Emily's Dream Read Online Free Page B

myself.”
    She looked thoughtful.
    â€œBut the back field is too full of holes. You’ll have to ride on the road.”
    Emily’s heart leapt. This was even better than she’d hoped. She nodded, afraid that if she spoke she might say something to change Dede’s mind.
    â€œYou are old enough,” Dede said, though she did not sound convinced of this. Emily thought of all the times she’d gotten in trouble lately and been accused of not acting her age.
    â€œYou will have to keep to the nearby roads,” Dede added. “I don’t want you riding through town or going too far.”
    â€œYes, Dede,” Emily said, composing her face into what she hoped was an obedient and trustworthy expression. “I could take him out now and be back in time to set the table for supper.”
    â€œAll right,” Dede said. “I’ll watch how you ride out of the driveway.”
    Emily headed to the back door, careful not to hurry. She could hardly believe her luck.
    â€œEmily!” Dede’s voice sounded stern, and Emily froze, one hand on the doorknob. Had Dede changed her mind already?
    â€œYou must ride like a lady,” Dede told her.
    â€œYes, Dede,” Emily said. She pushed open the door and was out of the house, a grin of triumph wide across her face.

 9 
Johnny
    Out by the barn, Emily called Johnny, and he trotted over to her. She wished she’d thought to bring him a carrot from the pantry, but all she had to offer him was another handful of long grass. She used it to coax him into the barn. The old sidesaddle and bridle hung on the wall beside his stall. Emily wondered for a moment if she could get away without using the saddle, but Dede would be watching her, and Dede had said she had to ride like a lady. Ladies did not ride like men or boys with their legs spread over a horse’s back. Ladies rode sidesaddle with both legs on one side of a horse, well covered by a long skirt.
    Emily dusted off the saddle and placed it on Johnny’s back, fixing the girth strap under him. Then she slipped the bridle over Johnny’s head and buckled it securely. She stood back and looked the horse over, frowning at the saddle. When she’d ridden a horse at the home of their family friends, the Cranes, she’d been young enough to ride cross-saddle and had not had to worry about her dress hiking up and her legs showing. But now Emily was almost grown up.
    Emily had watched the oldest Crane girl ride sidesaddle. The girl had talked with an air of superiority about how it was done, showing off her skill, and Emily was sure she could remember everything she needed to know. But first, she had to get on the horse. At the Cranes’, they’d always had help mounting their horses.
    Emily looked around the barn for something she could stand on. She found an old wooden box and dragged it over to Johnny’s side. She took hold of the reins with her right hand and stepped onto the box, tryingto remember how she’d seen the Crane girl place her body as she was helped up to the saddle. The girl had held onto the pummel with her rein hand, and Emily did the same. She took a deep breath and jumped up. She made it part way, then slid back down the horse’s side.
    â€œDrat!”
    Steadying herself, Emily tried again. This time, she landed in the saddle and quickly placed her left foot in the stirrup and hooked her right knee over the pummel. Then, with some difficulty, she adjusted her tangled skirt. She shifted the reins to both hands and called out with satisfaction.
    â€œGiddyup!”
    Johnny walked forward, and Emily found herself facing the same direction as her legs, off to the left. How could she ride like this? She remembered what the Crane girl had said about keeping her right shoulder back and looking straight ahead between the horse’s ears. She shifted her balance accordingly, and by the time she and Johnny rode out past the front of the