Stables S.O.S. (9 page)

Saturday dawned bright, sunny and warm. So why did I keep shivering?

“What time is it?” James asked me, for about the millionth time.

“Haven't you got a watch?” I asked him crossly.
Nerves
are
so
getting
to
me
, I thought.

“I use my cell phone,” he explained.

“Well, you're not using it now!” I snapped. I'd lost count of the number of times I'd glanced down the drive, looking for Jessica Tamarad's car, even though I knew she wasn't due for another hour.

Everyone but Sophie and Dee were at the stables. Mrs. Bradley was being dragged around, as usual, by her stubborn Dales pony. Nicky was keeping an eye on her daughter Bethany, who was dabbing her pony Pippin with a dandy brush while Pippin dozed in the sun. I think he was actually snoring. Cat had gone riding on Bambi. She had said she didn't know how many more times she'd be able to do that, and she wanted to be alone.

Drummer wasn't speaking to me. He wasn't speaking to me because of Aunt Pam's plans for Bambi. He felt I'd let him down (and I could see his point) so I was getting the silent treatment. He pretended he was angry, but really, I think he didn't trust himself to speak. He was awfully upset, and I had no words to console him. That was partly why I was being so bratty with James.

I looked along the drive again, and there was a car, coming along it.

She's early!
I thought, getting up to greet her. James came out of Moth's stable and stood by my side as the car stopped and out got the driver, wearing corduroys and a dark-colored shirt.

“She's one unattractive woman,” murmured James, snorting.

I gasped. When I breathed out, it came out in a single word. “Oh!”

“Hi, Pia!” said Alex Willard, waving at me as he slammed the car door shut.

“Er, hello,” I replied.

“You didn't expect to see me, did you?” asked the great man, grinning. “But I thought I'd come along and see if I could do anything. I'd hate to see you all get evicted because of new developments here.”

“Oh thanks,” I gushed. “Thanks very, very much.”

“I thought I'd stay for a few days and see what Jessica finds. It's going to be pretty exciting.”

I was confused. It sounded like Jessica was arriving with a shovel and was going to start digging today. I thought she was just having a look-see.

Everyone suddenly came out of the woodwork, anxious to be introduced to the famous horseman. Alex remembered Bean from when we'd gone to his yard on our riding vacation, and he said he remembered James and Katy, too, from our activity ride, but he was lovely to Mrs. Bradley, who went all shy and giggly (so not a good idea—she's too ancient for that kind of behavior), and Nicky was just as bad.

“He's
soooo
good looking,” she whispered to me, when Alex was talking to Katy. I supposed he was, in an old sort of way. I mean, he's got gray hair and everything. He must be at least forty.

And then Jessica Tamarad turned up.

After what seemed like hours of chatting between Jessica and Alex, we finally all trooped out to the field to look at where the house used to be, all standing looking at the grass and the trees that hid the view behind them.

“So this is it, then?” Jessica asked. She had long black hair and dark eyes, and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt. A huge yellow gemstone swung from a long golden chain around her neck, and her fingers held a collection of golden rings. She could give Sophie a run for her money in the glamour stakes.

We all stared at the ground and nodded.

“We've surveyed the site from the air,” Jessica said, smiling, “and it's come up aces.”

“That's fantastic,” said Alex, grinning at me.

“From the air?” I asked.

“Yes,” said Jessica, “we can see whether there has been a structure from the air—this site shows a huge house used to be here. Definitely Elizabethan.”

“How on earth can you know?” asked Katy.

“From the shape. Most big houses built at that time were in the shape of a letter E. The aerial shots show such a house. It's very exciting!”

It certainly was!

“National Heritage didn't think so,” grumbled Bean.

“Well, we're certain we'll find lots of interesting things once we start digging,” Jessica said firmly. “I've got the team coming first thing Monday morning to get cracking.”

“What?” we all yelled.

“Oh yes, it's all worked out,” said Jessica, looking around.

“It will be fascinating to see what you do find,” agreed Alex.

“Er, there's just one thing about that,” I said, nervously biting the inside of my mouth. “The land doesn't actually, well technically, sort of belong to us and…”

“Oh, I know that,” Jessica said, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder with one hand. “I've already arranged with the owner for us to bring in the machinery and tents. We pay them, of course.”

We all stood there, totally lost for words. “You've spoken to Mrs. Collins?” asked Dee.

“
Mr.
Collins,” corrected Jessica. “I've been dealing with Mr. Robert Collins. He said I was to deal directly with him. We can't do anything without the owner's permission, naturally!”

“Oh,” I said. Obviously, Robert Collins had already forced his mother to hand over the stables to him. “And he agreed to you digging up the site?” I asked, wanting to be sure.

“Oh yes, very helpful,” said Jessica.

“Why?” James asked. “Won't you want to preserve the site, if you find what you are looking for?”

“Well, that's debatable…” Jessica began. I didn't like where this was going.

“We are hoping to find some artifacts,” she continued, “but obviously the structure is no more. I mean, it's not like we can open a house to the public—but I'm sure whatever we find will be of great historical interest.”

“She's no better than National stinking Heritage!” James whispered in my ear.

“Shhhh!” I whispered back, unable to believe my ears.

“So you wouldn't stop Robert Collins from building on the land once you've finished finding whatever you hope to find?” Alex asked.

