A New Beginning

by Olivia Tuffin

  “Well, Marcus paid my brother a visit.” He frowned. “Something about sending off the change of ownership form so the passport could be changed into his name. He told my brother he and Sasha were business partners, but I didn’t think they were, did you? And Sasha had already completed all the paperwork in her name. Don’t you think that’s a bit strange?”

  Alice frowned, before shrugging. It was strange. She thought Sasha had said she’d paid for the pony. But if Marcus completed the owner’s documents in his name, then legally the Highland would belong to him. But Marcus was Sasha’s boyfriend, and a member of the Flying Fillies team, so perhaps that was just how they ran things.

  They were interrupted by Alice’s mum who was in show-preparation mode, marching around the yard ticking items off her list. Alice sighed. Her mum seemed extra stressed about tomorrow, and Alice could only guess it was because Archie’s wealthy owner was coming to watch.

  Josephine swept into the wash box, running her hands through non-existent tangles in Dolly’s silken tail. “Right. All set? Samantha is coming tomorrow so you need to be extra nice, Alice.”

  Alice turned to Fergus once Josephine had left to go and boss Shelley about. “What did Mum mean by that?” she said, wrinkling her nose.

  Fergus shrugged. “Samantha’s an important client,” he said. “Your mum wants to keep her on side. She’s wealthy and apparently she wants to get a few more ponies.”

  Alice made a face. It was always about the business, and the money. No wonder Finn was kept firmly at a distance; despite being super horsey he and Sasha were definitely not Josephine’s kind of people!

  Chapter 12

  The show was being held locally, by the coast, and everyone was enjoying the sunshine. The Flying Fillies were due on later that afternoon but the ridden pony classes were before lunch. Alice scanned the lorry park to see if there was any sign of Finn, and her stomach flipped as she saw him approaching. She noticed several girls turn round as he passed them, but he completely ignored their hair flicking and giggling. He looked very smart, wearing a shirt and tie with a tweed jacket slung over his shoulder and his worn boots freshly polished.

  “Hi,” Alice said. Before she could stop herself she flicked her hair over her shoulder too, in what she imagined was a cool and relaxed manner. Because her hair was so long it took a lot of flicking.

  Finn just looked at her. “Have you got a fly on you?” He had a small smile on his face.

  Alice looked confused. “No. Why?”

  “Oh, nothing,” he replied back airily. Then he properly smiled. “Glad to be here actually, after the morning I’ve had.” He told Alice how Sasha and Marcus had had a huge fight.

  “What about?” Alice asked curiously.

  Finn looked around, as if he expected Marcus to pop up from behind the horsebox.

  “Honestly, I think Sasha might be seeing sense at last,” he explained. “She found Marcus researching the sale value of the yard online last night and it all blew up. He told her he was just ‘curious’. As if!”

  Alice was about to ask him more when they were interrupted by her mum.

  “Don’t just stand there!” she said in an irritated voice. “There’s plenty to do!”

  But before she could boss Alice and Finn around further an excited voice rang through the crowd. “Josie, yoo-hoo!”

  Everyone turned to look as a lady dressed in white jeans and gold sandals approached. She was carrying the tiniest dog Alice had ever seen.

  “That’s Samantha,” her mum hissed, poking Alice on the arm.

  Then, like a switch, Alice’s mum turned on her brightest smile, and leapt forward.

  “Samantha, how wonderful to see you!” she cooed, waving at the woman to come and join them. “Look how beautiful your outfit is, and what a dear little dog!”

  For a split second, Alice’s eyes met Finn’s. Alice desperately wanted to tell him that she knew how unfair it was for her mum to only turn on the charm when it suited her, but Finn had already turned back to Archie, shaking his head in bemusement.

  Smiling happily, Samantha kissed Alice’s mum on both cheeks. She was really elegant, with a deep tan and very blonde hair. As Samantha turned to her, Alice was struck by the warmth of Samantha’s smile.

  “You must be Alice!”

  Before Alice knew it she found herself enveloped in a hug. Samantha’s perfume was sweet and expensive-smelling and tickled her nose, a strange scent among the hay and warm ponies and tack.

