The Palomino Pony Comes Home Read Online Free PDF Page B

any lessons.
    Lily seemed to appreciate their company and stood quietly just a few metres away, dozing but with one eye watching them all the time. Dan stretched his long legs.
    “Honestly, Georgia, you and your ponies! I’ll never understand it!” But he was smiling as he said it.
    “What do you mean? They’re the most beautiful, most loyal creatures on earth,” Georgia said determinedly.
    Dan laughed at how earnest she sounded. “I’d quite like to learn to ride myself, you know,” he said. “My mum used to have a horse before she died so it would be nice to have that connection with her.”
    Georgia gasped. “Oh, Dan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
    Dan shook his head sadly. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’re OK. Me and my brother, Ben, andDad. We manage all right on the farm.”
    Georgia didn’t know what to say. All week she’d been feeling so sorry for herself, and here was Dan having lost his mother. She picked up his hand and then dropped it again, feeling embarrassed.
    “Listen!” Dan said suddenly, as voices came drifting over the still air. Just then three figures appeared at the brow of the hill, a teenage girl and two older boys.
    The girl was dressed in expensive riding gear and she held a riding crop in her hand. Her blonde hair was cut in a fashionable style and Georgia guessed she was about fourteen. She had a haughty look about her, as if she meant business. It had to be Jemma – Eric’s granddaughter.
    The two boys were probably a few years older and were wearing weather gear and carrying ropes and, much to Georgia’s amazement, what looked like a piece of lead pipe.
    “So you’re the one who’s been hanging around
my
pony, are you?” the girl said, sneering at Georgia as she drew near. “Granddad said something about someone making friends with Lily. Well, thanks for that.” Her voice was full of sarcasm. “But you can clear off now.” Jemma indicated with her thumb for them to leave. “We need to catch Lily to get her to the sale.”
    “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Georgia said firmly, clenching and unclenching her fists, her whole body shaking.
    “Oh?” The girl trained her ice-blue eyes on Georgia.
    “Yes, er, actually. We would like to buy her, er, before she goes…” The words tumbled out one after the other.
    “You?” Jemma laughed, looking her up and down.
    “Yes,” Georgia stumbled over her words. “Well,no, not me, it’s a friend. She’s on her way with a horse lorry now.”
    “Is she now?” The girl laughed again, a cruel mocking sound. “But I don’t want to sell her privately. I want her to go for auction – see what I can get for her. With her breeding she’ll attract the biggest buyers.”
    “Oh.” Georgia hesitated. Lily was in such a terrible state that she hadn’t expected that, but then she had been bred as a show pony, hadn’t she? Maybe she would still be worth a lot after all. “I guess we’ll just have to go to the sales then,” she said, suddenly unsure of herself.
    “Fine,” Jemma said curtly. “Although you don’t look like you could afford a hamster, let alone a pony!”
    “Hey, that’s enough!” Dan stepped in, but the girl wasn’t really listening. She marched towards Lily, who cowered at the sight of her. Just as shegot close Lily gave a squeal of fear and galloped off, her ears pinned flat to her head.
    “That stupid animal,” one of the boys growled. “I knew we should have left her. Right, Andy, go and get the truck. We’re going to have to herd her in.”
    Georgia looked at Jemma, who was red with anger, cracking her crop against her leg.
    Lily was trembling now, her pink nostrils flared, blowing hard.
    Georgia and Dan watched as the truck was backed into the gateway. Dan had to hold Georgia back as she tried to run forward. “She’s not our pony, remember,” he said under his breath.
    The three of them started to herd the pony towards the truck, one of the boys cracking the