miles will be riding, too."

" Can do. Sir, would you like to ride this black horse?"

"Sure. Thanks."

Jed saddled up Midnight, the black horse and Betsy. Megan petted a big brown horse and Miles liked how Megan seemed to love animals.

Betsy was ready and Megan got up on Betsy with no trouble. Miles got up on Midnight and he and Megan rode into the woods.

It was a nice day to ride horses. No rain just a sunny day. Megan wasn't used to riding horses but Betsy was calm and Megan could handle her. Just then a gun shot was heard and Betsy ran like a scared rabbit and Megan could hardly hang on. Miles came up behind Betsy and tried to keep up but Betsy was running rampid and Megan thought she would be thrown off the horse. Megan was yelling and Miles was busy trying to catch up with Betsy. Just then Manolito came up to Betsy riding a black horse and was able to stop Betsy. Where did Manolito come from? Manolito pulled on Betsy's reins and said: "It is alright." He patted the horse as Betsy seemed to calm down. Miles wasn't happy. This gypsy did what Miles failed to do. Megan was calmer but embarrassed.

"Thank you, Manolito."

Manolito bowed. "My pleasure, Princess."

Miles really didn't like this man. "Megan, I am sorry that I couldn't stop Betsy."

"It is alright. I am okay. Betsy is calmer now. Let's go back to Vicki's house. Manolito, thank you again. I will talk to you later."

Manolito bowed. "We will be having singing and dancing tonight. A Gypsy Festival."

Megan smiled. "See you then."

Manolito rode off and Megan and Miles rode back to Vicki's. They got back to the stable and Jed helped Megan off her horse.

"Megan, I will be walking back to Jane's. I am going to borrow one of their horses and ride home."

"Miles, you can ride Midnight home. You don't have to leave."

"You have plans with your Manolito friend later. I am sorry about Betsy and I am glad you are safe. I will see you at the ball." Miles walked off.

"Miles, please wait. I want you to stay."

Miles wouldn't even turn around. He was walking back to Jane's house. Megan felt sad for Miles and herself. Manolito was watching and smiling. He blew on the gun he held. "Good job, my friend." Manolito kissed the gun.

Bradley and Jennifer arrived at his plantation. Bradley helped Jennifer down off the carriage. They walked arm in arm. Bradley took her to the tobacco crops. There were acres ansd acres of tobacco. There were green woods in the back, a big wide pond that was blue and the scenery was beautiful. Jennifer's eyes got big. "Wow! Tobacco Heaven. Am I glad I met you!"

Bradley twirled Jennifer around. There were five men tending tobacco crops and they looked at the couple and smiled. You could smell tobacco and anyone who smoked loved the smell. Bradley and Jennifer walked down the rows of tobacco.

"Bradley, does your family smoke tobacco?"

"Dad does. Mom and Rachael, my sister don't. You are the only woman I met who smokes. It is unconsidered unethical for women to smoke but I don't believe in that rules."

"I am glad." Jennifer's smile lit up Bradley's heart.

Just then someone yelled. "Help! Some of the tobacco plants are on fire!"

Some men grabbed buckets and took them to the pond and filled them. Other men filled their hats with water and poured water on thr burning plants. Jennifer took a blanket off one of the horses and put out a burning tobacco plant. She smiled. Yes! Those boring Fire Prevention Meetings had paid off. She looked up the hill to the woods and saw Calin! He tipped his hat and rode way. Jennifer was mad. Oh no! Did he start this fire? Luckily, the fire was out and the plants were safe except for a few. Calin had followed her and Bradley and started a fire. Jennifer couldn't tell Bradley. She hated keeping a secret but she would tell Calin off. Gypsies! Calin wasn't trust worthy.

"Are you alright? Hey! Thanks for helping. Where did you learn the trick about the blanket?"

Jennifer smiled at Bradley. "I just thought that it couldn't hurt."

"Let's go have lunch. Shall we?" Bradley offered Jennifer his arm and she took it. They walked to the house.

"How on earth did that fire start? I am having men stay on guard all day and tonight, too." Bradley had never had a problem like this before.

Jennifer was quiet but still mad at Calin. She hoped Calin didn't hurt Bradley as they enjoyed a dinner of roast beef.

"Would you like to stay here tonight? You could stay in Rachael's room."

"I would like that." Jennifer wanted to get back to Vicki's to talk to Calin but she felt she should stay at Bradley's. She wished she could use her cell to call Megan. How did people survive without phones in this time period?

After lunch, Jennifer and Bradley want back to the plantation. All was quiet. One of the men told Bradley that one of the workers had seen fresh horse prints in the woods. Bradley wandered who his enemy was. Jennifer thought about telling Bradley but the gypsies had the power to send her and her friends back to the present . Jennifer didn't want to mad the gypsies mad. If she did, she and her friends would never get home.

One of the groomsmen came up to Bradley and told him that one of the horses was missing. A red colored one. Jennifer thought OH GREAT! CALIN! She had seen him riding a big red horse. This day kept getting better and better!

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