But as Rosie made her way over to Pepper’s stable, she knew she couldn’t possibly not think about it. No more Pepper...
“It seems you’re off next week Pepper,” she said, opening the door to his stable. “I know that you’ll miss Sandy Lane, but you’ll have a new owner who’ll love you enormously, and your very own paddock and orchards full of apples to look out onto and...and...” The words choked in Rosie’s throat and her lips quivered as she fought back the tears. She had to stop herself. Anyone would think Pepper was her own pony the way she was acting.
“I’m going to give you a good grooming, let everyone see how beautiful you are. Come on.”
Rosie tried to put it out of her mind and, picking up a body brush, she began to make a start on Pepper’s coat. Taking the worst of the dirt off with her dandy brush, she brushed him until he shone.
Putting on a brave face, she led him out of his stable.
“All ready for our hack, Rosie?” Jess called out.
“Yes, Jess,” Rosie answered, despondently. “Who’s taking it out?” she asked.
“Sam,” Jess answered.
“Great,” Rosie muttered under her breath. “Just the person I was trying to get away from.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well.”
“Do you need any help?” she called to Susannah, the little girl struggling with Horace.
“No, I think I can manage,” Susannah answered. “I tacked him up myself,” she added proudly as she led the pony to the mounting block and scrambled on. Rosie smiled absently.
“All ready?” Sam called impatiently as Hector pawed the ground.
Rosie followed on at the back as Sam led the ride out through the gate into the fields. Pepper sniffed the air excitedly.
“OK Susannah?” she called to the little girl ahead of her.
“Fine,” Susannah answered, bumping along on Horace as they trotted through the fields.
“Let’s start with a canter,” said Sam, turning round to face the group. “All meet up by the corner of that field,” he pointed.
Rosie looked uncertainly at Susannah. She had thought it was supposed to be a gentle, leisurely hack.
“Are you OK for a canter Susannah?” Rosie asked.
“Yes,” she cried. “Lovely.”
“Well follow on after the others then,” Rosie said. “I’ll go last.”
Susannah circled Horace and nudged him on with her heels.
“You’ll have to give him a bit of a kick. Wake him up,” Rosie shouted. Horace was liable to be a little sluggish if he wasn’t pushed. Rosie had found that out the hard way. She’d learnt to ride on him herself and many times she had found herself defending him until she had been forced to admit that perhaps he was a little lazy.
Pepper was a much more responsive ride. He didn’t even hesitate as Rosie asked him to canter. Rosie’s eyes were watering as the wind bit into her face. The horses ahead of her were a blur. Susannah looked as though she was sitting at an angle as they raced on.
Rosie gasped. Susannah was sitting at an angle. Horace’s saddle was coming off and, as she slipped down his side, she clung onto his mane for dear life.
“Help, please help!” Susannah wailed pitifully.
Rosie didn’t stop to think. All she knew was that they had to be stopped. Digging her heels into Pepper’s side she pushed him forward, urging him on and on. The sweat rose on Pepper’s neck as she pounded forward until they were neck and neck with the cantering horse. Leaning perilously out of the saddle, Rosie grabbed Horace’s reins and they swerved to the right. It was too late. As Horace slowed to a trot, Susannah bounced to the ground in bumps. Rosie swung the pony round, drawing him to a halt as she made her way over to where Susannah was slowly scrambling to her feet. Unaware of the disturbance, Sam and the others had cantered on.
“Are you OK?” Rosie called.
“Yes Rosie,” Susannah said weakly. “I’m all right really,” she said bravely.
Rosie jumped off Pepper and walked over to the little girl. She was shaking from head to foot.
“You’re not all right are you?” Rosie said stroking her shoulder. “You’re a bit shaken aren’t you?”
“A little,” Susannah trembled.
“Try stretching your limbs. Do you hurt anywhere?” Rosie asked.
“No, I don’t think so.”
Rosie breathed a sigh of relief. No broken bones.
“Did you do the girth up properly?” she asked gently.
“Yes I did. I definitely did,” Susannah protested. “I double checked it too. It was really tight. I don’t know how it could have come undone.”
