Loving Spirit Read Online Free PDF Page B

yourself?’
    Ellie rolled her eyes. Honestly! Gabriel rubbed his face against her and she patted his neck. ‘Come on, I’ll take you to your stable.’
    Just then, Stuart, Helen and Sasha came back. Butas they reached the yard there was a clatter of hooves and two chestnut ponies came trotting out of the pony barn.
    ‘Barney’s out!’ shouted Stuart in alarm.
    ‘So’s Milly!’ cried Helen, already jumping off the horse she was riding and chucking the reins to Sasha.
    Ellie’s hand flew to her mouth, as she instantly realized what had happened. She’d forgotten Joe’s warning about putting the extra lock on Barney’s door. ‘Here!’ she gasped, pushing Gabriel’s reins into Luke’s hands.
    ‘What are you doing?’ Luke demanded.
    ‘Barney and Milly have got out!’
    She raced to help. The two ponies were dodging out of the way of Stuart and Helen. Barney trotted round, tail and head held high. Milly cantered to a patch of grass and began to grab at it.
    ‘Here, boy,’ said Helen, approaching Barney with her hand outstretched. But he just shook his head and trotted away, while Milly let Stuart get within a few metres and then shied and trotted after Barney. Ellie tried to head her off, but she plunged away, stopping only to investigate an empty bucket on its side. As she did so, she stepped through the metal handle. Giving a snort, she jumped back with it caught round her hoof. She ran backwards in alarm, stopping only when she reached the fence and then stamping until it came off. Ellie stood helplessly, notknowing what to do. From behind her she could hear Len swearing loudly. He had heard the noise and come out of the ring with Joe to see what the commotion was about.
    ‘What the flamin’ heck’s going on? Who let that ruddy pony out?’ he bellowed. ‘And why are you all standing round like gormless halfwits? Someone get hold of them NOW!’
    Stuart had disappeared into the barn and was coming out with a feedbucket and two leadropes. He rattled the pony nuts. ‘Here, Barney lad. Come on. Here you go.’ Barney stopped trotting round and pricked his ears. With a greedy whinny, he cantered over and thrust his head into the bucket. Stuart quickly threw the rope round his neck and Helen ran over to grab hold of him, while Stuart went to tempt Milly.
    ‘Got you,’ he said as Milly put her head in the bucket too.
    ‘I’ll take her,’ Ellie offered.
    ‘Oh, no,’ Len said, pointing his finger at her. ‘You’re going nowhere, miss. I want to know exactly how that pony got out of his stable.’
    Ellie met her uncle’s furious gaze. ‘Um … I … well …’
    ‘It wasn’t Ellie’s fault,’ Joe jumped in. ‘Don’t blame her, Dad. I didn’t warn her about Barney and the locks.’
    Ellie looked at him swiftly.
    Len’s eyes narrowed. ‘How could you be so daft? You should have told her. You know no one works in that barn without knowing about the locks. Imagine if the ponies had got out on the road. As it is, the mare’s probably lamed herself. Haven’t you got a brain cell in that useless head of yours? Thick as two bloody planks you are. Flamin’ –’
    Ellie was unable to bear Joe being shouted at because of her for a second longer. ‘It wasn’t Joe’s fault!’ she burst out. ‘He did tell me. I forgot.’
    She saw Joe give a quick desperate shake of his head. The next second she realized why. Len’s anger instantly turned to fury. ‘You lied to me?’ he said, staring at Joe. ‘Of all the …’ Stepping forward, he grabbed Joe’s shirt and brought his face right up into Joe’s, his eyes blazing. ‘Don’t you ever, ever lie to me!’ he thundered. He shoved Joe away from him with such violence that his son fell down on the stony ground with a smack.
    Ellie held in the whimper that would have escaped from her if she hadn’t been terrified it would make everything worse.
    Joe gingerly pulled himself up to a sitting position, but wouldn’t meet anyone’s eye.
    Turning away,