The Amish Buggy Horse BOXED SET Books 1-3 (Amish Romance Book Bundle: Faith, Hope, Charity) (Boxed Set: The Amish Buggy Horse) Read Free

could sell the farm, I suppose." Mr. Koble said.
    Nettie thought on that for a moment. If she sold the farm, she would have money on which to live, but where would she go? This was the only home she had ever known. Nee , she would not be thrown out of her own home. She needed to find work, but what skills did she have? She had a wide knowledge of herbal medicines, but she did not have the trust of anyone in the community. In fact, she didn’t even know anyone in the community, not any more. Her mudder had made sure of that.
    Nettie would need to find work, but how would she get to work? Her horse had been retired; she wasn't even able to drive the buggy anywhere. Sure, there were taxis, but there was no phone in her barn. It was a long walk to the nearest shanty that housed the community phone; she had found that out when she had to walk to call the veterinarian. Without a buggy horse, she was trapped in the haus .
    Panic threatened to overwhelm Nettie, and she fought against it.
    Nettie decided at that moment that she would keep the farm, no matter what. It was her birthright, and she would not give it up. Have some backbone , she said to herself, and then winced as she realized that it had been one of her mudder's favorite sayings.
    "Miss Swarey, are you all right?"
    Nettie came back to the present with a jolt. She wondered how long Mr. Koble had been speaking to her.
    "This is all quite a shock."
    Mr. Koble simply smiled sympathetically, then stood up and handed her his card. "I'll be in touch. My office has made application for a Letters Testamentary to be issued, as you are the executor of your mother's will."
    "Do I need to sign anything now?"
    The lawyer shook his head slightly. "No. The will is currently in probate."
    Nettie remembered that Mr. Koble had mentioned that word before. "Probate - what's that?"
    "Probate is the process by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid in keeping with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." Mr. Koble spoke slowly and said each word clearly.
    "Oh, I see." Nettie's head was spinning.
    "The Register of Wills will issue you with a Short Certificate."
    Nettie simply nodded, not wanting to ask what a Short Certificate was. It made no difference; one thing was clear: she was to inherit the farm and haus, and stray cats were to inherit her mudder's money.
    At any rate, Mr. Koble must have felt it necessary to explain. "A Short Certificate is a document that provides certified proof of the appointment of you as executor of the will, that is, of you as the Estate’s Personal Representative. You need it to gain access to the assets, that is, the house and the farm, and so on."
    A sudden feeling of apprehension washed over Nettie. "Do you foresee any problems?"
    Mr. Koble's bushy eyebrows rose. "No, not at all. It is all very straightforward."
    Mr. Koble made a move to the door, and Nettie followed him out, after she set down his card on the table. It was a clear, spring day, but that did not help Nettie's mood, which had turned to despair and was on a rapid downward spiral.
    After Mr. Koble drove away in his expensive looking car, Nettie walked onto the road and stood in the sunlight. Sunlight often lifted her mood, but today, so far, it was not helping. She had just turned back to the haus, when she heard the clip clop of hooves. I wonder who could be visiting now? Nettie thought.
    Nettie turned around to see a beautiful, palomino horse trotting toward her. He did not seem frightened, but was simply trotting along. When he reached Nettie, he stopped and nuzzled her hand.
    Nettie laughed. "Where have you escaped from, boy?" She stroked his golden neck and his long, white mane.
    Harry, Nettie's retired buggy horse, called out to the palomino and he answered, whinnying softly. "I'll put you in with Harry and then I’ll have to walk all the way to the phone shanty," Nettie told the horse. "Although, who would I call? If I call the bishop, he will visit and ask me a lot more