by Amanda Wills
They passed a farm. ‘That's where my nearest neighbours, Bert and Eileen, live,’ Nina told them. ‘I have permission to ride on their land. We'll be going through the farmyard and then we'll cross the river and follow the line of trees back home.’
‘Are we going to ride through the river?’ asked Jess, her eyes wide.
‘Heavens, no,’ laughed Nina, as they reached the gate to the yard. ‘There's an old stone clapper bridge. We'll ride over that. I'll open the gate. Who's going to close it for me?’
‘I will,’ said Poppy, and they all looked around in surprise, as if they'd forgotten she was there.
‘If you're sure,’ said Nina.
‘Of course,’ replied Poppy. She'd never actually opened a gate while riding - Scarlett always did that - but, honestly, how hard could it be? Poppy kicked Beau through the gate after the others and hauled him to a halt. He stood perfectly still. The only trouble was, they were just out of reach of the gate. She squeezed her legs. He ignored her. She exhaled loudly and booted him in the sides. The cob took a step sideways. Poppy leant over his shoulder, puffing as she strained to reach the latch. Her hand tightened around the iron post and she kicked again. Beau took another reluctant step forward. She was millimetres away from setting the latch in its keeper. She leant even further out of the saddle, her arms stretched taut as she lunged for the gatepost.
Beau, bored of waiting, took a step backwards. And then another. Poppy teetered for a nano-second but it was no good. With the inevitability of night following day, she slid to the ground and landed, backside first, into a freshly-laid cow pat.
Chapter Eight
Things went from bad to worse when they arrived back at the yard and Nina announced that they were going to spend the rest of the afternoon playing gymkhana games.
‘I'll split you into two teams of three and we'll have our own Prince Philip Cup competition,’ she said. Jack whooped and Chloe and Jess high-fived each other. Scarlett was also smiling. Poppy pictured the back of Scarlett's bedroom door, which was plastered with the many rosettes she and Blaze had won at local gymkhanas. Cally looked unimpressed, her mouth turned down in disdain. At fourteen and about to compete in her first one day event on a former racehorse, she was obviously way too cool for gymkhana games. Poppy looked at Beau in despair. How on earth was she supposed to navigate the great oaf around bending poles at high speed when she could barely get him to break into a trot down a straight country lane? It would be yet another opportunity for some ritual humiliation.
Nina untacked McFly and turned him out with Frank in the top field and then opened the gate into the smaller paddock behind the hay barn. It was a flat, square field surrounded by hedges and in the middle were two sets of five evenly-spaced poles set in rows in the ground. Traffic cones marked the start. The children followed Nina in.
‘Jack and Scarlett, you can be my two captains, and I'll let you take it in turns to pick your teams,’ said Nina. Brilliant, thought Poppy with relief. At least Scarlett would pick her.
‘Ladies first,’ said Jack, and Scarlett nodded her thanks. She glanced at Poppy, her face inscrutable. Poppy had a horrible feeling she knew what was coming next.
‘Cally,’ Scarlett said, and Poppy squirmed. It was obviously payback time for being so thoughtless. Cally smiled sweetly at Poppy and rode over to Scarlett's side.
‘Jess,’ Jack said.
‘Thanks Jack!’ said Jess, surprised and delighted to be her brother's first choice.
Scarlett looked from Chloe to Poppy and back again. Poppy's heart sank. She didn't need to be Einstein to work out who Scarlett was going to pick.
‘Chloe, please,’ said her best friend, avoiding Poppy's gaze.
‘I suppose I'd better have Poppy, then,’ said Jack. Poppy's face was expressionless as she kicked Beau into a trot and joined Jess and Willow.
‘Jack's brilliant at gymkhana games,’ Jess whispered. ‘He and Magic were picked for our pony club's mounted games team a couple of years ago. He's really competitive.’
‘Great,’ Poppy replied, forcing a smile.
‘We'll start with a bending race,’ Nina called. ‘Captains can decide who races who. I'll give you two points for every win and one point for second place. We'll add all the points up at the end and the winning team gets to have a free evening. The losing team must do evening stables. All clear? Right, who's first?’
