There were four people in the visiting party - the producer, Lewis Trevelyan, (a very nice young man – quite charming, actually, Ursula thought), and his personal assistant, Lucy. (A thirty-something beanpole with flame red hair and an appalling taste in clothes.) The two other young men were introduced as Matthew, the assistant locations manager, and James, the technical adviser. Since neither of them looked old enough to have left school, Ursula paid them very little attention. Instead, she concentrated her efforts on the rather distinguished looking producer.
‘Take Jasper over the poles again, Vanessa,’ she instructed. ‘Now watch this, Mr Trevelyan. I’m sure you’ll be impressed. My daughter’s been riding since she was four years old.’
‘Has she really,’ Lewis said politely. Riding what, exactly - a rocking horse?
He was beginning to think that Lucy’s idea of using real show jumpers in the film instead of stunt riders was not one of her better suggestions. Not with this rider, anyway. The girl was obviously capable enough (once she’d stopped falling off, that is) but she wasn’t what he had in mind. She was, well, too large, really. The camera tended to add weight, and this girl had quite enough of her own.
But the blonde haired girl – his gaze drifted over to the distant field, where he could just see the hapless trio disappearing from view – now she was something else entirely.
‘Who is that girl?’ he said.
Ursula followed his gaze with an irritated look on her face. He had missed Vanessa doing a perfect double spread. And Jasper was behaving impeccably now he wasn’t being watched.
‘Oh, that’s Caroline,’ she said. ‘My youngest daughter.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes,’ Ursula assured him.
(She was, in fact, speaking the truth, because when she glanced into the distance the only two people she could see were Caroline and Thomas. How was she to know (as she was quick to point out later) that a split second earlier, Ella had been in the picture?)
‘I’d like to meet her,’ he said.
Ursula beamed. Well, it was tough on Vanessa, but what the heck. At least he was showing an interest in one of her girls. ‘I’m sure she’ll be thrilled,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you come up to the house with me and we’ll wait for her to come back? I don’t suppose she’ll be very long.’
Vanessa felt a wave of despair surge over her, as she watched her mother and the group of people surrounding Mr Trevelyan turn and walk away from the arena. It wasn’t fair. Jasper was jumping magnificently now. Why weren’t they watching her?
‘Mother!’
Ursula glanced back over her shoulder. ‘Ah, Vanessa,’ she said, as if suddenly remembering she was there. ‘You might as well finish now. Oh, and can you tell Caroline to come up to the house when she’s ready. Mr Trevelyan wants to speak to her.’
It was perhaps as well that the film company had moved out of earshot at that moment, because Vanessa uttered a particularly loud expletive as she dismounted and looped Jasper’s reins over his head.
Her face was flushed with anger. What the hell did they want to speak to Caroline for? Hadn’t they noticed the way she’d ridden like a lunatic, totally out of control, and with no regard for anyone else’s safety?
She slid up the stirrups and loosened Jasper’s girth. And if her mother thought she was going to tell Caroline that they wanted to talk to her, she was going to be disappointed. If they wanted her sister, they could find her themselves.
‘Is he lame?’ Ella asked, as she watched Thomas patiently hosing Nero’s leg with cold water. The black gelding fidgeted as the icy spray ran down him and settled in a spreading lake around his hooves.
‘No, no, he’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘But this won’t do him any harm, seeing as how he took off without being warmed up properly.’ He gave Caroline an irritated scowl, but she was oblivious to it, seeing as how she was bent double at the time, and fiddling with one of her boots. ‘Bloody woman,’ he muttered, under his breath. ‘You might be best to take him for a gentle hack,’ he added, glancing back at Ella. ‘It would stop him stiffening up.’
‘Good idea,’ she said. ‘I’ll walk him round the cross-country course. No one’s riding it at the moment, and the track’s pretty soft and sandy there.’
She tied her hair back, and retrieved a riding hat from the tack room. ‘I won’t be long,’ she said, as she swung nimbly into the saddle and gathered up the reins.
Not a moment too soon, either, she realised. It looked as if battle between the two warring stepsisters was about to commence.
Vanessa came stomping into the yard, hauling a sweaty looking Jasper behind her. ‘So there you are!’ she said, glaring pointedly at Caroline, who was now sitting on the ground trying to untangle the piece of baling twine from the zip of her polished leather riding boot. ‘What the hell did you think you were doing?’
‘Me?’ Caroline spluttered. ‘Huh! You’re a fine one to talk. You’re the one who fell off in full view of everybody.’
‘Only because Nero startled Jasper.’
‘Yes, well, if you’d been paying attention to what you were doing…’
‘I was paying attention. It was your fault…’
‘Oh no it wasn’t. You were the one…’
The voices faded into a distant muttering of accusation and counter accusation, as Ella rode Nero away from the yard, and headed out on to the track leading into the woods.
‘All this fuss about a film, Nero,’ she said, rubbing the black horse’s withers. ‘I don’t know. Whatever next.’
