Gerard fed the mare some sweets he had taken from the kitchen before mounting her. Whenever he was around, he tried to visit the village near his estate, and he looked forward to seeing the villagers and their children again that morning. The fine summer air blew past him as he rode toward the village a few minutes away from the Manor grounds.
As he rode on, Gerard noted with some satisfaction the lush countryside. The peaceful terrain was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the city life, and Gerard welcomed the quiet it brought.
“Come, sweet girl,” he said, coaxing the horse to gallop faster. “Let’s visit some friends.” A few minutes later, they arrived at the village. The children rushed out to meet him once they saw him, expectant for the treats he would give to them.
Gerard did not disappoint. “Who wants some sweets?” he asked as the children circled him. Gleeful cries filled the air as he handed the sweets out into their eager hands. “Easy Lads, everyone will get one. I made sure to bring enough,” he said when a small scuffle ensued.
“How was the ball, Mi Lord?” a young girl cried as they walked into the village.
“Yes! How was the ball?” the other children chorused.
“Was it all fancy? With all them nice and shiny things like my Mama says?” a little girl asked.
“Did you see any young lady you like?” asked another
“Oh, oh! Would you just tell us? We are dying to know!”
Gerard fought the urge to laugh and kept walking toward the village, hoping that they would get tired of the questions and let him be. They did not. He stopped and got down, so he could be level with them, and he proceeded to address them.
“How about this: I need my horse taken care of while I do my rounds in the village. When I am finished, I promise to tell you everything about the ball that I remember and maybe add some more sweets too. How does that sound my little lords and ladies?” he asked them with a grin. They shrieked in joy and ran back toward the horse.Poor horse, he’s going to have it with the children today.
When they had dispersed, he straightened and then proceeded to visit the villagers. He checked in with mothers about fixed roofs, and had a discussion with the men about the crops, and by the time he was done in the village, the afternoon sun was shining brightly in the sky. He walked back to find the children still near his horse.How were children so resilient?It amazed him.
When they saw him approaching, they ran toward him, and he gave each of them sweets and a few coins to get some pastries from the bakery.
He was surprised when they stood there still. “What is it?” he asked.
“You still haven’t answered our question!”
“Oh, what question?”
“The ball!” they cried in unison. He laughed at that.
“Okay, what do you want to know?” Gerard asked, resigning himself to defeat.
“How was the ball?”
“The ball was like any that I have attended,” he said simply.
“What does that mean?” a young lad of not more than eight summers huffed.
Gerard chuckled. “That means it was so boring without you all. I almost fell asleep right in the middle of dancing,” he said as he tickled some of the children.
“Was it fancy with all of them shiny things?”
“Oh. It was, and one day you’ll get to see it when we have our own ball right here in the village.”
“Really?”
Gerard laughed at their enthusiasm. The prospect of a ball in the village would indeed please them greatly. “Yes,” he replied. “We shall have a grand ball with lots of dancing here in the village.”
“Did you meet anyone? My Mama says there are lots of pretty ladies in London,” said another lass.
“I sure did. I met a lot of people, some old acquaintances, and some new friends.”
“That’s not what we meant!”
“Yes! Did you meet a lady that made your heart flutter?”
