The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton - Catherine Alliott [48]
‘Where's Harriet?’ I asked, peering into the pen. ‘The blind one?’
‘In a stable next to the house so I can keep an eye on her. The others don't let her get a look in on the food front. I'll see to her in a minute. Anyway, less of the pigs – we've got other fish to fry, haven't we?’ She beamed at Anna and put an arm round her shoulders. ‘Now, this horse!’
Anna smiled delightedly back, and Caro led her off. As I followed I heard Anna telling her how Mummy had forgotten her hat, and Caro saying never mind she could borrow Phoebe's, and I caught her eye briefly, thanking her. Caro might sound off on the phone to me, but she wouldn't rain on Anna's pony parade if she could help it: she was fond of her niece, and I blessed her for that. And wasn't I doing well too, I marvelled silently as we headed back towards the house. Carrying on with life. Going through the motions. Not howling.
‘Take this to Harriet, would you?’ Caro paused by the back door to pick up a bucketful of soggy bread and handed it to me. ‘She's in the end stable in the yard. I'll meet you at the stables when I've got Anna kitted out.
‘Is she safe?’ I asked nervously.
‘Oh, absolutely. She's a bit listless but she still likes to potter about.’
Under the circumstances I could hardly refuse and I went off to the yard wondering if they'd say that about me when this was all over. She's a bit listless but she still likes to potter about. I duly found Harriet in a shed, curled up in a corner. She looked smaller and sweeter than the other honking great sows, but I wasn't convinced I wanted to feed her by hand so I opened the door a crack, popped in the bucket and, remembering the Hungarian pile of bones, bolted the door firmly and retreated.
Caro and Anna were already in the stables when I got there.
‘I caught her, finally, with Phil's help,’ Caro called to me from inside a loosebox; she was putting a bridle on Molly, ‘so I've popped her in here. Quite frisky, isn't she?’
‘Not when we saw her,’ I said. ‘Oh, look, Anna, isn't she sweet?’ Her nose was poking over the door and I went to stroke her. ‘Oh!’ Her ears went back and she bared her teeth. ‘Not very friendly!’
‘She didn't do that when you saw her?’ Caro opened the door and led her out.
‘No.’
She gave me an arch look as she put the saddle on. ‘Disgusting tack. Presumably he threw it in for free?’
‘Um. Yes.’ I flicked Anna a look.
‘Hm,’ said Caro, who'd seen it. ‘Paid through the nose. Thought so.’ She pulled the stirrup down with a snap. ‘Come on then, Anna, hop up.’
Anna took the reins and Caro gave her a leg up.
‘We'll take her in the sand school,’ Caro went on. ‘I'd have put Jack on her first, but they're not back from school yet, and – oh!’
Anything else she might have said was lost in the wind, as Molly, feeling Anna's weight on her back, stood on her hind legs in a heraldic pose, then charged out of the yard, snatching the reins from Caro's hand, heading for the wide open spaces.
‘SIT UP!’ roared Caro as Anna bounced around like a ball bearing in the saddle. ‘Don't lean forward!’
We raced after her, my heart in my throat, as Molly put her head down and rocketed full pelt across the buttercup field, ignoring the open gate to the sand school, galloping furiously into the distant blue yonder.
‘Oh God, oh dear God,’ I gasped, as Molly, spying ponies in the next field, galloped towards all that kept her from their society: a four-foot hedge. The ponies raised startled heads as they saw her. Molly put hers down and judged the take-off. How Anna, who was screaming now, stayed on, I'll never know, but as Molly soared through the air, taking most of the hedge with her, she soared too, lost both her stirrups, but still landed with a thump in the saddle, which I wasn't entirely sure was a blessing.
‘Bail out!’ I roared, cupping my hands round my mouth as I ran. ‘Get off her, Anna!’
‘Easier said than done,’ panted Caro as we raced after her.