After the Pony Club by Naomi Jessica Rose

Author:Naomi Jessica Rose [Rose, Naomi Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2017-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Boxing Day

Roger Radcliffe was surprised to find that none of his family wanted to go hunting on Boxing Day. Margaret was desperate to ride her new pony since she hadn’t been allowed to yet.

​“I thought I’d ride him in the paddock, and maybe take him for a walk into the village if he seems all right. Will you come with me Hilary, in case he goes funny?” Margaret asked.

​“All right,” Hilary said. “I don’t mind.”

​“Hang on,” Roger put in. “You’re supposed to be riding Quaker today aren’t you?”

​“Yes, but I’d rather help Marga. You can have Quaker, unless Evelyn wants him.”

​“Well I did want him,” Evelyn said. “But I don’t think I can be fagged to go out today; it’s freezing cold.”

​“Can I ride Magpie too Marga?” James asked. “And if you go out I can come on Rocket. Magpie’d probably like that, wouldn’t he?”

​“That’s a good idea Jim,” Hilary said.

​“Am I supposed to go hunting all by myself then?” Roger asked, exasperated. The others all turned to look at him in vague surprise.

​“You won’t be on your own,” Hilary said after a long pause. “There’ll be loads of people at the Boxing Day hunt – there always are.” They were all eating breakfast, dressed variously in dressing gowns and pyjamas and mucking out clothes, none of them entirely awake.

​“I know there’ll be other people there; that’s not what I mean. I was expecting to spend my time with you people these holidays, not a bunch of West Barsetshire hunting types!”

​“All right little brother, keep your hair on. I’ll come with you,” Evelyn said, yawning.

​“I am not your little brother!” Roger exclaimed.

​“Oh no, how very silly of me. I must have been being confused by your childish behaviour.”

​Oh well, Roger thought. Evelyn went back upstairs to get dressed and Margaret and James scurried off to gaze in wonder at the new pony as if they hadn’t been doing that since crack of dawn already. Hilary began to clear the table of all the mess everyone had left.

​“I wish you’d come out today Hil,” Roger said. He didn’t want to say that he found riding with Hilary more fun than riding with Evelyn, but he was fairly sure Hilary knew what he meant.

​“We’ll get some good rides in before we go back,” she said, “but I’m almost as excited about this pony as Margaret and James are. And besides, you know how ridiculous Margaret can be if you don’t watch her.”

Susan woke up with a thumping headache. She could hear the sounds of people up and about all over the house, and wondered how late she had slept. She lay in bed and listened to Teddy crying and Paul droning on in his boring monotone while Valerie pecked irritably. Oh goodness, she thought, if only they were going home today instead of tomorrow!

​I shall have to get out of the house or I’ll go mad, she decided. But it was difficult to think what she might do with herself; everyone would be going hunting.

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