Chapter 19: A Ride in Private
Smithy had barely slept a wink that night. Her head was spinning in a sleep deprived stupor as she walked up to her dressing table mirror. She’d spent the whole night thinking of everything that had happened in the Everfree Forest, and the bags under her eyes were the byproduct of it. She’d rattled the events around over and over in her mind. If only she could see that contract again to find a loophole.
She could see in the mirror that she was still wearing Kizzy’s necklace around her neck after last night’s romantic foray with Bladire. She smiled as she touched the onyx charm, thinking fondly about the intimate time she had spent with the zebra. Giggling girlishly, Smithy thought about how much she was looking forward to seeing him again. She knew she just had to find a way to free him so that they could start thinking about their future together.
Smithy breathed a heavy yawn as she brushed and braided her mane and tail. She was really looking forward to several cups of coffee before doing her chores for the day. The quiet of apple bucking would give her more time to think, unless she ended up falling asleep on the job. Today was going to be a good day to bring a thermos full of coffee out into the fields, with lots of cream and sugar to help wash it down.
Hearing a knock at her bedroom door, Smithy knew it was her daily wake up call from her father. “Ya decent?” he joked like he did every morning before opening his daughter’s door. He smiled as he watched his daughter tie her shawl over her shoulders. “I’m glad to see yer up already. I was afraid I’d find ya still in bed after I heard ya get home late last night. What were y’all up to anyways?”
Before Smithy could reply, she could hear her mother calling from downstairs. “Smithy! Ya got a visitor!” she called up the stairs in a sing song tone.
The last pony Smithy was expecting to see standing in her kitchen that morning was Stinking Rich. Her eyes flew open in surprise at the brazen visit. How dare he think he was welcome in her home after what he had done to her!
Sew n’ Sow smiled as soon as she saw her daughter coming down the stairs. “Look! He brought flowers!” she beamed as she put a large vase of red roses on the kitchen table.
Not being fooled by the gesture, Smithy eyed the suave pony with contempt. “What’s he doin’ here?” she asked her mother while giving Stinking Rich the stink eye.
Putting on the good boy act, Stinking Rich lowered his straw hat. “Beggin’ yer pardon fer wakin’ ya so early, baby girl,” he said with a gentlemanly smile. “I just really wanted to stop by and talk to ya 'bout last night by ourselves, maybe over a nice breakfast?”
Smithy could see right through his phony act. “Mama’s got eggs and toast on the stove,” she said flatly.
Her father let out a good natured laugh as he poured a cup of coffee for himself. “Hogs wallop,” he said as he took a seat at the kitchen table. “Why don’t ya two love birds head on out fer some vittles, mah treat.”
Smithy felt as though she was being sold as she watched her father slide a small stack of bits across the breakfast table. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words to describe how outraged she felt. What had happened last night was unladylike, and she was worried that her parents would disapprove of her for getting herself in such a predicament.
Stinking Rich put on the humble act as he accepted the money. “Ah, Mr. Seed, that’s too good of ya,” he said as he pocketed the bits. “I sure owe ya one! Maybe after breakfast I can come by and help with some chores. I bet Smithy could use some help, what with that timberwolf attack last night. Must have kept her up all night worryin’!”
“Timberwolves?!?” the Apple grandchildren said in unison.
Granny Smith nodded in disgust at their question. “Yep, he was tellin’ a tall tale of darin’ rescue to mah folks as an excuse fer why I got home late and why mah dress was so tore up. I hadn’t told mah folks what really happened yet ‘cause I wasn’t sure they’d believe a word I said. That and the fact that I weren’t too sure how they’d react to me bein’ saved by a zebra, let alone the taboo of takin’ one as a lover. Ponies just didn't talk 'bout stuff like that openly when I was younger. How Stinkin' Rich figured out how I’d snuck back inside without mama and daddy knowin’ I was home I’ll never know, let alone the fact I hadn’t spoken a word of it to ‘em. All mama and daddy saw was somepony who was sweepin’ their lil’ girl off her hooves...”
