I bit my tongue, shrugging at Sally and went to tack up her horse, determined to speak to Hilary later.
* * *
I’d become somewhat spoiled by having one to one tuition with Hilary. It was clear her attention was firmly on Olivia now. I circled the arena having set my horse up to jump a warm-up oxer which had been placed in the centre of the arena when, during my approach, I was cut off by Olivia who crossed my line. I called out, just to have her tell me I was too slow and should be more competitive if I wanted to succeed. The rest of the three-hour session was very similar with Miss Wright-Turner showing a total disregard for arena etiquette or even basic manners as she totally ignored anything I was doing and had forcefully ridden into my horse at one stage yelling abuse at me for getting in her way.
By the end of the session, I was exhausted, not least from biting my tongue and resisting saying what I wanted to. I brought my horse down to the yard, Sally leading Olivia’s as she had decided the work was done and so deserved lunch, she was last seen driving her white convertible BMW towards Harrogate.
As Sally and I returned to the tack room I could feel the tension. There was a movement behind us and Hilary stepped into the room.
“I know what you are going to say…”
“Do you?” Sally snapped. “You are pandering to that stuck-up cow! She is either here to work or she can piss off…”
“Sally, you don’t understand…”
“I understand that you are being spineless and pathetic if you cared at all about…” Sally stopped, falling silent as Hilary started to cry. “Hilary?”
Hilary was a wonderful person, brave and friendly as well as being immensely strong. Part of her strength was her perfect persona. I’d heard others call her cold, but she was always aware of how she was presenting herself; she didn’t allow herself to become flustered and, from Sally’s reaction to her tears, it seemed she did not cry. Now she was standing before us with her shoulders shaking and tears spilling onto the concrete floor of the tack room. I gestured to Sally to make contact with her, unclear what to do, Sally seemed to be frozen in fear.
“I…I’m sorry…” Hilary stuttered between sobs. I don’t mean to hurt you, Sally you’re right… I am being spineless…”
I shoved Sally towards her boss, this seemed to snap her from her reverie. She grabbed Hilary in her arms, hugging her tightly, tears starting to appear on her cheeks. “Oh, Hilary… Don’t cry…”
“I need sponsorship. If Grace stopped the funding…”
Hilary left the words hanging; however, it was clear her world was immensely fragile. The times when sponsors would be fighting to become involved in this sport were long gone, now, after years of international austerity, finding someone willing to pay out a massive investment for a relatively small return was a rarity, and if Grace had threatened legal action, there was no solution for Hilary. She had to suffer whatever indignity Grace forced upon her.
“But it doesn’t excuse throwing Sally out of her home Hilary…” I looked across at Hilary’s anguished expression and immediately felt bad for my outburst. As true as it was, I could see this was something which had been a necessity.
“Oh, Adam… You’re right. I was so stupid allowing that to happen. Grace frightens me.”
Hilary Wessington, a woman who could ride at almost forty miles an hour across a cross country course, flinging herself and her horse over dangerous jumps with impunity and a total lack of fear, but dealing with her sponsor caused her to revert to being a timid schoolgirl.
“Sally, move into the house with me. I should never have made you live in that caravan, that’s only fit for…” She looked up at this moment and our eyes met. “Oh shit… No, Adam, I meant it’s for working pupils!”
I laughed. “Don’t be silly… It’s fine for me and I am more than happy to share. Look, it’s clear Olivia is not here to work. Let’s be honest, she wants to ride which I am sure is fine. Sally and I can do the stable work together while I’m here, she coped without me so I am sure she can again. There need to be some ground rules though, she’s a bully and rides like an oaf. You need to speak with her so that she has some ring craft or she is going to get disqualified, again…”
“Okay…” Hilary took a deep breath, drying her eyes. “Thank you… I will try to teach Olivia the importance of proper riding in the arena. And Sally… You’re one of my oldest friends as well as my groom. I should never have done that to you. I feel really bad. Can you ever forgive me?”
Sally smiled warmly, grabbing Hilary in her arms and hugging her. They both started to cry again and I felt this was a good moment to step away.
* * *
I’d made time for a sandwich and a cup of tea, texting Kate with the latest instalment of the excitement which was happening with Olivia. By the time I returned to the yard Sally was whistling.
“Oh, we’re a bit cheerier!”
“Oh, Adam… Thank you… I think we can get through this now, we won’t let that cow beat us. Now, how about a hack around the reservoir this afternoon. It’s a lovely afternoon for a ride.”