Scarlett and Jack both rode up to the starting line beside Nina.
‘On your marks, get set, go!’ she shouted and Rocky and Topaz set off at a canter. Jack was all arms and legs as he spurred Rocky on, reminding Poppy of a human windmill. The liver chestnut cob valiantly thundered around the poles as fast as he could but couldn't keep up with Topaz. The palomino darted around the poles like a minnow through seaweed and won by a couple of lengths. Scarlett punched the air, her face flushed, and Cally and Chloe cheered.
Jess and Cally were next. Blue was totally over-excited and crabbed over to the starting line, her rose grey neck arched and her tail carriage high. Cally sat quietly in the saddle as the Arab mare danced beneath her. Poppy could hear her murmuring to Blue. Willow stood placidly, her dun ears pricked. Jess looked distinctly green.
Nina started the race and the two girls set off. Although Blue was by far the faster horse she overshot the turns and Cally struggled to keep her balance. In contrast Willow cantered steadily around the poles and turned tightly at the top and by the time they both crossed the finish line they were neck and neck.
‘Photo finish!’ yelled Jack.
Nina, who had been scrutinising the finish as closely as a line judge at Wimbledon, straightened her back. ‘Sorry Jack, the budget doesn't run to cameras. I'm going to call it a dead heat and give both teams two points. So Scarlett's team are still in the lead by a point. Chloe and Poppy, you're next.’
Poppy pushed her hat firmly down over her forehead and gathered her reins. Beau's head was hanging low and she had the horrible feeling he'd fallen asleep again.
‘Come on, Beau,’ she said firmly and gave him a none-too-gentle kick. The piebald cob's head shot up in surprise and he trotted obediently over to the start line. Poppy was cheered. Maybe they wouldn't make a show of themselves. Maybe Beau was an old pro at this kind of thing. But as she lined up beside Chloe and Rusty, Nina gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘I'm afraid gymkhana games aren't really Beau's thing, Poppy. Do the best you can.’
‘Great,’ Poppy muttered again, glancing over at Scarlett and Cally. The amused expression on Cally's face hardened her heart and she whispered in Beau's hairy ear, ‘Let's show them we mean business, eh?’
‘Ready?’ asked Nina. Both girls nodded. ‘On your marks, get set, GO!’
Beau gave a giant cat leap forward, almost unseating Poppy, and she grabbed the pommel of the saddle as he cantered towards the first pole. Rusty and Chloe were streaking ahead and she crouched low over Beau's neck and hauled him around the first pole with brute strength. She could hear his hooves as they cantered around the next two poles, but her eyes were fixed on the furthest pole. She knew the race could be won by a close turn at the top. Miraculously, Beau executed a perfect flying change as they turned for the final pole and suddenly they were half a length in front of Chloe and Rusty. As they headed back towards the finish line at a gallop, Poppy looked over her shoulder to reassure herself they really were winning. But as she did she dropped the reins a fraction and Beau thundered straight past a pole. Poppy tried to slow him down so they could turn back and go around it but it was no good. Beau's blood was up and he was unstoppable. He gained even more ground on Chloe and Rusty and by the time they crossed the finish line he was three lengths ahead. He slowed down to a walk and snorted in pleasure, thinking he'd won. Poppy stroked his black and white neck automatically and kept her head down to avoid Jack's furious stare.
‘Sorry Poppy, I'll have to disqualify you. Beau missed three of the poles,’ Nina told her.
‘I know. But it wasn't Beau's fault. It was mine.’ P
oppy could have kicked herself for losing concentration.
‘Cheer up,’ Nina said. ‘It's not all bad. Beau turned on a sixpence at the top and I've never seen him do a flying change before. Maybe you'll have more luck in the walk, trot, canter and run.’
As it was Nina's optimism was misguided and Poppy didn't win a single race. Cally and Blue notched up a victory in the walk, trot, canter and run, the fourteen-year-old covering the ground on the final leg in easy strides. Scarlett and Jack fought hard for first place in the flag race, but the hours Jack had spent training with his pony club's mounted games team paid dividends and he won by a head. Jess proved to have a steady hand and was a demon in the egg and spoon race. Poppy tripped over her feet and landed face down in the grass in the sack race. Her temper was frayed and her nerves frazzled by the time Nina announced the last game.
