Strangers at the Stables by Michelle Bates

Author:Michelle Bates [Bates, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781409554950
Publisher: Usborne Publishing

7

FROM BAD TO WORSE

Sleep didn’t come easily to Rosie that night and when it did, it was disturbed by dreams...dreams of horses falling at open ditches and thrashing about in icy water. Tossing and turning, she woke in a cold sweat. She looked at her watch. Six o’clock. There wasn’t any point in trying to get back to sleep, she’d have to be up in half an hour anyway.

Drawing back the curtains, she looked out of the window and sighed. It was just getting light and an eerie mist hung over the fields. Rosie felt uneasy as she remembered yesterday’s events. Sam really shouldn’t have given Whisp such a hard ride. She hoped the horse would be all right. As for her riding, it had been appalling.

Reaching to her bedside chair, she grabbed her clothes and pulled them under her duvet. They were cold to the touch as she struggled to put them on.

On the count of three, Rosie threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Picking up her waterproof jacket, she tiptoed down the stairs and grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen before making her way outside to her bike. The air felt heavy with rain. All was still and silent as she cycled to Sandy Lane. She passed no one on the empty country roads.

Turning into the drive, she rode into the yard and hopped off her bike, propping it up against the water trough as she walked over to Whisp’s stable.

At first Rosie couldn’t see anything when she looked over the door, but once her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, she could see the shape of the horse lying down on the floor. Whisp looked up and struggled to her feet. Rosie grimaced as she realized that the horse’s back offside leg was swollen. Whisp’s head hung low and she teetered painfully on three legs.

“Damn you, Sam,” Rosie muttered through gritted teeth.

Drawing back the bolt on the door, she entered the box, talking sweetly to the horse all the time.

“It’s OK Whisp. You’re going to be all right, poor old lady,” she crooned. Whisp turned her face towards her and snickered softly. Swiftly, Rosie ran her hand down the horse’s leg and felt the heat.

“I think we’ll have to have the vet called out for you,” she said, fondly patting the grey neck.

Rosie hurried over to the tack room and dialled the vet’s number. When he heard what was wrong, he promised to come straight away. For the moment, there was nothing more Rosie could do, so she waited anxiously by the gate.

Soon the others arrived at Sandy Lane. Rosie was gloomy as she told them what had happened.

“Oh,” said Tom sheepishly. “Poor Whisp. Sam did take her round pretty fast. I suppose we’d better cancel her rides.”

Rosie headed off to check the bookings. Slipping into the tack room, she opened up the appointments book. That was strange – today’s page seemed to have been torn out. Rosie flicked through the book.

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