  “And this must be Secret!” Samantha continued, admiring the little roan who was craning his neck to give Samantha’s dog a friendly sniff. “I’ve heard all about him. How he was born in a flood and fell in a ditch, and how his last owner gave him to you. How wonderful! It’s like a pony book!” She clapped her hands together, looking delighted.

  Alice was amazed. She couldn’t remember any of her mum’s clients ever taking an interest in her own pony. She decided she liked Samantha a lot.

  “And there’s my Archie – sweet boy!” Samantha dropped a flurry of kisses on to the pony’s nose, much to his and Finn’s bemusement. “Oh, he’s looking so good Josie!”

  Alice noticed Finn raise an eyebrow at this; no one called her mum Josie and she always corrected them if they did. But in Samantha’s case her mum just smiled indulgently.

  “I love ponies so much,” Samantha said. “I always wanted one as a little girl, and now here I am!” She grinned at Finn. “And I hear you’ve done a great job riding Archie!”

  Finn shrugged. “It’s easy – he’s a quality pony,” he said simply.

  The pair won their class after another lovely show, much to Samantha’s delight. Alice thought how wonderfully refreshing Samantha’s excitement was. Anyone would have thought it was the Horse of the Year Show rather than a local fair from the way she jumped up and down and cheered! Samantha was so happy that it lifted the mood of the whole team.

  Alice was second in a big class on Dolly, the Welsh pony she was riding. The mare had behaved beautifully and her mum seemed pleased. But now it was Secret’s turn.

  Alice felt sick, knowing all eyes would be on her. Not only was her mum one of the most well-known show pony producers in the country, but Secret’s dam, the beautiful Lily, had won at Olympia. Alice knew everyone would want to see if Secret could do as well as her. Despite this it dawned on Alice that impressing Finn was now more important to her than impressing the other riders on the circuit.

  Finn leaned on the arena fence as Alice warmed up. Secret was bright and happy and seemed quite cooperative. Maybe, just maybe, they would do well…

  “He’s not going to try his new trick is he?” Finn grinned, referring to Secret’s attempted roll a few days ago.

  “Oh, shut up!” Alice’s nerves made her snappy as she entered the ring.

  Almost immediately Secret seemed to lose his sparkle, exactly as he had at the country fair. Frowning, Alice gave him a scratch on his withers. After a few laps of the ring she started to worry he might be ill, but she pressed on, shaking any doubt from her mind. She had to do well. The judge called the pair into a provisional first place and her mum gave Alice a thumbs-up from the ringside. All they had to do was a good individual show, and the red rosette was theirs. Secret really didn’t feel right though. Alice had to work hard to encourage him forward in front of the judge, a stern-looking lady in a navy suit. She nodded briskly as Alice said a polite good morning.

  After walking round Secret, hands behind her back, the judge indicated for Alice to start. Alice nudged Secret forward and … nothing. Her heart sank. Not now, not here! Nudging him again slightly harder, colour starting to rise to her cheeks, Alice began to silently plead. Instead Secret calmly stretched himself out and gave a long relieved sigh. Alice realised with horror that Secret was having the longest wee in history, accompanied by a low groan of relief. Even worse, the ground was so dry that the wee wasn’t sinking in, but was instead running over the dusty earth like some terrible stream, and the judge had
to neatly sidestep to avoid her shoes from getting ruined.

  Aware of a ripple of laughter from the ringside and, imagining Finn joining in, Alice was mortified. She completely lost her composure, so much so that when Secret had finished he took full advantage of Alice’s lapse in concentration and trotted straight out of the arena. This meant instant dismissal from the class.

  “What was that? Why did you let him just trot off like that?” Her mum sounded horrified as she caught the little roan.

  “Sorry.”

  There was nothing more Alice could say. She had totally messed this one up. But it wasn’t just the fact that Secret had had a wee; it was something else, something bigger. It suddenly dawned on Alice that perhaps Secret hated showing as much as she did!

  Chapter 13

  As Alice walked Secret back to the horsebox Finn caught up with her. “Hey!”

  Alice was too miserable to be snappy with Finn. Her performance was a stark reminder that she was not as good a rider as him.

