Then, to Georgia’s relief, Melanie strode through the yard gates and, immediately taking stock of the situation, she marched up to Ryan. “I know who you are and I’d like you to get off my property,” she said firmly.
Ryan laughed, continuing to lean against the fence. “You can’t, I’m the sponsor of this pony. I own her.” He glanced at Will before adding in a malicious voice, “For now.” Then, aggressively, he swung back to face Melanie.
“I couldn’t care less if you own her.” Melanie was not easily scared and stood her ground. “Either you leave, right now, or I call the police.”
Ryan hesitated for a moment. Then, gathering up his coat, he turned and stalked back to his car, but not before delivering a parting shot. “Riders like you are two a penny, Will Bowen. Don’t you forget it!”
As soon as Ryan’s car had sped down the drive, Melanie turned to Will, who had shakily dismounted from Santa and was starting to lead her back towards her stable. “Not so fast, young man,” she said firmly. “I think you have some explaining to do.” Melanie glanced at Georgia, who was still in the field with the ponies, and beckoned her over. “Georgia, you come as well. We’re going to sort this out – I won’t have secrets in my yard.”
Once Santa was untacked, rugged and back out in her paddock, Georgia, Will and Melanie sat down in the tack room. Georgia noticed that Will’s hands were trembling slightly. Feeling a little awkward, Georgia twisted a lead rope round and round in her fingers.
“So, Will.” Melanie’s voice was still firm, but kinder now. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“Honestly, it’s nothing,” Will mumbled, his eyes firmly fixed on a piece of straw on the ground.
“Well, it didn’t look like nothing,” Melanie said. “And if you aren’t going to tell me, then I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to send you and Santa back home. I can’t have people like that man coming in and out of my yard. You do understand, don’t you?”
Will nodded, his eyes still down. “Please, please let me stay.” His voice was so quiet, Georgia could barely hear him.
Trembling, he explained that Ryan Cartwright, the owner of Diamond Horses, had been happy to sponsor his brother Jasper while he won championship after championship, becoming one of the best-known show riders around. But that had all changed when Jasper had taken a bad fall at the beginning of the season and hadn’t fully regained his confidence. Every time Jasper competed, he would invariably end up eliminated, or placed down the line. His talent lay with working with the younger horses on the ground, and it had been up to Will to carry on competing the ponies in his brother’s place. But the pressure had been getting too much, and Ryan was tiring of sponsoring a yard that wasn’t producing the same results it once did.
“I’ve had too many last chances,” Will said, looking down at his hands. He sounded close to tears. “I’ll never be as good as Jasper, and I’ve let him down.”
Melanie looked perplexed. “Do you need the sponsorship?” she said in a confused voice. “Surely Jasper must have something of his own after all those years of riding?”
Will shook his head, reddening slightly. “Everything is owned by Ryan – the ponies, the lorry, the yard. Everyone thinks we must be loaded but we don’t have a penny to our name. Jasper never planned ahead. He wasn’t that much older than I am now when he got the sponsorship deal, and he thought it would last forever. I love all of the horses, especially the youngsters, but Santa’s special. If we lose the Diamond Horses’ deal, then she’ll be sold, and we won’t be able to afford to buy her.”
He looked up, his face anguished. “Even with her track record, she won’t fetch much at her age, so she’ll be sold to someone who doesn’t understand her. They’ll just make her jump and jump until she breaks down, and then she’ll end up in market, and then…” He let out a little sob. “We’ve had her for over ten years. She can’t go.”
“Is that why you came back here?” Melanie asked gently.
Will nodded, gazing at the wall as he spoke. “Jasper’s buried his head in the sand, not admitting that we’re going to lose the yard. He’s looking at bank loans and everything, but I thought if I just had one good ride at the Horse of the Year Show – Santa’s last championship – then Ryan might not end the sponsorship. Jasper didn’t want me to try, but he couldn’t stop me. I used the last bit of my savings to hire a trailer and pay Janey for my lessons, but it’s no good, it’s not going to work out.” Will put his head in his hands and muttered, “Ryan doesn’t think I’m good enough, and Santa’s lost her nerve. Oh, I’m sorry, Melanie. I shouldn’t have got you involved in this mess.”
