All that Glitters, page 15
She said, ‘I’m not doing anything really, but I wish it was over. Stupid, isn’t it, considering we don’t have to do anything?’
Amy didn’t say anything for a bit and Millie supposed the conversation, such as it was, was over, but as she turned to retreat, Amy said suddenly, ‘My mother is coming to watch. I don’t want it to go wrong.’
‘Your mother!’
‘She’s on her own again. I can go home now. It’s all right.’
Millie took this in, slowly realising what it meant to Amy, that she was perhaps welcome in her own home again. Her mother’s lover had left her. There was a place for Amy again. Is this what Amy meant? It was so hard to read her through the wall she always built around herself. And Millie only had the barest knowledge of how Amy had become the outcast she seemed to want to be.
‘Will that make everything better for you?’ Stupid question, the answer was obvious, but it was something to say.
‘Yeah. Might. Who knows?’
And Amy actually smiled. She smiled! Millie nearly fainted.
To her relief at this point Dragon turned round and came up to the door, pushing his nose at Millie’s hand. She could see he wasn’t intending to bite (unlike when he had first arrived) and she stroked his tender muzzle, her mind racing over the confidence Amy had revealed. Was she being witness to what might prove to be a huge breakthrough in Amy’s wild career?
‘That’s great,’ she said. ‘Really great for you.’
A sudden rush of exhilaration at her own confidence in a l oving family life almost overcame her. Not to be welcome in one’s own home, by one’s own mother, was inconceivable. Yet it was what Amy was living with. No wonder she was so horrible to all around her, who had what she hadn’t. What nearly everyone took for granted. Everyone Millie knew, at any rate. Under Standing was a mild and untroubled (boring?) place, after all. Dragon’s stable was more home to her than her own house. And Dragon was a safer subject for conversation than Amy’s mother’s boyfriend.
‘It’s amazing what you’ve done with Dragon. I’m sure he’ll be terrific tomorrow.’
And Amy actually said, quietly, ‘What he’s done for me, more like.’
And Millie went home, her head swirling with thoughts that were nothing to do with making a fool of herself on the next day.
Chapter 16
Next morning the stable was a hive of activity. Millie and Imogen were glad of their separate barn as they could hear Polly and her pupils all getting in each other’s’ way in the main stable. Polly was euphoric with the news that she had taken a lease on the stables at Standing Hall. Millie and Imogen were equally euphoric that they would have their dear stable yard to themselves again.
‘I can’t believe all that money’s she’s throwing away! After all she spent down here, and now just leaving it!’
‘We can put the ponies in those grand loose-boxes! Miss Brocklebank has quite forgotten us, according to Mum.’
Millie told Imogen about her amazing meeting with Amy the evening before.
‘She was almost nice. I couldn’t believe it.’
‘It’ll be a bit dull down here without Dragon.’
‘Maybe—’ Millie couldn’t actually bring herself to say it outright: that perhaps Amy might stay?
But time for all that later.
Jake and Harry were in a state about getting the music right, keeping it in time with the rather wild fluctuations of Alex’s performance, obviously a far harder job than the girls’ spectating. Polly was in a state of nerves and driving her pupils mad with fresh instructions and demands. They had collected a huge pile of accoutrements to load into the horsebox along with the horses, and Millie and Imogen elected to ride to the show. They could hack up round to Standing Hall and down the hill past Emma’s. The show was to be held on the football field on the far side of the village. Susan Hodge said she would take their dresses and Millie stuffed the trumpet down the front of her jersey. She didn’t want her mother asking questions. Their ponies were clean and only needed a final primping, their manes and tails combed out, their faces dusted and kissed and then they were away out of the chaos in the yard, across the river and up the hill through the trees. The sky was cloudless and there was no wind and no doubt the football field was already filling up with its usual collection of hotdog stalls, tame owl exhibitions, plant stalls, ancient tractor shows, Our Little Chicks dancing display, Guess the Weight, Name this Teddy and all the other paraphernalia that turned out every year.
‘It’s not a big space, for Amy to gallop round,’ Imogen remarked. ‘I hope Dragon doesn’t run amok. It’s tons smaller than where we rehearsed.’
