by Ruby Loren
The star of the stables, the horse that had been stolen - this had been his stall.
Hayley sighed and ran a hand through her curling blonde hair, unknowingly staining it with dust. She was already starting to have her doubts that she could be of any use at all. If the police hadn't been able to find the missing horse and if the stables were on the verge of crumbling to dust, was there really anything she could do to change that? Hayley bit her lip. You can help her to prepare for the worst, she thought and decisively walked out of the barn and up the neighbouring hill, before her feet could carry her away from one person's doomed dream.
Late summer flowers spilled over the natural stone path, which led up the side of the small hill a little way from the main barn. Hayley had arranged to meet Romani up at her cottage but every step felt like she had a lead weight attached to her feet. Her brain was already pushing her to tell Romani that she’d made a mistake, that there was nothing she could do. She’d offered to help out in any way she could, thinking that perhaps this stables was just in need of a second chance, or a little smoothing over after the theft of the horse. She could tell it was far worse than that. Romani Hawley-Jones had a serious cash-flow problem and Hayley didn’t have the first idea about how to fix it. All she knew was horses.
Hayley lifted the horse-shaped door knocker and rapped on the pale blue door, not failing to notice the sea of paint shards which fluttered down to join the pile already on the floor. The door was flung open and Hayley came face to face with a woman close to her own age who had rather mad, curling auburn hair, a smattering of freckles, and that sparkle that hinted there was a lot more to her than met the eye.
“You must be Hayley, right? I’m Romani,” she said, thrusting out a hand and shaking vigorously. “Come in, I’ve just got some brownies out of the oven. You’ll be saving me from myself if you pitch in. I’m just a big mess of comfort eating at the moment,” she said easily, leading the way into a glorious country-style kitchen where a cooling rack full of gooey brownies sat invitingly on the solid oak, farmhouse table.
Hayley opened her mouth, figuring that now was as good a time as any to start wriggling out of what she'd said on the phone. Romani had been so down that Hayley had done her best to fill her with hope that things could get better, if she only accepted a bit of help. She’d then offered to be that help to the rather surprised Romani who'd wonderingly accepted… right after checking Hayley wasn’t in fact a crazy person.
“Oh, I’m afraid you’re going to have to give me a minute," Romani said before Hayley could speak. “I’ve been putting this off, well… since forever, but now Summer is gone and so are half my clients and their horses. It simply can't wait any longer.” Romani looked at the pile of brownies and then leant forwards with her hands resting on the big table, staring at the chocolatey morsels, as if reassuring herself that the brownies would make it all okay. “I need to call my mother.”
Romani’s fingers drummed on the edge of the table as she waited for the phone to be picked up. A grimace was already stretching her lips back. “Hello mother…” She began, only to be immediately jumped all over.
“Hello, darling, I thought I’d be hearing from you soon,” her mother’s rich voice boomed out of the receiver and Romani's grimace tightened. To Romani’s credit, she opened her mouth to presumably return the greeting but Charlotte Hawley-Jones was only getting started.
“Do you know, I knew it was you, even before picking up. Your father and I have the new identity checker now which helps us keep all of those foreign sales nuisance callers at bay.”
“The Scottish ones?” Romani asked, raising both eyebrows at Hayley who found she was suddenly smiling.
“Well, we couldn’t understand a word. The point is, I knew you'd be calling to ask me for money one of these days but you’ve had all I’m going to give you. You spent your inheritance on that stable hovel while your brother invested in stocks and shares and now look at him. He’s got a country estate, a countess for a wife, and two beautiful children.”
“Good to know George is holding up well,” Romani said drily and then sucked in another breath before steering the conversation back into dangerous territory. “I’m not asking for you to give me money, I just need to borrow some. It’s for a really short time. I can’t afford to feed the horses and keep the stables running as a business. A little bit of cash would make it so I could fix the place up a bit and attract new clients. I've even hired a new marketing manager,” Romani improvised, her gaze falling on Hayley as she pulled an apologetic face. Hayley shrugged, her lips twitching up as she started to discover exactly the lengths Romani was willing to go to in order to keep her riding stable from going under.
“What are you going to pay the manager in, horse lessons and hay?” Charlotte Hawley-Jones said and Hayley heard her laughing down the line.
Romani gritted her teeth. “It’s a joint business venture, if you must know. Look, I would never have needed to ask for this before Starling’s Summer was stolen. We were going to use the regional show jumping competition to get some exposure and then word would get out. I’m good with horses and I know, I just know he had it in him to win.” She sighed, pulling on a bouncy, red curl. “When he was taken, so was that opportunity, and people have pulled their horses from my stables too because of the threat of theft. It wasn’t just my horse that was stolen, Thunder In The Night, Lord Darlington's show jumping star disappeared last night. I read it in the paper this morning, so you see… someone is targeting stables. Clients need reassurance and I want to be able to give it to them. Could you and dad at least consider discussing loan? I’ll even pay you interest. I just need a bit to keep things going, you know… until things get better.” She swallowed. “Until I find Starling’s Summer," she admitted.