Swinsty Reservoir was a huge stretch of water just a short distance from the yard, it supplied water to much of Yorkshire and provided a quiet environment to take the horses to. Sally and I rode along the water’s edge.
“I am sorry I came on a bit strong a few nights ago. It was the drink and… Well, let’s just say I can see what your wife sees in you. She’s a lucky lady.”
I was a bit lost for words. “That’s lovely Sal… You know, there will be someone out there for you.” She laughed. “No, you’ll find mister right, and when you do it will be amazing for you.”
“And where am I going to find someone working six days a week with just you as eye candy.”
“Eye candy?” I laughed. “Sally, I have never been called that… Find yourself a nice rich event rider when you are back on the circuit next year, I think any man would fall over themselves to woo someone as pretty as you…”
“Do you really think I’m pretty?”
“Yes, I do. Well, at least when you’re not being a bitch, so for at least three minutes a day!” I kicked my horse on into a canter as Sally spluttered and shouted good-humoured abuse at me.
* * *
Hilary came onto the yard and helped us skip out and hang hay nets before inviting us in for dinner, saying this time it would be her treat.
“Your treat? Please don’t tell me you are going to try to cook?”
“What do you mean?” Hilary looked affronted.
“Sally she can’t be that bad a cook, surely?”
“Adam, she almost set fire to the horsebox trying to boil an egg for herself.”
I stepped in as the two started to bicker. “Ladies, look. Would you like me to cook again? If you go and get some shopping this time, I’ll give you a list. And Sally, it will have a copious quantity of wine on it.”
“I suppose I’d better invite Olivia?” Hilary sighed.
“You do that and I won’t be responsible for my actions.” They both laughed.
* * *
Even though I served up nothing more complex than a simple roast chicken with vegetables, from the reaction from Hilary and Sally you would think I’d presented a Michelin starred feast. It was clear from my previous peek into Hilary’s fridge she lived on microwavable ready meals and I knew that Sally’s usual diet seemed to consist of instant noodles and crisps, washed down with copious quantities of cheap wine.
We sat around the kitchen table in Hilary’s house enjoying the wine and food, any grief between the two ladies had passed as they shared embarrassing stories of three-day events, mostly involving who was sleeping with who and the nocturnal activities between the horsebox lines. Hilary tried to remain coy, but Sally was drunk enough to spill the beans on what she had seen happening in the horsebox leaving her employer stuttering and red in the face.
Eventually, in the early hours of the morning, we agreed we needed to call it a night. Hilar
y offered a room for Sally.
“No… I’m quite happy where I am…”
“Sally… The caravan is crap, it’s damp, it smells. Take a nice warm room here.”
“You wouldn’t mind Adam?”
“Go on… Go and grab your things.”
She kissed me on the cheek, and I watched as she gleefully left.
“Thank you, Adam… I’ve made a bit of a mess of things; without you I think everything would have fallen apart.”
“Hilary, you were put in a difficult position, I don’t think anyone could have done any better.”
“No, I think you would have done a lot better, but you’ve rescued the situation. I really can’t thank you enough.”
“Good night boss!”
Back at the caravan Sally had packed and was waiting for me. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. You really don’t mind?”
“What having the place to myself and not having you snoring…”
Sally snorted, grabbing her bag she hugged me and stepped out into the night. I could see a light on in the cottage but ignored it as I closed the door and prepared for bed.
9
She Speaks
“Hello…”
I turned around and saw Olivia standing behind me. “Oh hello, are you okay? Looking at your expression I’m guessing the answer is no. Olivia, can I help you in any way?”
“Adam, I know I come across as a real brat, but this is really important to me. I absolutely need to succeed. You can’t imagine what it’s like growing up with my, ‘highly successful’ mother, her words, not mine. She’s always been ‘highly successful’ in all she does. Delivering anything less than perfection would not be allowed. Look, I felt I needed to explain why I am the way I am. I realise you don’t like me…”
“Oh, Olivia! Don’t be silly. I don’t dislike you at all. You’re a damn good rider, certainly better than me by a long way. I’m sure you will succeed, in fact, I know you will. You just rub people up the wrong way at times. Really, I don’t dislike you, but you can be hard to like if you understand what I’m saying?”
“I know! But what can I do?”
