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  “Oh, please,” Joe teased. “Please can’t we watch a talking animal?”

  “Well…” Ellie pretended to consider it. “No!”

  Laughing together, they went into the barn.

  Chapter Six

  WHILE ELLIE GROOMED AND CLEANED tack that afternoon, she kept thinking about Friday night. “You’re in a good mood,” Luke said to her as she practically skipped into the tackroom.

  “Yep!” she said, putting her grooming kit away.

  “How come?”

  “I just am.” She couldn’t stop herself; she wanted to share it with someone. “Joe and I are going to the movies on Friday.”

  “Oh, right.” Luke raised an eyebrow. “And that’s why you’re so happy?” He shook his head. “You seriously need to get out more.”

  Ellie just grinned; she wasn’t going to let anything dent her excitement.

  Just then, Len called Luke’s name from the yard. Luke went to the door.

  “Give me a hand, will you? I’m going to turn Lucifer out to see if it calms him down.”

  “Sure,” Luke said.

  Ellie followed them curiously. Whenever a new horse went out for the first time, Len marked out a separate area in the field with electric tape, so the horse could see and sniff the other horses over the tape but have a few days getting to know them before being turned out with them.

  Lucifer pranced and jogged on the way to the field, Luke on one side and Len on the other. Hearing him coming, the horses in the field put their heads up and stared inquiringly. Len led Lucifer around the taped off section of field, showing him the tape, the wooden fence and trees along one side, the water trough and the cattle grid that separated his field from the fields behind, left over from when the stables had been a farm in the past. After Len had walked the horse around, he took Lucifer’s leadrope off and let him go free.

  Merlin came over to Lucifer’s paddock first, trotting up to the tape that separated them. Lucifer acted as if he’d been shot. He squealed and thundered at the tape at a gallop. Merlin skidded to a surprised halt.

  Ellie gasped—for a moment she thought Lucifer was going to break through the tape or jump it, but he didn’t. He simply turned around and kicked out viciously with both hind legs. Merlin backed off with an alarmed snort. The black horse swung around, his ears flat against his head. A few of the other horses, including Spirit, came over and though he didn’t seem quite as fierce with them he chased them off too. Every bit of his body language screamed keep away as he trotted up and down the fence.

  “He thinks he’s the boss,” said Len, watching through narrowed eyes. “We won’t ever be putting him and Hereward out together, that’s for sure.”

  “It’d be like World War Three,” commented Luke.

  Ellie nodded. Hereward was the undisputed boss of the geldings.

  Len turned to Ellie. “Can you stay here and watch him for a bit, check he’s OK? I’ve got a client coming for a lesson. Any problems with him, find Stuart or Luke.”

  “Sure,” Ellie said. She had no objections to sitting in the sun and watching the horses for a while. It would give her a chance to watch Spirit too and see if he was still stiff.

  Len and Luke left. For a long while, the black gelding paced up and down as if daring the other horses to come any closer. It wasn’t until they were all a good distance away that he dropped his head and started to graze, taking quick short nervous bites of the grass.

  Ellie frowned. She knew her uncle had said Lucifer was a dominant horse, but, watching him now, she wasn’t so sure. Underneath the layers of aggression she had the feeling that he was scared, yet a dominant horse surely wouldn’t be fearful. Truly dominant horses like Hereward and Starlight were always brave and confident characters. That wasn’t how Lucifer seemed to her at all. She could almost feel the anxiety radiating off him. His aggression seemed designed to keep people—and other horses—away.

  What’s going on in his head?

  Maybe she could find out. She’d planned on talking to a different horse—well, why not Lucifer?

  Perhaps I can help him. Looking at the black horse, she made up her mind. As soon as she had the chance she would speak to him.

  Ellie’s opportunity came after supper. Joe went off to study for his exams, Luke was watching TV and Len went out to meet a client. Ellie slipped out of the kitchen.

  All the horses were in their stables and the night sky lit up with stars. A cat trotted through the shadows and there was a snort from one of the stables. Lucifer was staring out over his door, moving restlessly from side to side.