The whole conversation was making Smithy lose her appetite. The fact that her family was eating up this good boy act like the eggs on their plates made her feel sick, especially since she herself had already dined on the fruits of Stinking Rich’s lies. Her skin crawled when she felt him wrap a foreleg over her shoulders. “Wait ‘til ya see what I got fer ya outside,” he said triumphantly.
It wasn’t the carriage that surprised Smithy as she walked out the front door. It was seeing Bladire tied to the back by a harness. The shock alone made her walk out the door wide eyed and jaw dropped.
Knowing that his plan had worked, Stinking Rich lead her to the carriage and opened up the door like a true gentleman. Smithy looked back to her parents, who were waving her on encouragingly. Once again, she was stuck in a situation she did not want to be in, only to go along with it due to what was expected of her.
Feeling the carriage jerk forward, Smithy could see her farm house roll out of the frame of the carriage window. Everything looked almost surreal as it rolled past the window, but Smithy couldn’t take her eyes off of it. It was either that or make eye contact with Stinking Rich, and she was not eager to do that.
She could feel his hoof touching her shoulder, which she shook off uncomfortably. “Why the hay did ya bring me out here?” she complained, still refusing to make eye contact.
She could hear him rustling around the carriage for something, but she didn’t care to turn and look. “Here,” he said as he set a small stack of papers on her lap. “It’s a copy of yer contract. I remember ya sayin’ ya wanted to go over it with me last night. I thought now’d be a good time fer goin' over it together. This way ya can see I'm right in what I did.”
For the first time since the start of the ride, Smithy took her eyes off the window. “I wanted to look it over last night before I signed it,” she said spitefully as she scanned over the contract. “Iff’n ya hadn’t threatened me and taken advantage of me like ya did, I’d be more inclined to talk it over.”
There was an awkward silence in the carriage as it rolled along the road. Smithy was too busy reading over the contract to even pay attention to where the carriage was taking her.
She could feel Stinking Rich getting antsy in the seat next to her. “Ya done yet?” he asked impatiently.
Smithy rolled her eyes at the immature behavior. “What’s gotcha so snippy?” she replied rudely.
She could see him scooting closer to her with that flirty look on his face. “I’d like to get on to more pleasant things to talk 'bout,” he said with an easy smile.
Smithy felt a shiver go down her spine as she turned away from him, burying her gaze into the contract. In spite of the fact that she hated all that he had done, she could not deny how physically attractive she still found him to be. The last thing she wanted to do was be blindly won over again by his manly charms.
As she tried to concentrate on reading the contract, she reached up to touch the onyx necklace hiding under her shawl. She let out a deep sigh as she tried to digest the whole situation, finding a small comfort in the touch of the smooth stone and what it represented to her.
The gesture was an odd one, and Stinking Rich noticed how it seemed to sooth the woman he was trying to seduce again. “What ya got there?” he asked, trying to figure out what she had hidden under her shawl.
Smithy turned around quickly as she tried to hide the necklace from view. “What? Nothin’. Why ya ask?” she said unconvincingly, holding protectively onto her shawl.
The gesture alone told Stinking Rich that she was hiding something. “Ya sure?” he asked playfully as he reached for her shawl, laughing at Smithy’s girlish protests.
It took a bit of effort, but the shawl fell to the floor of the carriage. “The hay is this ugly thing?” Stinking Rich said as he yanked the necklace from Smithy’s neck, breaking the braided chain in the process.
Smithy began to blush angrily as she tried to get it back. “It’s just somethin’ I’ve had a long time,” she said, trying to sound innocent as she fought to get it back.
Stinking Rich was having fun holding it high above his head where Smithy couldn’t reach it. “Where’d ya get it?” he teased as he pushed Smithy away.
Smithy squealed as she jumped for the necklace. “It’s none of yer business!" she hollered. "Just give it back! Stoooooop!”
