Page 24

PROLOGUE

Kelpie was the smallest pony in the stable; indeed, she was the smallest pony anyone had ever seen! Her name was fitting, because the water spirit after which she was named took the form of a mischievous and clever horse who appeared in the night to spirit people away to their deaths. Kelpie was not a killer, however, but she had a sense of impishness—some would say a sense of humour, if a horse could be said to possess one. She was pale grey, in common with the kelpie, and could swim almost as well as a seal.

Young Grace Richards adored her, having watched her growing from a spindly little foal to the round, robust little creature she was now. The feeling was entirely mutual, since Grace was the sole provider of Kelpie’s favourite food; apples.

Grace’s mother, Lily, had been nurturing the filly and preparing her for the day when her daughter was old enough for her first riding lesson.

It was the eighth of August, Grace’s ninth birthday, when Lily presented her daughter with a short jacket nipped in at the waist, a long voluminous skirt and a pair of stout leather boots. The whole outfit was navy blue and looked a bit like a maid’s uniform.

“Mother, I am sorry to sound nasty,” she said, frowning, “but this is not a very pretty outfit.” Her big, bright blue eyes looked up into her mother’s anxiously. She did not want to hurt the person who meant the most to her in all the world.

However, Lily only smiled. “My darling, it is not meant to be pretty, but practical,” she told her daughter fondly. “It is a riding habit, like mine, only smaller. Today you are going to begin to learn to ride, unless of course you don’t want to.” These last words were spoken with an expression of mock anxiety, for Lily knew that Grace wanted riding lessons more than anything else in the world.

Grace’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect “O” of astonishment then she gave a squeal of delight and rushed to hug her mother, who laughed happily at her daughter’s reaction.

“Now, are you sure you really want to learn?” Lily asked, her voice full of mischief.

“Mama! You know I do!” Grace burst into a fit of giggles, then her mother helped her to don the outfit and they looked in the mirror. Grace scowled deeply, then pinned a smile on her face. Even at the tender age of nine she was learning the meaning of tact!

Kelpie was munching hay from her manger when Grace and Lily walked into her stall but looked up when she heard them entering and whickered softly in greeting. She rubbed her nose against Grace’s golden hair, ruffling it so much that it began to become a tangled mess. Grace giggled but held up an apple, which was snatched out of her hand in a flash. As Kelpie crunched, Lily tutted in disapproval.

“You cannot have hair flying all over the place when you are riding,” she said irritably. She then proceeded to plait it tightly until it formed a long tail down her daughter’s back. Then, for want of a ribbon, she tied the end of it in a knot.

“Now,” Lily said as she led Kelpie out of her stall, “I want you, Grace, to do everything I tell you to do as soon as I say the words. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mama,” Grace replied, sighing. She hated it when her mother treated her like a toddler since she considered herself almost grown up.

“Good,” Lily smiled and they walked out into the paddock behind their house. The stable lad had already put a small side saddle on Kelpie’s back, but Grace growled when she saw it.

“Can I not have a proper saddle?” she asked mulishly.

“This is a proper saddle,” her mother answered. “It is the kind ladies use.”

“Then I don’t want to be a lady!” Grace protested, her bright blue eyes clouded with anger. “Look at it. It’s silly!”

Lily shrugged. “Fine,” she said nonchalantly. “Then you will not be learning to ride. Take off that habit and I will give it to a little girl who deserves it more. I am sure it will make a nice Sunday dress for one of the servants’ daughters.”

For a moment longer, Grace stood, immobile and frustrated. Eventually, as her mother began to walk away, she grumbled, “Fine! I will try to use the saddle.”

Lily smiled to herself before she turned back to face her daughter. “Good,” she said briskly. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

She attached a long rope to the little mare’s bridle, then made a cradle of her hands so that Grace could put her foot in it and mount the pony quite easily. Since Lily had already trained the pony to walk in a circle at the end of a lunge rope, she stood in the middle of the paddock and encouraged her to walk around in a circle. In this way, Grace could become accustomed to the movement of the animal and gradually gain confidence.

After half an hour or so, Grace dismounted, looking very pleased with herself. Mother and daughter smiled at each other. “You did very well, Grace,” Lily said, smiling. “How do you feel?”

“Very happy,” Grace replied, then she asked, “Do you think I could go a bit faster tomorrow, Mama?”

