‘I don’t want to move,’ she said. ‘Never again. Can I just stay here? Will you bring me food?’
I gave a little laugh. ‘Maybe this man will have some sympathy when he sees you,’ I said, gesturing at the figure, who had now come through the gate and was marching towards us. But it was a short-lived hope.
‘You bloody little idiots!’ he threw at us, as he walked straight past and went to Woody. ‘You could have crippled him!’
‘What about Be…my friend?’ I retorted.
‘You needn’t be shy about saying her name,’ the man fumed. ‘I know you’re from Dark River Farm. It’s written down the side of your bloody trap!’
‘Well what about her? Aren’t you going to help her?’
‘Not yet,’ he grunted. ‘Not ’til I’ve checked you ’aven’t done any damage to this ’orse.’
I watched, with grudging admiration, as he thoroughly checked each of Woody’s legs, running his hands down each one, and all the while talking in a quiet, soothing murmur. Then he took hold of the home-made halter and led Woody up and down for a few minutes, his eyes missing nothing as he watched the placement of each hoof. Finally he slipped off the halter and came back to stand in front of us.
‘Which one of you made this?’
I remembered Belinda’s idea that I should take the blame for any trouble, since I was a favourite of Frances. ‘It was me,’ I said. ‘It was all my idea, I’m sorry. You can’t blame Bel.’
The man turned pale blue eyes on me, and, now the immediate worry of injury to the loaned stallion was ruled out, he seemed to relax, if only a little. He wasn’t much older than us, which surprised me. We weren’t used to seeing men of fighting age around any more—at least, no-one who wasn’t dressed in hospital blues. This man was probably between twenty-five and thirty, blunt-featured, with the ruddy complexion of an outdoorsman, and a rather scruffy head of sandy-coloured hair. I guessed his occupation must have exempted him from call-up, because he certainly looked healthy enough.
‘This is a good little ’alter,’ he said. I shot a glance at Belinda, but she didn’t seem to care that I was taking the credit for her handiwork. Her head was down, her hair loosened from its pins and hanging in a pale curtain over her eyes, and she barely seemed aware there was anyone else here.
‘Look, my friend is hurt,’ I said. ‘Please, can you help me get her back to the trap, and I’ll take her home.’
The man shook his head, and now he looked annoyed again. ‘Bring ’er into the ’ouse, and we’ll see what’s what.’
‘I can’t carry her, and she can’t walk!’
He sighed, handed me the halter, then stooped to lift Belinda. She gave a little yelp as her foot left the ground and swung free for a moment, before he settled her more comfortably and set off back towards the mill. I followed, my mind frantically searching for a reasonable explanation as to why we had seen fit to risk Woody’s health, but of course there wasn’t one. Frances would be furious with me when she found out, despite what Belinda seemed to think.
In the house, the man set Belinda down on the couch, and I was finally able to gather my scattered thoughts and set to work. I checked her ankle first, and after a few minutes’ careful examination, I sat back on my heels. ‘I don’t think it is broken, after all.’
Belinda let her breath out in a shaky sigh of relief. ‘What about my nose?’
‘Hard to say. I’ll clean it up in a moment, but first of all we need to stabilise your foot.’
‘You a nurse?’ the man said.
‘No. But I’m Red Cross trained.’ I thought, for a moment, that my efficiency had impressed him enough to have cooled his anger, but it hadn’t. He merely handed me the things I asked for, without comment, and when I’d fixed a makeshift splint onto Belinda’s ankle, and wiped her face clean of blood, he began his tirade all over again.
‘You could’ve killed that ’orse! Do you have any idea how much he’s worth? What the army would’ve said? Not to mention ’aving to go through the bloody process of a loan all over again, to get Lady in foal!’ He continued in this vein for quite some time, before I glanced at the clock, and groaned, abandoning any notion of tending to my own scraped shin.
‘The train’ll have been and gone by now. Jessie will be waiting.’
‘Did you hear a word of what I just said?’
‘Yes, and I’m sorry. But we’re supposed to be picking someone up from the station. We have to go. Bel, can you walk if you lean on me?’
‘I think so.’ She looked at the mill owner, her eyes worried above her puffed and swollen nose. ‘Will you be telling Mrs Adams?’
‘I expect so,’ he said. ‘You ’ave to understand how dangerous it was, what you did.’
‘We do!’ I begged. ‘Please, we don’t have any horses at Dark River any more—just Pippin.’
‘That don’t make you special,’ he said, his brows lowered. ‘They took ours too, all except them that was needed. We ’ad some beauties, but the army’ve got ’em now, or they’re more likely dead. Don’t mean you can go around stealing rides when the fancy takes you.’
‘No,’ I said quietly. ‘We understand that. It was just a silly idea and we’ve learned our lesson.’
But he was in full flow now. ‘I mean, how would it look if I came over your place, and took your best cow just ’cos we ain’t got any milk?’
I was beginning to lose my patience now. ‘Look, Mr…?’
‘Pearce.’
‘Mr Pearce, we’re sorry. We really are. If you do tell Mrs Adams, be sure and tell her it was my fault. But we have to go now! That poor girl we’re collecting will think she’s been forgotten’
‘And you are?’
‘Kitty Maitland.’
‘Kitty’s fault. Right you are.’
I looked at him for a moment, unsure if he was teasing, but his face was grim. Well, nothing to be done now; I’d tried my best. ‘Bel, come on.’
Belinda stood up, leaning on me, and took the halter from Mr Pearce. He followed us out to the trap, and I helped Belinda to climb onto the seat, where she loosened the knots in the halter with a few quick movements, and threw the rope back into the trap. I saw Mr Pearce’s watching, one eyebrow arched slightly, but before he could say anything I picked up the reins and wheeled the cart around to drive back towards the station.
The platform was empty, as was the turntable; the train had long since begun its return journey, and the passengers dispersed.
‘Well where on earth is she?’ Belinda said. Her voice was starting to sound very nasal, and when I looked at her I saw her nose was even more swollen now. I winced, but didn’t mention it; it would only upset her more.
‘She knows the farm. Do you think she might have begun to walk?’
‘She must have.’ Belinda sighed. ‘This is all we need. She’s bound to be really cross, and blab to Mrs Adams.’
‘She might not. She might be very sweet,’ I said, turning Pippin around once more. I hoped I was right; we were in enough trouble as it was. ‘Mr Pearce knows full well it was you who made the halter,’ I added idly, as we set off back to the farm. ‘I saw him looking at you dismantling it.’
‘I didn’t really mean for you to take the blame anyway,’ Belinda said. ‘I only said that when I thought nothing