“I got to go before they wake up over at the Big House,” I say. I lean in and kiss him. The way he looks at me makes me feel like I could float right up to the clouds.

Soon as I take two steps into the yard, Master’s there with his dander up, ready to bite my head off. I got no business being over here when my quarters are clear over on the other side of the yard.

“What are you doing over here?” he shouts, fit to burst.

I don’t know what to say. I can’t think why he’s out so early. Normal times, he ain’t even started on his breakfast yet.

“We looked for you last night,” he says, mad as the Devil. “Where have you been?”

I open my mouth like I’m fixing to give my excuse, but I can’t think of the first thing.

“You weren’t in with Bessie and she couldn’t say where you had gone.”

“Oh. Well, sir,” I stammer. My eyes is hopping around the yard trying to light on something that will give me an idea what to say. “I just… uh…”

“She was with me,” I hear Henry say from behind me, and everything goes real still.

“With you?” Master spits out. His face goes right through red and straight into purple.

“Yes, sir. That’s right,” Henry says. He steps up next to me with his chest out, his head high. I could faint dead on the spot.

From the stables behind the coach house, Red comes striding over. I shake my head for him not to get mixed up in this.

“Master,” says Red. “It was the horses.”

We all turn to look at him and not one of us know what he’s talking about.

“You see, Master, one of Mister Taylor’s horses is sick and Sarah knows about the healing herbs.”

“A horse?” Master says, which is what I’m thinking too.

“Yes, sir.” He lies like he was born to it. “I was in and out half the night myself fetching water and making up a fire for boiling.”

“Boiling herbs?”

“Yes, sir. That gal can make all kind of ointments and healing drinks with them plants of hers.”

Master looks over at me again, but now he’s only red. “I don’t want you giving herbs to my horses, you hear? You could make things worse.”

“Oh, no, sir,” Red says, ’cause I still can’t find my tongue. “It was just Mister Taylor’s horse. Your horses’re just fine.”

I nod at what he’s saying. Can’t do much else, and I wait to see what Master’s going to say to that. And I pray Henry don’t say nothing else.

“Well, Thomas needed you,” he says. “And you should have left word with Bessie what you were up to so that we could have fetched you.”

“Yes, sir,” I say. “Sorry, sir.” I don’t let my eyes go no higher than his knees.

“Red, ride out to the doctor and ask him to come by today to see Thomas.”