Loving Spirit

wake her gran up, but she knew she had to talk to her before Len came back. ‘Um, the thing is I … well, I’ve just bought a horse and I was hoping, well, can I have the money to keep him?’
    There was silence. Ellie held her breath and crossed her fingers. Please, please, please , she prayed.
    ‘Oh!’ her gran said. She gave an astonished laugh. ‘Oh, goodness, Ellie. You’re so like your mum attimes. So you’ve just bought a horse! What does your uncle think?’
    ‘Um, he’s OK with it,’ Ellie lied.
    ‘Well then, sure, I guess. You can have the money for the horse’s keep. I know your mum and dad would have been happy for you to have one. I’ll talk to the executors of the will, but yes, I’m sure it can be arranged.’
    After saying their goodbyes, Ellie clicked the phone off, feeling a massive rush of relief. Phew. One obstacle down. Now there was just her uncle to face – but she didn’t want to think about that. Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she picked up Pip and gave the little dog a cuddle. ‘Luke’ll be back soon, though it beats me why you like him so much.’
    Pip wriggled and licked her nose.
    Ellie went outside. Stuart suggested she put Spirit in one of the foaling boxes round the back that were not in use. They were large roomy stables, well away from the other horses. Ellie bedded one of the stables down with a thick layer of golden straw, and filled a haynet and a water bucket. Then she fetched Spirit. He hesitated as she tried to lead him in, stopping a few metres away.
    ‘Come on, boy.’ Ellie clicked her tongue and pulled on the leadrope, but looking at his face she could see that he was worried. His ears were flicking back and forward and his head was up.
    ‘OK. Well, there’s no rush,’ she told him. She loosened the leadrope and stood quietly beside him, stroking his neck until the tension left him and he pushed against her with his nose. She fed him a mint from her pocket and then rubbed his forehead. ‘I promise it’ll be all right. Look. I’ll go in.’ Putting the leadrope over his neck, she walked into the stable and came back out. ‘See, it’s all right.’ She patted his neck and then walked into the stable again. This time, Spirit followed her inside, his head stretching out, so his muzzle just touched the small of her back.
    Ellie felt a wave of love as she saw the trust in his eyes. ‘There,’ she said, taking the headcollar off. He walked around, sniffing the straw and snorting, his eyes wide, as if he could hardly believe it. Ravenously, he pulled out a big mouthful of sweet hay from the haynet. Ellie smoothed down his mane and straightened his forelock. She was longing to start grooming him – to get rid of the grass stains and mud, the tangles and burrs – but some part of her sensed that she needed to be patient and give the horse time to adjust and settle in. She wished she knew all about him, where he had come from, why he was in such bad condition. She could guess that bad things must have happened to him from the scars left on him and the fact he was so nervous of horseboxes and stables.
    ‘You’re safe now, though,’ she murmured, and forthe next hour she just stayed in the stable with him, stroking him and keeping him company.
    At feedtime her uncle arrived home. ‘He’s here,’ Joe said, coming to Spirit’s stable door.
    Ellie knew it. She had heard the car arrive.
    ‘Look, I’ll come with you,’ Joe went on worriedly. ‘Help you explain.’
    But Ellie remembered what had happened the last time Joe had tried to help her. ‘No.’ She swallowed. ‘It’s OK. I’ll tell him on my own.’
    She readied herself to confront her uncle, feeling as if she was about to walk into a lion’s cage. But as she reached the door of the stable she heard a soft whicker. She looked round and saw Spirit staring at her. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she reassured him.
    She went up the yard, her heart beating fast. Part of her wanted to run away, to hide, to wait until her uncle found out, but she also knew she had to face the music some time. There was no point putting it off. She might as well just get it over with.
    Her uncle was in the kitchen. Ellie put her hand on the door handle and, squaring her shoulders, walked inside.

Chapter Six
    Len spoke slowly, as if trying to understand the words. ‘You’ve bought a horse?’ His eyes hardened to flint. ‘At the market? You bought a horse at the market this morning?’
    Ellie