The Hayley Argent Mysteries, Books 1 - 4

by Ruby Loren

  CHAPTER NINE

  Just Deserts

  “Good morning,” Russell said, lowering his paper when Hayley and Romani walked into Romani’s cottage (that was mostly entirely occupied by Russell now) on the morning of the show jumping championship.

  Danny and Barbarossa had left early that morning, hopefully unobserved by Jack or Russell but Hayley and Romani knew he'd be at the competition later, keeping a low profile, if he was smart.

  “Romani, may I have a word with you… alone,” Russell said, giving Hayley a pointed look. She threw Romani an apologetic glance before backing out of the kitchen. It didn’t make much difference. The cottage that failed to mute Russell’s snores projected his voice just as well and Romani heard the whole thing.

  “So, it's the competition today,” Russell began. “I’m expecting to do very well. I do hope you’ll be there watching,” he breezed on and Hayley rolled her eyes, safe in the knowledge he couldn’t see her. She dug her nails into the palm of her hand, praying Romani wouldn't snap and let the cat out of the bag. Russell was unknowingly pressing her every button right now.

  “Anyway, after all this is over, I was wondering if you’d marry me.”

  There was a dead silence and Hayley froze.

  “What?” Romani said, voicing Hayley’s thoughts aloud.

  “I thought you could marry me. I’ll pay for the stables to be done up. You can do what you like with them and I’ll take care of it. Our parents will be pleased,” he said, as if that settled it.

  Hayley got to her feet and walked quickly back towards the kitchen.

  “Sorry to interrupt but we're late for getting ready!” Hayley said, knowing that she had to get Romani out of there right away. The pink tinge she saw rising in Romani's cheeks confirmed it.

  “Yes, we’d better do that,” Romani said, far too stiffly. Russell blinked his piggy eyes back and forth between them and gave a jovial shrug.

  “We’ll speak more on it after the competition. Something to look forward to, eh?” He said as Hayley dragged Romani from the room.

  “How dare he even…!” Romani exploded when they were safely out of the cottage and inside the barn. She shouted so loudly that Hayley cast a worried look in the direction of the horses and found that they weren’t there. Darken, Evenfall and ‘Sandy’ were all missing.

  A quick march back up the hill, led by Hayley, revealed that Jack had overseen the horses being transported to the show jumping event while they’d dallied with Russell.

  "But why is Sandy gone?” She’d asked. Russell had frowned for a second before his expression cleared.

  "No idea! Perhaps Jack thought we were taking them all back to my stables straight afterwards,” Russell had said. “I thought you didn’t want him, anyway.” They’d left him looking bemused.

  "We'll figure it out,” Hayley said once they were alone once more. “It might even be better this way. Now we don’t have to risk Russell seeing us taking Summer to the show. All we have to do is get him away from the other two horses and you in the ring at the right time.”

  “What could go wrong?” Romani said, her voice drenched in scepticism.

  ***

  The indoor arena was already filling up when Hayley and Romani arrived. They even spotted a glimpse of Lord Darlington through the crowd and Hayley briefly wondered how long it would be before their paths crossed.

  “I checked the listings, Russell’s on late morning, Jack’s straight after, and I’m on just a few riders after that.” Romani raised a hand to her mouth and bit down on her nails. “What if he sees I’m still entering?”

  “Being Russell, he’ll probably just assume you’re doing it for attention. He just won’t be expecting you to actually show up with a horse,” Hayley reassured her, praying she was right.

  “This waiting is the hardest part. I’m not even sure how we’re going to get Summer,” Romani said for the hundredth time as they trailed around various stalls. Usually, Hayley would enjoy the opportunity to mingle with other horse enthusiasts but today she shared Romani’s nerves. She wouldn’t breath easy until they’d spirited Summer away.

  The day dragged on and eventually the rider before Russell rode into the ring. Hayley patted Romani on the shoulder and they slipped away through the crowd just as the contestant finished his round and the announcer called out ‘Russell Orpington-Mills on Sandringham’s Pride!’

