In Which the Stable Boys' History Is Not Revealed …
A word, please, about Bump, Blight, and Blemish before we move on.
From whence came they, you may ask. Were they orphans? Brothers? Royal princes hidden away to protect them from the scheming archduke who had seized control of the throne?
They did not know. They'd all been working in the Luggertuck stables as long as they could remember. Oddly, none of the older stable boys, nor even the stable master for that matter, could remember when they arrived.
A rumor among some of the ruder servants was that Blight and Blemish were twins who were given away by their parents because they were so ugly. While it is true that they had a certain toadlike appearance, I cannot imagine that their own mother would have thought them ugly.
As for Bump, there was a rumor that he was raised by wolves. I find that very hard to believe.
Bump had lots and lots of friends among the servants, but Horton was his very best friend.
Sometimes, after he finished his work in the stables—and, more important, after Miss Neversly had gone to bed—Bump sneaked into the kitchen and helped Horton wash the piles and piles of dirty dishes.
That's what he did the night of the Loosening.
"Hort! You'll never, ever, ever guess what I just saw," Bump chattered excitedly. "Old Crotty and Footman Jennings walking in the garden."
"What?" cried Horton.
"Yep, holding hands."
"There's many strange things going on today, Bump," said Horton, "but that's the best I've heard yet. He's been in love with her for years."
"What do you think will happen next?" asked Bump.
"Who knows," said Horton. "Maybe you'll fall in love."
"Me?" squeaked Bump. "Forget it. I bet it'll be you."
"Hmmph, not very likely," said Horton. And he didn't say anything else for a while.
What he said had been true and he knew it, and it made him sad. It wasn't very likely that he'd fall in love. In fact, nothing was very likely except that the next day he'd be in the kitchen again and the day after that and the day after that.
But Horton wasn't one to mope. It's true that he didn't have a lot of occasions to smile, but it was rare indeed to see him frown.
He turned his attention to making Bump laugh.
"Maybe Miss Neversly will be next," he said. "Maybe she'll fall in love."
What a thought! Mean old Miss Neversly in love. Why, that would be …an Unprecedented Marvel.