‘We'll finish with a relay race. Scarlett, your team is only one point ahead, so if you win this you have the evening off. If you don't you'll tie and you'll do evening stables together. I don't have batons so just high-five each other instead. Best of luck everyone.’
Jack beckoned Jess and Poppy over for a team talk. ‘Jess, you're going to go first. Push Willow as fast as she'll go but don't overshoot. You need to make your turn as tight as possible. Poppy, you go next. Just try not to get disqualified, OK? I'll try to make up the time you've lost. Got that? Come on, let's give it our best shot.’
Poppy scowled and turned Beau for the start line. Jess and Chloe set off at a gallop, their ponies' manes streaming behind them as they disappeared towards the far pole. Willow was the fastest around the pole and Jess was grinning as she galloped back down towards Poppy. Poppy gathered her reins in her left hand and high-fived Jess with her right. Beau sprang into action, his ears back and his head stretched forward as he charged for the far pole. Poppy turned him tightly and headed for home. She didn't dare look around to see where Cally was. Rocky, standing at the start line, registered Beau's great bulk bowling towards him like a black and white tornado and recoiled backwards. Jack kicked him on, his right arm held aloft ready to high-five her, but the chestnut cob refused to move.
Catching a glimpse of Cally and Scarlett high-fiving, Poppy pointed Beau towards Rocky and kicked.
‘Hold him still, you twit!’ she shouted to Jack, as Beau motored on like an equine steamroller. She stood up in her stirrups, leant over and slapped Jack's palm as hard as she could. He winced in pain and Rocky sprang away from Beau and towards the far pole. Poppy swung around in the saddle in time to see Scarlett cantering sedately over the finish line, Jack miles behind her.
‘Well done, Poppy. You really showed them how it's done,’ said Jack, as he and Rocky passed her on their way back to the stables.
‘Hold on a minute,’ Poppy replied furiously. ‘You were the one who couldn't keep your horse still. It wasn't my fault.’
‘Yes it was. You and Beau are as useless as each other. And now I've got to spend all evening mucking out. Thanks for nothing.’
Poppy's resentment simmered as she, Jess and Jack silently worked their way through evening stables. It started to bubble during dinner and by the time they all sat down to watch television it had reached boiling point. She had made up her mind. She was going to find Nina and ask her to swap Beau for another horse. She would point out that she was a competition winner, after all, so should expect a decent ride. In fact, she had a good mind to email the editor of Young Rider Magazine to complain about the fact that she'd been given the worst horse in the yard.
Poppy had no intention of kicking Scarlett off Topaz. Her best friend was barely talking to her as it was. Anyway, there was no need. Cally the expert rider was apparently so experienced in tackling problem horses that it made sense for her to take Beau on and give Blue to Poppy. It was a no brainer.
Nina had disappeared after putting Lydia to bed. Poppy followed the hallway in the opposite direction to the guest rooms and lounge. The first door she came to was slightly ajar. Light seeped through into the hall and she could hear the murmur of a television. Through the crack between the door and its frame she saw Nina sitting at a paper-strewn desk, her back to the door and her head in her hands. Poppy knocked gently.
There was a pause. Poppy stood awkwardly, unsure whether to knock again.
‘Come in,’ Nina said eventually. Poppy pushed open the door and Nina swivelled her chair around. ‘Oh Poppy, it's you.’
When Poppy saw Nina's blotchy face all thoughts of Beau disappeared. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked in alarm.
‘Not really, no. But it's nothing for you to worry about.’ Nina's voice was wobbly.
‘What's happened? Is it Lydia?’
‘No, thank goodness. Lydia is fine.’ Nina ran a hand across her forehead in an effort to compose herself and pointed to the well-worn armchair next to her desk. ‘Have a seat. What did you want to talk to me about?’
‘Something's wrong, I know it is,’ Poppy said. But Nina didn't answer. She was staring blankly at the portable television in the corner of the room. The ten o'clock news had started and the newsreader was talking about the latest Government re-shuffle. Poppy glanced at the reproduction mahogany desk. There were four drawers on each side and a green leather inlaid top, which was almost completely hidden by credit card and bank statements, brown envelopes and bills.