  Hayley and Romani ground to a halt, turning in unison as Russell rode into the ring on the horse he’d tried to give to Romani. The horse that was really Starling’s Summer. They watched as Russell shook his head from side to side, as though irritated about something. He pulled hard on the reins and Romani winced as her horse turned and trotted to the start. Summer’s ears flicked forwards and Hayley turned away as they took off around the course.

  Danny found them before they reached the horse trailers.

  “What happened?” He hissed as they rushed to find Russell’s lorry, all of them fearing the worst. Had they planned all of this, only for Russell to play the final trick and make Thunder In The Night vanish at the last moment?

  “He can’t get away with it,” Hayley said over and over as they approached the horse lorry.

  Thunder In The Night was tied up outside, chewing hay good-naturedly.

  “Tack him up,” Danny said and Romani gaped at him. He turned to her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

  “I’ve been watching you ever since I arrived at your stables and you deserve this, Romani. You deserve it more than anyone and I think you should get the chance to show people the great horsewoman you are. Prove what your stables can do. I know it’s riding a horse that isn't yours, a horse that’s been stolen, but what if you do well?” He said.

  “What if I don’t?” Romani replied in a small voice and Hayley felt torn. On one hand, Thunder In The Night was an excellent horse, but Romani had only ever ridden him once before. Horse and rider did best when they’d bonded through training.

  “Give it a shot. It’s time someone gave Russell a taste of what it's like to have something taken from you,” was Danny's reply. Hayley hoped he was suggesting this with Romani’s best interests at heart, but she could also hear the vengeance in his voice.

  "I'll do it," Romani said, her jaw setting in a firm line.

  ***

  “Romani Hawley-Jones on Starling’s Summer!” The announcer called out. Hayley would have loved to watch her friend ride into the ring on Thunder, but she had her sights set elsewhere. Jack and Russell turned from their conversation in front of her and looked towards the arena where Romani was now getting ready to do her round.

  “What is she doing on my horse?” Hayley heard Russell say. Next to him, Jack was silent. “Is this why you wouldn’t let me ride him and put me out there on that cheap hack? You told me he’d gone lame!” Russell turned to Jack and Hayley felt everything she knew get wiped away.

  He didn’t know.

  He didn’t know that he was riding a stolen horse.

  “Interesting,” Danny commented, loudly enough to make the pair turn around. Russell’s skin immediately flushed purple and he opened his mouth to no doubt bellow an accusation at Danny but Hayley’s eyes were on Jack.

  “It was you. You’re the one who broke Darkening Dawn out of his stall that night, hoping he’d run away. You did it because you knew who he really was. You're the thief,” she said and Jack’s eyes darted between her and Danny. Hayley suddenly realised that the scrap of fabric she’d found must have come from Jack's shirt - the red and blue flannel.

  “Clear round!” The announcer’s voice rang out in the background but Hayley hardly heard the cheer.

  “What is she talking about?” Russell said, clearly expecting Jack to put them right. “If anyone’s a thief, it’s the gypsy. His horse is a dead ringer for Thunder! And to think I was all for giving you a chance to come clean…"

  “I was in trouble and I didn’t know what to do… I’m sorry,” Jack said and all the colour drained fr
om Russell’s face. Jack gave one more apologetic look towards Hayley and then turned to run, colliding with the large physique of Lord Darlington.

  Two burly looking lads appeared and grasped one arm each, keeping Jack from running.

  “I think you’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” Lord Darlington said and Jack looked down at the ground.

  “I’m a gambler. When I was younger, I got into trouble at the races and needed a way out. I became part of a horse smuggling ring… groups of us would steal and then ship away horses to wealthy Arab owners who wanted breeding and riding stock from Britain. I got into trouble again really recently but then Russell said he was looking for a horse and he thought I had contacts abroad. I’d told him all these stories about racing across deserts and so on. He thought I could ship him something from out there and I said I could do it. I planned to take Thunder In The Night for Russell, knowing he was the perfect horse. Starling's Summer was… more of an accident. Russell told me his plans for his new horse so before I stole Thunder I realised I should check out your stables and see if it was too high profile to work. I saw Romani riding Starling’s Summer and I realised he was a great horse, good enough to beat Russell - even on Thunder. Russell had already told me she was entering the championship.”