‘Well, we’ve only got to sit there.’
Millie supposed, when it came to the point, they wouldn’t try any tricks: Alex had demanded nothing of them save a few Olés. She didn’t feel as frightened as she had earlier, having witnessed the professional Polly losing her cool in the stables. She knew Polly was set on winning the competition, to beat her rival Emma, but Alex only wanted to show off and enjoy himself. He had never said anything about expecting them to win. That thought made Millie feel much better. Dear little Bluebell was so obliging and both ponies had been bowing quite well lately, although certainly could not be relied upon. The excitement of the show might blow them away: they lived a very quiet life, after all.
Passing the Equestrian Centre they saw that it was in a similar panic to Polly’s with horses being bathed and stuff being loaded into trailers and girls shouting at each other. Polly said Emma’s pupils were doing quadrilles and stuff, all very proper. At least Alex and Amy were something a bit different. After all, the inhabitants of Under Standing knew little about dressage and probably cared less, and too much would quickly bore them. Bluebell playing the trumpet was certainly different, should he co-operate.
Millie’s parents had arrived with all Jake’s and Harry’s gear in the Land Rover, and had parked it in a far corner under a shady tree. The girls decided to make it their base, rather than Polly’s horsebox that would have to go in the horsebox park along with all the others. Mike Hodge had never deigned to come to this potty show before – ‘No cattle, not interested’ – and his presence now showed how laid back he had become since the changes in the family’s circumstances. He was sitting on their flounced dresses which didn’t help. His wife shooed him off and shook them out and offered lemonade, and Millie and Imogen tied the ponies to the side of the Land Rover. The ponies didn’t seem at all put out by the crowd.
‘Bluebell’s been through so many travellers’ markets he’s used to crowds,’ Imogen said rudely.
‘It’s his sweet nature. He’s a natural gent.’
They reported for duty at Polly’s horsebox and explained where they were and were given at timetable of events. The horse event took place in mid-afternoon, after the dog agility, and they came in after Polly and Joe and before Emma’s quadrille. Emma’s own dressage exhibition came last.
‘Make sure you’re down here in good time. I won’t be able to help you, I’m afraid,’ Polly said. ‘I’ll be doing my show. You must be in the collecting ring while Joe and I are performing.’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ said Alex, giving a cheeky salute.
They could see he was dying to start dressing up. Amy was sitting in the cab fiddling with her bull’s horns. Alex said they were very hard to get in the right position. If they were in the right position Amy’s eye-holes were then too high up and she couldn’t see out.
‘But it’s a bit late to do anything about it now.’
Amy was back to her scowling self. Millie wondered if she had been dreaming the evening before. It was a bit worrying about Amy riding blind. But not her problem.
The dog agility was being set up, the local boys’ band was playing enthusiastically at one end of the ground and a disco at the other and the smell of hotdogs permeated all. The crowd was swelling by the minute. Polly and Joe got dressed in their dressage array and mounted their horses to go and find somewhere to ride in and Millie and Imogen went back to get their ponies. It was rather public for getting into their flounced dresses but they managed by pulling them on, shaking them down and then climbing out of their jodhpurs from underneath. They weren’t at all practical for riding in. It was impossible to ride astride. In the rehearsal at home they had sat sideways on the ponies’ bare backs and not thought much about it, but now they realised that unless the ponies behaved impeccably, if they decided to jiggle about, they were very likely to slide off. They led them down to the horsebox and Millie managed to tuck the trumpet under her armpit beneath the copious flounces. They went round the edge of the ground feeling rather conspicuous but all eyes were on the dog agility. Millie could see that the waiting was going to be nerve-wracking. At least the dog agility had attracted a big crowd of spectators.
Alex came out of the horsebox in all his finery and Amy came out in her gorilla gear and they unboxed the horses. Sultana looked calm and wonderful but Dragon was already in a sweat and looked anything but calm. Millie held him while Amy mounted, but it was impossible to see her expression underneath the balaclava. Millie was stunned by her courage, prepared to ride Dragon through the crowd to the collecting ring. She wondered briefly about insurance but supposed the show was insured for death and injury. She hoped so.
