Blaze and the Dark Rider (18 page)

When Araminta Chatswood-Smith arrived at the pony club that night she found the two girls in the tack room cuddled up under the blanket together, sipping the last of Issie’s soup and talking about ponies. Morgan had even been laughing at one of Issie’s stories, but now with the arrival of her mother the smile quickly left her face. “What is going on here?” Araminta demanded. “What are you both doing here in the middle of the night?”

“What will I tell her?” Morgan whispered to Issie as her mother stood in the doorway glowering at her.

“Tell her the truth,” Issie whispered back, giving Morgan’s hand a squeeze in support.

Morgan reluctantly got up from behind the saddle horses. “Mum,” she said, “I…I…need to tell you something…”

As Morgan unfolded the whole sorry story, her mother sat quietly, her mouth set in a grim line, her arms folded across her chest. She didn’t interrupt or ask any questions as her daughter spoke, she just listened. When Morgan had finally finished—she was in tears again by this time—Araminta Chatswood-Smith unfolded her arms and wrapped them tightly around her daughter in a huge bear hug.

“Oh, Morgan, what have you done?” she said softly. She kept her daughter in a tight embrace, pressing her cheek hard against her dark hair as Morgan snuffled and wept in her arms.

She sat like that for a moment, thinking carefully before she spoke again. “You are in a lot of trouble. You know that, don’t you? What you did was a terrible, terrible thing. What were you thinking?”

“I just wanted you to be proud of me,” Morgan muttered under her breath.

“Proud?” Araminta boggled. “For pity’s sake!” Then she saw the look on Morgan’s face and the tears streaming down her cheeks and she took a deep breath before she spoke again. “This is my fault as much as it is yours. I never thought about how hard I was pushing you. I thought I was helping you, but I can see now that I was putting too much pressure on you.”

She reached out her hand and wiped away the tears on Morgan’s cheek. “You don’t have to be a famous rider to make me proud. You don’t have to make the team and you don’t have to win. I know you are not me—and you don’t have to be. You just have to do your best and be happy. OK?”

Morgan nodded.

Araminta sighed. “I know it can’t be easy being my daughter. But it was the same for me too, you know, when I was growing up. Once I became a famous rider, horses were suddenly a serious business. All I ever cared about was winning. I was so focused for so long that I guess I forgot that horses were supposed to be fun.” She smiled down at Morgan. “Maybe you can help me remember?”

Morgan smiled back up at her mother. “Thanks, Mum. I’m so sorry.”

“I think you owe a few other people more than just an apology” Araminta said. “What you did to Annabel was a terrible thing. You’ll have to go and see her and her parents and tell them everything. If they wish to refer the matter on to the police, well, we’ll have to deal with that. They have every right to be furious after what happened.

“And,” she sighed again, “I need to do some apologising too. Poor Tom. I was completely out of line when I yelled at him at the team training the other day.”

She turned to Issie now, who was quietly packing her Thermos, blanket and torch back into her backpack for the trip home. “Isadora, my daughter and I owe you an apology too, for the dreadful business with the horse feed.”

Morgan nodded. “I’m so sorry, Issie. When I think that I could have hurt Blaze I feel so awful…”

Issie stopped packing her backpack. “Honestly, it’s OK,” she said. “I think I do understand now, Morgan—and I’m just glad it’s all over.” She smiled at Morgan. “You want to be friends?” she asked.

Morgan looked so grateful that Issie thought she was going to burst into tears all over again. She flung her arms around Issie and gave her the hugest hug. “Yes, thank you,” she whispered. “Friends for ever!”

At the secret meeting of the pony-club gang the next night, Issie told the others everything that had happened. She had to tell the story several times because Stella kept interrupting. “Honestly! Why would anyone want to be in the team that badly?”

“Oh, come on, Stella!” Kate said. “Remember how you reacted that time when you thought you hadn’t made the team?”

Stella nodded. “Yeah, but I didn’t go around doing crazy stuff.”

“She’s not crazy,” Issie said. “She just got a bit freaked out because her mum was pushing her so hard and she made a few bad calls.”

“One of which landed Annabel in hospital,” pointed out Kate.

“Has Morgan spoken to Annabel yet?” asked Dan.

Issie nodded. “Her mum took her around to Annabel’s house today and Morgan had to apologise to Annabel and Mr and Mrs Willets. They were really angry But Mr Willets said it meant a lot that Morgan had come forward herself and been brave enough to tell them. Morgan offered to help look after Eddie too until Annabel got better, and Araminta told Annabel that she would give her private lessons every week for the rest of the year to help make up for what Morgan had done.”

“Wow,” Stella grinned, “private lessons with Araminta Chatswood-Smith! I wish I had broken my leg!”

The others all glared at her and Stella stopped grinning. “Well, you know what I mean,” she grumbled.

“Anyway, it’s all cleared up now,” Kate said. “And just as well. There are only two days left before we have to ride for the Interclub shield.”

“Oh, who cares about that dumb old Shield now,” Stella said. “Haven’t we all learnt our lesson from this? It’s stupid to get all worked up about a silly old competition. In fact,” Stella said grandly, “I don’t even care if we win the Interclub any more.”

The whole room went quiet and everyone looked at Stella completely stunned.

“Just joking!” she laughed. “Come on! We’ve got time tonight for a few more practice runs with the bending relay. Last one to their pony has to pick up all the flags for the flag race!” And she raced for the clubroom door with the others tearing after her, all of them pushing and giggling as they tried to be the first ones to get there.