  “Don’t tell me, how did I get him to do that, what a good trick, oh, why don’t I train my pony better, blah blah blah,” Alice muttered.

  Finn looked sideways at her, giving Secret a pat. “Actually I thought you rode him beautifully in the warm-up … before the pit stop.”

  Alice looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to praise her.

  “Really?” she said uncertainly.

  “Yes, really,” Finn said. “But, Alice, haven’t you thought that showing might not be right for Secret? I mean, I haven’t seen that much of him really, but I just have a feeling it’s not for him. Or for you,” he added after a pause.

  Alice thought of her dreams of cantering Secret on a beach or jumping fallen trees, and her love of riding cross-country on Honey before her fall. The show ring didn’t feature in her dreams at all. She knew Finn was right.

  “You try talking to Mum,” she replied sulkily. “I’d love to do pony club, or showjumping, but I can’t, can I? I never have time. It’s not like I can just do whatever I want, like you.”

  Finn fixed her with a level gaze. “At least your mum cares,” he said softly, and Alice was reminded about his dad taking off around the world after his mum had died. Finn never really mentioned him, but it had to be hard. She fell silent, feeling ashamed. There she was moaning about pony club rallies, and Finn had effectively lost both his mum and his dad.

  As they neared the box, they could hear Samantha talking excitedly to Josephine about new ponies. Archie and Dolly were dozing in the shade and Samantha had laid out the most amazing picnic on a fold-out table. There was smoked salmon, open sandwiches topped with mozzarella and tomatoes, a fruit salad and cupcakes decorated with horseshoes.

  Samantha beckoned over the teenagers once Alice had got Secret settled with a hay net.

  “Please, help yourself!” she said happily. “Finn, you were amazing with Archie! I can’t wait for my girls to ride him. They would have been here today, but they’re at tennis camp.”

  “I’d love to, but I can’t eat anything now,” Finn said. “I have to go and get ready for the display.”

  “That sounds marvellous!” Samantha cried excitedly. “Oh, Alice, let’s go and watch him!”

  Alice knew she needed to go home with her mum and help with the ponies, but she longed to watch Finn’s display again and spend more time with Samantha. Plus she was keen to avoid her mum after Secret’s class! Her mum wouldn’t say anything now in front of Samantha, but she would at home. Alice needed some time to think about what had happened today with Secret, and how Finn’s thoughts had mirrored her own.

  “I’ll drop Alice home,” Samantha continued, addressing Alice’s mum, “and then perhaps you and I can have a chat, Josie? I’ve seen a lovely Connemara for sale that I hoped you might take on?”

  Alice knew her mum would be overjoyed at this. Smiling, Josephine agreed that she would take the ponies back home and Alice could stay with Samantha to watch the Flying Fillies. Alice felt her excitement grow. It was rare she had a break.

  Her mum wasn’t going to let Alice get away easily though. While Samantha took a phone call, she cornered Alice next to the horsebox ramp. “Alice, you do remember what I said, don’t you?” She looked straight at her. “Finn’s a great rider, and I know Samantha likes him, but I’d prefer if you didn’t get too involved.”

  Alice crossed her arms over her chest. “Why, Mum?” However well Finn rode the ponies, her mum still didn’t seem to like him and it just wasn’t fair.

  Josephine raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Alice, there’s lots of issues there; you must be able to see that. I don’t much like Marcus, but what if there is something dodgy going on with Finn?”

  “Well, actually,” Alice replied defiantly, “I think Marcus is the one who’s trouble. I think you haven’t ever given Finn a real chance, or bothered to get to know him. If you had, you’d see what I see. Just because he’s not like you, not like any of this!” She gestured around at the showground.

  “Oh, Alice.” Josephine sighed in a way that suggested mums are always right, and started to load the ponies in the horsebox.

  Once Josephine had left, Alice and Samantha strolled arm in arm to the main ring, where the showjumping was drawing to a close. Settling down on the grass, they waited for the ring to clear, watching the helpers scurrying around, dismantling the jumps.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Finn?” Samantha asked Alice.

  “What do you mean?” Alice tried to sound casual.

