Norb’s eyes flew wide, his hands dropped the brush he’d been using, and his mouth began to open and close.
Zach held the stall door open. “Out now. What is your surname?”
“Me? Tucker,” the boy said. “But I—”
“Quiet, Mr. Tucker. You were told not to enter a stall without the supervision of a groom.”
“But Bert wouldn’t—”
“Bert has work to do. You’re meant to help, not get in the way. Miss Patience expects you to do your duty.”
“Told you so,” Froggy said out the side of his mouth, head hung down.
“What is your duty when the work is done?” Zach asked still peering down at Norb.
“Read. But this is our Algernon. He brought us here, even though it were storming fit to blow him off the road. He wanted more brushing. I’m sure of it.”
“The grooms decide when you are done, Mr. Tucker. You and mister…” Zach peered at Froggy, still hanging his head.
“Morling,” Norb supplied.
“You and Mr. Morling are meant to be reading.”
“But the books!”
Zach held up the sack of books, suppressing a grin when the lad’s face fell.
After rescuing the dropped brush, the boys trooped after him to the space allotted for the Academy boys in the far corner of the cavernous coach house, slumped to the floor and waited expectantly while he dumped out the books onto the bench. Zach had no idea what might be appropriate for those two.
“I don’t read,” Froggy said, shame haunting his eyes.
“He’s getting better with his letters,” Norb said defensively. “I help him. He knows the sounds all the way to L.”
“Lamb, ladder, lady…” Froggy said helpfully.
“Well done, Mr. Morling. And you, Mr. Tucker?”
Norb pointed to the primer in Zach’s hands. “I can read most of the words.”
“Do you know why it matters, Mr. Tucker?” Zach asked. He might not know teaching, but he understood reading.
“It won’t matter when I go out to work, so don’t tell me that. I’m going to work with animals.”
“A skilled groom has to read. What if the horse needs a tonic and he gives it the wrong one because he couldn’t read the label?” The idea was a bit far-fetched but made its point. “But that’s the least of it. You have a mind, Mr. Tucker. It matters. How do you feel when Miss Patience reads about the Robinson Family?”
Froggy brightened up. “It is ever so exciting. I can see myself on a ship or an island.”
Norb shrugged. “I like it.”
“That’s just one story. When you can read, the whole world opens up to you. Hundreds of books. You can learn what you want, imagine what you want, love what you want. But you have to learn first.”
Norb sighed and took the primer. “Want to find the L words Froggy? You find them, and I’ll read them.”
A bubble of pure joy formed in Zach’s chest. He leaned back and beamed at the boys making magic.If only they knew that’s what they did.He let his thoughts drift until the image of a certain diminutive teacher took hold of his imagination.
Dinner.He would see her then. Anticipation gave spice to his day. He could wait.
CHAPTER4