Alex’s fantastic presence caused the crowd to fall aside, gawping, as they made their way to the collecting ring. Bluebell and Barney behaved perfectly and Amy’s amazing riding had Dragon in hand, although he was prancing and snorting and raining white froth all over his immaculate black coat. The collecting ring was thankfully quite calm after all the overexcited dogs from the agility had been rounded up and removed and only Polly and Joe were there waiting, looking extremely professional. Joe was looking white: apparently his old granny had turned up to see what she could make of him and had planted her shooting stick firmly beside the judge’s box.
Emma’s bandwagon was apparently, according to Polly, running late and was in complete disarray.
‘Lucky for them they’re last to go.’
Emma had most of her pupils in various guises such as cowboys and Indians, ladies at the court of Marie Antoinette, characters out of Disney films etc. all doing duos and quadrilles and herself heading the bill on her dressage horse but they were all getting tangled up in each other and still trying to find their way to the collecting ring.
Polly was eyeing Dragon anxiously but decided wisely not to say anything. Dragon was doing amazing dressage without being asked, a Spanish trot on the spot, lifting his knees up high and pounding the long-suffering turf. He found it hard to stand still. Amy released his head and took him off for a walk, but it was impossible to calm him. He was all over the place.
Polly said to Alex, ‘For God’s sake don’t let her gallop in – she’ll kill someone.’
But there was no time for her to worry about it as the announcer was calling for the dressage to start, and Polly and Joe rode away into the ring to do their show.
Millie now began to feel the needles of doubt, not to mention fear, start to take hold in her stomach. She felt rather sick. Imogen was looking grim, and Alex was watching Dragon and Amy with an aghast expression, realising suddenly that he was responsible for what looked like a charge of dynamite about to be let loose on the carefree crowd. But such was his eagerness to show himself off in all his glory to the crowd that he quickly turned away, forgot Amy and started concentrating on himself. It was his show and he was the star turn. Millie and Imogen lined up behind him.
The glimpses they could see of Polly and Joe showed that they were doing a classic and what looked like an immaculate dressage test, and loud applause followed them as they came out of the ring. They were both stirred up and bursting with relief and triumph and had obviously completely forgotten about the trials that faced Alex, merely shouting, ‘Good luck!’ and ‘Go for it!’ as he moved to enter the ring.
Millie and Imogen rode their ponies close behind him and Jake and Harry started the music, the entry of the Toreador, and Alex made his grand entrance at the Spanish trot. Sultana actually seemed to appreciate that she too was showing off as she did the best Spanish trot she had ever managed. Millie and Imogen parted from her to ride across the ring to take up their lowly places as spectators. It wasn’t very far. Quite a crowd was sitting on straw bales behind a fence made of white tape and when Millie and Imogen made their first cries of Olé! several people took it up. At this Bluebell and Barney for the first time started to jiggle about and the two girls decided to slide gracefully off their backs before they got tossed.
Alex was doing what he thought was a brilliant dressage show quite largely in time to the music and Sultana was so elegant and graceful that it went down very well.
The music died away, Sultana came to a halt and Jake got the big crash and crescendo for Amy’s entrance just right, so that Dragon appeared spectacularly at the exact moment. If Polly had shouted after her ‘Don’t gallop!’ the warning had had no effect, for Dragon bore down towards Millie and Imogen at such a pace that the spectators behind them bundled themselves backwards in chaotic disarray. Millie and Imogen waved their arms to get him to turn and he shot round with such a sudden change of direction that any rider but Amy would have gone flying. At the other end of the ring another bunch of spectators screamed and started running for it but Amy wrestled him round so that he now faced Sultana. She came alongside and pulled up so sharply that Dragon skidded and then went straight up on his hind legs. This had never been in the rehearsal but it was spectacular, especially as Amy sat like a rock and got her weight forward so that he didn’t go over backwards. The rear seemed to frighten him as much as it frightened the spectators, for he then stood still momentarily, and as Jake changed the music yet again for their double act of dressage, the ‘fighting’ bit, he went into the routine perfectly.
‘Blimey!’
