Destiny and Stardust (2 page)

“Textbook stuff! A very nicely executed flying change.” Avery was pleased. “Excellent. Now, who's going to give it a go next? Dan? How about you?”

Issie slowed Blaze down to a walk and gave her a big slappy pat on the neck as she took her place back in the line. “Not bad for a circus pony!” she whispered to her pony.

In the end, Issie was the only rider that day to master the flying change. “It's not as easy as it looks,” Stella had grumbled as they untacked the ponies. Issie had nodded in agreement with her friend, but the truth was that to her it had been easy. It was as if she only had to think about what she wanted to do and Blaze would respond. OK, so there weren't any fancy flying changes in their dressage test this weekend. Still, Issie felt certain for the first time ever that she and Blaze stood a really good chance. They might even win.

“Mum! I'm home! I did a flying change today!” Issie charged in through the front door without pausing to take off her riding boots.

“Isadora! You'd better not still have your muddy boots on!” her mother yelled back from the kitchen.

Issie stopped dead and ran back to the laundry, stripping off her boots and socks before running back to the kitchen to find her mother.

“You can tell me all about it while you eat your dinner,” Mrs Brown said. And so, between mouthfuls of potato salad, Issie told her mum about Natasha and the flying changes and the dressage series that was starting on Saturday.

“Blaze is going so perfectly. This is going to be the best summer I've ever had!” Issie said.

Mrs Brown didn't say anything. She just looked down at her plate and gave her quiche a distracted poke with her fork.

“Mum? What's wrong? You've hardly said anything since I got home,” Issie said.

Mrs Brown pushed her plate aside. She looked serious, but still she didn't speak.

“Mum?”

“Issie, I am afraid I've got some, well, it's not bad news really. I mean it's good but it's not good…” Mrs Brown hesitated. “I've been invited away on a conference for work. They're going to fly me there and pay for accommodation – the whole thing. I'll be gone for two weeks.”

“That's great!” Issie said. “When?”

“We leave on Friday,” Mrs Brown said. “That's why I wanted to talk to you tonight about the holidays. I've made plans for you.”

“What do you mean?” Issie said.

“Sweetie, I can't leave you here by yourself. If I'm away for two weeks then who would look after you? You're only thirteen. You're not old enough to be by yourself.”

“Cool. I can go stay with Stella!” Issie said.

Mrs Brown shook her head. “There's something else, Issie. I got a phone call last night from your Aunt Hester. It turns out she's had a bad fall off one of her silly horses and broken her leg.”

“Aunty Hess? That's terrible! Is she OK?”

“She's fine,” Mrs Brown sighed, “but she can't possibly look after that farm of hers. She has Aidan to help her but it's not enough…” Mrs Brown paused “…and so I suggested that you could go and stay with her until she gets better again.”

“Me?” Issie squawked.

“Sweetie – it's perfect! You can stay with Hester while I'm away, and she needs your help so it suits her,” Mrs Brown explained. “Besides, you've never been to the farm before and I know you will just love it. Hester has loads of ponies and all those other animals that she trains. You'll adore it there.”

“But, Mum! Blaze and I have been working so hard for the dressage competition,” Issie said.

“I know, honey. But I can't see any other way.” Mrs Brown sighed. “I've already asked Aidan if he can drive through to get you. He's going to be here on Wednesday morning.”

“But it's Monday now! When were you going to tell me this? What about Stella and Kate? What about my holidays? What about Blaze?”

“I'm sorry, Issie. It's the only option. Really, you'll see. You're going to love it at the farm… Issie? Issie!”

But Issie didn't hear her. She had already left the kitchen in tears, run up the stairs to her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

How could the school holidays go so wrong so fast? Issie flung herself down on her bed and buried her face deep in the duvet. She couldn't believe her mum would ruin her summer like this!

“Issie? Come on. Let me in and let's talk about this,” Mrs Brown's voice echoed softly outside Issie's bedroom door.

Issie stood up and walked over to let her mother in, before flopping back down, rather over-dramatically, with her face in the duvet again.

“It's not fair. Why do I have to go to Aunty Hester's?” She gave a muffled groan from beneath the blankets.

“Sweetie, I really do think it's the best idea for everyone – especially Aunty Hess,” Mrs Brown said.

“It would be a huge favour to her if you helped out until her leg is better. Hess has a big movie coming up. They start filming in a couple of months and she has dozens of animals that need to be trained. She has so much work to do she could really use an extra pair of hands…”

“But
I
had plans!” Issie said. “The dressage series is on and Blaze is going so well. I can't just leave her and go away to the farm.”

Mrs Brown suddenly perked up. “Hey! I tell you what – how about if you could take Blaze with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You could take Blaze to Aunty Hester's. I could call Aidan and ask him to bring the horse truck when he comes to pick you up on Wednesday and then you can take Blaze with you. I'm sure Hess won't mind. One more horse on that enormous farm of hers won't make the slightest difference.”

