The Christmas Pony Read Online Free PDF Page B

“She expects you to serve her tea in her room?”
    Lucy shrugged. “It was kind of my idea.”
    Grandma’s scowl was replaced with amusement. “Oh, it was, was it?”
    Lucy grinned and nodded.
    â€œWell, just this once. No need to tell your mama about it.” She nodded to the stove. “The kettle is hot, and you know where the tea is.”
    â€œI’ll use an everyday cup and saucer,” Lucy promised.
    â€œThat would be wise.”
    Before long, Lucy was carefully going up the stairs with the steaming cup of tea in both hands, trying to keep the amber liquid from slopping over the sides. “Here you go,” she said as she carried it into Veronica’s room.
    â€œYou are an angel.” Veronica took the cup and saucer from her with a grateful smile. “I was just feeling plumb worn out from all the traveling and everything I’ve been through these past few days. I’d say you’re just what the doctor ordered, doll.”
    Lucy smiled happily. “Was it exciting traveling?”
    â€œOh, it was exciting at first.” Veronica sat down on one of the chairs flanking the window and tipped her golden head toward the other. “Do you want to sit with me?”
    Lucy nodded eagerly and sat down. She didn’t want to be rude, but Veronica’s silky, lilac-colored dressing gown and matching bedroom slippers were so elegant and glamorous looking, it was hard not to stare. Outside of the movies, Lucy had never seen anything like them before. She wondered what Helen Krausner would say.
    â€œYou see, I started out my trip with a friend.” Veronica reached for a strand of shining hair and twisted it around her finger so that it curled just like a perfect C beside her dainty pink ear. “At least I thought he was a friend. Marshall told me that he was going to manage my acting career, and that he had connections in Hollywood, and that he was going tomake me into a star.” She looked upward and sighed. “But he turned out to be a dirty rotten scoundrel—a liar and a thief.”
    Lucy’s eyes grew wide. “A liar and a thief?”
    Veronica nodded as she sipped her tea. “Yes. He stole money from me. We got into a big fight over it, and I told him I no longer wanted to travel with him.” Her thin eyebrows arched high. “So he pulled over—right in the middle of nowhere—and he threw me and my luggage out! Right along the side of the road! Can you believe that?”
    Lucy shook her head. “What did you do?”
    â€œI was in shock at first. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Out there in the middle of nowhere with not a car in sight. But then I remembered a scene from that movie—you know, the one I told you about earlier. I was just about to do what Claudette Colbert did, when along came this pretty yellow car. The nice driver stopped and asked if I needed help. And that is how I met up with George.” She giggled. “In fact, I think George looks an awful lot like Clark Gable. Don’t you think so too?”
    Lucy shrugged. “I don’t know who Clark Gable is.”
    Veronica laughed. “Well, you will, doll. Believe you me, that man will be around for quite some time. And I’d wager that someday you’ll see Clark Gable and me right up there on the silver screen together.”
    â€œI can’t wait!”
    â€œAnyway, back to my story. After he rescued me out on the open highway, George and I traveled for nearly two days straight just to make it this far, and then his silly old car had to go and break down on us this morning.” She frowned. “I still don’t know what I’m going to do about that.”
    â€œAbout what?”
    â€œAbout getting myself to Hollywood, of course.”
    â€œMaybe you can just stay here for a while,” Lucy suggested hopefully. “You said you were tired and needed your beauty rest. Why not get some beauty rest