There was a long silence. Joe’s face burned red. Ellie felt rooted to the spot. She saw Luke look at Joe, raising his eyebrows as if to ask if he was OK. Joe nodded and stood up, heading upstairs.
Ellie went after him. “Joe? Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” He went into his bedroom on the first floor. She followed him, shutting the door behind them.
Joe saw her anxious face. “Don’t worry, Ellie. You know I’m used to it. Dad hates the fact I’m not more like him. He’s told me that my whole life.”
Ellie’s heart went out to him. Her parents might not be here any more, but neither of them would ever have spoken to her the way Len had to Joe. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to grow up with a father who always made you feel useless. “He shouldn’t say those things!” she said fiercely. “No dad should.”
“That’s the way he is.” Joe shrugged.
Impulsively, she went over and touched his arm. They looked at each other and, for an instant, Ellie was taken back to their hack in the woods earlier that day, remembering what she had been thinking then. Should she say something?
But Joe stepped back and the moment had gone. “I should get changed for supper.”
He started to move around the room, picking up clothes.
Ellie’s breath left her. “Me too,” she said, stepping back towards the door. “I’ll see you downstairs in a bit.”
Leaving his room, she headed up the staircase to her bedroom, her thoughts jumping around in her head. She’d been within a split second of mentioning the moment in the horsebox. Her stomach curled at the thought. What would he have said?
She knew it hadn’t been the right time for that. Joe was upset. But she couldn’t help wondering what he felt about her. Reaching the landing, she stopped and looked back—was he thinking about her too?
The evening meal that night was a very quiet one.
Afterwards, Joe disappeared to do some studying and, not wanting to watch football with her uncle and Luke, Ellie went to read in her bedroom. It was an old-fashioned room up on the second floor with a dark wooden wardrobe, a bed and chest of drawers. Since moving in, she’d bought a brightly striped rug and a new white duvet cover with a red and blue border, and put some photos in frames, but if anything the new things just made the old furniture look even more gloomy in contrast.
Sitting down on the bed, she picked up one of Joe’s books about training horses from her bedside table and began to read. This book wasn’t about join-up, but taught that you could build up a relationship with a horse by doing a lot of work, leading the horse from the ground and massaging it. She found it fascinating to read about so many training techniques—they all used different methods but most of them were founded on the same principle of forming a relationship with a horse based on trust and understanding.
Though I can do that anyway, she thought, looking at a black-and-white photo in the book of a woman leading a pony over a grid of poles. I don’t need to do these things. I can just talk to horses.
Ellie hugged herself in delight as she remembered how she had talked to Troy that day. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was. A mad dream of the future leaped into her head. Maybe, she and Joe could have a yard together. They could work with youngsters and troubled horses, he could use the horse-whispering techniques from the books and she could actually talk to them, link her mind with theirs to find out what was troubling or upsetting them. Between them, they would be able to help so many horses. And we could go in shows too, Ellie thought. Or at least I could.
The dream rapidly expanded as she saw them buying problem horses, making them better and then winning lots of shows with them before selling them on to good homes, so they could buy more horses and do it all over again…
Spirit would be with her too, of course; he would always be with her until he died. She picked up a hairbrush from the bedside table. It was a future she liked. Pulling the brush through her tangled hair, she smiled.
Chapter Five
“THERE’S A GOOD BOY,” Joe soothed, while Ellie walked around Solo the next morning, putting weight on the stirrups with her hands, stroking over his body, checking the girth, adjusting the bridle and moving the bit around in Solo’s mouth. It had only taken a short time before Solo had joined-up with Joe that morning. He stood happily as Joe fussed him.
“He’s being great,” Ellie said. “Will you get on him today?”
“I’ll lean my weight over, but I think I’ll give him one more day before I back him properly.”
