Juliette nodded without complaint and set off toward the house at a run.
Turning back to Lily, Julian let go of her elbow. “I shall go with you. Lead the way.”
Lily did not need a second prompting as he turned from him and set off at a run, lifting her hem as she went.
They ran over the grass and through the gardens, closing the distance between them and the stables in no time at all.
“Ecclesia!” Lily wailed as she entered the stables and spotted her horse lying on its side in the middle of the walkway.
Several horses around them neighed in fright as she and Julian shot past, but she did not care as she fell to her knees at the horse’s side. “What happened!?” She sobbed.
The stall hand shook his head almost tearfully as he placed his weight on the weight mare when she began to wretch. “I do not know, ma’am. I am here alone, and I have done everything I knew how. Mr. Heady will be back soon, but I do not think she will make it that long!” His voice was filled with panic.
“Oh no!” Lily leaned forward and began to examine the mare’s stiff neck as she kicked her hooves.
She is choking…
Full-bodied panic set in, and Lily froze as white foam began to froth from the horse’s mouth. She knew exactly what needed to be done, but not a single muscle in her body wanted to comply with her thoughts.
Ecclesia’s body began to convulse as she fought for air, yet Lily sat back on her haunches, watching in pure shock as her beloved mare choked.
Chapter 9
“Hold her steady!” Julian sprang into action, instructing the stable hand to secure her hooves. Removing his coat, Julian flung it over a stall door before rolling up his sleeves and kneeling beside the horse.
“What are you doing?” Lily asked tearfully, almost sobbing as she rocked on her haunches.
Feeling down the horse’s neck, Julian paid close attention to his fingers before answering. “There is something lodged in her throat. Normally, I would move the horse’s head down, but since she is already on the ground in distress, we must move quickly. Will you speak to her while I work?”
Lily seemed to freeze again as panic filled her eyes.
“She needs you, Miss Prescott. There is no time to waste.” He began to meticulously massage the rigid throat where a lump could be felt through the thick muscles.
Breaking from her daze, Lily leaned forward and reached for Ecclesia’s head, gently stroking her cheek. “Everything will be well, you will see. We will be riding in no time at all…” she said tearfully, running the tips of her fingers over the mare’s large cheek.
The horse whined softly as Julian worked tirelessly, massaging the lump toward the mouth. Neighs of unease came from therest of the stalls as the other horses watched on. Yet Julian remained focused on his task, feeling the rough straw bite at his knees as he placed more pressure on the throat. “It is almost there, keep talking to her,” he instructed Lily when she grew quiet once more.
“Hang in there, girl, you are doing so well!” Fat tears fell on the horse’s face as Lily lowered her forehead and placed it against Ecclesia’s, not caring that her braided bun was beginning to come undone.
“Almost there…” Julian whispered, bending lower as he felt the lump begin to shift.
“You can do it… Please, I cannot face tomorrow without you…” Lily shut her eyes tight and held onto the horse’s head, shifting her neck up ever so slightly.
The slight movement seemed to do the trick as the horse gave a loud cough and splattered a massive lump of feed all over Lily’s dress.
Sitting back in shock, Lily raised her hands and stared down at the green gunk covering her dress. “My goodness,” she uttered.
The mare kicked her legs, fighting to her feet until she was standing up straight.
The stable hand quickly jumped to his feet as well, steadying the horse as he guided her back to her stall.
“Make sure she drinks slowly and do not give her anything more to eat for a few hours. Her throat will be sore for a while. Only hot poultice when she is ready,” Julian instructed. Looking back down, he could not help but smile at the look of shock still on Lily’s face. “Do you need a hand?” he held out his hand to her.
Placing her palm in his, Lily allowed herself to be guided up, looking down at her dress while shaking her head. “I was so focused on comforting her, I did not think to move away.”
Chuckling from deep within his throat, Julian smiled. “I am sorry that your dress got ruined. I should have thought to warn you.”
Lily shook her head with a bright smile as she looked at him. “I could not care less about the dress. There are dozens more where it came from. I am just glad that you saved her. Where on earth did you learn how to do that?” Her face seemed just as relieved as her tone.