“Don’t apologise to me,” Melanie said kindly. “You poor thing, with all that pressure on your shoulders. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to ring up Sara and get her to send your brother down here. He’s the one that needs to sort this out, not you.” Then, gently, she continued. “Will, you are a talented rider – easily as talented as your brother – but you’re too young to take all of this on. Ryan can’t just back out of a sponsorship deal – there has to be some sort of contract. Everything can always be sorted out,” she said reassuringly.
“As easy as that?” Will said, looking dubious, but sounding hopeful.
Georgia knew from past experience that problems were always better if you shared them with someone, especially a grown-up like Melanie.
Dusting her hands off, Melanie stood up. “Will, don’t worry any more. I’ll make some phone calls, and get your brother down here. Maybe Janey can have a word with him as well.” Then, smiling broadly, she continued, “Tell you what – Simon was going to get fish and chips tonight. What do you say to a yard supper? Invite Emma and Dan over if you want to, Georgia. And call your mum as well, so she knows where you are.”
Will and Georgia looked at each other and smiled, and then both nodded in unison. That sounded like a great idea!
“Now, go and finish off the ponies.” Melanie nodded in the direction of the loose boxes.
Georgia and Will hurried off and finished up the yard chores together. Now that the pressure was off him a little, Will chatted away and Georgia was surprised to find that he was actually a really nice person. All his arrogance and bravado were clearly part of an act. They had quite a lot in common too – it turned out that Will knew Josephine Smalley well and they chatted easily about the riders from her yard and the gorgeous ponies.
At last Emma joined them, blushing and giggling every time Will spoke to her. “Where’s Dan?” she asked curiously as Georgia checked her phone again.
Georgia sighed. He obviously wasn’t coming. And who could blame him, she thought sadly. It was her own fault. Emma raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.
The four ponies watched the proceedings with interest – Santa glued to her new friend Lily’s side. Later, sitting on rugs in the tack room and tucking into the delicious fish and chips, Georgia felt slightly better – about the ponies anyway. And, considering all that Will had been going through, surely she could face riding in the championships, given there was no real pressure on her at all? She sighed. She just wished that she and Dan were OK. Still, there would be plenty of time after the Show to get everything back on track.
Pleased with her more positive frame of mind, Georgia kissed Lily goodnight. Then Melanie dropped both her and Emma back home.
That night, for the first time in ages, Georgia slept really well. With only a couple of days left until the horsebox left for the Horse of the Year Show, she certainly needed it. And waking up the next morning feeling less tired made her feel more positive about her prospects at the Show. Maybe, just maybe, she’d been worrying for no reason, and everything would work out just fine!
Georgia got the text after school the next afternoon. She was waiting at the bus stop with Emma, her school bag held over her head as she tried to keep dry. Dan was nearby with one of his rugby friends. They had been perfectly polite to each other at school, but Dan had just nodded when Georg
ia had told him she was feeling better about everything and was definitely going to ride at the championships. She heard a familiar beep from her pocket and, retrieving the phone, she squinted at the screen. She had to read the message a couple of times for it to sink in. The message was from Melanie, and it was serious.
Have you heard from Will?? He and
Santa have disappeared.
The bus ride home seemed to take forever. Dropping Dan and Emma off first, who promised they would come up to the yard later if needed, the bus continued through the winding village lanes until it stopped just outside Georgia’s cottage. Jumping out, Georgia tore down the overgrown path, ready to change into her yard clothes.
Her mum was in the kitchen, stirring something on the hob with Pip lying at her feet. She smiled when she saw her daughter. “Hi, sweetheart!” she said as Georgia bounded up the stairs two at a time.
“Hi, Mum,” Georgia called, reappearing a minute later in her old jeans and sweater. “I’m off to the yard!”