Ella couldn’t think what had possessed Ursula to recommend Vanessa and Caroline for the part, other than maternal pride in her offspring. Nature was very good at ensuring most parents saw their children as perfect, even if nobody else did. It was just as well, really. She dreaded to think what Mr Trevelyan had thought of the whole sorry spectacle.
She guided Nero down a grassy bank and paddled him through the shallow water jump. The horse seemed to be enjoying himself. His ears were pricked forwards, and his manner was calm and unruffled.
It was amazing what a bit of kindness and attention did. No one seeing him now, would believe he was the same maddened creature of a few short moments ago.
She loosened the reins and let him pick his own way through the stream.
The sun glinted off the water’s surface, and warmed the faint chill in the breeze. Above her, the sky was clear and blue, with only a few wispy white clouds drifting past. It was going to be a glorious day, she thought.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t glorious for everyone.
‘More tea, Mr Trevelyan?’ Ursula said, holding up the pot and beaming at him. She had laid out the best tea service especially. It hadn’t been used for years, but a quick wipe over with a damp cloth had rendered it serviceable. It wasn’t often she had such genuinely important guests. ‘Or a custard cream, perhaps, or another fig roll?’
‘No, I’m fine thanks,’ Lewis said, risking a surreptitious glance at his watch. ‘Do you think she’ll be much longer?’
‘Caroline? No, I don’t think so. In fact, I really don’t know what’s taking her so long. Do you want me to go and have a look?’
‘If you wouldn’t mind,’ he said. ‘I’ve got another engagement to go to, you see.’
‘Oh.’ Ursula tried to hide her disappointment.
‘Actually, we are running a bit late,’ Lucy said, declining Ursula’s offer of a second cup of tea up with a quick shake of her head. She had managed only a few sips from her first cup. It was so strong and bitter that she marvelled at the way her boss had managed to drink any of it.
Matthew and James had been wise to decline the invitation all together. (When last spotted, they had been having an animated conversation with a couple of young stable girls they had bumped into in the paddocks, and had said - well, practically insisted really - that they would stay outside until Lewis had finished his business at the house).
‘How late?’ Lewis said.
‘Well, you did say te
n thirty, Mr Trevelyan, and it’s after that now.’
‘So it is,’ he said.
Ursula looked almost panic stricken. ‘I’m sure she won’t be long.’ She peered anxiously out of the front window as she spoke. They couldn’t leave now – not now. Not when he had shown such an interest in Caroline. Oh where was she, the stupid, senseless girl?
‘Perhaps we could call back later?’ Lucy suggested, flicking through the pages of a large blue filofax. ‘I don’t expect this meeting with Mr Fitzgerald will take very long.’ She glanced over at Lewis. ‘What do you think?’
‘Yes. I think we should,’ he said. He was actually torn in two directions. He was desperate to get away from Mrs Johnson, who was trying his patience by the second. She had spent the best part of half an hour extolling the virtues of her daughter. A more gloating and pushy mother he had yet to meet. (And he had met several in the course of his career that was for sure.) On the other hand, he really did want to see this girl. She had caught his attention and intrigued him, which was always a good sign.
‘That’s agreed, then,’ he said, standing up. ‘We’ll call back later.’
‘Oh yes, yes,’ Ursula cooed. ‘Come back anytime. I’ll make sure Caroline is ready for you. I expect she’s got involved in something down at the yard. She does love her horses, you know.’
Caroline was, indeed, involved in something down at the yard – a rather vicious battle of words with her older sister, which was starting to turn into a nasty case of push and shove.
Thomas despaired of the pair of them. There was Jasper standing, hot and sweating, and neither of them saw fit to fetch him a sweat rug, or a damp sponge to wipe him down.
He lifted the saddle off and thrust it at Vanessa. ‘Hold this,’ he muttered.
‘Me?’ she said.
‘Well, excuse me if I’m mistaken, but it is your horse.’
‘Yes, but…’
‘And you,’ he continued, his eyes narrowing on Caroline’s sulky face. ‘You can take this.’ He handed her the bridle, which was flecked with foam and smears of grass coloured slime. ‘And don’t forget to give the bit a good rinse before you hang it up.’
Caroline was incensed. ‘I don’t see why I should clean her smelly tack,’ she said. ‘I don’t suppose she’ll clean Nero’s.’
‘No,’ Thomas sighed resignedly. ‘I expect Ella will do that.’ He picked up Jasper’s feet, and started to clean them with a hoof pick. ‘I thought you wanted to create a good impression for this here film company.’
‘We do,’ Vanessa said, and Caroline quickly nodded her agreement.
‘Well, then.’ He straightened up and rubbed the small of his back. ‘How do you know they haven’t been watching you all this time?’
‘Oh my God!’ Vanessa looked aghast. ‘You don’t think…? No, they couldn’t, could they?’
Thomas gave a nonchalant shrug. ‘There were four of them in that car,’ he said. ‘I only saw two people go up to the house with your ma.’
‘You idiot!’ Caroline shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at her sister. ‘If they’ve seen us, it’s your fault. You started this.’