“Don’t worry,” Rosie said, seeing Susannah’s distress. She didn’t want to press her. This was the sort of thing that could destroy someone’s nerve and she was such a promising little rider.
“We’ll collect the saddle and you can hop back on,” Rosie said calmly. “We’ll go to the yard, but we ought to wait for the others to turn back or they’ll worry. There they are now.”
In no time at all, Sam had thundered over to join the two of them.
“What on earth is going on?” he cried, seeing Rosie holding Horace’s reins.
“The saddle came off, Sam,” Rosie called.
“The saddle? You stupid girl,” Sam shouted, turning to Susannah. “You can’t have done the girth up properly, can you? I might have known you wouldn’t be able to manage something on your own.”
Rosie winced at his harsh words.
“I’m s-s-orry, Sam,” Susannah whimpered. “I was so sure I had.”
Rosie was furious. A reprimand was the last thing the little girl needed.
“Come on Susannah. I’ll go back to the stables with you,” she said, giving Sam a filthy look.
“Did you have to do that?” she said to Sam as Susannah turned away. “She took a heavy enough tumble as it was.”
“I won’t tolerate you talking to me like that, Rosie,” Sam said in a harsh whisper. “She has to learn. Take her back to the yard and get her cleaned up. We don’t want her mother seeing her like that. And I’ll see you later.” Without another word, he turned Hector in the direction they had just come from. “Come on everyone,” he barked.
Jess looked embarrassed as she turned Minstrel to join the others. “Rosie, are you happy to go back with Susannah?” she asked her friend.
“I’ll be fine,” said Rosie. “You go on ahead. We’ll manage. The ride’s been spoiled for me anyway.”
Jess smiled apologetically and turned to catch up with the others.
“Come on Susannah. Don’t listen to that awful man,” Rosie said, turning to the little girl. “When I had just started learning to ride, I put the saddle on the wrong way round, imagine that.” It wasn’t true, but at least it brought a smile to Susannah’s face as they walked off in the direction of the saddle.
“There it is.” Rosie pointed to where the saddle had landed. “Can you go and get it while I hold onto Horace and Pepper?”
“Sure.” Susannah rushed over and picked it up as Rosie gazed into the distance. She could just see Minstrel’s hindquarters as the last of the horses entered Larkfield Copse.
“Rosie, Rosie, quickly, come here.”
Rosie’s thoughts were disturbed by Susannah’s pitiful cry.
“Look,” Susannah cried, excitedly. “I knew it wasn’t my fault. I knew I’d done it up properly. Look what I just found under the saddle flap.”
Rosie looked at what Susannah was showing her and gasped. The girth had snapped in two.
“It must have been a rotten girth if it broke this easily,” Susannah was saying. “They’re dangerous.”
“You’re right,” said Rosie, edging over to where Susannah was standing. “Can I just take a look at that?”
“Of course,” said Susannah.
“Well, we can’t ride back to the yard now,” said Rosie, looking at the girth. “If you can hold the saddle in place on Horace’s back, I’ll lead the horses back.”
�
�OK Rosie.” The little girl chattered away, seemingly having forgotten her fall.
“Now, do you think you could groom Horace when we get back?” Rosie asked as they walked along.
“Of course I can,” Susannah grinned.
Rosie smiled at her enthusiasm and, as they reached the last field, she opened the gate to let them through.
“If you could lead these two back to their stables, I’ll take the saddle,” Rosie said quickly.
“OK,” said Susannah.
Rosie took the saddle and hurried into the tack room. Once alone, she closed the door and examined the girth properly. It was as she thought, although she hadn’t liked to admit it in front of Susannah. Girths didn’t just snap in two. This one had been cut...and very deliberately cut. It must have been hanging by a thread when Susannah tacked up. But who could have done it? Rosie felt the hairs rising on the back of her neck. Her tummy was tying itself in knots.