  “Hey, boy,” Ellie murmured, going closer. Lucifer shook his head at her warningly. Ellie tried to reach out to him just as she had with Troy. It’s OK, she told him, sending him waves of love. I’m not going to hurt you. You can talk to me. She waited confidently, expecting to feel the shift in the atmosphere, but nothing happened.

  Speak to me, she urged him. I’m here. I’ll listen.

  He pinned his ears back and Ellie frowned. Ignoring his hostility, she went closer. Come on. You can talk to me, fella.

  Lucifer retreated into his stable. She could feel he wanted to be left alone but she was determined to talk to him.

  Lucifer, it’s OK. But Lucifer just stayed at the back of his stall, his hindquarters facing her. It was clear he didn’t want to talk. Eventually, frustrated, she gave up and went to find Spirit.

  He whickered softly to her. Letting herself into his stable, she told him what she’d been doing.

  Ellie felt encouragement flowing from him. Just listen. Be patient. Wait, he said.

  I did wait and I did listen, but he didn’t speak.

  Spirit sent a picture of her and Lucifer together. In the image, she was standing a little way off and the black gelding looked calm and peaceful. She was talking to him. You can do it, Spirit told her.

  But how?

  The picture grew brighter but nothing happened in it. Ellie felt sure she wasn’t understanding the message. She sighed, wanting a solution that was easy to understand. Putting her arms around his neck, she hugged him and he nuzzled her back.

  It’s OK, don’t worry, she told him. I’ll figure it out. So how are you feeling now, Spirit? How are your legs?

  She felt the ache again in her own calves and ankles.

  They still hurt?

  Yes.

  A clump of nettles sprang into her mind again. Ellie pushed the image of the plant away. She really had no idea why he kept showing her nettles, but she wanted to concentrate on the ache. Is it here? she said, touching his fetlocks.

  Yes.

  She stroked his legs, wishing she could help. He nuzzled her. You were happy earlier today, he said.

  She straightened up and smiled. Yes. It’s Joe. We’re going out together on Friday night. It’ll be fun. She found herself wondering how Joe was feeling about it.

  She put her arms around Spirit’s neck and kissed him. It was all so much easier with him.

  Luke was in the kitchen making coffee when she finally went in. Pip was snuffling around the floor. “Where have you been?” he asked curiously.

  She sat down to take her boots off. “I just went to see Spirit.”

  “How is he? Still stiff?”

  Ellie blinked, surprised Luke had remembered about Spirit’s stiffness. “Yes.”

  “I know what Joe said, but you should get the vet out if you’re worried,” Luke told her. “You’ve got to trust your instincts with horses. Do you feel you should call the vet?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted.

  “Well, if you start thinking you should, then do it,” said Luke. “I had a pony called Maggie when I was ten. I knew she wasn’t OK one night, I just knew it, but Dad and our groom said she was fine. We all left the stables. Turned out I was the one who was right. Maggie had colic and she got bad quickly after we’d all left. The groom found her when he did the late-night check. She’d been rolling and had twisted her gut.”

  Ellie cau
ght her breath.

  Luke nodded as he saw her reaction. “Yeah. They tried to operate but she had to be put down.” His jaw tightened. “Anyway, it’s not important. But my advice is if you’re worried about Spirit, get him checked out. Don’t just ignore it.”

  Ellie nodded. “I will. Thanks.” She didn’t quite know what to say. “That’s an awful thing to have happened, Luke.”

  He shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”

  Ellie had never heard him talk about his past before. She wanted to ask him more, but he’d picked up his coffee and was already heading through to the lounge.

  Ellie didn’t forget what he’d said, though, and when her uncle arrived home she asked if she could call the vet the next day. Len listened and then nodded. “The vet’s coming tomorrow afternoon to give Lucifer a check over. He can have a look at that gray of yours at the same time. You’re right to want to call him.” Ellie was surprised that Len was so keen to get the vet until he added, “After all, it could be a virus and in that case we don’t want him near the other horses. We need to find out for sure.”