‘Nina -’ Poppy persisted.
Jolted back into the present Nina scooped the paperwork into one untidy pile and attempted to straighten it into some kind of order. She stood up and pulled the heavy damask curtains closed. Poppy took the opportunity to scan the top statement. There was a jumble of numbers set out in columns. By stretching her neck she could just make out the outstanding balance of four hundred and ninety two pounds. Stamped in red over the top of the statement were two unforgiving words. FINAL REMINDER.
Chapter Nine
Nina saw Poppy looking at the bills piled in front of her and her face sagged. She looked ten years older.
‘Is there a problem?’ Poppy asked, gesturing at the paperwork.
‘I've just been going through my accounts, that's all.’
Poppy pictured the man in the shiny suit who had been so keen to track Nina down. She replayed the answerphone message she'd overheard the night before in her head and everything fell into place.
‘It's something to do with that man who was looking for you the other day, isn't it?’
‘It's nothing for you to worry about,’ Nina repeated, sitting down heavily.
Poppy wasn't about to be fobbed off. ‘Nina, I heard the answerphone message last night. That man who was talking about monies due. I was in the larder getting a glass,’ she explained, feeling shifty. ‘I didn't mean to eavesdrop.’
Nina was beaten and Poppy saw her chance. ‘Please tell me what's going on. I might even be able to help.’
‘No-one can help. It's too late for that.’ Nina finally met Poppy's eyes. ‘You really want to know what's wrong?’
Poppy nodded.
‘I've fallen behind with the mortgage payments. My credit cards are maxed to the limit. The horses are due to be shod but the farrier is refusing to come because I still haven't paid him for his last visit. And the next feed bill is due any minute. That man who left a message is a debt collector, Poppy. The irony is, I don't even know who he's working for, I owe so many people money.’
‘Oh, I see.’
‘I mortgaged myself to the hilt to buy this place, you see. Lydia's dad and I split up when she was a baby. I was so determined to give her an idyllic childhood, growing up around horses, that when I saw this place I had to have it. Perhaps I was overcompensating. Who knows? But I thought it would work. I did all the research and the bank liked my business plan. I've had so much bad luck, Poppy, you wouldn't believe.’ Nina ran her hand through her hair. She had kept everything bottled up for so long that now the floodgates were open there was no stopping her.
‘Early on I discovered that the house had dry rot and both barns needed re-roofing.
Then one of the trekking ponies developed navicular and ran up massive vet's bills. Bookings were much slower than I'd predicted and everything has been so much more expensive. I took out credit cards to keep things ticking over but the interest they've been charging me is crippling. The final straw came last week when the bank warned me that it's going to foreclose on my loan if I can't make this month's payment.’
Nina buried her head in her hands again. Her fingers were trembling. When she finally spoke, her voice was muffled with tears.
‘I'm going to lose it all, Poppy. Everything.’
Poppy looked around her helplessly. It was at times like these that she wished she had Scarlett's easy manner, Caroline's natural empathy or her old friend Tory's old-fashioned common sense. She had no idea how to comfort Nina. She stood up and laid a hand gingerly on the woman's shoulders. But Nina had wrapped herself so tightly in her own misery that she didn't even notice.
Poppy nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her dad's voice behind her. She spun around to see his face staring out from Nina's portable television. She'd forgotten that her dad, a war correspondent for the BBC, had been sent to northern France to cover the anniversary of the D-Day landings. He was interviewing a veteran whose lined face was wet with tears as he remembered the events of June 1944. She could hear the compassion in her dad's voice and wished with all her heart that he was here with her. She glanced at Nina. What would he do, in her shoes? He'd stay level-headed and practical, that's what he'd do. Poppy spied a box of tissues on the window ledge and offered them to Nina, who finally lifted her head, gave her a watery smile and blew her nose noisily.
‘Thank-you, Poppy. I shouldn't have burdened you with all this. I was hoping we'd make it to the end of the week before I had to close down the yard, but I've ruined your holiday now anyway.’