There was a pregnant pause that Hayley didn't like one bit. She’d never met the woman on the other end of the phone, but she knew the sound of plotting when she heard it.
“I have a much better idea. You said that people have taken their horses away from your stables? I happen to know a lovely young man, Russell Orpington-Mills, who is looking for a stables in your area to keep his horses. I think he’s entering that competition and needs to have local stabling, or some drudgery like that. Anyway, I already recommended your place to him and I think you’ll be hearing from him later today,” Charlotte said and Hayley watched as Romani’s face transformed into a mask of horror when she figured out what her mother was doing.
“There's a catch here, isn’t there? Why would he want to come to my stables?” She already knew the answer but wanted to hear her mother say it.
“Well, apparently all of the places around you are either full up, or ludicrously priced. Also, he is a very wealthy eligible bachelor and when I described you, he didn’t run a mile. I think he may actually be interested. Isn’t that amazing?” Charlotte said, unable to keep the disbelief from her voice.
Romani audibly ground her teeth together. “You're setting me up,” she said.
“He’s going to pay to stable his horse and, who knows, if you try not to mortally offend him, he may even be amenable to marriage. I know it’s what his family wants for him and you are more than good enough for him,” Charlotte said, surprising Romani until she remembered that her mother was just talking in terms of breeding stock. With all of her thoughts on that topic it was odd she’d never taken steps into the world of horses, despite the parallels.
“Okay, I can be nice,” Romani said, although it was killing her. “But, mum, one extra horse being stabled here isn’t going to help things along enough and I am not going to take any handouts he may offer. I still need that loan,” she said, her nails catching in the grooves of the kitchen table.
“Mmm, we’ll see, darling. I don’t think Russell is the sort to rest on his laurels. He’s a doer and may just pitch straight in, if you let him. See, you’re already perfect for each other! Have fun!” She blithely wished and hung up.
Romani looked at Hayley across the t
able before slowly reaching out and picking up the largest brownie on the cooling rack. “No loan, but the strong possibility of an arranged marriage. Now I know why I haven’t asked my parents for anything since they doled out the inheritance,” Romani said before stuffing the brownie into her mouth - whole.
“So, you bought this place with the money they gave you?” Hayley asked, deciding she did want to know more about the stables after all.
Romani finished chewing and reached for a second brownie.
“Yeah, it's a family tradition. When you’re twenty one, you’re given lump sum. You’re meant to save it, or invest it and make tons more money to prove that having money leads to having even more money - or something like that. This place was about to be sold and turned into flats but I bought it. Then I bought a few riding school ponies for kids to learn on and offered stabling for other horses. I bought Starling’s Summer for myself too…” Her voice wavered just a little. “So, I did all that, employed a decent riding instructor, who I’ve just had to let go, and that was that. For a little while, things were okay. We were starting to get more kids coming to ride and people wanted the stabling but it’s not as if this place is fancy or prestigious. The only thing going for us is the scenic location and, well… a lack of prejudice that mostly seems to be the opposite of a selling point.” She wrung her hands and gave Hayley a knowing look. “I know it’s influenced by the way I’ve been brought up, but I hate that whole ‘rich club members only’ thing. I wanted this to be a place for everyone to mix and have the same opportunities available to them, no matter what their funding situation was. I had so many ideas…” She spread her hands flat on the table before reaching for another brownie and slapping her own hand. Romani slid the tray towards Hayley, the hope in her eyes having nothing to do with the baked goods. Hayley reached out and took one, looking at it thoughtfully for a moment.
“So, what can we do?” Hayley thought aloud. Romani had saddled herself with a rundown stables that now lacked the income to cover the outgoings. She’d been scraping by, slowly building up her business, and had obviously harboured high hopes for her own horse, if she’d been confident enough to enter the regional show jumping championship. Now the stable star was gone and the local equestrian community were on their guard against the thief in their midst. On one hand, it was good that Romani’s mother had found a new client for the stables but the strings attached were hard to stomach. Hayley didn’t want Romani to have to sacrifice her dream for the sake of solving her money worries.
But what could be done? She'd seen the inside of the stables. A few paltry ponies and a horse (that presumably belonged to one of her remaining clients) was hardly going to get her out of a financial crisis, especially if she’d just fired her one and only riding instructor.
Hayley suddenly remembered a key detail of Romani’s conversation with her mother. “You said that another horse has been stolen?”
Romani nodded and unthinkingly helped herself to a third brownie. “Yeah, it was in the paper. Lord Darlington’s best horse was stolen last night from his stables and that place is, you know, basically Fort Knox compared to here. The police are all over it, more so than they were with me anyway,” she muttered and shook her head. “I don't think they’ve found anything though. I read about it and it sounded the same as when Summer was stolen. All they found were the tracks of a big vehicle and only one horse - the best horse - was stolen.” She paused, running a hand through her curls. “Although, if I’m being honest, I’ve no idea why anyone would ever think to put my stables and Lord Darlington’s in the same league. No one had even heard of Summer. I know he was going to be a star, I knew that the moment I found him, but no one else would have had a clue,” she said, looking across at Hayley who frowned.
