Read Online Charlotte and the Starlet by Dave Warner - Free Book Online

fingernails. She held,
dangling high above the assembly of girls. Gradually
she worked her palms into a more secure position and
then summoned her strength and swung herself up
and onto the branch. Safe. She breathed a sigh of
relief.
    The boots were about three branches above and,
even on tiptoes, Charlotte couldn't quite reach. She
would have to climb to the next branch. She started
scaling the trunk, using her knees and hauling herself
up. She could see Strudworth on her horse directly
below and hear her urging the girls to fall into a
straight line. Charlotte started out along the next
branch, straddling it like a witch on a broomstick.
This bough was nowhere near as sturdy as the first
one. She edged very carefully, the branch bending
under her weight. She daren't go any further for fear of
it snapping, but if she lay along the branch and
stretched, she might just reach.
    She tried. Nearly ... She stretched a little more and
her fingers encircled the heel of one of the boots. She
started to drag it towards her, a centimetre at a time. It
was going well until it hit a bump in the branch and
slipped from her grasp. The second boot went with it.
She watched helplessly as they dropped like bombs,
zeroing in on Strudworth's head.
    Oh no. She was about to score a direct hit on the
boss!
    At the last second Strudworth's horse moved
forward and the boots slammed down behind her.
Miss Strudworth turned back quickly and scanned.
She was sure she had heard two quick thuds but there
was nothing in sight. It must have been her
imagination. She checked her watch. Right on six. She
raised the whistle to her lips.
    Up above, Charlotte began to relax. It could have
been so much worse. Now, if she could just wriggle
back to her room ... CRACK!!!
    She was falling through the air before she realised
the branch had broken. The ground was rapidly rising
up to meet her, although she was actually heading for
the water tank.
    She hit it dead centre, at the very instant Strudworth
was about to blow her whistle. The good thing was
that the water broke Charlotte's fall. The bad thing was
the obvious one. She was now soaking wet. Charlotte
fought her way to the surface of the tank. As the water
drained out of her eardrums the first thing she heard
was the gale of laughter from the assembled riders.
Even though it hadn't been her fault, she wished there
were some way she could just burrow down into
the earth and hide there for a hundred years. She
contemplated remaining in the tank but knew that too
would only make things worse.
    Slowly she pulled herself up. The sight that
greeted her made her wish she had merely been
hung, drawn and quartered. Miss Strudworth was
still seated on her horse but she was absolutely
soaked. Water dripped off the peak of her riding
helmet. Her face was stone.
    'Sorry, Miss,' mumbled Charlotte, as she dropped
down from the tank to the ground and retrieved her
boots. Charlotte was aware the other girls were trying
to avoid eye contact with her in case they got tarred
with the same brush. As she put on her boots she saw
Strudworth try to write something on her clipboard.
The paper was so wet it ripped.
    'Stables,' commanded Strudworth. But when she
tried to blow her whistle all that came out was a
bubbly burr. Charlotte didn't dare look back as she
ran hard to get her horse.

    Leila was considering what she would give right now
for a half dozen croissants when the gate flew open
and the rube, soaking wet and looking like the
creature from the black lagoon, threw a bridle over
her. Leila fought hard but the kid was a whole lot
stronger than she looked. Before Leila knew it there
was a saddle on her back, bright and new and
actually quite classy and then – aaaahhhhhh – Leila
had to breathe in quickly as the cinch strap snapped
around her belly. She fought with all her might but
the bridle couldn't be resisted and, centimetre by
centimetre, she felt herself dragged out of the stall,
through the stable and out to the parade