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Authors: Olivia Tuffin
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everything that had just happened. When she’d finished, Melanie’s mouth was set in a thin line. “Well, take no notice. There’s nothing that girl can do,” she said firmly. “Lily belongs to me now; she hasn’t got a leg to stand on. Honestly, Georgia, I’ve had her papers from the Welsh Pony Society and everything. Lily is ours. Try and forget about her. She can’t take Lily back, she just can’t.”
Sophie emerged from the horse lorry at that moment, looking beautiful in her canary-yellowbreeches and tailored jacket, with her long hair tucked into a hair net.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s nothing.” Georgia turned away, hiding her tears. She busied herself with Wilson, tacking him up and giving his coat a final polish. Regardless of Melanie’s reassuring words, she couldn’t forget the threat in Jemma’s voice.
Despite her worries, out of the corner of her eye Georgia noticed Tory slipping out of her horsebox and crossing the lorry park where she started talking to an older-looking boy. Georgia frowned. He seemed vaguely familiar. Curious, she turned to Sophie, who was arranging her tie in the lorry mirror.
“Who’s that boy?” she asked.
Sophie followed her gaze and shrugged, her eyes slightly downcast as she swung up on to Wilson. “Don’t ask me. Tory knows everyone at theseshows. She’s always going off to see someone or other.”
Georgia couldn’t help but notice the way Tory threw a filthy look in their direction even though she was still deep in conversation. Was she talking about Georgia? Or perhaps she and Sophie had had a falling-out?
Still, there wasn’t time to think about that now. Sophie had started to warm Wilson up under Melanie’s meticulous eye and Georgia wanted to watch. Shortly afterwards, the show hunter pony class was called and Sophie headed off on Wilson. Georgia made her way to the ringside with Melanie to watch.
To Georgia’s horror, as she took her seat she realised that Jemma was in the class as well, this time mounted on a beautiful dark-grey gelding.
Georgia tried not to look at her, choosing to focus on the other horses instead. Wilson was behavingbeautifully, his trot fluid, his tightly plaited mane showing off the perfect curve of his neck and gleaming conker coat.
But as he trotted round, Jemma kept trying to overtake him. It looked as though she was determined to ruin his show as she brushed past him with just millimetres to spare.
Wilson spooked sideways, his ears back, his tail swishing.
Georgia felt uneasy. Jemma was clever, covering her actions with a big smile whenever the judge was looking her way, so he didn’t see what was going on. Eventually Jemma was pulled in first and Sophie second.
“I’m going to make an official complaint,” Melanie fumed as Sophie and Wilson came out of the ring.
“What’s going on? Who was that girl?” Sophie cried, clearly shaken.
Georgia felt terrible. It was all her fault. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, lost for words.
For the rest of the day, Georgia tried to forget about Jemma and her threats to take Lily back. After all, Melanie had made it clear that she was the rightful owner now. Even so, Georgia felt a shiver run down her spine whenever she thought about it. She washed Wilson down and tied him up with a hay net before going off to have a quick wander around the showground, leaving Melanie with the horses. Melanie had met a friend and the two of them were chatting in picnic chairs outside the horse lorry.
She would have to keep her eyes peeled for Jemma. She didn’t want to run into her again.
“We’ll leave in about half an hour, Georgia,” Melanie called after her. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
Georgia loved having the chance to look around. Every show was different, and today’s show was no exception. She admired the sheep with their impressive horns and the Dexter cows in the livestock pens, before gazing wistfully at the long-haired rabbits
Sophie emerged from the horse lorry at that moment, looking beautiful in her canary-yellowbreeches and tailored jacket, with her long hair tucked into a hair net.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s nothing.” Georgia turned away, hiding her tears. She busied herself with Wilson, tacking him up and giving his coat a final polish. Regardless of Melanie’s reassuring words, she couldn’t forget the threat in Jemma’s voice.
Despite her worries, out of the corner of her eye Georgia noticed Tory slipping out of her horsebox and crossing the lorry park where she started talking to an older-looking boy. Georgia frowned. He seemed vaguely familiar. Curious, she turned to Sophie, who was arranging her tie in the lorry mirror.
“Who’s that boy?” she asked.
Sophie followed her gaze and shrugged, her eyes slightly downcast as she swung up on to Wilson. “Don’t ask me. Tory knows everyone at theseshows. She’s always going off to see someone or other.”
Georgia couldn’t help but notice the way Tory threw a filthy look in their direction even though she was still deep in conversation. Was she talking about Georgia? Or perhaps she and Sophie had had a falling-out?
Still, there wasn’t time to think about that now. Sophie had started to warm Wilson up under Melanie’s meticulous eye and Georgia wanted to watch. Shortly afterwards, the show hunter pony class was called and Sophie headed off on Wilson. Georgia made her way to the ringside with Melanie to watch.
To Georgia’s horror, as she took her seat she realised that Jemma was in the class as well, this time mounted on a beautiful dark-grey gelding.
Georgia tried not to look at her, choosing to focus on the other horses instead. Wilson was behavingbeautifully, his trot fluid, his tightly plaited mane showing off the perfect curve of his neck and gleaming conker coat.
But as he trotted round, Jemma kept trying to overtake him. It looked as though she was determined to ruin his show as she brushed past him with just millimetres to spare.
Wilson spooked sideways, his ears back, his tail swishing.
Georgia felt uneasy. Jemma was clever, covering her actions with a big smile whenever the judge was looking her way, so he didn’t see what was going on. Eventually Jemma was pulled in first and Sophie second.
“I’m going to make an official complaint,” Melanie fumed as Sophie and Wilson came out of the ring.
“What’s going on? Who was that girl?” Sophie cried, clearly shaken.
Georgia felt terrible. It was all her fault. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, lost for words.
For the rest of the day, Georgia tried to forget about Jemma and her threats to take Lily back. After all, Melanie had made it clear that she was the rightful owner now. Even so, Georgia felt a shiver run down her spine whenever she thought about it. She washed Wilson down and tied him up with a hay net before going off to have a quick wander around the showground, leaving Melanie with the horses. Melanie had met a friend and the two of them were chatting in picnic chairs outside the horse lorry.
She would have to keep her eyes peeled for Jemma. She didn’t want to run into her again.
“We’ll leave in about half an hour, Georgia,” Melanie called after her. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
Georgia loved having the chance to look around. Every show was different, and today’s show was no exception. She admired the sheep with their impressive horns and the Dexter cows in the livestock pens, before gazing wistfully at the long-haired rabbits
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