Autumn Trail (8 page)

“I can see why,” Veronica said, pulling the board out carefully. “What do the pieces look like?”

Colonel Hanson needed no further urging. He pulled out the case that contained the hand-carved pieces. Setting it on the coffee table, he opened it with a flourish.

Veronica pulled out a piece and examined it. “Beautiful,” she said again.

Carole leaned over and selected a piece shaped like a horse’s head. “That castle thingy you have is nice, Veronica. But the horse-shaped pieces have always been my favorites.”

Colonel Hanson laughed. “That’s right. Those are the only pieces I’ve ever been able to get Carole to show any interest in at all.” He put his arm around her shoulders.

Veronica smiled. “Actually, Carole, that horse-shaped piece is called a knight.” She held up the piece in her own hand. “And this one that looks like a castle tower is called a rook.”

Colonel Hanson’s face lit up. “Veronica, do you play?”

Carole groaned. “If you know what’s good for you, Veronica, you’ll say no. If my dad thinks you’re a chess player, he won’t leave you alone until you play a game with him.”

Veronica laughed. “That’s all right. I’d love to play.” She winked at Carole. “I should warn you, though, Colonel
Hanson, you’d better prepare to lose. My father hasn’t been able to beat me in years.”

“Aha, a challenge,” Colonel Hanson replied. “You’re on.” Then he looked at Carole. “You don’t mind, do you, sweetheart?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Carole,” Veronica added. “Why don’t we pick something three can play, instead?”

“No, that’s all right,” Carole told them both. “Go ahead and play. I don’t mind.” She didn’t, either. She was just glad that her Thanksgiving project was working out so well for everyone. Veronica was obviously having a wonderful time, even though Carole was sure that she still missed her parents. And Carole had to admit that she was having a lot of fun herself. She was sure Veronica would never be one of her best friends—they just didn’t have enough in common for that—but now that Carole was getting to know her a little better, she had to admit that Veronica was a lot more interesting than she had thought. And for now, at least, a lot nicer.

As Veronica and Colonel Hanson set up the chess board and began to play, Carole wandered back into the kitchen. She decided to get started on peeling and slicing some of the vegetables for the salad. As she worked, she could hear the chess players from the other room as they kept up a steady stream of joking challenges and insults. Carole smiled proudly. Her father could bring out the best in anybody, she thought as she listened to Veronica laugh. She decided that she could take some of
the credit for herself, too, for her generous idea. Maybe Stevie is right about this Thanksgiving stuff after all, Carole thought happily.

T
HE PHONE RANG
at about noon. The chess match had just ended, and just as she had predicted, Veronica had won.

When Carole picked up the phone, Stevie was on the other end. One way that Carole could tell it was Stevie was from the way she just jumped right into the conversation without pausing to identify herself. “Hi, Carole. Listen, can you be at Pine Hollow by four o’clock today? You can bring Veronica if you want. It’s very important.”

Carole glanced at her father. “Four o’clock? Sure, I guess we’ll be finished with dinner by then. What’s up?”

“You’ll see,” Stevie said mysteriously. “Don’t be late.” She hung up.

Carole shook her head with a smile. She couldn’t imagine what Stevie could possibly be up to this time, although she had the funniest feeling that it had something to do with the meaning of Thanksgiving. She and Lisa had long since learned that it was sometimes better not to ask too many questions when Stevie had something up her sleeve. They knew from experience that although her schemes sometimes got them into hot water, they almost always turned out to be a lot of fun.

“What was that all about?” Carole’s father asked her as he opened the oven to peek in at the turkey.

“That was Stevie,” Carole replied. “She’s up to something, but don’t ask me what. All she would tell me was to show up at Pine Hollow by four.” She noticed that Veronica’s face had fallen. “She wants you to come, too, Veronica,” Carole added.

“Oh, all right,” Veronica said, looking pleased. Carole suspected that she was even happier about being included than she was letting on.