Ellie felt a flash of impatience but didn’t argue. This was Joe’s thing. Swapping positions with him, she held the pony while Joe moved around to the left-hand side. Stroking Solo’s shoulder, he bent his left leg so Ellie could give him a leg up. He didn’t swing all the way into the saddle, but just lay over Solo’s back, letting the pony get used to his weight. Solo turned his head to the right and looked at Joe with his ears pricked, as if to say, “What are you doing there?”
He seemed very relaxed, so after a few minutes Joe asked Ellie to start leading him. They went all the way around the ring with Joe lying across Solo’s back and the pony looking extremely calm. When they’d started working with Solo that morning, Ellie had been awkwardly aware of her thoughts from the day before, but with Solo to concentrate on she’d quickly forgotten everything other than working the pony.
“That’ll do,” Joe said as they reached the gate again. “He’s been really good.” He slid down from Solo’s back.
He and Ellie exchanged pleased looks.
“Do you mind if I go to see Spirit now?” she asked as they walked Solo back to the barn. She wanted to check if his legs were still stiff.
“Sure,” Joe said. “And don’t worry about being late—Dad’s asked me and Luke to do the feeds for him this morning.”
Spirit was standing quietly in his stable, one leg resting. He pricked his ears as Ellie came in. She put her arms around him and waited for their minds to connect. As they linked, she felt the same ache in her legs as she’d felt the day before.
You’re still hurting, Spirit, she thought in concern. Should I call the vet?
No.
Is there anything I can do?
A fuzzy picture of a plant appeared in her mind. Ellie frowned. What did it mean? The image grew sharper. She could see it was a clump of nettles, but she had no idea what that had to do with Spirit’s aching legs. Had he stung his legs on some nettles? But she dismissed that thought almost immediately. She was sure nettles didn’t sting horses like they did humans. What do you mean? What are you trying to tell me?
Spirit gazed at her.
Ellie felt frustrated, but knew that was how communication between them worked—sometimes it was clear; sometimes it wasn’t. She ran her hands over his legs. There were no other bumps or rashes, injuries or stings. No reason she could see why his legs might be aching. His fetlocks were slightly warm, but there was no swelling or real heat that would indicate a sprain or injury.
I’m sorry. I don’t understand, she thought, feeling useless. Can’t you tell me what the matter is?
Once again the nettles came into her mind. Why was he showing her them? What did they mean? She stared at him, wishing she could work out what he was trying to tell her.
You’ll be OK, won’t you? she asked anxiously.
Yes, he told her, just as he had the day before.
Slightly comforted, she buried her head in his silky mane. She wished she could stay in the stable forever.
“Hi there,” Joe greeted her when she finally went into the feedroom. “How’s Spirit?”
“I’m a bit worried about him,” Ellie admitted.
“Why? What’s up?”
“He…” Ellie stopped herself from saying told me. “He seems a bit stiff.”
“It could have been the jumping yesterday,” Joe said. “But then we didn’t do that much.”
Luke paused in mixing the feeds. “Is he coughing or are his glands up?”
<
br /> “No.”
“Any other signs?”
“No. Just stiffness.”
Joe shrugged. “It doesn’t sound too bad.”
“You should get him checked out by the vet if you’re worried, though,” Luke put in.
Ellie felt surprised; it wasn’t like Luke to be serious. “Do you really think I should get the vet?” she said anxiously.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’s probably nothing,” Joe reassured her. “Just rest him for a few days, and if he’s still not right call the vet then.”
“OK,” Ellie said, feeling better. Joe was right; it probably was nothing. Spirit himself had said he would be fine.
Later, when she took Spirit out to the field she watched him carefully. To her relief, he was lively enough to keep pulling her to the side of the track where the grass was long and overgrown. “Spirit!” she scolded, pulling him back. “You can eat all the grass you want in the field in a minute!” But she didn’t mind really. She was just glad he was so full of energy.
As soon as she took his headcollar off, he trotted down to the fence at the edge of the field and started pawing at the long grass there. He glanced around at her and whinnied.