  Ellie sighed. She should have known better than to think her uncle cared about Spirit. It was all to do with his precious show horses! Still, she felt happier knowing that at least the vet would be checking Spirit over.

  He’ll be OK, she told herself as she went to bed later. He said he would be. But with Luke’s story in her mind, she found it hard to sleep that night.

  The next morning, Ellie got up even earlier than Joe and went to check Spirit before they started working with Solo.

  He sent her a picture of a clump of nettles again. She sighed. “I’m sorry, Spirit. I just don’t know what you mean, but hopefully if there’s anything wrong the vet will find out.”

  She gave him a hug, then went to join Joe and Solo. She felt light and happy as she hurried across the courtyard, really looking forward to seeing how Solo was that day. Joe was just leading the pony out of the barn. Ellie joined them. “Hi! So, will you ride him today?” she asked. “Properly sit up and everything?”

  Joe nodded. “Provided he’s as good as yesterday.”

  Solo was. It only took him a few minutes to join-up with Joe, then he stood calmly as Joe put on his saddle and bridle and experimented with leaning his weight over the pony’s back. Finally, Joe got on and slowly sat up. Solo’s eyes looked slightly nervous as he caught sight of Joe sitting on his back, but Joe stroked him and patted him and soon the pony was fine. Ellie led him around, then Joe rode him on his own. Solo didn’t buck once.

  “He’s being great!” Ellie said as Joe finally halted beside her.

  Joe’s eyes glowed. “I know. I can’t remember the number of times I’ve been bucked off horses and ponies when Dad’s been backing them. This is the way it should be done!” He dismounted and patted Solo. “Look at him, there’s no fear in his eyes. No stress. We’ll have to do it like this all the time from now on. Help as many horses as we can!”

  “Definitely!” she said, caught in his enthusiasm. “You can join-up with them and I’ll help you. We’ll do it together!”

  He grinned and pulled her into a hug. As she felt the rough material of his sweatshirt against her face and his arms around her, everything she had been thinking about in the last few days suddenly bubbled up and she couldn’t stop the words from coming out.

  “Joe? Do you ever think about what happened in the horsebox?” She pulled back slightly to see his face. “When we almost…almost…”

  The atmosphere suddenly changed, the closeness between them replaced by tension. “I know.” Joe stepped away from her.

  She watched him, half nervous, half excited. What was he going to say?

  He swallowed. “I’ve actually been thinking about it a lot, Els.”

  “And?” She held her breath, her heart starting to race.

  Joe pushed a hand through his hair. “And…” He hesitated, his eyes on hers. “We just can’t do things like that.”

  She felt a crashing sense of anti-climax. It was so not what she’d expected him to say. “You…you mean you don’t want to?” she stammered.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” he answered swiftly.

  “But we’re cousins. Dad would flip—”

  “We could keep it secret!” Ellie burst out.

  “It would never stay secret. You know it wouldn’t. Someone would find out. And…we just shouldn’t.”

  Ellie stared at him. She knew what he was like, how he liked to please people, how he hated fights. But the more he said no, the more certain she felt that it was what she wanted. “If we want it, we shouldn’t just give up. You do like me?”

  He looked torn. “Yes. Of course I do—so much.”

  “Well, I like you so couldn’t…couldn’t we just try?”

  But even as she spoke, she saw the resignation in his eyes. He was shaking his head.

  Ellie felt tears well up. Not wanting him to see how upset she was, she swung around and started to hurry away.

  “Ellie! Wait!”

  Taking a breath to calm herself, she stopped and turned.

  Joe was looking at her pleadingly. “This doesn’t have to change anything. We can still be friends, can’t we?”

  She hesitated, but couldn’t imagine them not being friends and so she nodded. “Yes.” Her throat hurt with the tears she was holding back. “Though you’re wrong about this,” she said stubbornly. “I know you are.”

  Turning on her heel, she walked on. This time he didn’t call her back.