On the morning of the Interclub Shield, the girls watched as the teams arrived at the showgrounds, turned out in their club colours.

“That’s Westhaven!” Kate said, pointing to a rider on a striking chestnut wearing a gold jersey and black tie. “And there’s Mornington,” she said, nodding towards a young girl on a grey dressed in a sky blue jumper and white tie. Red with a black tie was St Johns and there were purple jerseys with gold for Garnet Ridge.

“Ughh, those poor riders at Garnet Ridge. The purple jumpers they have to wear are awful.” Stella pulled a face. “I think I like the Marsh Fields colours the best.”

“Traitor!” laughed Kate.

“I am not!” said Stella. “It’s just that emerald green with a light green tie would be really good with my hair.”

“Actually Blaze would look really good with the Marsh Fields colours too,” Issie said. “Maybe we should all swap teams now!”

“I’m sure Avery would be thrilled,” said Kate. “Swapping teams to join our archrivals just because you like their colours better!”

“Oh, well, too late to change anyway, even if we wanted to.” Stella checked her watch. “Rider on the flat starts soon and Avery told us all to meet him at exactly ten minutes to nine for the team briefing—which is now!”

Signs had been erected in the showgrounds so that each team had a designated warm-up area. Next to the sign marked C
HEVALIER
P
OINT
, Avery was busily gathering his squad together. Issie looked at the rest of her team admiringly. They had all spent hours prepping their
horses, getting up way before dawn to plait manes and tails, whiten socks and oil hooves. The chestnuts, browns and bays—Blaze, Coco, Toby and Max—all had chequerboard patterns brushed perfectly on to their rumps to show off their shiny coats. Dan was groaning about how much effort it had taken to get all of the green grass stains off Kismit’s pale grey hocks.

Even Natasha, who was now yawning melodramatically, seemed to have actually got up early to help her mother get Goldrush prepared. Goldrush was one of those palominos with a dark, sooty-coloured muzzle and Natasha had brought out her features by rubbing a damp cloth with a little Vaseline gently on her nose and around her dark eyes. Goldrush looked so pretty with her long eyelashes it was almost like she was wearing mascara.

“Splendid!” Tom Avery said as he assessed them all, moving along the line of riders, checking their girths and nosebands.

“Dan, I think you can take your stirrups down a hole please for rider on the flat,” Avery commanded as he cast an eye over everyone’s stirrup length and position.

“Now,” Avery smiled, “I’ve got a couple of helpers
today.” He turned to Araminta and Morgan, who had been standing back by the Range Rover watching all this time. “Come on, ladies, front and centre!” Avery instructed, beckoning Araminta and Morgan to come over and stand next to him.

“Right,” he said, “Minty is going to be giving you all some last-minute coaching with the rider on the flat class, and Morgan is going to help with setting up practice jumps and the games. I’ll be wandering around and keeping an eye on you all throughout the day and helping out where and when I’m needed.”

As Avery talked on, Morgan, who was standing shyly next to her mother gave Issie a little wave and Issie smiled and waved back.

“Right, then, let’s get all these ponies moving on a twenty-metre circle and start warming up so that Araminta can give you a bit of advice on the rider classes,” Avery said. “Find yourself a space and work them on a loose rein at a medium walk.”

He turned to Araminta. “They’re all yours, Minty.”

“Thanks, Tom,” she said, “for everything. I’m so sorry about what I said to you the other day.”

Avery shook his head. “You’ve already apologised,
Minty—no need to say any more about it. It’s great to have you back at Chevalier Point.”

Araminta smiled at him. “Well, I’d best get out there and give them some pointers then. We want our team to win!” She laughed and strode off to the centre of the ring, instructing the riders as she went: “Come on then, let’s take up the reins and get them collected, everyone. We have work to do!”

Issie was about to join the other riders, but first she trotted Blaze up to say hi to Morgan, who was arranging some painted rails into a practice jump. “How are things?” she asked.

“Good. Really good, actually, thanks,” Morgan said. “Mum has been great. Can you believe that she even suggested I should take the rest of the summer off and decide if I really want to ride, because she felt so bad about pressuring me?”

Issie was shocked. “Are you going to do that?”

“No way!” Morgan grinned. “I still love riding more than anything. I guess I didn’t realise that before now. It’s weird but, well, once Mum told me I didn’t have to do it to make her happy, everything changed. It was like the weight lifted off my shoulders. Jack has been going really
well since then too. He’s jumping brilliantly and I’m going to start doing some extra training sessions with Annabel soon—the doctor says her leg will be fine to ride in a couple of weeks. And guess what? Jack and Eddie really like each other! They’re best friends. Whenever I go down to the paddock they’re always hanging out together!”

Issie laughed.

“You’d better get going. You’ve only got a little while before the first event and you need to warm up,” Morgan said. She looked wistfully across at where her mother stood, instructing the riders as they trotted in a circle around her.

“Do you wish you were riding today?” Issie asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Morgan confessed. Then she brightened up and smiled. “Maybe next year I’ll make the team.” She saw a worried look pass over Issie’s face. “Don’t worry.” Morgan laughed. “I’m ready to earn it this time. I’ve got the whole year to get training.”

Morgan gave Blaze a hearty pat on her neck. “Good luck, Issie,” she said. “I really want to see your name engraved on that gold shield.” She laughed. “But no pressure, right?”

“Right!” Issie laughed too.