She smiled, glad he didn’t seem too ill. “See you later!” she called to him and went back to her chores.
Len was in an even more perfectionist mood than usual, with Jeff and Anna Hallett coming to see Lucifer that day. He shouted at Helen and Sasha for not cleaning the tack well enough the day before, scraping his finger down the insides of the bridle to show them the minute traces of grease they had left, and made Joe and Ellie pick up every bit of straw from the courtyard by hand. Everyone kept their heads down and there was very little chatting. Ellie hated it when her uncle was in such a mood. She found it very hard not to fight back. Remember Spirit, remember Spirit, she told herself over and over again.
By three o’clock, however, the yard was looking immaculate with not a strand of straw blowing across it. Rugs were folded neatly over doors and headcollars hung from their hooks outside the stables. Len had told Ellie, Joe and Luke that he wanted all of them there to meet Jeff and Anna—presenting a united front and emphasizing that the yard was a family business.
“It’s nice Uncle Len wants them to meet us all,” said Ellie as she and the two boys gathered in the yard.
“It’s only because he thinks that if Jeff sees us as a family he might think twice before ever pulling the plug on the sponsorship and taking the money he gives Dad away,” said Joe.
“Oh.” Ellie realized she should have known there was an ulterior motive.
“Well, for the sake of the yard we’d better pretend we’re one big, happy family,” said Luke, putting his arm around her shoulders.
She pushed him away. “Get off!”
“United front, remember?”
Ellie rolled her eyes at him.
“So, are you still planning on going to Westfields with Pericles and Gabriel on Friday, Luke?” Joe broke in quickly.
“Yeah. I was going to take Troy too, but his back needs longer to recover. You still not interested?”
Joe shook his head.
“Westfields?” said Ellie curiously. “What’s that?”
“It’s a big equestrian center about half an hour away,” explained Joe. “They do indoor winter jumping shows. It’s good for the horses to go around a course of jumps outside the main show season. We don’t go in to win, just to school them. Hunters don’t have to jump off against the clock like show jumpers, so it’s more about giving them a practice.”
“Well, I’m not just going there to practice,” said Luke. “I’m aiming to win.”
“Dad’ll kill you if you rush them in the jump-off,” warned Joe.
A smile curved at Luke’s lips. “Then I guess it’s good he’s not going—there’s that evening do at the Halletts’, remember, where Jeff gets all the people he sponsors together. I’m going to the show on my own and I’m out to have some fun. Gabriel’s got a top jump and he’s fast. He’ll love it. Thought I’d take him in the speed class too.”
Joe shook his head. “You’re mental.”
“You should bring Barney.”
“No, you know that’s not my kind of thing.”
Luke looked at Ellie. “How about you then? You could ride Barney—or bring Picasso.”
“Me?” Ellie stared.
“Why not? I’ve seen you jump. That first day you rode here and Len put you on Gabriel, you did four foot. You’d like show jumping.”
Excitement leaped through Ellie. She loved the thought of going show jumping, but when she glanced at Joe she immediately sensed he didn’t want her to go.
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“It’s…it’s not my thing either.” She saw Joe smile as she echoed his words. Luke, however, gave her a disbelieving look.
“Yeah, right! Since when?”
She was saved from answering by Len’s arrival at the courtyard with the Halletts.
Anna was nineteen, very pretty, with long, dark curling hair and brown eyes. She and her dad looked around approvingly at the spotless yard.
“This is my family,” Len introduced them. “You’ve met Joe and Luke before, haven’t you, Jeff? And this is my niece, Ellie, who’s living here now.”
“Hi.” Ellie smiled. But Anna Hallett’s eyes swept straight over her as if she was of no more interest than a bug.
Jeff smiled, though. “Nice to meet you, Ellie.”
“And there’s Lucifer,” Len said, pointing to Lucifer who was standing at his stable door, tossing his head.
Anna moved towards him, but Len stopped her. “I wouldn’t, love. He’s still unsettled.”