“I think we should take things slowly,” her mother answered. “I know that you often see me riding very fast, but you must remember that I have been riding for years and years. I was a little girl once, just like you are, and I also had to begin by being led at the end of a lunge rope. You must be patient, although I know it is very hard. It was hard for me too.”

Grace sighed. “I want to be as good as you are, Mama, so I will do as you say,” she promised.

“Good girl.” Lily smiled and patted her shoulder. “Someday you will be even better than I am.”

The lessons went on for a few weeks more, and after a while Lily let Kelpie off the lunge rein and allowed Grace to ride at a walk, then a little while later, to trot. This was greatly frustrating for her, since all she wanted to do was urge Kelpie into a gallop and then fly her over hedges and streams as she had seen other, more experienced riders do.

“You are in too much of a hurry, Grace,” her mother said reproachfully. “It took me months to learn properly, and the same thing applies to any skill you wish to master. You must persevere, do your best, and know that mistakes will happen from time to time. In fact, we cannot learn without them, so if you have an accident, or you make a bad judgement, resolve not to do the same thing again but go on trying. Eventually, you will succeed. It takes a long time, as I have told you a dozen times before, but believe me, it will be worth it in the end.”

Grace listened dutifully and nodded, but she resented the time and effort it was taking to master the skill, and she hated the horrible side saddle and riding habit with a passion. In fact, she was secretly scheming to steal a normal saddle and ride away without her mother’s knowledge as soon as she was able. The fact that she would have to have such a saddle specially made for a small Shetland pony had not occurred to her.

However, Grace was not gifted with patience; in fact, it was her biggest fault, and as she watched her mother riding her own mount, a huge mare called Ada, she became green with envy. Lily made it look so easy! In fact, when Lily and Ada were together, she and the big horse looked as if they were one being. This annoyed Grace immensely since she had only just mastered the skill of staying mounted while Kelpie was trotting.

One morning, her mother was late for their lesson, and Grace mounted Kelpie, intending to wait for her. However, after she had been sitting for a few moments and Lily still had not made an appearance, she had an idea. The paddock was large, since they kept about twenty horses for recreation, transport and other work, and there was plenty of room for Grace to try something new.

She hesitated for only a moment then took a deep breath and dug her heels into Kelpie’s sides. The little pony, startled, leaped forward, almost leaving Grace behind as the force of inertia drove her backward.

Grace had never been so terrified in her life. She clung onto the saddle pommel as Kelpie careered around the paddock, gritting her teeth and trying to stay upright with her eyes screwed tight shut. She was about to give up the fight and let herself fall onto the grass when Kelpie suddenly lurched to a halt. Grace opened her eyes and found herself looking into her mother’s deep grey ones, which were full of a mixture of fear and relief.

Lily helped Grace out of the saddle and pulled her into her arms, then held her tightly while she wept. Grace knew she had done wrong, and she also knew that her mother would not stand for disobedience. She was never cruel, but she was always firm, and Grace knew that the punishment would fit the crime.

“I thought you were going to fall,” Lily breathed. “You could have done yourself some serious damage, my little witch.”

“Sorry, Mama,” Grace said, sniffing and wiping her eyes. She stood still, her eyes downcast, waiting for her punishment.

Lily tilted her daughter’s chin up so that she was once more looking straight at her. “I told you once that we learn by our mistakes, do you remember?”

Grace nodded.

“Good. Well, Grace, this is your first mistake,” her mother said solemnly. “What have you found out?”

Grace thought for a moment then said, “Not to be impatient and try to do things I have not learned yet.”

“Right,” Lily agreed. “And will you make that mistake again?”

Grace shook her head.

“Good. That was your first, my darling.” Lily’s tone was indulgent as she stroked her daughter’s hair. “You will no doubt make many more, but never stop trying. No matter how many times you fail, persevere, because with perseverance and determination you can do anything.”

“Anything, Mama?” Grace asked incredulously.

Lily nodded and smiled. “Anything, and don’t forget I said so.”

“Are you not going to punish me?” Grace asked fearfully.

Lily looked down at her daughter’s wide blue eyes, then ruffled her hair and bent down to kiss her.

“Do you not think you have punished yourself?” she asked. “Punishment is given to teach a lesson. You have definitely learned yours!”

Grace would never forget that day; the day that started her on the journey to being the best horsewoman anyone had ever seen.