Millie and Imogen were so relieved they burst into Olés of joy and the reassembled crowd behind them started to take it up. It wasn’t a very impressive dressage performance, nothing like as good as Polly and Joe’s, and Imogen hissed to Millie, ‘Try him with the trumpet.’
Millie fished it out of her flounces and put it to Bluebell’s lips as practised interminably at home and instead of dropping it as usually happened he took it tight in his teeth and blew out a loud blast. Then, as if enchanted with his own skill, he proceeded to toss his head up and down, blowing hard with each toss.
‘Olé!’ screamed Imogen, and the crowd behind them started laughing and shouting Olé! again.
Whether Alex could hear what was going on they never knew, for at this point he took out his sword to kill the bull and waved it high in the air but as he did so the long blade flew off and left Alex with just the hilt in his fist.
As Amy was poised to receive the blow before galloping off again Alex, with great presence of mind, made a theatrical lunge and shouted ‘Die!’
At this, to Imogen’s complete bewilderment, Barney’s legs buckled and he lay down, just as she had been trying to teach him for weeks. She was standing close to him and he flumped heavily on the train of her flounced dress so that she was pinioned to the spot.
Amy started off on her ‘liberation of the soul’ gallop, coming straight towards them. Imogen screamed and jumped out of the way and the whole bottom part of her dress ripped off, leaving her hopping about in her pink knickers.
‘Olé! Olé!’ shouted the crowd in glee behind her.
Bluebell went on tooting on his trumpet and Amy galloped on her way with her horns having given up the ghost and hanging down on either side of her face so that she looked like a charging elephant with tusks instead of a charging bull. She couldn’t afford to let go of the reins to pull back the balaclava that was now blinding her and Dragon continued his flight round the ring and once more bore down on the white mare standing still with her mesmerised rider still holding the useless hilt of his sword.
But the prospect of imminent extinction galvanised Alex into action. He swung Sultana round with a perfect pirouette and as Dragon came up to him he leaned down and grabbed Amy’s reins. Sultana, so perfectly schooled, bounded forwards and enabled Alex to pull Dragon to a skidding halt. The two horses stood side by side, tossing their heads, and Alex had the presence of mind to wave his hat in the air as if it was all meant. Amy pulled her balaclava off and threw it disgustedly to the ground but everyone started to cheer at her amazing performance.
‘Olé! Olé!’
Jake turned up the music. Barney went on lying contentedly on his side and Imogen started kicking him in a rage, clutching the remnants of her dress round her bottom. Millie found she was laughing so hard she could hardly stand up.
‘Imogen, remember – the bow!’ she gasped. ‘We’ve got to end it properly!’
Barney heaved himself unwillingly to his feet and Imogen started to see the funny side of it, now she had managed to cover up her bottom. Millie snatched the wretched trumpet from Bluebell’s mouth and threw it on the ground, and they led the ponies back to where Sultana and Dragon were just leaving the ring.
‘They won’t do it,’ Imogen hissed.
‘Try it!’ Millie hissed back. ‘Barney died, didn’t he?’
‘The idiot!’
Alex and Amy were waiting for them at the exit, turned towards the crowd. As they reached them Millie and Imogen turned their ponies to face the ring and said as one, in their sternest voices, ‘Bow.’
And as a perfect pair the two ponies both went down on one knee so that it touched the ground, put their heads down between their legs and each made a perfect bow.
The crowd roared.
‘Olé! Olé!’
Jake cleverly turned up the music and the four of them left the ring.
Nothing made sense after that. Millie was so mightily relieved that her part in the fiasco was blameless that she was filled with euphoria: that there were absolutely no worries ahead of her, just lovely simple life. She stood in her stupid outfit, grinning all over her face. Imogen was wild about her dress coming apart and couldn’t forgive Barney for lying down so inconveniently; Amy was shell-shocked and merely relieved to be still alive and Alex couldn’t quite make out whether their show was a triumph or a disaster. However, having shown himself off so splendidly in all his finery to the crowd he felt rather good, and was congratulating Jake and Harry on their timing with the music which – when they all came to think about it later – was probably the cleverest part of the whole show.