  Chapter Seven

  ELLIE WENT STRAIGHT TO SPIRIT. Reaching the sanctuary of his stable, she put her arms around his neck. The words tumbled out of her as she told him what had just happened. She wasn’t sure how much he understood about boy and girl stuff but it was enough he knew she was upset. She felt the waves of comfort coming from him and gradually her feelings calmed. She sighed and, resting her head against his neck, replayed the conversation with Joe in her head. It was almost impossible to believe that Joe had completely given up the idea of them being together. They really were so perfect for each other.

  I’m not going to give up, she thought, feeling a rush of determination. I’m right about this and Joe will see it in the end. I know he will.

  By the time Ellie went to help with the feeds, she felt back in control. She would give Joe some time. If he liked her and she liked him, surely he was going to change his mind and they could become boyfriend and girlfriend in the end. All she had to do was wait. Admittedly she never found waiting easy but she was going to try.

  She felt a bit awkward as she went into the feedroom and saw Joe, but with Len and Luke both there too, she quickly slipped back into acting normally. She and Joe didn’t have much chance to talk; they were both too busy with the usual morning chores. But they did meet up by the muck heap when Luke rode Lucifer for the first time. Wanting to watch, Ellie grabbed a broom, only to arrive at the muck heap and find Joe had done the same. Realizing they’d had the same thought, they smiled awkwardly.

  “Great minds think alike.” Joe spoke lightly, but Ellie knew him well enough to read the uncertainty in his eyes.

  “I couldn’t miss this.” She smiled at him and instantly he looked relieved, glad she wasn’t in a mood with him.

  Luke led Lucifer up to the ring. The gelding sidled and jogged like a racehorse in the paddock. Sasha walked alongside, talking constantly to Luke, but his attention was completely on the tense horse, his hands firm on the reins. Len was waiting by the gate.

  “Good luck,” Sasha called as Luke reached the gate.

  “Luck’s got nothing to do with it,” Len said brusquely from the ring. “Riding well is what counts.”

  Ellie could see the excitement in Luke’s eyes. She knew she would have felt exactly the same if she’d been about to prove herself capable of riding Lucifer in the ring.

  Luke swung himself easily into the saddle. The gelding immediately plunged forward, but Luke kept his seat and moved with hi
m. Clicking his tongue, he gathered the reins and started to trot him around in circles.

  Ellie watched, wondering if there would be a fight, but to her relief Lucifer settled down quickly. He was soon on the bit, his neck arched, his smooth stride effortlessly covering the ground. He was beautiful to watch and Ellie could see why he had won so much during his first year in the show ring. He was very responsive, and Luke barely had to move in the saddle as he rode him in figures of eight and serpentines.

  “Look at him,” said Joe admiringly as he and Ellie swept, keeping their eyes on the ring. “He’s got real star quality.”

  Both Luke and Len were soon smiling. Eventually, Luke brought the horse to a halt and patted him, then Len mounted. He rode as a judge in the ring would, his reins slightly long and hands light, seeing how responsive the horse was. Lucifer went just as easily for him.

  “There,” he said, when he finally stopped him. “I said he’d calm down and be just fine.” He clapped the horse’s neck. “Good lad.”

  “Should I take him down the lane to cool him off?” Luke asked.

  Len nodded and dismounted. “Then he can go out in the field again.”

  “Well, that went better than expected,” Joe said to Ellie as Luke patted the horse too and led him out of the ring.

  Ellie watched Lucifer. In the menage he had seemed fairly calm and relaxed, but as Luke led him back towards the yard he tensed up. His ears flickered back and forward and he started to jog and sidle. Why? Ellie thought to herself. Most horses walked eagerly out of the school, pleased to have finished work. She leaned on her broom. She just couldn’t figure Lucifer out. She wished he had talked to her.

  Just listen. Spirit’s words came to her as she watched Lucifer being led into his stable.

  I tried that, she thought in frustration. But as he didn’t talk to me, I had nothing to listen to! If only Spirit had given her some other clue about what to do.

  John Taylor, the vet, arrived just before lunch in his battered four-wheel drive. He was an experienced vet in his fifties. After checking Lucifer over and finding him in good health, John turned his attention to Spirit.