  “You bet on Russell to win the competition?” Hayley asked, knowing the way gamblers worked. They found it impossible to stop.

  “I could have changed the bet and gone for Romani instead, but I didn’t know her. It was better to take the competition out of the way so that Russell would have a clear field. It would be a sure thing. I’d hoped that Russell would be able to ride Thunder in the competition and that no one would dare question someone with his reputation. I realised I was in too deep when you somehow thought Danny had the missing horse and explained how he reacted. It made me question who he might be..,” Jack licked his lips nervously. “I had to get rid of Thunder, so I let him go and hoped he’d disappear. When that didn't work out, I told Russell he was lame, hoping against hope that he'd still manage to win the competition on a different horse. With no Thunder and having seen Hayley ride so well on Summer without having ridden him before, I figured the odds were still good. I’d have made it right afterwards, I swear,” he said, but Hayley didn’t buy it for a second.

  “All this time you’ve been manipulating us all," she said. “I think you’d have run with the money and left Russell to take the blame.” Jack didn’t meet her eyes and Hayley knew she'd finally got something right.

  “Results posted!” The announcer called and Hayley blinked, finding it hard to believe that enough time had passed. She looked round to find Lord Darlington smiling kindly at her.

  “I think we’ll be able to handle it from here. The police are nearby, although they were expecting a different man.” He inclined his head towards Russell who was still the colour of curdled milk. “I’m sorry you were caught up in this, sir.” Russell’s mouth flapped open and shut like a goldfish but no sound escaped until…

  “My money! I spent a fortune on that horse. Where’s my money?” Russell stretched his pudgy hands towards Jack’s neck and Danny was forced to intervene, pulling him back. Hayley shook her head and walked away. Russell may not be a thief, but he was still a nasty piece of work. It had almost been his undoing when he’d borrowed all of those Arabian adventure stories from Jack. She’d kidnap Romani herself if she even considered saying yes to the odious man!

  “I’m second!” Romani burst free from the crowd around the results board as the names flashed up. A moment later, a small red ‘disqualified’ notice popped up next to her name. Romani pulled a face. “Oh well. It was nice of them to even place me considering it probably took them all of two seconds to realise I wasn't riding the horse I’d entered. I wonder if someone persuaded them to judge me all the same."

  “Probably Lord Darlington,” Hayley said and quickly shared all that had transpired while Romani had been in the ring.

  “So it was Jack all along! I'm sorry,” Romani said and Hayley winced. She had started to like Jack. For someone who always said she relied on her instincts to do a good job, she'd messed up big time.

  "Looks like you can marry Russell after all,” Hayley said, and was pleased when she received a punch on the arm for even suggesting it

  “All the financial stability in the world isn’t worth that horror," she said with a sigh. “He won by the way - Russell. He and Starling's Summer won.” Hayley didn’t miss the note of pride in her voice. “I'll just be happy to have my horse back," she admitted. “Not that I’m likely to have a stables for much longer…”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” a familiar, deep voice said.

  CHAPTER TEN

  A Second Chance

  Danny appeared with Lord Darlington at his side.

  “I wanted to give you my thanks,” Lord Darlington said nodding to Romani. “I've never seen Thunder In The Night look so good and the way you rode him was brilliant. I daresay I wouldn’t have done it any better and if you’d have been riding your own horse, well…” He gestured to the leaderboard which still showed Russell at the top, as technically he hadn’t broken any rules by changing his entry officially. “Danny reassured me that your stables was doing a good job but it’s one thing to hear it and another to see it. With all that in mind, I wanted to ask if you might be interested in working with me. You clearly see qualities in horses that might otherwise be overlooked and I think that the horse world needs more of that. Your horse has already got people scratching their heads today and when they find out the whole truth, I have no doubt they’ll be breaking down the door, trying to get in at your stables!”