  Samantha laughed kindly. “Oh, I just have a feeling!” Looking at her warm, smiling face, Alice wanted to open up, but she wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Nothing … really,” she said instead. “I guess we’re friends…”

  Before Samantha could ask anything else, the familiar drum roll sounded the start of the display and Sasha galloped in on her big grey horse, her blonde hair covered by the hood of a scarlet cloak that billowed out behind her. There were some gasps of admiration as Sasha and her horse performed their trademark rear. Next was Molly, standing across the backs of the pair of Dales. Then came Marcus. The girls in the crowd giggled as Marcus cantered past but Alice noticed he wasn’t smirking as normal. He just looked a bit bored, as if he was going through the motions. Then Finn entered the ring in his black outfit, Horatio performing a breathtaking extended trot, feathers and mane flying.

  “Oh, wonderful!” Samantha cried, clearly delighted, as her little dog yapped its approval.

  Alice never grew tired of watching the ponies gallop across the arena, the riders performing all manner of tricks, but as Sasha cantered past Alice looked closely at her. She was smiling, but it looked fixed. Perhaps she was still upset after her row with Marcus about the price of the yard, but suddenly Alice had a dark sense of foreboding.

  Finn was galloping across the arena, throwing himself as far over the saddle as possible so that he was almost upside down. Molly crossed him in the centre, perfectly balanced on the back of the two Dales ponies. Waving to the cheering crowd, Molly slowed her ponies as Sasha’s grey thundered down the middle for the highlight of the display.

  As her horse slowed, Sasha climbed into a standing position. In one fluid motion she was balancing on one leg, the other stretched out behind her in a perfect ballerina pose. The crowd went wild. Just for a second Alice noticed a look of panic cross Sasha’s face, and then she watched in horror as, almost in slow motion, the girth securing the simple saddle sprang open and Sasha started to slip. Panicked by the sudden movement on his back, the big grey spooked, dislodging Sasha who crashed on to his neck before falling heavily to the ground with a sickening thud. Her horse bolted and the crowd, realising it wasn’t part of the act, gasped as Sasha lay motionless on the grass.

  Chapter 14

  Alice and Samantha jumped to their feet as Finn thundered past, leaping off Horatio and sprinting to where Sasha lay. Marcus was trying to control his horse and Molly was attempting to climb down from her ponies as
Sasha’s grey circled the arena. He was calmer and had slowed to a trot but was in danger of standing on his trailing reins. Without thinking, Alice vaulted over the arena barriers.

  Sasha’s horse wasn’t difficult to catch and Alice was soon leading him over to Finn’s pony. She took hold of his reins, too. Finn was kneeling on the floor next to Sasha, and Marcus had finally calmed his horse enough to approach them. To Alice’s relief, as the ambulance roared into the arena Sasha climbed groggily to her feet, only to be firmly told off by the paramedics.

  Marcus was closely studying the saddle. “Didn’t anyone check the girth?” he said, frowning at Finn.

  “We both did.” Finn was pale-faced as Sasha was placed on to a stretcher. “I always check it at least twice.” He shook his head, totally distraught.

  Going cold, Alice remembered what he had said weeks ago, about the tack needing replacing.

  Sasha was protesting that she was fine. “Look after my horse, and Finn, stay here, make sure the ponies get home safe,” she pleaded as she was carried away. Her horse whickered after her, his eyes full of concern.

  “Thanks, Alice.” Finn took hold of Horatio’s reins from her, looking shaken. “The girth must have just snapped. I can’t believe I didn’t notice.”

  “It’s not your fault, Finn,” Sasha called after him as she was loaded into the ambulance. “I mended it a few days ago. I should have just chucked it out!”

  The ambulance made its way steadily out of the ring. A few onlookers gawped in morbid curiosity but mostly the spectators had drifted away.

  “Well, we may as well call it a day,” Marcus said casually, heading for the arena exit.

  Alice thought that Marcus didn’t seem particularly bothered about what had happened. She remembered how bored he had appeared when he first rode in. She really disliked Marcus!

  Still clutching the grey’s reins, Alice started to follow the remaining team back to their lorry as Samantha joined them.