The snow had thawed overnight and the country lanes had turned into mud-spattered slush. Most of the girls in my class complained about wet feet and cold fingers during the long morning walk to the village church and back, but I had other things on my mind.

Sarah and I were going to ride to Uppercliffe Farm that afternoon, and before our visit to the farm, I was going to have the first of the riding lessons that Dad had arranged. To be truthful, I wasn’t crazy about being on horseback again. Horses are unpredictable, aren’t they? It’s dangerous…. I had tried to shrug off Harriet’s silly comments, but my stomach had begun to flutter with nerves. Although I could sit on a pony and jog over the moors, I didn’t really know how to ride properly. I hoped the teacher wouldn’t expect me to gallop, or jump, or do anything fancy. I wasn’t afraid of swimming in the roughest seas, but I hadn’t been brought up around horses and I would never be entirely comfortable with them.

After lunch, I went up to the dorm to change, pulling on the smooth new jodhpurs and shiny riding boots that Dad had given me at Christmas. I felt for my necklace under my sweatshirt.

“Agnes?” I hesitated. “Agnes, tell me, am I doing the right thing? Should I take it to Uppercliffe?” The thin curtains around my bed stirred, as though blown by a breeze from the moors, and I heard the echo of a sigh. Then there was silence, except for the urgent beating of my heart.

Sarah would be waiting. I had to go.

I swung out of the dorm and clattered down the marble steps and reached the second floor, where the staff quarters were. Miss Scratton was locking the door to one of the rooms. She looked up and saw me, then beckoned me over.

“I hear you are going out riding with Sarah? She made a request last night for you to ride over the moors together this afternoon.”

“Um, yes…”

“Be careful that you don’t stay out too long. It’s getting colder again, and I believe that more snow is on its way.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine, Miss Scratton.”

“I understand that your grandmother’s funeral took place over the holidays,” she said, quiet and grave as usual. “Death is very hard for the young. Let me know if there is anything we can do.”

She seemed to look at me with genuine pity in her cool, intelligent eyes. For a moment, her kindness threatened to unnerve me. Part of me wanted to talk to her, tell her all about Frankie, and to be soothed and comforted. I felt confused by the image I’d had of Miss Scratton in my dream, reaching out to grasp the Talisman. It didn’t fit with this apparently concerned teacher who stood in front of me. I forced myself to smile calmly.

“Thank you. But I’m okay.”

“I have no doubt of it,” she replied softly. “There is an ancient saying: ‘The heart grieves, but the wise man does not seek out the dead.’ Remember that, Evie. Don’t—”

Just then, Miss Dalrymple emerged from one of the second-floor rooms, smiling and nodding and dabbing the corner of her mouth with a tiny lace handkerchief. “Going riding, Evie? Splendid! I’m sure Miss Scratton here could give you some good advice. She’s a marvelous horsewoman, quite marvelous.” The fussy, overbearing teacher smirked as she bestowed her compliment. “Indeed, Miss Scratton’s advice on any subject would be invaluable.”

A flash of irritation seemed to play across Miss Scratton’s narrow features, but she smoothed it away. “What nonsense! I haven’t ridden for years. You’d better get along, Evie. And as I was going to say, don’t run on the stairs.”

I made my way out of the building and across the stable yard. What had Miss Scratton been about to say? Don’t what? It had nothing to do with running on the stairs, I could have sworn. And how much had Miss Dalrymple overheard? The wise man does not seek out the dead…. Had Miss Scratton been talking about Frankie—or about Sebastian? But that would be impossible, unless—unless what? If she were one of the Dark Sisters and knew about Sebastian she would hardly want to give me advice. I kicked a pebble across the cobbles and shoved my hands in my pockets, deep in thought.

“Hey!”

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” I had walked straight into a tall, athletic-looking boy. He was about eighteen years old, with corn-colored hair and an amused expression. I stepped back and drew breath. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“It’s okay, no worries.” The boy smiled. “I love being treated as though I don’t exist. Invisible man, that’s me.”

“No, it wasn’t that. I mean, I know who you are,” I babbled. “You’re…um…Josh, aren’t you? And you—”

“Help out in the stables, yeah. Don’t worry; you can walk into me anytime.”

I blushed, though I didn’t quite know why. Josh, on the other hand, seemed to be entirely at his ease.

“Well, I’d better go,” I said idiotically. “Mustn’t be late for my riding lesson.”

“No,” he said, smiling again. “Well, I hope you enjoy it.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I hurried over to Bonny’s stall and saddled her up with fumbling, inexpert hands. I was surprised that Sarah hadn’t come to help me, but I guessed she would be along soon. Struggling with the last buckle, I finally got the saddle and bridle on and led Bonny out through the yard to the practice paddock that lay beyond it. Sarah was already there, fussing over a quiet gray horse that was tethered to the rails, and talking to Josh.

Sarah looked happy and animated, and I felt that I had never really seen her so clearly before. I hadn’t realized how pretty she was. With a stab of surprise, I saw that the glow in her eyes was because of Josh, and the next moment blamed myself for having been so stupid as to not notice something so important about my best friend.