  “To be fair, it probably wouldn’t take many people to break the door. It’s still on the to do list,” Danny sniped and Romani gave him a gentle shove.

  Lord Darlington raised an eyebrow. “I was thinking that, if you were to agree to all this, it would work best if I had a representative at the stables. Why doesn’t Danny work with you? Barbarossa and Thunder In The Night can stay put too, as I’ve learned the hard way that separating those two is more trouble than it’s worth.”

  “You really mean it? But the stables is nothing special… it’s nothing like…” She trailed off biting her lip.

  “No building is particularly special, but what Danny has told me you wish to do - encouraging people to take up riding who wouldn't normally get the chance, and finding rising stars who may otherwise be overlooked - that’s the kind of cause I’d like to get behind. And, if I put my money where my mouth is, you’ll be able to make it happen without having to accept offers from the usual glory seekers who I have no doubt will flock in.” He smiled amiably. “I’ll let you think it over. I'm glad you have your horse back.”

  “I'm glad you have yours back too,” Romani echoed, her face still a mask of disbelief.

  “You know, most guys would just tell the girl they like her, not persuade a wealthy benefactor to save the stables in the hopes that she might like you back…” Hayley said to Danny when Romani had disappeared to organise the reloading of Thunder and Summer. Hayley spared a thought for Evenfall but she was sure it was a mystery that would be solved in a matter of days now that the truth was finally out.

  “I guess I’m not that good at doing anything directly,” Danny said, raising an eyebrow at Hayley whose mouth twisted. "I should have told you sooner. I just wasn’t sure…” He trailed off but Hayley knew what he meant. He hadn't been sure that they hadn’t been involved with the thefts. Looking back, she hadn’t exactly given him much reason to trust her, as all she’d ever been was suspicious.

  “We both behaved as badly as each other,” she concluded. "I think the Hawley-Jones Riding Stables is officially saved. Mission accomplished."

  Danny tilted his head at her. “You're going to leave?”

  Hayley nodded.

  “I came here to help and I don’t really feel that I did much of that in the end. It’s made me realise I've been away from what I kn
ow for too long. I’m a partner in a stables and while I help remotely, this past year all I've been doing is working as a horse psychologist, building up my own reputation in the hopes that it will feed into the success of the stables. I think I need to go back and remind myself what I'm doing it all for,” she finished.

  “Oh, stop the doom and gloom!” Romani marched over, her face bright and her hair flying wild in all directions. “You pulled me out of a slump that I otherwise would not have got through. Without you, I probably would have said no to Russell bringing his horses into the stable, just to spite my mother. Now I'm glad I said yes.”

  Hayley tried to smile but it slipped from her face as she looked down at the floor. How had she got it so wrong?

  “There is one more thing you can do for me. If we’re going to expand this stables, we’re going to need some fresh blood. I have a few idea about where to look for the next eventing stars and I want you to come with me. Help me find the right horses who simply need a second chance. I know you’ll be able to see.” Romani tilted her head questioningly at Hayley who finally looked up at the pair, who were so clearly destined to be together.

  “Talent spotting it is," she said, feeling the smile come back to her face.

  END

  The Falcon’s Frost

  Ruby Loren

  Copyright © 2017 Ruby Loren

  INTRO

  “Come on, Dominic!” The pair already at the finish line called back to their boss as he cleared the last of the cavalletti poles and comically galloped for home. The strawberry blonde man cast a glance over his shoulder and slipped into a flailing run.

  “That's cheating!” His brother, the head of accounts, shouted in outrage as the other racer, a rather round secretary, looked up at the sound and tripped on the final jump, falling flat on her face in the dirt. Dominic Marks tore across the finish line and punched the air victoriously.