He was way back from all of them. He was engaged in conversation with Flossy McArdle who flashed her eyes lovingly at him.
Melanie was now very sorry that she had dismissed Carter's fine corsage with such obvious distaste.
But he had approached her at a moment when she was thinking about going over to Lightning and brushing his mane.
Right at that moment Carter had brought to her his present and a box with the corsage inside of it.
She hadn't even bothered to open his present. Now that she saw Flossy getting his attention at her expense she was sorry she had acted so dastardly towards him.
As she espied them enjoying one another, she was convinced that Carter wished that it was Melanie standing there talking to him.
But his ego had been bruised by her insensitive treatment of his gifts, and he was listening to Flossy intently.
When she first saw them engage in pleasant chatter, Carter was visibly nervous and made an excuse to go.
But then Flossy grabbed his arm and pulled him back to a position next to her and began to talk to him with a heated animation.
Melanie could see her waving her pretty, red-painted fingers and looking at him deep in the eyes as she chattered away.
Carter began to respond to her avid interest. In a few moments he was returning her gestures with those of his own.
He was talking to her with a renewed interest. He was smiling and enjoying himself. Melanie felt a pang of hurt in her heart.
Up until this moment she did not realize how strongly she felt about Carter. Now that another person was aptly paying him attention, the truth she had hidden from herself came home…
She realized now that she liked Carter immensely. She wished that he would stop talking to Flossy and join the mob that was all involved with her.
But then her hair stood on end when she saw the both of them take off together and walk away in the opposite direction.
She tried to maintain her composure and not let the crowd know that her stance had been shaken.
Her eyes remained glued to the fading figures of the two people that were causing her heart to cry out in pain.
She swore that she could see them hold hands just as their figures faded from view and they entered the dense woods.
Bravely she managed to keep her smiling disposition. As she walked to toward the house they followed her every move.
Someone handed her a small glass of wine they were raising a toast to her and celebrating this moment of symbolic womanhood.
She wanted to rejoice along with them but the memory of Carter and Flossy receding into the woods remained in her mind's eye.
The wine, which should have tasted cool and sweet burned in her palate and left a bitter taste in the back of her throat.
She could hear her father's voice above the sound of the throng that voiced its adoration of her with one toast after another.
"Melanie, now don't get lost again. Soon it will be time to cut the cake."
Oh, where was Carter. She wanted him so much to be here now with her. She never realized she liked him so much.
If only he would show himself now. She yearned to see his handsome figure coming out from the woods with or without Flossy.
She was handed the knife to cut the cake. It was a fabulous three-decked affair with sixteen candles burning atop it.
Everyone was smiling and egging her on to do the honors. She grinned falsely for she yearned for Carter to come back to her.
Franklin Barker watched his daughter and she sliced the sweet cake with a graceful motion and her eyes twinkled in delight.
There was no way for him to know that the twinkle was the vestiges of the tears that welled-up inside her from the absence of Carter.
Her moment of crowning glory had turned out to be a bitter pill indeed. She hated her father for putting her through this.
After the first slice the knife was taken from her and then the delicious cake was cut into slices and sent all around.
Everyone cooed about how her father had spared no expense in making sure that his daughter's party was worthy of her beauty and charm.
While the adoring throng busied themselves in eating the delectable cake, Melanie took the opportunity to fade from the scene.
She ate her cake, which was tasteless and went down like chunks of lard and slowly backed off to the side of the house.
When she was hidden from view she dropped her cake on the ground and ran to the back of the house.
She searched the dense woods with her eyes, but could find no trace of the couple who had wandered off into them.
She sat down on a pile of chopped wood and began to cry. Soon she was sobbing and she held her head in her hands.
Her self-pity began to transform into an angered glow. How dare Carter do this to her, didn't he understand her at all?
She hadn't meant to act so terribly towards his wonderful gifts. It was just the mood she was in.
She didn't want Lightning to think that she had forgotten him. She always brushed his mane at that time of day.
She felt all alone in the world. And when she felt like that there was only one thing that could perk her up.
She peered out from the back of the house. The crowd had departed to the buffet tables away from the stables.
This was her chance to go to Lightning. She took one final glance to make sure that no was watching her and took off.
She ran as fast as she could. Her beautiful white chiffon dress whisped from her frantic pace and filled her ears.
It was so loud that she could swear that those people standing by the closest to the stables could hear the rustle of her dress.
But they did not. She opened the door and entered. She held it open a crack to look out and make sure no one had seen her.
Lightning was there and when he saw her he let out a low-pitched whinny that no one could have possibly heard but her.
She went to the back of the stable and opened the door that led out to the woods. Then she saddled the horse.
She mounted him quickly and pulled on the reins to turn Lightning about to lead him out the back door.
The horse let her lead them out of the stable and then took off like the wind when they made it through the door.
Back came that feeling that she loved so much. That feeling of strength and power that only Lightning could give her.
They made their way into the dense woods and Melanie let the horse determine their direction and held the reins loosely.
She no longer thought of Carter. She no longer thought about her father or the stupid guests that plied her with questions.
She was free and riding like the wind on top of Lightning. But the horse was not heading for the valley.
It was off on an odd direction. Melanie let him take her where it pleased. She let the horse have total control.
They were heading for the brook that was just a few yards into the woods and not that far from the scene of the party.
It was in the direction that she had seen Carter and Flossy head in. She had forgotten all about them but now she remembered.
Suddenly Lightning began to slow down the pace. It was a slow gallop they assumed, like they were sneaking up on someone.
Then Lightning came to a full halt. She waited for him to move again but they remained there perfectly still.
She got off the horse and was just about to say something to her beautiful steed when she heard an unfamiliar sound.
It was the sweet sound of kissing. All at once the knowledge of where Lightning had intended to lead her pulsed through her heart.
She eased herself closer in the direction of the sweet sounds while holding her dress so it would not rustle and give her away.
She pulled down a branch of a bush and focused her eyes on the clearing immediately in front of her.
From this position she could not be seen. But she could see the duo engaged in the act of kissing and petting.