‘Me?’ Vanessa swung round and almost dropped the saddle as she did so.
‘Yes.’ Caroline shook the bridle at her. ‘It was you who came storming into the yard shouting your mouth off…’
‘With good reason…’
God give me strength, Thomas groaned.
Shaking his head, he turned and walked into the peaceful sanctuary of the tack room. Someone needed to find a sweat rug for Jasper. The way things were going it might just as well be him.
‘Well?’ Lucy said, glancing across at Lewis as he clipped on his seat belt, and turned on the ignition.
‘Well what?’
‘You know what,’ she said, grinning. ‘You’ve got that dreamy look on your face again.’
‘I don’t know what you’re on about,’ he said gruffly.
‘She means the look you get when you think you’re on to something,’ Matthew said cheerfully, waving out of the rear window to the stable girl with whom he had been having a most interesting flirtation. He turned back to them. ‘So,’ he said. ‘Are you on to something?’
‘Possibly.’ The car wheels scrunched over the gravel, as Lewis drove them down the impressive driveway. ‘I’m interested in seeing that girl again, anyway.’
‘What girl?’ James’s ears had pricked up.
‘The one with blonde hair,’ he said.
James looked quizzically at Matthew. He hadn’t seen any blonde haired rider. Matthew hadn’t either, judging by the puzzled shrug of his shoulders.
‘She wasn’t actually riding,’ Lucy explained, craning her neck round to talk to them. ‘We saw her in the distance. Apparently she’s the youngest daughter – Caroline, I think her name is.’
‘Right,’ Matthew said. ‘So you don’t know if she can ride.’
‘I think it’s fairly natural to assume that she can,’ Lewis said. ‘I mean it’s a pretty well established riding school.’
He swung the wheel of the BMW round to the right. The road was narrow and full of sudden twists and turns. ‘Map, Lucy,’ he said, pointing a finger at the glove compartment.
‘Please,’ she said airily. ‘Well, I thought it was ideal – for a location shoot, anyway.’ She opened up the folded map and peered intently down at it for several moments. ‘I think you want to take the next left.’ She glanced up at the road. ‘There should be a sign for Ecclestone.’
‘How about a Ridgeway?’ He indicated the sign at the side of the road.
‘No.’ She stared down at the map again.’ At least, I can’t see a Ridgeway.’ She turned it upside down and squinted sideways at it.
Lewis gave a soft growl. ‘Perhaps if you gave it to James…’
‘No. No, I’ve found it. Yes, I was right.’ She flapped a well-manicured hand to the side. Her gold and silver bracelets jangled. ‘You need to turn left. Here.’
‘To Ridgeway?’ Lewis said.
‘I guess so.’ She smiled sweetly up at him.
Lewis shook his head despairingly, as he swung the wheel round.
And that’s when he saw her for the third time.
The black horse was walking along a sand covered track on the other side of the hedgerow, its thick black mane and tail blowing and ruffling in the breeze. The girl was riding one handed, using the other to rub his gleaming withers. She looked happy and relaxed, without a care in the world.
Lewis slammed on the brakes, propelling the occupants of the car abruptly forwards. The rear wheels skidded on the gravely surface, and the front wheels bounced over the grass verge, bringing them to an emergency stop.
‘Bloody hell!’ James swore, rubbing his cheek, which had connected with the front passenger seat’s headrest. (That would teach him to fasten his seat belt before they set off.) ‘What was it? A pheasant?’
‘No,’ Lewis said, flinging open the car door and climbing out to get a better look. ‘I think it’s her.’
‘Who?’ Lucy mumbled, from her doubled over position in the front seat. The contents of her handbag had spilled out like a shower of confetti, and she was groping around trying to retrieve money, make-up, cigarettes and other assorted items from the foot well of the car.
‘The elusive Caroline,’ he said. He was peering over the hedge like an ardent bird watcher, who has just spotted a rare species of the feathered variety. ‘Look. She’s over there.’
When no one responded, he glanced back at the car. Matthew and James had seized the moment to climb out and have a quick drag on a cigarette. They were standing, puffing away quite merrily, without paying him, or the girl, for that matter, the slightest bit of attention.
‘Oh, please,’ he muttered, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
‘Sorry boss.’ Matthew grinned sheepishly. ‘Where did you say she was?’
‘Jesus Christ, I’ve broken a nail!’ Lucy’s alarmed shriek drew another irritated glare from Lewi
s. ‘My best one as well.’
‘Is anyone remotely interested in making this film?’ he said wearily.
James gave a low wolf whistle, as he stepped onto the verge and peered over the hedge. The girl had ridden into the distance, and was heading through a small copse of trees. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and gleamed in the sunlight as she moved from side to side in rhythm with the horse’s movements.
‘She looks fit,’ he said approvingly.
‘Thank you,’ Lewis said.
Lucy emerged from the car, clutching her tan leather handbag under one arm, and peering hopefully at the pair of them. ‘Where is she? Have I missed her?’
MClarke - Green Wellies and Wax Jackets Page 3