“Oh.” Her mum looked slightly crestfallen. “I thought you gave Lily Mondays off and that we could spend some time together. I’ve made you your favourite, spaghetti bolognaise. I thought we could eat it in front of the television and have a relaxed evening. You’ve been so busy lately…” Her voice trailed off.
Georgia, feeling guilty, kissed her mum on the cheek. “Sorry, Mum, I really am – but there’s an emergency at the yard. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“All right then,” her mum said, continuing to stir. “But, Georgia, make sure you’re not letting your schoolwork slip. You remember what happened last time?” Her words barely reached Georgia, who was already out of the door and grabbing her bike.
When Georgia shot through the yard gates, she discovered that Redgrove was buzzing with activity. A police car was parked next to the horse lorry and there was a policeman deep in conversation with Melanie, who looked pale with worry. On seeing Georgia, she quickly beckoned her over. The policeman was a kindly-looking man but, even so, Georgia felt herself gulp. She had never really had to deal with the police before, apart from when Lily’s previous owner had tried to steal her back.
“When did you last see the young man in question?” the policeman asked. He had a gruff, but not unkind voice.
“Um, last night,” Georgia stammered. “We all had fish and chips here, with Melanie, and my friend, Emma.” She turned to Melanie, confused. “What’s going on?”
Excusing herself from the policeman, who was taking notes, Melanie told Georgia that after making a few phone calls in the morning, including one to Will’s aunt, she had been able to tell him that the situation with his sponsor could be sorted out and Ryan would back off. Will had seemed happy enough, she said, and had asked if he could stay for a couple more days with Santa, and perhaps help Georgia with her show prep. The last Melanie had seen of him was after breakfast when she left to go into town to run some errands. Will had been happily tacking up Santa, ready to go for a hack over the heath. When she came home, he wasn’t back, but she hadn’t thought any more about it until the afternoon when she noticed Lily pacing up and down the fence line of her field, searching for her friend. Melanie had quickly worked out that over seven hours had passed since Will had left.
“What if he fell while he was out on the ride? Or Santa has had an accident?” Georgia’s blood ran cold at the thought of the pretty brown pony lying somewhere on the heath, or, worse still, having been hit by a car on the road.
Melanie shook her head, pale now. “That was my first thought as well, G,” she said anxiously, running a hand through her dark hair. “But I don’t think so.” Briefly, she explained to Georgia that after realising Will hadn’t returned, she had gone to the tack room to find Santa’s head collar, and found it wasn’t there. Nor was Santa’s cotton day-sheet. Running up to Will’s room, she’d found most of his belongings still there, including his shiny black boots and tweed jacket, waiting for the Horse of the Year Show, but there was a small rucksack missing and a few essential items. It looked as if he’d thought carefully about what he and Santa would need, before he’d set off. Prior to phoning the police, Melanie had called his brother, his mum and Sara. None of them knew where Will and Santa were.
“It seems he’s disappeared deliberately,” Melanie said, sounding shaky.
Simon, who had also been talking to the policeman, placed a hand over her arm. “It’s not your fault,” he said in a soothing voice.
“It feels like it!” Melanie wailed. “I reassured him yesterday that we could sort out this mess but he obviously didn’t think it was really going to happen … and now he and Santa could be anywhere. It’s all my fault. I know he acts older, but he’s only a child, really. What if something happens to him?” Sitting on the mounting block, Melanie pulled out her phone. “I’ve texted and rung him, but there’s no answer.”
She tried ringing again but the call went straight to Will’s answer phone. “See!” Melanie sounded desperate now, showing Georgia, the phone. “Georgia, maybe you could try him a few times?”
Georgia nodded, and promised she would. She felt awful as well. Firstly for being so judgemental about Will when he arrived, not realising what he had been dealing with, and secondly for making such a big deal about her worries over the Horse of the Year Show when Will faced far bigger issues. At least Lily would always be safe. Who knew what the future held for Santa now…
Just then, a huge cream and black lorry purred into the yard. Jumping up, frowning, Georgia shielded her eyes against the late afternoon sun, trying to work out who it was.
