New Boss at Birchfields (10 page)

CHAPTER FIVE

On
the following morning Briony found that the young children from the school were expected for a lesson and she was kept busy preparing the Shetland ponies. One of them, a new arrival at the Riding School, was a delightful little creature with a flowing black mane and tail. But he had not settled down yet and as she went into the paddock and approached him he laid back his ears and showed the whites of his eyes. Briony sighed as she trudged through the damp grass. She was going to have trouble getting a halter on him and bringing him in.

Eventually she pinned him in a
corner
of the paddock, rushed forward, halter in hand, only to have to jump aside in the nick of time as he lashed out with his heels.

At the same time a voice, none too gentle, called out,
‘
What do you mean by approaching a Shetland in that fashion? It
’
s a wonder you haven
’
t had a nasty accident!
’

Turning, she found Blane Lennox leaning on the rail, the ice-blue eyes regarding her with anything but an amiable expression.

‘
You should have spoken to him as you came up from behind. Remember it
’
s natural to these animals to run wild in herds, and they
’
re suspicious of anything stealing up on them silently. It denotes danger. Now begin again. Go forward, speaking soothingly, and you
’
ll do a lot better.
’

She nodded mutely and followed his instructions, finding it easy now to slip on the halter.

Blane joined her as she led the pony through the gate of the paddock.

‘
He
’
s a lovely little animal,
’
she said awkwardly, finding that he was striding along beside her in silence.

‘
Yes, I think Black Prince is going to be quite an asset to the Lennox Riding School—especially for the very young kids.
’
For a moment he glanced at her briefly.
‘
I gather you haven
’
t ridden much since you were a child.
’

Briony shook her head.
‘
After Daddy died my mother and I weren
’
t very well off. It would have been impossible for us to keep a pony. Anyway, I had to take a job in an office and wouldn
’
t have had time to take care of it properly,
’

‘
I see! And did you like this office job?
’

‘
No, I prefer outdoor work. Anything to do with horses is ideal as far as I
’
m concerned.
’

‘
Then there was no stables or riding school nearby where you could have got employment, is that it?
’

‘
Well, yes, there was a place fairly near,
’
she replied reluctantly.

‘
But that would have been ideal, wouldn
’
t it?
’

‘
Yes, I suppose so!
’

‘
Yet you didn
’
t take up something nearer home. You
’
ve come quite a long way to end up working in the Lennox Riding School.
’

She hesitated, wary of what the next question might be. Blane Lennox was the last person in the world she would want to know her reason for travelling so far from home.

‘
I—I was—was visiting my godmother,
’
she began stammeringly.
‘
And—and when I heard of the job I thought it might be fun. Something different, you understand.
’

‘
Indeed!
’
There could be no mistaking the sardonic undertones.

She felt colour flare in her cheeks. It was as though those strangely penetrating eyes could read her thoughts.

But luckily they had reached the stable yard, and she was able to set to work grooming Black Prince.

Johnny, she found, was brushing a beautiful palomino horse as if his very life depended on bringing up the gleam in its golden coat. With every sweep of the body brush the animal looked more like a work of art carried out in molten gold.

Seeing Johnny
’
s efforts, Briony was determined to make Black Prince look as presentable as possible. He had his silken summer coat and it struck her that with a bit of effort on her part she could make the little pony look as beautiful in his own way as the mighty palomino.

She had almost completed her work when Senga MacNeil drove up in a station-wagon that appeared to be bursting at the seams with chattering youngsters. She got out looking superb in well-cut but informal clothes. She wore slacks tucked into boots and a well-cut hacking jacket.

As the children piled out she paused to admire Black Prince.
‘
You
’
re making a wonderful job of the little Shetland,
’
she said.
‘
One so often sees them in their double winter coat, it
’
s easy to forget how pretty they can look.
’

While she was speaking Johnny approached her leading the palomino.

With its snowy mane and tail against its golden coat it made an exquisite picture.

‘
Well, Johnny, you
’
ve certainly got Golden Sovereign looking his best!
’
With a little wave of her hand she said to Briony,
‘
I won
’
t delay you,
’
and with Johnny leading Golden Sovereign she went off towards one of the paddocks where jumps had been erected.

From where she stood Briony had a clear view as Johnny helped Senga to mount and as she saw how
Senga sat her horse she knew immediately that Senga was a superb horsewoman.

Shortly afterwards Blane joined her, and Briony turned away as he began to school her in the jumps.

Briony
’
s first task was to establish some sort of order among the excited children. And when she had the children seated on what seemed to her the most suitable mounts she became engrossed in the lesson.