Carole found herself wondering once again what Veronica’s life must really be like. It seemed as though her parents weren’t interested in spending very much time with her. Maybe that was why Veronica always tried to make people think she was better than everybody else. It could be that her superior attitude was a way of hiding how inferior she felt. Carole thought that was very sad. It was no wonder Veronica didn’t seem to have any real friends. All she had was a clique of acquaintances who thought she was perfect and never had any problems.

But if nobody ever knew Veronica had problems, nobody could ever try to help her with them. Carole wondered briefly what
that
would be like, but it was too difficult to imagine. After all, she and her best friends in The Saddle Club were always ready to help each other with any problem they had, whether it was with horses, parents, school, or anything else.

“Come on, Carole, the movie’s starting,” her father said, interrupting her thoughts. “No popcorn for us today, though. We don’t want to spoil our appetites.”

Carole followed her father and Veronica into the living room. She had seen
Miracle on 34th Street
many times, and she loved it more every time, but today as she watched, she found her thoughts occasionally returning to Veronica. She was beginning to understand that what Veronica really wanted more than anything was to be included. That was why her parents’ leaving her behind had upset her so much. And that was also why she was so glad that Stevie had invited her to come along this afternoon. After all, Carole mused, everyone liked to feel wanted. She was glad she’d had the opportunity to help Veronica. Somehow, despite her earlier fears, Carole thought that Veronica’s presence would end up making this year’s Thanksgiving extraspecial.

A
FTER CALLING
C
AROLE
, Stevie had gone upstairs to find Lisa. She found her in her bedroom. Lisa was rearranging the ribbons she had won since she’d been riding. She’d had them hanging on the bulletin board above her desk, but she had been wondering how they would look on the wall beside her window, so she was holding them up there to see. Since she had won many of the ribbons while riding Pepper, she was also thinking about him. She was just wondering if she should call Red and ask him to check on Pepper, when Stevie burst in.

“Oh, there you are,” Stevie exclaimed. “Listen, you’ve got to meet me at Pine Hollow this afternoon. Be there a little before four.”

“This afternoon?” Lisa repeated. “But it’s Thanksgiving!”

“I know that,” Stevie replied, rolling her eyes. “That’s the whole point. Now, look, I have to get going. Just promise me you’ll be there, okay?”

“But, Stevie,” Lisa said, “you can’t go now! We’re going to be eating soon.”

Stevie shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t be there. It’s all right, though, I cleared it with your parents.”

“Cleared what?” Lisa was used to being confused around Stevie. Most people who spent any time with her at all spent a lot of that time being confused. And it was a good thing Lisa was used to it, because she was definitely confused right now. “Where are you going?”

“Pine Hollow,” Stevie told her, a bit impatiently. “I told Red he could take the whole day off to be with his family. I have a ton of stuff to do.”

“You mean you told him you’d do all the work yourself?” Lisa said. “Are you crazy? You’ll never be able to do it. Besides, you can’t skip Thanksgiving dinner!”

“I have to, Lisa,” Stevie said. “The horses need me. Thanksgiving is all about sacrifice and generosity, remember? Besides, I’ve got things to get ready.”

“Get ready for what?” Lisa asked, instantly suspicious. “What are you up to?” She could always tell when Stevie was keeping something from her. And she knew that when that happened, it usually meant that Stevie was up to one of her schemes.

“You’ll see,” Stevie said. “But right now I’ve got to get going. Just promise you’ll meet me at four, okay?” Without
even waiting for an answer, Stevie dashed out Lisa’s bedroom door to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

“Okay, I’ll be there,” Lisa called out after her. “But only if you promise me one thing in return.”

“What is it?” Stevie called back from halfway down the stairs.

“Check on Pepper for me,” Lisa said, hurrying out to the head of the stairs. “Make sure he’s feeling okay.”

“Will do,” Stevie shouted as she disappeared through the Atwoods’ front door.

