Crown Prince Challenged (16 page)

“You've always said I couldn't keep Prince if he was dangerous. I was afraid you might make me send him back,” she said, her voice beginning to tremble. She hung her head, struggling to regain her composure. “You saw how Prince acted in the lesson today. We were riding close to the other horses, and not once did he kick out. Mr. Snyder just told you what he heard from Rita, and it's all a pack of lies! Kelly's been spreading a lot of propaganda. Kayla got a text message from her this afternoon, and who knows how many others she sent it to. Nicole Jordan is gossiping too, and Kayla said they've got all kinds of garbage on Facebook about me and Prince. They're doing everything they can to hassle me.” Sarah looked from one to the other, her eyes pleading for understanding.

Abby, who had stopped reading to listen closely, slammed her book shut and sat bolt upright. Her blue eyes grew large, as she jumped into the conversation. “This is what we've been talking about in school. Those girls are being bullies! They're trying to get everyone to gang up on you. They've been saying mean things about you behind your back.” She looked to her parents for agreement.

Mr. Wagner scratched his chin, not wanting to jump to any conclusions. “You have a point, Abby,” he said thoughtfully. His gaze shifted back to Sarah. “You say Mrs. Hoffman complained to Jack. I need to have a talk with him. It's my feeling those girls have taken this way too far.”

“I'd very much like to be part of that conversation,” Mrs. Wagner said. “The management at Brookmeade Farm needs to know what's been happening.”

Sarah felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Her parents were on her side, and they were going to do something about it. They weren't blaming Prince for the trouble, either. She was filled with an enormous surge of relief!

“I'm going to call Jack to see if we might stop by to have a chat with him this evening,” Mr. Wagner said. “I think we need to share some information.”

* * * * *

“I hope this visit is convenient for the O'Briens,” Sarah's mother said, as they drove the familiar road to Brookmeade Farm.

“Jack said eight worked well for them,” Mr. Wagner replied.

Sarah sat in the back seat, her stomach once again in knots. She would give anything if she didn't have this problem to deal with. All she wanted was for Kelly and Nicole to leave her alone. Now she had to involve Jack.

Soon they were climbing the hill to the O'Briens' bungalow. As they topped the rise and prepared to turn into the driveway, Sarah immediately recognized Mr. DeWitt's Blazer parked to one side.
Oh, my God!
she thought.
The DeWitts are here, too.

Her father parked beside the Blazer, and the three of them walked to the front door, hurrying in the chilly night air. Kathleen came to the door to welcome them. She ushered them into their living room, where a log glowed in the fireplace. Seated on a loveseat next to it, Chandler and Dorothy DeWitt greeted them, Chandler rising to shake their hands.

“Hello Martin, Alison, Sarah,” Mrs. DeWitt said, smiling at Sarah. “When I called Kathleen to tell her about Pretty Penny's case of hives, she mentioned you folks were coming by tonight, as well as why you were coming. I asked if we could join the party. I hope you don't mind.”

“Actually, I'm very happy you're all here,” Sarah's father said, as they sat down on a sofa opposite Jack and Kathleen. “I assume you are all familiar with the ‘kicking story.' There are also a few things I learned this evening I think you should be aware of.”

“Yes,” Jack said, “there have been goings-on I'm not happy about, and we need to discuss how best to handle them.”

“First of all,” Mr. Wagner said, “Sarah tells us that Kelly Hoffman rode her horse close to Crown Prince, and in response, Prince kicked out at the horse but didn't actually connect. I want to be sure we're all in agreement with this version of what happened.”

Jack fielded the question without reservation, to Sarah's relief. “I believe that's a correct assessment based on more than just Sarah's account. I examined Midnight Jet immediately following Kelly's initial accusations and could find nothing to back up the charge that Prince had kicked him. Jet's body showed no signs of physical trauma. Also, I've never seen Prince show any inclination to kick out when he's in close company with other horses. If, as Sarah says, Midnight Jet ran close up on Prince's rear, that's a scenario when
most
horses would instinctively kick out to protect themselves.”