The shouted command prompted the stallions pulling the carriage to stop in a screeching halt, causing Bladire to smack head first into the back of the carriage. Stinking Rich laughed at the reaction, enjoying the sudden attention the necklace was allowing him. “I bet that ziggler out there gave it to ya,” he accused, glad to see Smithy backing down. He could see her bite down on her bottom lip and look away from him as she tried to think up something to say, unconsciously letting him know he had guessed correctly.
Taking advantage of his size and her guard being down, Stinking Rich pushed Smithy down on her back on the carriage bench. “Well, ain’t this a familiar sight,” he said lecherously, enjoying the sudden panic he saw on Smithy’s face.
Smithy whimpered as she shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t wanna do this again,” she sobbed as she tried to wiggle free from his advances.
Stinking Rich kissed Smithy hard, enjoying how easy it was to control her. “'Bout time I finished what I started last night," as he pawed at the helpless mare beneath. “I bet yer daddy don’t even know I made a woman outta ya, does he?”
Stinking Rich laid his weight onto her chest, enjoying the distressed sounds Smithy was making as he began taking what he wanted by force. “I bet yer daddy’s lil’ baby girl, ain’t ya? Apple of his eye,” he said meanly, watching her thrash around in panic as he held her down. “It’s a shame yer not willin’ to be more helpful to me. Maybe I can get yer daddy to be more agreeable instead.”
The very thought made Smithy gasp in horror. “Ya wouldn’t dare do this to mah daddy!” she hollered defiantly.
At first, Stinking Rich was confused by Smithy's reply, but that look turned into fits of laughter. “Ya sure got some imagination, baby girl!” he chuckled before returning to his violating task. “'Course I ain't gonna have him like I got ya right now. He can’t give me the thrills his baby girl can give me, but I could still get some use outta him. ‘Course, when I’m done with him, them boys in Foalsom Prison can have their go at him. I bet he’s used to it seein’ how he’s been there before.”
Just hearing the words ‘Foalsom Prison’ was upsetting enough for Smithy, causing a fresh stream of panicked tears to pour down her face. Once again, Stinking Rich had her right where he wanted her. “All I gotta do is set him up after I get all the usefulness I can outta him, and I won’t lay a hoof on ya while he’s mine for the takin’,” he explained. “And once I got him caught up in jail, he’ll want somepony to take care of his farm, his lil’ woman, and his sweet lil’ baby girl. A fella with a reputation like his only wants what’s best fer his family, and I’ll get what’s best fer me.”
The whole sordid deal made Smithy feel awful. “Don’t make mah daddy go back to prison!” she begged. "Why would ya even wanna do such a thing!?! What'd he ever do to y'all?"
Stinking Rich couldn’t have been more pleased with how things were going, especially physically. “I need me a nice gal like yerself fer errands and such, and iffn ya do what I ask, yer daddy won't know a thing 'bout what's goin' on,” he explained. “Ya got the good reputation, the nice looks to go with it, and a big enough piece of property fer me to work with. Nopony’ll suspect a thing comin’ from such a good lil’ baby girl like yerself.”
It was difficult to think the whole thing over with Stinking Rich rolling around on top of her. “How do I know ya won’t dump me off in Foalsom Prison when yer done with me?” she asked seriously.
It was a valid question, one that Stinking Rich knew he could once again take advantage of. “Ya could always bribe me with those purdy lil’ eyes of yers, and all them other purdy lil’ things of yers. That’s somethin’ yer daddy could never do,” he said suggestively. "We got us a deal or what?"
Smithy hated herself for doing this, but her family's well being was on the line. "Don't hurt no pony I care 'bout, and ya got a deal," she sobbed.
Stinking Rich began to laugh as he continued enjoying himself. "Looks like I got more than I bargained fer," he moaned loudly. “Mean time I’ll keep this here necklace of yers fer collateral. I gotta make sure I’m keepin’ ya honest with me now.”
Bladire could hear the whole deal from where he was tied up outside the carriage. He shed a tear as he felt the carriage jerking forward, signaling that the sordid deed was done and a deal had been made. Like himself, she now belonged to Stinking Rich. He had spent the entire night trying to figure out how he was going to protect Smithy from his master, but now he wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do at all.