Lisa sat down on the top step and sighed. She couldn’t wait for four o’clock. For one thing, she’d get to find out what Stevie was up to, and if Stevie was running true to form, whatever it was would probably be something fun.

But more important, she’d be able to check on Pepper herself.

A
FEW MINUTES
later Stevie was on her way to Pine Hollow. Lisa’s house was only a fifteen-minute walk from the stable, but today Stevie had to walk a little slower than she usually did. That was partly because the temperature had dropped below freezing again the night before and there were patches of ice everywhere. But it was mostly because she was dragging along her little brother Michael’s red wagon, and it was overloaded with a strange variety of things that wouldn’t make any sense at all to anyone but Stevie. She had already taken over another
such load when she’d gone to do the seven-thirty
A.M.
feeding that morning.

When she arrived, Stevie left the wagon and its contents by the entrance to the indoor ring. Then she set to work, trying to do her chores as quickly as possible so she could move on to the more interesting task that was ahead of her. When she got to Pepper’s stall, she remembered her promise to Lisa and checked him over quickly. He looked a little tired, but seemed fine otherwise. She shrugged and gave him a pat on the nose as she left the stall, wondering what Lisa was so worried about.

Finally, she finished everything and headed for the locker area of the stable. There was a large table there, across from the students’ cubbies, and with some effort Stevie managed to drag it to the indoor ring. Then she returned for two of the long benches that stood in front of the cubbies. When she had them set up in the ring on either side of the table, she stepped back and brushed off her hands, looking pleased.

But there was no time to lose if she wanted to be ready by four. She set to work unloading Michael’s wagon, placing the contents on the ground beside the things she’d brought over earlier that day. First, though, she lifted off the bright-orange paper tablecloth she’d borrowed from Lisa’s mother, and which she had used to cover everything else in the wagon. She spread it on the table, noting with satisfaction that it was just the right size.

When everything was unloaded, she opened the large bag containing the papier-mâché food that her school used every year in their Thanksgiving play. There was a giant turkey, only slightly worn-out in a few spots, along with corn, potatoes, and all kinds of other vegetables. It had taken Stevie some effort to track down where the fake food was and convince the teacher who had it to lend it to her. She had made Stevie promise a dozen times that it would be returned in good condition. The teachers at Stevie’s school evidently were aware of the reputation the annual Thanksgiving play had among some of the students, and the woman seemed to be afraid that Stevie had some cruel and unusual punishment in mind for the props. But Stevie had finally convinced her otherwise, and she was glad. She was sure the food would add just the right touch.

Next, Stevie began hanging up the paper streamers and assorted Thanksgiving decorations she’d borrowed from her own house and from the Atwoods’. However, she was careful to hang them only in spots where no horse could possibly reach them. The last thing in the world she wanted to have to do was try to explain to Max how one of his horses had gotten a stomachache by swallowing a cardboard pilgrim.

After the ring was festively decorated to her satisfaction, Stevie opened a second bag, smaller than the first. This one contained the paper plates and bowls that she had bought the day before at the dime store in town.
She put some empty plates on the table. Then she filled the rest of the plates and a few of the bowls with the papier-mâché food and set them on the table as well.

“That’s the Pilgrims’ food,” Stevie told one of the stable cats, a gray-and-white tomcat named Seabiscuit, who had wandered into the ring behind Stevie and was now watching her with interest. “The other bowls are the Indians’ baskets.”

The cat yawned and strolled away. But Stevie didn’t even notice, because Lisa, Carole, and Veronica had just arrived. In her excitement Stevie had forgotten that Veronica was coming, and for a second she felt annoyed. She wanted this to be a real Saddle Club project.

Then she reminded herself that the purpose of this project was to spread Thanksgiving spirit. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, Stevie decided to accept Veronica’s presence cheerfully, just as the Native Americans had accepted the Pilgrims’ intrusion on their lands. She definitely felt much better about Veronica’s presence when she thought about it that way.