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Authors: Linda Chapman
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eyes narrowed. ‘You’re suggesting we do a deal?’
‘Yes.’ Ellie thought he was going to explode again, but to her surprise his forehead furrowed.
‘Well, I do need a rider for the smaller ponies.’ Len considered her for a moment and then gave a curt nod. ‘All right. But on my terms …’
Ellie caught her breath in relief.
‘He’s only here on a temporary basis. I don’t have room on this yard for pets and the time you spend with him will be time you could be with the others, working them. You can keep him for six weeks. Get some condition on him and then sell him on. Maybe make yourself a few bob. You’ve got him now so it makes sense.’
Ellie hesitated. She had absolutely no intention of ever selling Spirit on and trying to make money out of him, but she could see that telling her uncle this would get her nowhere right now. At least he was agreeing that she could keep the horse. That was enough. She’d deal with the selling part of the deal later. She nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘Let’s see him then,’ her uncle grunted. ‘See what sort of eye for a horse you’ve got. Maybe, just maybe, you’ve got yourself a bargain.’
He opened the door and Ellie followed him back outside, feeling nervous. What was he going to say when he saw Spirit? Joe was standing by the watertrough, pretending to scrub out a bucket. His eyes flew to Ellie’s face. She nodded quickly, trying to let him know it was OK. She took her uncle to the foaling box where Spirit was.
‘This is him, this is Spirit.’
As Len joined her at the door, Spirit shied back in alarm. He stood at the back of the box, head high, body trembling. Ellie saw him through her uncle’s eyes – his ribs standing out like a toast rack, his dull coat, his scarred legs and shoulder.
‘Oh, flamin’ heck.’ Len groaned. He shook his head and Ellie saw the bitter disappointment in his gaze. ‘Well, you won’t be getting your money back on that. Best you can hope for is to get a bit more meat on his bones and sell him to the knackers for a better price.’ He glanced down at her. ‘Still, a deal’s a deal. You ride the ponies, you get to keep him for six weeks.’
‘How much shall I pay you?’ Ellie could hardly quite believe it.
‘You can have his stabling and feed in exchange for riding for me. Vets and farrier bills, you pay.’ Len turned away. ‘Oh, and by the way,’ he shot over his shoulder, ‘you’re grounded for skipping school.’
Ellie didn’t care about being grounded. She never went out anyway, only ever spending time with Joeor on the yard, and all she wanted now was to be with Spirit, feeding him up, grooming him, looking after him. That night she went out straight after supper. There was a strong wind blowing and she had to fight her way across the yard, the gusts buffeting her, whipping her breath away as she walked. But inside Spirit’s stable it was warm and peaceful. Sweep, who had left the barn now, had found the new straw bed Ellie had put down and was curled up contentedly in the corner under the manger, while Spirit pulled at his haynet hung on the back wall, unbothered by the kitten’s presence. He jumped anxiously as she slid the bolts back, but relaxed and whickered softly when he realized it was her.
‘Hey, boy.’ Ellie had brushed the worst of the mud off his coat after feedtime and put on a rug to keep him warm. He pushed his nose into her chest. She smoothed down his forelock, sending out waves of love. He might not look like anything now but he would soon look better. ‘I’ll make you well,’ she promised him. ‘And I’ll never sell you on, no matter what Uncle Len says.’
Spirit snorted and then moved back to his haynet.
Ellie sat down in the corner of the stall on the straw next to Sweep. Wrapping her arms round her knees, she imagined Spirit fit and healthy, the fear gone from his eyes. Every bit of stubbornness insideher felt like it was focused into a fierce determination. She would do
‘Yes.’ Ellie thought he was going to explode again, but to her surprise his forehead furrowed.
‘Well, I do need a rider for the smaller ponies.’ Len considered her for a moment and then gave a curt nod. ‘All right. But on my terms …’
Ellie caught her breath in relief.
‘He’s only here on a temporary basis. I don’t have room on this yard for pets and the time you spend with him will be time you could be with the others, working them. You can keep him for six weeks. Get some condition on him and then sell him on. Maybe make yourself a few bob. You’ve got him now so it makes sense.’
Ellie hesitated. She had absolutely no intention of ever selling Spirit on and trying to make money out of him, but she could see that telling her uncle this would get her nowhere right now. At least he was agreeing that she could keep the horse. That was enough. She’d deal with the selling part of the deal later. She nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘Let’s see him then,’ her uncle grunted. ‘See what sort of eye for a horse you’ve got. Maybe, just maybe, you’ve got yourself a bargain.’
He opened the door and Ellie followed him back outside, feeling nervous. What was he going to say when he saw Spirit? Joe was standing by the watertrough, pretending to scrub out a bucket. His eyes flew to Ellie’s face. She nodded quickly, trying to let him know it was OK. She took her uncle to the foaling box where Spirit was.
‘This is him, this is Spirit.’
As Len joined her at the door, Spirit shied back in alarm. He stood at the back of the box, head high, body trembling. Ellie saw him through her uncle’s eyes – his ribs standing out like a toast rack, his dull coat, his scarred legs and shoulder.
‘Oh, flamin’ heck.’ Len groaned. He shook his head and Ellie saw the bitter disappointment in his gaze. ‘Well, you won’t be getting your money back on that. Best you can hope for is to get a bit more meat on his bones and sell him to the knackers for a better price.’ He glanced down at her. ‘Still, a deal’s a deal. You ride the ponies, you get to keep him for six weeks.’
‘How much shall I pay you?’ Ellie could hardly quite believe it.
‘You can have his stabling and feed in exchange for riding for me. Vets and farrier bills, you pay.’ Len turned away. ‘Oh, and by the way,’ he shot over his shoulder, ‘you’re grounded for skipping school.’
Ellie didn’t care about being grounded. She never went out anyway, only ever spending time with Joeor on the yard, and all she wanted now was to be with Spirit, feeding him up, grooming him, looking after him. That night she went out straight after supper. There was a strong wind blowing and she had to fight her way across the yard, the gusts buffeting her, whipping her breath away as she walked. But inside Spirit’s stable it was warm and peaceful. Sweep, who had left the barn now, had found the new straw bed Ellie had put down and was curled up contentedly in the corner under the manger, while Spirit pulled at his haynet hung on the back wall, unbothered by the kitten’s presence. He jumped anxiously as she slid the bolts back, but relaxed and whickered softly when he realized it was her.
‘Hey, boy.’ Ellie had brushed the worst of the mud off his coat after feedtime and put on a rug to keep him warm. He pushed his nose into her chest. She smoothed down his forelock, sending out waves of love. He might not look like anything now but he would soon look better. ‘I’ll make you well,’ she promised him. ‘And I’ll never sell you on, no matter what Uncle Len says.’
Spirit snorted and then moved back to his haynet.
Ellie sat down in the corner of the stall on the straw next to Sweep. Wrapping her arms round her knees, she imagined Spirit fit and healthy, the fear gone from his eyes. Every bit of stubbornness insideher felt like it was focused into a fierce determination. She would do
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