“You want to know? Okay, start by working on the yard. I am sure you think it’s beneath you and something for plebs like me… No, listen to me for a moment. Grooms are a vital part of the team. Learn what they do and be able to do it as well as they do, if not better. Without your groom, you won’t win Badminton and you won’t get the Olympic gold I know you so richly desire. Sally works bloody hard, so do I. So, if you are someone who just turns up to ride and is rude to their grooms and their coach… Well, you will be resented.”
“Hilary doesn’t do stable work…” Olivia muttered.
“It’s not Hilary’s job to do that, she has important things to do developing the horses and she does help out when she can. She has a lot to do that you probably don’t see. You’re a pupil, this is a chance for you to learn some of the most important lessons of your life. Put your phone away, pick up a broom or a pitchfork instead not only will you win respect from people like Sally and Hilary, but they will work even harder for you. I don’t expect you to understand, but if you get it right you will be unstoppable. Nobody will hate you if you make the effort. Now, have you got a pair of wellies? No? There are some spare pairs in the tack room, you can help us muck out.”
“I don’t know how to…” With the downward look and the lost expression, I saw the lonely child within the tough exterior, a momentary chink in her armour.
“I’ll teach you… It’s just shit shovelling, surely even you can do that!” She giggled. “Oh, now that is nice!”
“What?”
“You smiled… It’s a look that suits you… Come on, boots, wheelbarrow and pitchfork.”
* * *
“Did you see how crap she was at mucking out! It’s like she’d never done it before.”
“Sal, she hasn’t. Give the kid a chance.”
“Oh, you’ve changed your tune suddenly.”
“Sally, she made an effort, let’s try to help her, eh? We all have to start somewhere.”
“I’m not convinced.”
“No, neither am I, yet. She has to prove herself, and so I am going to give her a chance to do so. and, so are you.”
* * *
Olivia tried her best and despite Sally’s obvious disdain, she had become more cheerful. It seemed she’d missed out on most of the simple pleasures of stable management and was proud to have been able to have mucked out and swept down the yards. In the riding session, she was more polite and responsive to Hilary’s instruction, so much so she took me aside in one of the stables and asked if I thought if Olivia was feeling unwell. As I told her it was quite the opposite, we had spoken and she had obviously made the effort to be more reasonable.
Of course, such transformations rarely happen instantly and during the afternoon’s session, there was a return to form. We were carrying out gridwork and Olivia was becoming increasingly frustrated with her horse. Both Hilary and I’d tried to tell her she was ignoring the strides, trying to push for extra strides where there were none or pulling up short. She was becoming redder and redder in the face as poles clattered to the floor.
Hilary told her to pull up and take a break but she ignored her, instead, Olivia raced towards the line of jumps, kicking on so hard and riding so fast the horse had no chance to turn at the end of the arena and hit the wall. Olivia’s leg was trapped as the horse slammed into the boards.
She screamed in what I thought was pain, before raising her crop and, while holding the reins tight, beat the horse, screaming abuse. I cantered towards her, grabbing her crop and, in the heat of the moment struck her hard across her side.
“How the hell do you like it!” I flung down the crop and walked my horse away. Olivia was behind me wailing and Hilary was staring at me in total disbelief.
10
Consequences
Hilary sat silently across from me. Neither of us had spoken since she had come in some minutes before, I knew I needed to break the silence.
“What I did was wrong. I’ll pack my things and leave. I’m sorry. I overreacted.”
“Adam, what you did… Well, it’s what I would have wanted to do if I had been brave enough. That stupid girl injured the horse riding him into the wall and then beat him as if it was his fault. She deserved a beating. But, Adam, you just can’t do what you did!”
I looked up into Hilary’s eyes, there was a deep sadness. I sighed, I’d gone and thrown it all away in a moment of madness, I knew the police could still be called. I’d assaulted Olivia, she would have every right to press charges and no court would care she’d ridden a horse too hard. She would say it had been an accident, I’d overreacted and attacked her without provocation.
“Don’t leave yet. But please, for now, stay away from her. Please go back to your accommodation, I’ll need to speak to Olivia and her mother. Christ, this is difficult. Okay… Go, please and stay out of her way.”
* * *
“…Tell me again. Calmly.”
“Kate, I overreacted, she rode the horse into the arena boards, then held it hard and beat it. I just saw red; it was pure animal cruelty and… Oh shit! Kate, what the hell have I done?”
“Adam as Hilary said, you did what almost any horse person would have done, you carry the hearts of every honest equestrian. But…”
“I know… But shit!”
Death Rider (The Rider Series Book 2) Page 7