Thoughts jostled around in her mind as she crossed the yard. She couldn’t believe how many things had gone wrong in the couple of weeks that Nick and Sarah had been gone. She needed time to think. But time was the one thing she didn’t have at the moment. There was something niggling her, right at the back of her mind. Something that held the key to it all. Something to do with the letter. But what was it?
And then it came to her, as clear as crystal. Rosie stopped in her tracks. Why hadn’t any of them thought of it before? She could save Pepper yet. She smiled to herself. She had to speak to Beth.
“Hey, what are you doing back so early?” Alex called, appearing from Hector’s box.
“Susannah took a tumble. Do you think you could see to her?” Rosie said, speeding off down the drive.
“Sure,” said Alex. “But where are you going?”
“I’ll tell you when I get back,” Rosie said mysteriously. “Just tell Sam that I’ve gone home for lunch. Cover for me if you can.”
“OK,” Alex said and, before he could stop her, Rosie had done a quick about turn.
“Rosie.” Alex’s voice rang out hollowly.
But Rosie didn’t reply. She didn’t want to tell Alex what she was doing. She didn’t want to tell him where she was going. This was something she wanted to do by herself...something she had to do alone.
9
A CHILLING DISCOVERY
Rosie’s tummy rumbled as she jogged up the drive to Beth’s house. It was the first time she had felt hungry in days. It must be a good sign.
Rosie gulped as she stood on the doorstep. It was vital that she explained everything properly and she wasn’t sure she knew where to begin.
“Double bookings, reduced takings, Whisp’s lameness, the missing saddle, the Tentenden entry form, the letter, the severed girth.” Rosie said it all aloud, counting the points off on her fingers. It was all there. There was only one thing she couldn’t explain – the reason why.
Beth would know what they should do, how to go about things. Rosie took a deep breath and reached out for the brass door knocker, rapping it hard against the old oak door. Clank!
Rosie waited patiently. For a moment, she was worried there wouldn’t be anyone at home, but then she heard the sound of feet padding along carpet. Rosie breathed a sigh of relief as Beth’s mother answered the door.
“Hello, Mrs. Wilson. Is Beth in please?”
“Oh Rosie, it’s you.” Beth’s mother smiled. “Beth was wondering when you’d come to see her.”
“How is she?” Rosie asked quietly.
“Oh, much better. Another few weeks and she’ll be back with you,” said Mrs. Wilson, leading the way into the sitting room where Beth was sitting on the sofa.
“Rosie.” Beth grinned warmly. “At last. I thought you’d forgotten me. Hang on a minute. I’ll turn off the video.”
Beth was right. It was the first time that any of them had visited her. Rosie felt embarrassed. She hadn’t even come to ask Beth about her leg either.
“You look worried,” said Beth. “Come and sit down and tell me your news. How are things at the stables? How are the new people fitting in?”
“That’s sort of what I’ve come to talk to you about,” Rosie said desperately. “It’s not good. I need your help.”
“Why, what is it?” Beth asked, concerned. “There isn’t anything wrong is there?”
“I’m not sure.” Rosie took a deep breath. “I think I’d better start at the beginning.”
Beth propped herself up as Rosie started to go through everything that had happened, trying to explain it all as clearly as possible, until she came to the letter.
“And when I got to Sandy Lane this morning there was a letter from Nick and Sarah asking Sam to sell Pepper,” she said breathlessly.
“What?” Beth gasped. “Nick would never sell him, not Pepper.”
“I know, and that’s when I started thinking...I don’t think the letter’s from Nick at all,” Rosie continued excitedly.
“Well, who’s it from then?” Beth asked, bemused.
Rosie stopped to draw breath.
“Well, I think Sam might have sent it himself. You see, it’s typewritten for starters. Why would Nick have typed a letter to Sam? It doesn’t make any sense.” Rosie didn’t wait for an answer before she went on.
“That set me thinking. The letter said that Pepper had to be sold to cover all of the extra costs at the yard...fodder bills, vets bills, farrier bills – that sort of thing. Fair enough. But one thing that was included as an added expense was Blackjack’s saddle – the one I told you about.”
“Yes,” said Beth. “I bet it’s going to be really expensive.”
