Horse Spy Read Free Page B

sunshine.
    “Well, I’m not so sure about that,” said Mrs. Hatfield. “I think Polaris would do better in the brighter stall.”
    The Saddle Club was relieved that the women seemed to have abandoned their concern about whether the three girls had done an adequate job of removing manure from the stalls, but shifting to an argument over which of the two stalls had a better exposure was bizarre.
    “This one is right next to my horse,” Carole said politely, pointing to the northern stall. “His name is Starlight. He’s really wonderful. He seems to thrive on the northern exposure.”
    The two women looked at her briefly, and Carole knew her thoughts were irrelevant to their argument, which in any case bore little relation to reality.
    “This one definitely is brighter,” said Lisa, sensing that a resolution might lie in agreeing with the women. “And that’s good, because it makes it seem almost as large as the other one.”
That
shifted their attention.
    Finally the women decided which horse would be in which stall, taking in such factors as the new latch on one stall versus the larger manger in the other. One had a little more headroom (though the headroom was more than adequate in both) and another was on the side of the aisle that generally got hay first in the mornings. When they chose, it was clear to the girls that each mother had been convinced that she had gotten the “better” stall for her daughter’s horse.
    The women walked back to the truck ahead of the girls. Stevie clapped Lisa on the back. “You have a great future as a diplomat,” she whispered.
    Carole agreed.
    Lisa wasn’t so sure. “That was the stupidest conversation I’ve ever had,” she said.
    “It wasn’t the conversation that was stupid, it’s those two women,” said Carole.
    “I don’t think they like one another much,” Lisa whispered, making her friends collapse into giggles at the understatement.
    “And people say the way I act about Veronica is childish!” said Stevie.
    Max was finished with his lesson and came out to greet the women, who seemed relieved to be with an adult. Max started to tell them how pleased he was to have both Polaris and Jennie’s Blue in his charge, but as with all previous pleasantries, the women dismissed that.
    “I certainly hope you’ll have enough time to work with Polaris properly,” said Mrs. Hatfield.
    Max didn’t skip a beat. “You bet,” he said. “It’s a pleasure and an honor to help out my former student just the way I did when I helped her train the first horse she ever worked with.”
    “Of course,” said Mrs. Walker. “Well, let’s get on with this.”
    It didn’t take long before all the paperwork was completed, and the girls helped Max unload Jennie’s Blue and Polaris and put them in their carefully selected stalls. Max and the mothers went over routines and regulations, checking through the paperwork while the girls filled the horses’ water buckets and made them feel welcome.
    “I bet you’re glad to be away from that awful woman,” Stevie whispered to Jennie’s Blue. The horse whinnied a response that Stevie was sure meant she agreed totally.
    Pretty soon the truck pulled out of the driveway, headed back for Long Island and carrying Mrs. Hatfield. It turned out that Mrs. Walker was staying over with a friend near Willow Creek and had to wait for the friend to pick her up. It didn’t take long. A big dark-windowed SUV lumbered into the Pine Hollow driveway, where Mrs. Walker met it. She pulled open the heavy door and climbed in, greeting her friend with the words “Thank God you’re here. I’m so relieved to have seen the last of that dreadful woman!” And then the door slammed.
    That was exactly the way The Saddle Club felt. Times two.
    “Are you going to stand there all day staring at that expensive car driving away, or are you going to come in here and give me a hand?” Max asked.
    The followed him into his office.
    “This is a big