Issie sat up. “Do you mean it? Could Blaze really come too?”

“I don't see why not,” Mrs Brown said. She was clearly very pleased with herself for coming up with the idea. “You know what? I'm going to give Hess a call now and ask her!”

Mrs Brown trotted off down the stairs and a moment later Issie could hear her on the phone chatting and laughing happily with her sister.

If I could take Blaze with me
, Issie thought,
maybe it wouldn't be so bad
.

Issie really liked her aunt. For starters, Hester was horsy through and through. Issie always thought it was so unfair that her own mother hated horses while her Aunt Hess adored them. If Aunt Hester had been her mother then she would have got a pony straight away. Instead she had to beg for years before her mum finally gave in and bought Mystic.

Mrs Brown couldn't understand why Issie loved horses so much. “It must be genetic. Your aunt was exactly the same when she was your age,” Mrs Brown had told Issie on more than one occasion. “Hess was totally horse-mad! And now look at her – she has seven horses, a trained pig, a goat, several sheep, those nuisance blasted dogs and heaven knows what else on that crazy farm of hers!”

Hester worked as an animal trainer for the movies. Three years ago she decided to set up her own business, and so she bought Blackthorn Farm, where she kept and trained her menagerie of four-legged movie stars.

Blackthorn Farm was a rambling old country manor, high up in the hills near Gisborne. The manor and grounds had once been quite grand, apparently, but Hester had got the place for very little because it had become quite rundown.

Blackthorn Manor was huge – it had eleven bedrooms – but Hester lived there alone. She had been married three times – “All of them wonderful weddings!” she told Issie – but she had never had any children of her own. She called Issie her “favourite niece” which was a bit of a joke between the two of them since Issie was in fact her only niece.

Hester ran the farm herself with help from her young stable manager, Aidan. With her leg in plaster and all those animals to look after, she was bound to need some extra help.

Issie listened to her mum hang up the receiver and head back up the stairs. When she entered Issie's room she had an enormous smile on her face.

“Good news! Hess says she'd love to meet your horse, Issie. It all sounds perfect. There's a spare stall for Blaze in the stable complex and she's getting it ready for your arrival and Aidan will be here to pick you both up first thing on Wednesday morning with the truck. It's a long drive. It will probably take you most of the day to get there.”

“Really? So Blaze can come with me? And we're actually going?” Issie said.

Mrs Brown looked at her daughter's uncertain expression. “Issie? I thought that would make you happy. You can take Blaze with you – there's lots of land to ride there – that farm is positively huge – you could ride all day without leaving the property.”

“I know… I mean, yes, it's great, Mum. Honestly. And I want to go and help out Aunty Hess and everything…” Issie sighed. “It's just that Stella and Kate and me had the whole summer planned out and now I'm not going to be here. And what about Tom? He was expecting me to ride the dressage series and—”

“I'm sure Stella and Kate will understand. I know you three are pretty hard to separate but maybe it will be nice to have some time on your own for once,” Mrs Brown said. “As for Tom, you leave him to me. I'm sure he'll agree with me that a few weeks out of your training schedule isn't going to ruin your chances of riding at Badminton!”

“Mum! As if!” Issie laughed.

“Aha! I knew I could get you smiling again.” Mrs Brown grinned back at her daughter. “Now, I'll dig out your suitcase and let's make sure you actually have some clean clothes to pack, shall we? Hand me that pile of washing over there and we'll get started!”

The news that Issie was going to Blackthorn Farm left Stella speechless – for a moment anyway. “Stella?” Issie said. There was silence at the other end of the phone and then a torrent of words came pouring out.

“I can't believe your mum is doing this! We had plans, Issie! Big plans! What about the dressage series? What about the summer holidays? It's not fair! How long will you be gone for?”

“I don't know. I suppose I'll stay there until Aunt Hester's leg is better and she can manage on her own again.” Issie sighed. “You know, I am her favourite niece and everything.”

“Very funny, Issie! Your mum's ruined our whole summer! Have you told Kate yet?”

“No,” Issie said, “I thought I'd tell you first because I knew you'd take it so well!”

Stella gave a giggle at this. “You're right, I am overreacting, aren't I? You might only be gone for a couple of weeks. I suppose we can always email each other while you're away.”

“Actually I don't even know if Aunty Hess has email. Blackthorn Farm is in the middle of nowhere. Aidan is coming to pick me up first thing on Wednesday morning and it will take us pretty much all day to drive there.”

“Who's Aidan?” Stella said.

“He works for Aunty Hess. He runs her stables and he's driving the horse truck down from the farm to pick up me and Blaze.”

“Oooh! How old is Aidan? What does he look like?”