A woman hopped out of the cab, smartly dressed in checked breeches. A winged Pegasus and the words Flying Horses Transport were emblazoned on the back of her jacket. She looked as though she meant business. Flicking through a notebook in her hand she turned to Melanie. “Is this Redgrove Farm?”
“Yes, it is,” Melanie said, sounding a little cool.
Undeterred, the woman carried on. “We’re picking up a pony for a Mr Ryan Cartwright from this address. Is she ready?”
Melanie looked appalled. “Ready?” she said in a horrified voice. “You mean Ryan has sold Santa?”
The woman threw her hands up. “Look, I don’t know,” she said, clearly exasperated. “We were booked to pick up a mare and drop her at a new address, that’s all I was told. I don’t care much for the ins and outs.”
Narrowing her eyes, Melanie looked at the woman. “Can you at least tell me where the pony is meant to be going?”
The woman consulted her phone. “Some fancy dealers,” she said, clearly not wanting to give too much away.
Georgia heard Melanie draw in her breath. She couldn’t believe Santa was being sold, just like that.
“You can’t take the mare,” Melanie said firmly. “Not least because nobody knows where she is!”
The woman scowled. “So you mean to tell me that I’ve come all this way for nothing?”
“Yes, I’m afraid it would seem so,” Melanie replied, gesturing towards the policeman still waiting in the yard. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got more important things to deal with.”
Once the woman had climbed back in her cab, muttering angrily under her breath, and the huge lorry had manoeuvred its way back out of the yard gates, Melanie turned to Georgia. “I’ve had an idea,” she said. “If we can just get hold of Will, and I can explain my plan to him, then maybe he will feel reassured enough to come back to Redgrove. Do you mind finishing off the evening stables? I’ve got to go inside and make some calls.”
Still feeling shaken, but pleased to occupy herself, Georgia set to work. Despite the drama, Wilson, Callie and Lily still needed attending to – their straw beds had to be laid for the night and their feeds making up. She wondered what Melanie had up her sleeve. Whatever it was, she hoped it would mean Will could somehow keep Santa. But more than that, she hoped that Will, and his beautiful kind mare, were safe.
The night passed with no sign of Will or his pony.
After going home, leaving Melanie sitting at the kitchen table, Georgia kept her phone right next to her bed just in case Melanie texted her, as she had promised to do if there was any news. But, despite waking up at least five times in the night and checking her phone, there was no message. Eventually, early next morning, and unable to sleep, Georgia sat with her mum and Pip in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea and waiting until she could head over to the stables.
It was the day they should have been leaving for the Horse of the Year Show, but it was almost certain that the dark-green horse lorry wouldn’t be going now. Georgia had been so busy worrying about Will and Santa that, for the first time in ages, she hadn’t given the Show a second thought. It was only because her mum mentioned it to her as she left the house that it was at the forefront of her mind now. Yet it seemed so trivial compared to what Will must be going through now.
The atmosphere was sombre at the yard as Georgia pushed her bike through the gates. There was still no familiar dark-brown head in the stable next to Lily’s. Georgia had started to pack up the lorry in preparation a couple of days before, but as the day wore on and there was still no sign of Will, it looked likely that they would all be staying at Redgrove.
“There will always be next year…” a bitterly disappointed Melanie had reassured Georgia. Not wanting to throw away Georgia’s big chance, she had talked about them going anyway and Simon holding the fort, but both of them knew that their hearts wouldn’t be in it and that it would feel wrong to compete with Will missing.
Georgia couldn’t help but feel guilty – after all, she had wished so many times that she wasn’t going, and now it looked as though that was going to come true. She ran a hand over the soft brown leather of her show bridle, which hung clean, oiled and sparkling in the tack room, and swallowed hard. She knew the most important thing now was to find Will and Santa and make sure they were safe, but even so, a tiny part of her couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself. There would always be other years, she knew that. But now that she was so nearly there, she was scared she would never want to try again, knowing how much the build-up to the Show had terrified her this time round.
The Palomino Pony Runs Free Page 5