“So, everyone's worried that their horses are going to get taken? Perhaps we should start with that. If we can figure out how to make the stables more secure then maybe clients will come in. You’ve got to keep the lessons going too. I know you just let your riding instructor go, but couldn’t you teach? If there’s anyone who wants to be taught, you can offer lessons and try and get new people to come, right?” She offered, hoping it wasn't patronising.
Romani nodded her head up and down. “ I know, I know, I mean… I’m not a good teacher at all, but the other stuff… I know that I should be doing something, everything, all at once. That’s just it. It all needs to happen at once. I've got to stop the stables from falling down, try and attract new business, and not get too far into debt. It’s simple to say it, but the little things that were starting to work in my favour now aren’t working and losing Summer seems to have tipped everything against the stables. I think I might be about to lose everything," she said in a quiet voice. She looked down at the uneaten brownie in her hand and replaced it on the baking tray, her appetite gone.
An internal struggle was taking place within Hayley, as she weighed up what was sensible and what felt right. It was crazy to tell Romani that with a spot of hard work, all of her dreams for the stable would come true, but that didn’t stop her from wishing she could say it. Romani was right when she said that everything was stacked against them, but two heads and pairs of hands were better than one. She'd walked into the cottage ready to tell Romani that there was nothing she could do to help but while her thoughts hadn't changed, she still wanted to give it a try. Even if failure was the likely outcome.
“I’ll work as your riding instructor, until you can get someone else, and I’ll also help you fix up the stables and look for Summer… if you don’t mind me sticking around, that is?” She added when suspicion clouded Romani's eyes.
“Well, that’s lovely, really it is, but why on earth would you do that? I know you said a family friend asked you to help me, but I can’t pay you anything…”
“I do usually work for a fee, but sometimes, sometimes it’s just nice to help someone else out, right? If more people did that then the world would be so much better. I really don’t know if there’s much I can do, but I’m sorry that you lost Summer and I don't want that disaster to be the end of your stables. I mentioned on the phone that I’m a horse psychologist. I’m not a detective but perhaps… perhaps there might be something I can do to help find Summer.”
Romani shook her head an incredulous smile on her face. “You are one hundred percent crazy but, sure. I do literally have nothing left to lose apart from the stables. What more could go wrong, right? You can stay and have as many brownies as you like.”
Hayley couldn’t help but smile back as she felt the first threads of friendship fall into place. Her decision to help Romani was just as nuts as it sounded, but something inside her was leading her down that path and telling her it was exactly what she was meant to be doing. Hayley just hoped it wouldn’t all be for nothing.
They both jumped at the sound of an engine being revved and then cutoff.
“The thieves!” Romani said, leaping to her feet and running for the door, forgetting that everything of value had already been taken from her. There was nothing worth stealing at the Hawley-Jones Riding Stables.
Hayley only hoped that there was something worth saving.
CHAPTER TWO
Friends And Enemies
“This is it?!” An incredulous voice floated through the late morning air. Romani and Hayley stopped running as they reached the bottom of the hill.
“Well, it’ll do for our purpose, Russell. You know there’s nowhere else,” a second, lower voice answered the first.
“They don’t sound like horse thieves,” Hayley whispered to Romani who had paled.
“Worse - I think it’s the man my mum’s trying to set me up with.” She reached out and squeezed Hayley’s shoulder for comfort before straightening up and stepping out from behind the row of rhododendron bushes they were hiding behind, a forced smile on her face.
“Hi, are you Russell? I’m Romani, it’s great to meet you,” she said thrusting out a hand which Russell gingerly took as if he were afraid of crush
ing her fingers. Hayley straightened up too, glad that everyone in the vicinity was too well bred to comment on their strange appearance from behind the bushes.
“Good. Well, the horses are in the van. Get someone to unload them and we’ll talk over the terms,” he said and Romani looked flummoxed for a second.
“I’ll do it,” Hayley said, seizing her first chance to help Romani out. Russell was a badly needed client and letting on that there were no stable staff when this man was so obviously used to the finer things would not be a great start.
“Don't you have any other…” Russell looked at Hayley’s slim body and doubt showed all over his face. “The horses are rather highly strung,” he said, smoothing the top of his russet brown hair onto his head - an action which immediately made Hayley suspect some foul play was going on up there. “Jack can help you. You don’t mind, do you Jack? There are three horses. I’m sure that’s not a problem,” he bustled on as Romani's expression grew more doubtful. “Of course, this is all just until the championship, so we won’t be in your hair for long. Is that the house? I’ll see about where to put my cases,” he said, already walking up the stony path towards the hill. Romani shot Hayley a ‘I can’t believe this is happening’ look and then stalked after Russell.
“I was told you were stabling one horse and nothing was ever said about accommodation. We haven’t even discussed the fee!” Romani protested, her fists balling up behind Russell’s back.