“We can't really,” Jessica confirmed. “I mean, it's his land.”

“He's getting you to dig the foundations for his houses!” James exploded.

“Probably!” Jessica laughed. “I wouldn't be surprised!”

“And you're paying him!” cried Dee.

“Yes,” agreed Jessica. “Ironic, isn't it?”

“It's
criminal
!” burst out Katy.

Alex looked at me with a sorry-didn't-know-about-this kind of look, and I felt sick.

“Oh great!” exploded James. “We're actually
helping
Robert Collins. We've played right into his hands!”

“Now we've got to come up with a
third
chance!” wailed Katy, to the bewilderment of both Alex and Jessica. “Because our second chance is an epic fail!”

When I told Mom that Alex Willard was staying in the area for a few days, she immediately said we should all meet up for dinner at the Mill House.

“He won't know anyone here, it's only polite, and he is trying to help you after all, Pia,” she'd told me, when I'd explained why he was here.

I remembered the first meeting Mom had had with Alex Willard and wasn't looking forward to repeating the experience. Mom flirting. Alex embarrassed. Me wanting to die. Then I remembered the second meeting they'd had. Alex had definitely been interested in my mom on that occasion.

An idea started growing in my brain. What if…?

“I'll give him a call on his cell,” I said.

“How come you've got Alex Willard's cell phone number?” Mom asked me suspiciously.

I waved his card at her, and she narrowed her eyes. “I thought you said you'd lost that?” she said in an accusing way.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I thought I had!” I lied. I'd told her that because I'd been scared she'd call him for a date. Now, with my new idea, I wasn't so sure that hiding it had been such a good idea.

Alex was definitely excited to be invited. I told him the name of the restaurant and where it was, and we agreed to all be there at seven.

The Mill House is a fabulous, tiny, old restaurant with great food, and as it is only half a mile away from where we live, Mom and I walked there. Alex had already found a table and was waiting with a bottle of chilled white wine, two glasses, and a Coke for me. Mom and Alex greeted each other—“Hi, Sue. You look terrific.” “Hello, Alex. We couldn't let you eat on your own now could we?”—while I watched intently. Was there still a spark there on Alex's side? He'd definitely shown interest in Mom at the activity ride at Christmas. Mom had been very intrigued by Alex when we'd first seen him at the TV studios. Did they still find each other attractive?

Because here was my plan:

Get Alex to like my mom.

Get my mom to like Alex.

Get them to hook up.

Live happily ever after.

I mean how cool would it be having Alex Willard as a step-dad? No, really! Imagine!

As we sat and Mom and Alex chatted, my plan seemed to be going perfectly. They drank some wine (my mom didn't drink too much like she did the first time they met—thus proving to Alex that she wasn't some kind of binge drinker gone bananas), and they seemed very interested in each other.

“Where are you staying, Alex?” asked my mom.

“At Holly House B&B, about four doors down from here,” Alex replied.

“I didn't know there was a bed and breakfast in the neighborhood,” I said.

“Pia, you never notice anything unless it involves horses,” my mom told me, lifting her eyebrows at Alex in a knowing way.

I opened my mouth to protest, but then shut it again. I couldn't really argue with that one.

“Oh, there's Mike—yoo-hoo, Mike, over here!” yelled my mom as Mike-the-bike strolled into the bar in his motorcycle leathers. What was he doing here?

My mom (silly as she is) had apparently told him to join us. This was a major blow to my plan. Was it my imagination or did Alex look disappointed when Mike walked in? Apparently not, as before long, Mike and Alex were yakking on like old friends—about motorcycles, can you believe it?
V-Twin
this and
suspension
that. I felt myself starting to sulk.

“What are they going on about?” I asked Mom. “Motorcycle talk is so boring.”

“That's how we feel when you start up about horses,” my mom replied, rather harshly, I thought. And she looked all smug like she'd scored a major victory. Honestly, parents! The thought that she might not take too well to a horse lover like Alex did cross my mind, but I decided she'd get used to it. After all, she gotten used to Mike's motorcycle. If she could ride on the back of that, she could surely ride a horse. I imagined my mom riding, getting really into it. That would be good, wouldn't it? Providing she didn't morph into someone like Dee's mom, Sophie. I decided I'd have to keep an eye on that.

The rest of the evening went either really well, or very disappointingly, depending on your point of view. Alex, Mike, and my mom seemed to have a whale of a time, but my plan to get Mom together with Alex was a complete failure. I would have to think up another way to get them together without Mike, I decided. And then, my plan was initiated without my help.

“Are you staying here long, Alex?” Mom asked him.

Alex assured her that he was, and Mom suggested we all got together for another meal at the Mill House in a few days. To which Mike said he couldn't because he was having a night out with the guys from work, but that shouldn't stop us from going ahead, so Mom and Alex agreed to meet up without him. Perfect! I felt slightly guilty about Mike being so good about it—after all, he was the best boyfriend Mom had found so far by miles and MILES, and here he was, helping my plan to get him replaced with Alex Willard, horse trainer extraordinaire.

I calmed my conscience by telling myself that maybe my mom was interested in Alex again after all. I mean,
she'd
thought of meeting up again without any prompting from me. Maybe my plan had a chance of working.
At
last
, I thought, as we walked home,
something
seems
to
be
going
right.

It was about time!