sniffing the straw and snorting, his eyes wide, as if he could hardly believe it. Ravenously, he pulled out a big mouthful of sweet hay from the haynet. Ellie smoothed down his mane and straightened his forelock. She was longing to start grooming him – to get rid of the grass stains and mud, the tangles and burrs – but some part of her sensed that she needed to be patient and give the horse time to adjust and settle in. She wished she knew all about him, where he had come from, why he was in such bad condition. She could guess that bad things must have happened to him from the scars left on him and the fact he was so nervous of horseboxes and stables.
‘You’re safe now, though,’ she murmured, and forthe next hour she just stayed in the stable with him, stroking him and keeping him company.
At feedtime her uncle arrived home. ‘He’s here,’ Joe said, coming to Spirit’s stable door.
Ellie knew it. She had heard the car arrive.
‘Look, I’ll come with you,’ Joe went on worriedly. ‘Help you explain.’
But Ellie remembered what had happened the last time Joe had tried to help her. ‘No.’ She swallowed. ‘It’s OK. I’ll tell him on my own.’
She readied herself to confront her uncle, feeling as if she was about to walk into a lion’s cage. But as she reached the door of the stable she heard a soft whicker. She looked round and saw Spirit staring at her. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she reassured him.
She went up the yard, her heart beating fast. Part of her wanted to run away, to hide, to wait until her uncle found out, but she also knew she had to face the music some time. There was no point putting it off. She might as well just get it over with.
Her uncle was in the kitchen. Ellie put her hand on the door handle and, squaring her shoulders, walked inside.
Chapter Six
Len spoke slowly, as if trying to understand the words. ‘You’ve bought a horse?’ His eyes hardened to flint. ‘At the market? You bought a horse at the market this morning?’
Ellie nodded. ‘I had some money that Gran had given me. I phoned her and she said I can keep him.’
‘ She said?’ Len’s voice rose angrily. ‘She’s the other side of the bloody world! Well, it can’t stay. You’ll have to sell it.’ He marched towards the door.
Fear gave Ellie courage. She jumped in front of him. ‘No. I won’t.’
‘You won’t?’ Len stared at her. ‘You’ll do as I say, lass.’
‘No!’ Ellie said desperately, her heart pounding. ‘I’m not taking him back to the sale!’
Len slammed his fist into the table. ‘You will do what I damn well say!’ he roared.
Adrenaline coursed through Ellie. ‘I won’t! I’m keeping him! If you won’t let me keep him here,then fine, I’ll keep him somewhere else. But Gran said I could have a horse. She said I could have the money!’
They glared at each other.
When Len spoke, his voice was dangerously soft. ‘So, when you had this conversation with your gran, you told her that you’d picked this horse up from a sale, did you? You told her that he was unwarranted and unsound, which he must have been if you could afford him?’
Ellie didn’t answer.
‘He was unwarranted, wasn’t he?’
Ellie nodded.
‘And unsound?’ Len pressed on.
Ellie had no choice but to nod again.
‘And you think when I tell your gran this, it won’t make her change her mind?’
Ellie knew he had her. If he told her gran that, she knew just what the reaction would be. Spirit would be sold, no arguing. Her shoulders sagged, the fight going out of her. ‘Please,’ she said desperately. ‘Please, Uncle Len, let me keep him. Gran said I can pay for his food and stabling. He won’t cost you and I’ll do anything. I’ll …’ A thought struck her. It would mean backing down, which she hated, but she’d do it for Spirit. ‘I’ll ride the ponies for you,’ she offered quickly. ‘Whenever you want. At shows or here, and I’ll work really hard on the yard.’
Len’s
‘You’re safe now, though,’ she murmured, and forthe next hour she just stayed in the stable with him, stroking him and keeping him company.
At feedtime her uncle arrived home. ‘He’s here,’ Joe said, coming to Spirit’s stable door.
Ellie knew it. She had heard the car arrive.
‘Look, I’ll come with you,’ Joe went on worriedly. ‘Help you explain.’
But Ellie remembered what had happened the last time Joe had tried to help her. ‘No.’ She swallowed. ‘It’s OK. I’ll tell him on my own.’
She readied herself to confront her uncle, feeling as if she was about to walk into a lion’s cage. But as she reached the door of the stable she heard a soft whicker. She looked round and saw Spirit staring at her. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she reassured him.
She went up the yard, her heart beating fast. Part of her wanted to run away, to hide, to wait until her uncle found out, but she also knew she had to face the music some time. There was no point putting it off. She might as well just get it over with.
Her uncle was in the kitchen. Ellie put her hand on the door handle and, squaring her shoulders, walked inside.
Chapter Six
Len spoke slowly, as if trying to understand the words. ‘You’ve bought a horse?’ His eyes hardened to flint. ‘At the market? You bought a horse at the market this morning?’
Ellie nodded. ‘I had some money that Gran had given me. I phoned her and she said I can keep him.’
‘ She said?’ Len’s voice rose angrily. ‘She’s the other side of the bloody world! Well, it can’t stay. You’ll have to sell it.’ He marched towards the door.
Fear gave Ellie courage. She jumped in front of him. ‘No. I won’t.’
‘You won’t?’ Len stared at her. ‘You’ll do as I say, lass.’
‘No!’ Ellie said desperately, her heart pounding. ‘I’m not taking him back to the sale!’
Len slammed his fist into the table. ‘You will do what I damn well say!’ he roared.
Adrenaline coursed through Ellie. ‘I won’t! I’m keeping him! If you won’t let me keep him here,then fine, I’ll keep him somewhere else. But Gran said I could have a horse. She said I could have the money!’
They glared at each other.
When Len spoke, his voice was dangerously soft. ‘So, when you had this conversation with your gran, you told her that you’d picked this horse up from a sale, did you? You told her that he was unwarranted and unsound, which he must have been if you could afford him?’
Ellie didn’t answer.
‘He was unwarranted, wasn’t he?’
Ellie nodded.
‘And unsound?’ Len pressed on.
Ellie had no choice but to nod again.
‘And you think when I tell your gran this, it won’t make her change her mind?’
Ellie knew he had her. If he told her gran that, she knew just what the reaction would be. Spirit would be sold, no arguing. Her shoulders sagged, the fight going out of her. ‘Please,’ she said desperately. ‘Please, Uncle Len, let me keep him. Gran said I can pay for his food and stabling. He won’t cost you and I’ll do anything. I’ll …’ A thought struck her. It would mean backing down, which she hated, but she’d do it for Spirit. ‘I’ll ride the ponies for you,’ she offered quickly. ‘Whenever you want. At shows or here, and I’ll work really hard on the yard.’
Len’s
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