“It is,” said Rosie. “But don’t you see, Beth? Nick and Sarah couldn’t have known about it. We only ordered it two days ago and a letter takes more than two days to arrive from Kentucky!”
Beth let out a low whistle.
“So even if Sam and Vanessa had phoned Nick about the saddle, a letter still couldn’t have got here in that time. So the letter can’t be genuine, can it?” she said, slowly rising to her feet. “I think I’d better come to the stables with you and find out what’s going on.” She reached for her crutches. “I’ll see if Mum will drive us there. Where did Sam and Vanessa come from anyway? And whatever happened to Dick Bryant? What did Nick tell you about them?” Beth’s questions tumbled out one after the other.
“I don’t know,” said Rosie. “We haven’t spoken to Nick since he left. In fact, you’re the only one who has.”
“I haven’t spoken to Nick,” said Beth.
“Yes you have,” said Rosie, “when you phoned and told him about your accident.”
“But I didn’t phone, you lot did,” said Beth.
“We...we didn’t phone.” Rosie’s cry was strangled in her throat and her face drained of all colour as she grasped the enormity of what they were saying. The two girls looked at each other in shock. If none of them had phoned Nick and Sarah, then who had? Unless...unless Sam and Vanessa hadn’t been sent by Nick and Sarah at all.
Rosie felt a shiver run down her spine.
Beth and Rosie discussed how to play things on the car journey to Sandy Lane and began to make a plan.
“I’d better arrive after you, Rosie. I’ve got to appear to be calling on the off-chance – just to see how things are going,” said Beth.
“OK. I’ll go on ahead of you when we get there,” said Rosie. “And we really must phone Nick and Sarah tonight.”
“But how can we get hold of them?” said Beth. “You said the number had gone.”
“You must have a copy of it though, haven’t you?” Rosie said pleadingly.
“Well, no...I don’t, Rosie,” Beth said sheepishly. “I never jotted it down from the notice board. I didn’t think I’d need it.”
“Oh Beth,” Rosie wailed. “What are we going to do? We can’t ask Sam and Vanessa for the number. Even if they’ve got it, they’ll never give it to us. Should we go to the police?”
“No, we’ve got to find out what th
ey’re up to for ourselves first,” said Beth. “Who’s going to believe us when we don’t even know that?”
“You’re right,” said Rosie.
Mrs. Wilson dropped the girls at the bottom of Sandy Lane and Rosie set off up the drive. A few minutes later, Beth hobbled into the yard, where she was immediately surrounded by excited faces and greeted with question after question.
“Beth, how’s your leg?”
“Have you missed us?”
“Are you back for good?”
Beth smiled wearily. “Not exactly,” she said. “I’d be a bit useless with this thing, wouldn’t I?” she said, pointing to the white plaster cast on her leg. “I’ve just come to see how you’re getting on.”
“Not that great,” said Kate, gloomily. “The takings have been down all this week.”
“Where are Sam and Vanessa?” Rosie interrupted.
“Away again,” Tom said gloomily. “There was a telephone call. They had to rush off...said they’d be back in an hour.”
“I wonder where they’ve gone,” Rosie said.
“Does it matter?” asked Jess.
“It might do,” Rosie said mysteriously.
“Rosie and I have got something to tell you about our friends Sam and Vanessa,” Beth explained.
“Something important?” Tom asked.
“Well.” Rosie took a deep breath. “I think we’d better go somewhere more private. Just in case they should arrive back.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” said Tom. “Tell us.”
Quickly, they all hurried to the tack room.
“I don’t know where to begin,” Rosie said, looking at the faces turned towards her.
“Start at the beginning...like you did with me,” Beth said encouragingly.
“OK,” said Rosie.
And she took a deep breath and began the story at the very beginning...starting with her misgivings about Sam and Vanessa, glossing over the incidents they all knew about already, right through to the letter.
There was a great deal of commotion as her story unfolded.
“Go on Rosie,” said Beth. “Tell them about the significance of the phone call, or rather the non-phone call.”
Strangers at the Stables Page 7