To Briony
’
s surprise Sandra also had turned up. But she made no effort to mount the pony Andy saddled for her. Instead she seated herself upon the topmost rail of the paddock in which the Shetlands were circling and surveyed her little schoolmates scowlingly.

For a moment Briony hesitated. She was anxious to help Sandra, but she felt immediately that there would be no point in trying to get her to join the younger children. No doubt Sandra was simply trying to attract notice in an attempt to bolster her
self-confidence
.

Time passed quickly. Then she heard Senga call out,
‘
That
’
s enough, children! It
’
s time we were getting back to school.
’

And Briony found that Senga and Blane were watching her. How long had they been there? she wondered. And what faults had Blane picked up? He certainly would give her no praise for her efforts, she felt sure. Oh well, she would soon hear all about it, she was thinking as she lifted the tiniest children from their saddles and led them back into the yard.

As the children piled into the station-wagon, chattering excitedly, Senga said to Briony,
‘
I don
’
t know how you
’
ve the patience! Some of the children can be so troublesome. And then there
’
s Sandra—she
’
s a handful. I don
’
t know how you put up with her.
’

She slipped behind the wheel and with a wave of her hand drove along the drive.

As Briony moved away she saw Blane approaching, hands in pockets, staring thoughtfully at the ground. She quickened her steps, anxious to reach the tack room before he could waylay her. But it was as though he had anticipated this move.

‘
Just a minute, Briony! I
’
ve something to say to you.
’

She stopped with a sigh, feeling tired and dispirited. He had not stopped her to heap her with words of praise, of that she felt sure.
‘
Well, what have I done wrong now?
’
she demanded, taking the bull by the horns.

He frowned thoughtfully, pausing before answering
—
just long enough to make her feel vaguely uncomfortable.

‘
I don
’
t intend to reproach you. As far as I could see the lesson went pretty satisfactorily.
’

‘
Pretty satisfactorily!
’
she thought acidly. How typically grudging of the man. His eyes were meeting hers challengingly and she determined not to
l
et herself become intimidated.
‘
Well, you nearly always do find something wrong!
’

‘
Do I indeed?
’
And to her surprise she thought she heard faint amusement in his voice.
‘
What a temper we
’
re in! It seems to me that a hot cup of tea might improve the situation. But before you go—I
’
ve been watching that Sandra kid and I
’
ve decided that the best thing would be for you to tell her the next time she turns up that it
’
s all over. She
’
s nothing but a bad influence. Before we know where we are the rest of the urchins will be throwing tantrums. Yes, I
’
m afraid her daddy is wasting his money on that kid, and the sooner it
’
s brought home to him the better.
’

Briony stared at him in stupefaction.
‘
You mean, you want
me
to tell her not to come again?
’

‘
That
’
s exactly what I mean.
’

‘
But why me?
’
she asked, aghast.

‘
Because you
’
re her teacher, of course. She
’
s one of your pupils, isn
’
t she? It
’
s obvious she
’
s never going to make a rider. And a dud like that won
’
t do the reputation of the Lennox Riding School any good. It
’
s clear her father is a man who thinks success is very important. As soon as he discovers how little Sandra has learned he
’
ll be sure to spread it about that the Lennox Riding School is not up to its job.
’

‘
But I couldn
’
t possibly tell Sandra not to return,
’
she gasped.

‘
And why not, may I ask? Don
’
t you agree that she
’
s making no real effort to learn?
’

‘
No, I don
’
t,
’
she said hotly.
‘
Sandra
’
s main trouble is that she
’
s afraid. I told you that, but you don
’
t listen to me.
’

He gave a sigh of exasperation.
‘
Don
’
t tell me you
’
re bringing up this donkey subject again!
’

‘
No! And I certainly don
’
t intend to,
’
she told him.
‘
All I hope for now is that she
’
ll become acclimatised and ease into things gradually.
’

‘
Well, she
’
s not going to acclimatise herself at my riding school,
’
he told her bluntly.
‘
I don
’
t believe in experiments of that sort! It
’
s time Sandra realised that we don
’
t want any little show-off around here. The sooner she clears off the better. So you
’
d better have a cup of tea and think over what I
’
ve said.
’

And before she could think of a suitable rejoinder, he turned on his heel and walked swiftly away.

The manners of the man! Briony thought furiously as she went towards the tack room. So she was expected to do his dirty work for him! Well, she
’
d show him! So he thought she should have a nice cup of tea and think things over! It would take more than a cup of tea to extinguish the flaming temper she felt!

She found Johnny putting on the kettle. He looked curiously at her for a moment.
‘
Dear me, your cheeks
a
re
red—but nicely so,
’
he added hastily.