At the far side of the paddock Harriet was shivering alone in the cold, looking like a kid who had no one to play with. She had evidently ignored my advice about trying to get to know her classmates. I sighed. I really didn’t want her watching my first efforts with the riding instructor. And although Sarah might be delighted to see Josh, I wasn’t that keen on his seeing me making a fool of myself with my beginner’s efforts. Why had I ever agreed to these lessons?

Sarah turned and waved to me. “Hey, Evie, are you all ready?”

“I guess so. Where’s this Mrs. Parker, or whatever her name is?” I grumbled. “She’s supposed to be here right now.”

Josh straightened up. “I’m Mrs. Parker,” he said with a grin. “At least, I am for the moment.”

I must have looked confused, as he explained, “Judith Parker is my mom. She gives the horse riding lessons here at Wyldcliffe, but she sprained her wrist a couple of days ago. So you’ll have to put up with me.”

“I’m not sure—”

“Don’t worry; I’ve got my basic teaching certificates. I won’t let you break your neck.”

“Oh, okay then,” I said ungraciously. I led Bonny into the practice ring and scrambled up onto her back.

“No, not like that. Let’s start right from the beginning.” Very patiently, he showed me how to mount properly, how to sit up straight but relaxed, and how to grip the pony’s sides with my knees.

The hour flew by. Josh was a good teacher, and when he got up onto his gray horse to demonstrate something, I couldn’t help noticing the grace and confidence of his supple body. At one point he had to correct my posture and I felt his hand, warm and strong in the small of my back. And all the time I sensed Sarah watching Josh with her steady gaze, and Harriet watching all of us like a starving child….

I was glad when the lesson ended.

“You’ve done well,” said Josh. “I think we’ll make a horsewoman of you eventually.”

“I just want to stay on and not make a complete idiot of myself.”

“Oh, I think you can do better than that.” He smiled as I dismounted. “Much better.”

“Josh! Where have you been?” An angry voice cut across the damp, cold air. “I’ve been waiting for you to saddle Sapphire for me forever!”

Celeste was staring at us indignantly from the path that led to the stables.

“You could try saddling her yourself, you know,” snapped Sarah. “It wouldn’t kill you.”

“My father pays full livery fees,” Celeste fumed, “and I expect—”

“It’s okay; I’ll come and do it,” Josh said. “Evie’s lesson ran over a bit, that’s all.” He turned to me and said, “Same time next week?”

“Mmm, yes, I mean, if your mom’s arm isn’t better.”

He gave me an amused look, a gleam of admiration in his eyes. “Oh, I think she might have to rest it for quite a while.” Then he began to stride away after Celeste, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to Sarah. “See you around, Sarah.”

For a fraction of a second Sarah looked disappointed by his casual manner, but she hid it almost instantly with a cheerful smile. “Yeah, see you.”

We set off for Uppercliffe Farm, both lost in our thoughts. I trotted cautiously on Bonny, while Sarah rode confidently on her other pony, Starlight.

“So have you known Josh long?” I asked, as we left the school gates behind and began to climb a narrow path that wound over the moors.

“Three or four years, since I started at Wyldcliffe. Josh was always hanging around the stables, doing jobs for the old groom who used to be here. He still thinks of me as a pony-mad kid.” She flashed me an odd look. “I’m not the kind of girl guys notice. I’m not like you.”

I felt uncomfortable, as though I had trespassed on something private. I tried to think of something to say. “He seems a really good rider.”

“One of the best,” Sarah replied, her face lighting up again. “He’s done tons of shows and competitions, but you need money to take it seriously. So he helps his mom with her riding school and works at Wyldcliffe. I think if he can’t do riding professionally he wants to study to be a veterinarian. He’s…well, he’s a nice guy.” She stopped herself, then frowned. “I don’t know how he can put up with the attitude he gets from people like Celeste. He’s not a servant, and she’s not a princess, whatever she might think. He’s worth a million times more than she is.”

She suddenly urged Starlight on and went ahead over the wet ground. I hadn’t heard Sarah talk like that before. Why hadn’t I noticed before the warmth in her eyes and the light in her face when she spoke to him? I tried to remember the times I had seen her and Josh together last term. He had been down at the stables, I remembered, always with that same laid-back smile and athletic grace under his scruffy riding clothes, but I hadn’t seen him showing any special attention to Sarah. Perhaps he did still think of her as a kid, or perhaps he felt that the Wyldcliffe students were off-limits, too stuck-up and snobby to be interested in a stable boy. Whatever the reason, I could see clearly now that Sarah liked him, and was suffering over it.

I hoped I had been mistaken about the admiration in his eyes when he had looked at me. I wasn’t interested in Josh and I would hate to upset Sarah. It probably hadn’t meant anything, I told myself. Forget it. Getting to Uppercliffe was all that mattered. I urged my pony to keep up with Sarah, and as I jogged over the wintry hills, the Talisman knocked against my heart.