As if to prove Len’s point, Lucifer lashed out at the stable wall.
“He seems a bit highly strung,” Jeff Hallett said, looking warily at the black gelding. “He wasn’t like that when we saw him in the show ring.”
“Don’t worry,” Len said confidently. “He’ll soon calm down. He was kept on his own at his old home, so it’ll take him a while to get used to being with other horses.” He smiled. “If he wins in the ring, we’ll put up with a few bad stable manners.”
Anna looked at him. “I want him to qualify for the Horse of the Year Show,” she said, her voice cool. “Will he?”
Len nodded. “Absolutely.”
Jeff clapped him on the back. “Good man! That’s what I want to hear. I want to see my Anna in that ring, winning the sash.” He looked affectionately at his daughter.
“So who’ll ride him for me when I can’t get back from school for shows?” Anna’s eyes glanced between Ellie, Joe and Luke.
“Me,” Luke replied.
Anna looked pleased.
“So, got any other new horses?” Jeff asked Len.
“Aye. A few decent youngsters coming through. A hunter pony called Solo who I’m about to back, and Minstrel, a three-year-old, who I think is going to make a top hack. Come and see them.”
As the two men wandered up the yard, looking at the other horses, Anna moved closer to Luke. “So you’ll be riding Lucifer?” Her voice was flirtatious as she looked at him through her dark eyelashes. “I hope he’ll be in good hands.”
“The best. I’ll get him to the Horse of the Year show,” Luke told her confidently.
“Unless I’m the one who qualifies him,” said Anna. “After all, I am going to take him in some of the shows myself.” She looked up at him with a challenge. “Maybe we should see which of us can get a ticket first.”
Luke grinned at her. “You’re on. I like a challenge.” He held her gaze.
Anna blushed and looked down.
Ellie rolled her eyes. Luke couldn’t seem to meet a girl without flirting.
“Look, we’ll leave you guys to chat,” Joe said to them. “There’s work to do. Come on, Ellie.” She hurried away after him.
As soon as they were out of hearing distance, she imitated Luke. “I lik
e a challenge!” She shook her head. “Honestly! He’s not supposed to be flirting with her—your dad said—and what about Sasha? He’s supposed to be going out with her.”
Joe shook his head. “Since when has that ever stopped Luke?”
“I just don’t get what everyone sees in him.”
Joe glanced at her. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that he’s tall, dark, good-looking—”
“Well, I wouldn’t go out with him,” Ellie snorted.
Joe looked at her for a moment. “No.” He smiled suddenly. “But then you’re not like anyone else, Ellie.”
She looked at him with pretend suspicion. “I hope you mean that in a good way.”
He grinned without answering.
She punched his arm. “Ow!”
As they reached the pony barn, Joe turned to her suddenly. “Ellie?”
“What?”
“I was just thinking. We haven’t done anything fun for ages. How about going to see a movie on Friday night?”
“A movie?” Ellie echoed.
“Yeah.”
“Just us?” Ellie felt excitement spark through her.
“Nah, I was thinking of asking Dad, Sasha, Helen, Stu…Of course, just us, you idiot.” His face started to close up as if he was already regretting asking. “Oh, forget it, we’re so busy. It was just a mad idea—”
“No!” Ellie interrupted quickly. “It would be cool. Let’s! I haven’t seen a movie since I came here.”
“OK.” Joe looked pleased. “It’s a date then. I mean, not a date,” he added hastily. “Just friends going out. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, yeah…of course.” Ellie looked at the ground, hoping he couldn’t see her face. When he’d asked, she thought he’d meant a date. She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed, but going out, even just as friends, would be fun.
“We’ll have to decide what we want to see,” Joe said.
“No horror,” Ellie said firmly, trying to match his practical tone.
“No slushy movies,” said Joe.
“No movies with talking animals,” declared Ellie.
Dreams Page 4