After several of those gathered in the room nodded in agreement, Sarah's mother spoke. “Sarah seems to think the Hoffman girl and Nicole Jordan have been holding a grudge against her since she first moved into the Young Riders class. She feels Kelly has taken advantage of this kick business, fudging the facts a bit in order to make Crown Prince look bad.”

When she paused, Mr. Wagner spoke up again. “What I find particularly disturbing is that it appears a campaign of sorts has been waged to spread the notion that Crown Prince is a dangerous horse, that he's a menace to other horses. Not only are the
girls
telling this to other riders, but their parents have joined in the crusade. Furthermore, it appears the gossip and falsehoods are being texted, e-mailed and even spread on Facebook. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in this day and age, and it's called cyberbullying. In extreme cases this kind of relentless harassment has had deadly results, and the issue is being addressed in our schools here in Yardley.”

Everyone in the room was quiet for a moment. Finally Jack broke the silence. “It's true that the parents are now involved. Mrs. Hoffman asked me to keep Sarah out of the class Kelly and Nicole ride in. She contends that Sarah shouldn't ride Crown Prince near other horses in any situation, saying the horse is a dangerous threat and a menace.”

When Sarah opened her mouth to protest the claim, Jack raised a hand and continued. “Richard Snyder must have heard the rumors, because he called me last night. He was worried about Crown Prince being in Rita's class today. I assured him that Chancellor would not be at risk, but I don't think he believed me. I'm pretty sure he arranged to be in attendance so he could see for himself.”

Kathleen rarely had much to say in group discussions such as this, but she spoke up now. “I'm not sure how the gossip about Crown Prince was spread, but I've spoken to three parents of riders who needed assurance their children would be safe in the same barn as Sarah's horse. Lindsay returned a few similar messages from our answering machine—people have the idea he is savage and out of control.

Chandler DeWitt had said nothing throughout the conversation, but now he stood up, his six-foot-plus frame towering over those seated, and walked to the fireplace. When he turned to face them, he was clearly angry. “This is a serious situation that demands intervention,” he said. “Certainly Sarah should not have to deal with such unfair treatment. I will not allow bullying of any kind to take place at Brookmeade Farm, and I fully intend to take steps to stop those behind it.”

Mrs. DeWitt's usually cheerful face was also clouded. She leaned over to speak directly to Sarah. “You're doing a wonderful job bringing Crown Prince along, Sarah. We certainly don't want this unpleasantness to slow your progress in any way.”

“You've all been so kind to Sarah,” Mrs. Wagner said, “and Martin and I greatly appreciate it. It's reassuring to hear that, after a few missteps, Prince is performing well.” She glanced over in Jack's direction. “We trust he will continue to be a safe horse for Sarah to handle and ride.”

Sarah's father looked at the clock on the mantle. “This is a school night,” he reminded them, “so I think we'll be getting this student of ours back home.” He and the others rose from their seats. “Thanks for your willingness to meet with us on short notice.”

As Mr. DeWitt walked to the door with the Wagners, he pursed his lips and shook his head. “I'm not sure what I will do to address this nasty business, but, believe me, the harassment Sarah has experienced will not continue.”

On the ride home, the Wagners rode in silence, each caught up in his or her own thoughts, wondering how the farm drama would play out. Sarah clasped her hands tightly, thinking about what Mr. DeWitt might do. Was there a chance Kelly and Nicole would be asked to leave Brookmeade Farm?

After a few minutes, Sarah's mother spoke up. “How do you feel about going back to the barn tomorrow, Sarah?”

“I'm not going to let those girls keep me from seeing my horse. It would be great if I didn't have to deal with them, but I don't expect that to happen any day soon. Mrs. Hoffman brings Kelly and Nicole to the barn almost every day.”

“I'm sure you try to avoid them whenever possible,” her father said, “and that's a good approach. We'll just have to see how Mr. DeWitt follows through on this.”

* * * * *

Sarah followed her usual routine the next afternoon, leaving for the barn on her bike shortly after the school bus dropped her off at home. She noticed the leaves on many of the trees along the route had changed from forest green to shades of red and gold, and the air had a bit of a nippy chill. As always, she pedaled hard, eager to get to the farm and see her horse. As she coasted toward the parking area, she scanned the cars in the lot, looking for the Hoffmans' car. As expected, the green Volvo was parked at the end.

