My love, Anthea said to him. She put a hand on either cheek and gazed into his eyes. My darling.
Beloved, he answered. The herd stallion wishes to leave soon. He wishes to take the New King back to the farm. Florian hung his head. I do not know that I am strong enough to carry you home yet.
I would never leave you, Anthea told him.
Hello, noble Florian. The queen had come alongside them. Will you stay awhile with your dear girl and let her teach me to ride?
I would be honored, Beloved of Holly, he said.
Anthea gaped at Queen Josephine. The queen laughed. She pulled a thin chain from her own bodice, and flashed a tiny horseshoe charm at Anthea before tucking it away quickly.
“Now, Miss Thea, I thought you had guessed all my secrets,” the queen whispered. “Especially since I thought all Rose Academies taught that I come from a small estate far to the north. And that before I married, I was a magTaran, like young Finn.” Her bright blue eyes twinkled at Anthea.
“That’s enough of that,” the king announced. “No more whispering, and no more animals. For now.” He dusted off his hands, even though he hadn’t touched one of the horses. “I have much to think about.” He began to stride back toward the house.
“Don’t worry, we’ll steer him in the right direction,” the queen whispered.
“Let’s all have lunch,” she called to the others.
She looped her arm through Anthea’s and began to lead her back. Anthea looked over her shoulder at Jilly, who gave Caesar one last pat before coming.
“If it’s all right, Your Majesty,” Finn said. “I need to eat quickly. I think Constantine had better have a run before he causes trouble.”
“And I actually have my appetite back,” Anthea said, with some surprise.
She felt a smile blooming across her face for the first time in weeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she sneaked a peek of the queen’s silver chain, and her smile broadened.
“Ugh, don’t talk about food,” Jilly said, coming up on her other side. “I was thinking I was hungry, and suddenly in my mouth I could taste hay.” She made a face.
Finn stopped dead and spun around to stare at Jilly. “You could taste hay? Just now?”
He turned to look back at the paddock. Caesar was hanging over the makeshift fence, looking longingly after Jilly. Caesar snorted and tossed his mane. Jilly sneezed and then shook her glossy curls. Finn turned to Anthea, his eyes wide.
Anthea started to laugh.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book has been on a long road.
It started as an idea I had when I was twelve and wanted a horse of my own so badly! I wrote it down in a Cabbage Patch Kids diary and hid it away, but I never forgot the basic elements of a girl, her horse, and her wicked uncle. It reemerged in my brain more than twelve years ago, as an alternate-timeline World War I story I called “Horse Brigade,” and the first chapters became my go-to piece to read at sci-fi conventions. (If you have heard me read this, prior to 2017, please shoot me an email. I owe you cookies!) But it took much more work, and many, many drafts, not to mention brainstorming sessions with my awesome editor and long-suffering agent, before it became the book you hold in your hands.
So, first of all, a huge, huge thank you to Mary Kate Castellani, my fabulous editor and the person who realized that I had signed a contract for this book years ago and then forgotten about it! Thank you, too, for the many phone calls and emails and your encouragement and enthusiasm. You are awesome!
Thank you and many hugs to Amy Jameson, my agent, who has stood by me and this book the whole way. Thank you for always knowing the best places to eat, especially where the good tacos are. And the biggest thank you for that time you read this book in an hour because something was horribly awry, only to find I had sent the wrong draft. I’m so sorry.
Special thanks to the whole darn team at Bloomsbury! You guys always make me feel like a rock star, and who doesn’t like to feel like a rock star? So big hugs and air-kisses to Erica Barmash, Anna Bernard, Bethany Buck, John Candell, Beth Eller (who I think was the first one to say, You wrote a book about horses? Why have I not seen it?), Cristina Gilbert, Courtney Griffin, Melissa Kavonic, Cindy Loh, Donna Mark, Elizabeth Mason, Shae McDaniel, Brittany Mitchell, Oona Patrick, Emily Ritter, Claire Stetzer, and Ellen Whitaker! It does indeed take a lot of people to make a great book!
Thanks to my family, all of you. Yes, even the children, who have finally learned to respect my office door. Deadlines affect the whole family, and the writing of every book is unique, and uniquely crazy. But my family are all such troopers. I love each and every one of you, and not just because you are my biggest cheering section.
I always imagined that I would write something poignant in this book, some love letter to my fellow horse lovers. I did my best with the dedication, but find that I am having a stupor of thought when it comes to writing anything more, so just let me say this:
If you’ve ever pored over books of horse breeds, trying to decide which one is “best.” If you’ve ever searched ads for affordable saddles, even though you don’t have a horse to put one on. If you’ve ever wanted to go riding across a green field on the back of a horse, with the wind in your hair … this is your book. Yours, and mine. I’m sorry it took so long.
BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN’S BOOKS
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First published in the United States of America in May 2018
by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Text copyright © 2018 by Jessica Day George
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: George, Jessica Day.
Title: The Rose legacy / by Jessica Day George.
Description: New York : Bloomsbury, 2018.
Summary: Orphaned Anthea Thornley hopes to finally find a home with her long-lost uncle, but she soon learns not only that he secretly breeds forbidden horses, but that she can communicate with them.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017034364 (print) • LCCN 2017045618 (e-book)
ISBN 978-1-59990-647-8 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-68119-694-7 (e-book)
Subjects: | CYAC: Fantasy. | Human-animal communication—Fiction. | Horses—Fiction. | Orphans—Fiction. | Uncles—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.G293317 Ro 2018 (print) | LCC PZ7.G293317 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017034364
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The Rose Legacy Page 18