“What? Oh, Stella! I think he's, like, maybe seventeen. I have no idea what he looks like. I've never been to the farm so I've never met him, OK?” Issie snapped. Stella had gone a bit boy-mad lately, which Issie found very annoying. She hadn't even thought about what Aidan might be like – but now she realised he would be here tomorrow and they would have to spend the whole day together driving to the farm.

“I'd better tell Dan. I'm sure that will make him jealous,” Stella laughed.

“Stella! Don't!” Issie said.

Dan had asked Issie out once – at least she thought he'd asked her out – but things got all confused because it turned out he'd asked Natasha too and maybe it had never been a date. Anyway it was all a big mess and nothing had ever happened after that.

Issie sighed. “Oh, go on then. Tell Dan and Ben that I've gone away and tell Natasha too while you're at it; I'm sure she'll be thrilled that I won't be competing against her in the dressage.”

Stella groaned. “Ohmygod! Natasha. I'd forgotten about that. She's going to be unbearable if she wins. Issie! How can you leave me? Don't go!”

“I'm hanging up now, Stella,” Issie said. “I have to go pack and then I have to clean Blaze's tack and get her floating boots out and make sure that all her gear is ready to go…”

“OK, OK.” Stella sighed. “But you'd better email me. And if they have no email then send a carrier pigeon or whatever they've got up there.”

“Knowing Aunty Hess, I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't trained up a pigeon or two,” Issie giggled. “It's a deal – I'll send you a letter by pigeon post.”

Aidan was due to arrive at seven a.m. on Wednesday morning to pick Issie up. But when Issie opened her curtains at six a.m. to check the weather, she saw the horse truck was already parked outside.

“Mum?” she called out as she padded downstairs, still in her pyjamas. “The horse truck is here already.”

“I know,” her mother replied from the kitchen. “Come in and meet Aidan!”

Issie walked through to find her mother making coffee for a young boy in a plaid shirt and jeans who was sitting at the table. The boy, who looked not that much older than Issie, had black hair that fell over his face in a long, floppy fringe almost covering his eyes. He stood up as Issie sat down next to him and stuck out his hand for her to shake.

“Hi,” he said, “I'm Aidan.”

“Hello Issie! I mean… hello, I'm Issie!” Issie said, flustered. She shook Aidan's hand. “Sorry, I'm not ready to go yet obviously,” she said, looking down at her pyjamas, which she now realised were the ones with pink kittens all over them. “I didn't expect you to get here so early.”

“I got here late last night and slept in the horse truck,” Aidan said.

“Was that uncomfortable?” Mrs Brown asked.

“It's better than my bed back at the farm!” Aidan grinned. “It might look like a horse truck on the outside, but the inside is pure luxury. Hester's got it rigged up with two beds and a shower so we can travel with the horses. There's a kitchen too,” he added, “but I never use it. I'm not a very good cook.”

“Well, don't you worry about that, I'll make you breakfast.” Mrs Brown smiled.

“Thanks, that would be great.” Aidan grinned.

He looked over at Issie, who was fidgeting and looking down at the table, clearly embarrassed to be meeting a boy for the first time dressed in her pussycat pyjamas. Mrs Brown noticed her daughter shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “Issie, it will take a few minutes to get breakfast sorted. Why don't you go and have a shower and get dressed and I'll call you when it's ready?” she suggested.

“Thanks, Mum!” Issie said gratefully.

When she came downstairs for the second time that morning, Issie was ready to go. She was wearing her favourite jeans, a pair of brown leather boots and her favourite T-shirt. Her long dark hair was now neatly combed and tied back in a thick ponytail. She carried a big overnight bag thrown over one shoulder and was dragging a suitcase with her right hand.

“Let me help you.” Aidan smiled, taking the bags off her. “I'll put these in the truck.” He went out the front door with Issie's bags and she sat down at the table as her mum dished up her bacon and eggs.

“Aidan's already eaten. You finish up and then you can get going,” Mrs Brown said as she poured herself a coffee from the plunger and sat down next to Issie. “Aidan will help you load Blaze at the pony club and then you can set off straight from there. Aunt Hess is expecting you in time for tea. I've packed you a banana cake to take with you; Hess is terrible at baking. In fact, all her cooking is terrible! You'll probably come back as skinny as a rake!” Mrs Brown said. She gave Issie a big hug.

“I've packed you a big bag of carrots for Blaze too in case she gets hungry during the trip.”

Issie smiled. “Thanks, Mum!” she said.

“Take care, honey. Call me every night, OK?” Mrs Brown was still hugging Issie.

“Mum, you have to let go of me now, I need to leave.” Issie laughed.

“Are we ready to go?” Aidan stuck his head around the kitchen door. “The truck is all packed. Let's go get this horse of yours.”