Prince was turned out in one of the paddocks, so she worked fast to clean his stall, using the manure fork to scoop soiled bedding and manure into the wheelbarrow. She was just about to wheel it to the manure pit, when Derek came around the corner leading Bismarck. “Hi, Sarah,” he said. “I just saw Mr. DeWitt. He's looking for you.”

Sarah froze. This undoubtedly had something to do with the bullies. “Thanks, Derek,” she said, with a frown. “I'll try to catch him now.”

After she'd emptied the wheelbarrow and put it away, Sarah started for the office. When she stepped inside, Jack was sitting at the desk talking to Kelly Hoffman's mother. “The girls are doing so well with their horses,” Mrs. Hoffman was saying. “They do love riding them here, and they can hardly wait to go to horse shows. How soon do you think they'll be ready to compete?”

Jack was silent for a minute, looking thoughtful. “'Tis not possible to predict right now,” he said. “We hope Jubilee won't have a recurrence of the tendon problem, and of course the more hours the girls spend in the saddle the better. They work hard in between their lessons, which will help them progress faster.”

When Mrs. Hoffman noticed Sarah standing behind her, her eyes narrowed. “Well, I'll be on my way,” she said. She laid a check on the desk blotter. “I added a little extra this time, to show how much we appreciate your excellent instruction.”

Just as she started for the door, Mr. DeWitt stepped into the room. “Oh, hello, Mr. DeWitt,” Mrs. Hoffman said, beaming. “I was just telling Jack how much the girls like riding here.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hoffman,” Mr. DeWitt said. “I wonder if you and Kelly could come to my office for a moment. There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you. I assume Kelly is here with you?”

Mrs. Hoffman made a sour face, looking puzzled. “I'll have to go find her. She was grooming her horse a few minutes ago.”

“If you would be so kind,” Mr. DeWitt replied smoothly. “I'll meet you in my office. If Nicole and her mother are here, I'd like to speak with them as well.”

Mrs. Hoffman shook her head. “I'm afraid Nicole had a dentist appointment this afternoon.”

After Mrs. Hoffman went to find Kelly, Mr. DeWitt turned to Sarah. “I'm happy you're here, Sarah, because I'd like you to be present during the conversation I'm going to have with the Hoffmans. And you, too, Jack.” He turned toward the door. “Shall we go?”

Sarah slowly followed Mr. DeWitt down the aisle toward his personal office, a hard lump in her throat. She dreaded this meeting, fearful of the expected showdown. She just knew Kelly and Nicole would label her as a snitch.

Mr. DeWitt opened the door to his office, which looked out on the turnout paddocks. It was decorated with the same hickory paneled walls and English foxhunting scenes as the lounge. He turned on the lights before seating himself at his oversized desk. He motioned for Jack and Sarah to sit in the two upholstered chairs to his right.

There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Mr. DeWitt got up to open it. “Please come in,” he said to Mrs. Hoffman and Kelly. He motioned to the comfortable chairs to the left of his desk. Kelly and her mother both glanced at Jack and Sarah before sitting down stiffly.

The room was quiet until Mr. DeWitt spoke. “It has come to my attention that the practice of bullying, and in fact cyberbullying, has been taking place here at Brookmeade Farm. Bullying is something I do not condone and will not allow. I've asked you to meet with me today to make sure everyone here understands what has been happening and why it is absolutely not acceptable. If at any time you feel the facts are not being accurately stated, please speak up.”

Mr. DeWitt leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers together before continuing. “Recently, when rain made it necessary to hold two lessons in our indoor arena simultaneously, a small area at the end was cordoned off for boarders. I understand that when Midnight Jet trotted very close to Crown Prince, Prince kicked out at him. I think we all can agree on that. But there are differing versions of whether or not Prince made contact with Jet. Kelly, what makes you believe that Prince actually kicked your horse?”

Kelly scowled as she stared angrily at Mr. DeWitt. “Because the kick made Jet jump sideways, and I fell off, that's why!”

Mr. DeWitt replied, “Can you acknowledge that Midnight Jet could have jumped sideways to
avoid
being struck by Crown Prince?” Kelly sat sullenly, refusing to respond.