Carole.
Grand Alice turned the page of the album again, then very quickly flipped it forward to the next page. But Carole had already seen the picture: Jessie, perhaps ten yearsyounger, standing with a huge smile on her face. A tall man stood with his arms around her, and in her arms Jessie held a young girl, two or three years old, with her hair in pigtails and a smile that matched Jessie’s own. Carole even recognized where they were standing: in front of the Statue of Liberty, in New York City.
“But who was—” Carole started to say.
“We don’t talk about that.”
“But I thought—”
“We don’t talk about that,” Grand Alice repeated firmly. She continued on to the next page of the album.
Carole was puzzled and curious. Wasn’t
all
of their history important? Was this another family skeleton? She wanted to ask, but something in the tilt of Grand Alice’s chin warned her not to.
Who were that man and child?
“W HERE DO YOU think Karenna is?” asked Stevie. It was Friday afternoon and she and Lisa were at Pine Hollow, ready to ride. Barq and No-Name were groomed, tacked up, and ready to go as well.
“I’m sure she’ll get here,” Lisa replied. “I heard the directions you gave her, and for once they made sense.” She flashed a grin at Stevie.
“I can usually make sense if I try. It’s just that I’m usually not trying.” Stevie ran her hand lightly down No-Name’s velvety nose. “Horse,” she said with exasperation. “Why don’t you tell me your name?” No-Name blew gently into Stevie’s hand.
“That was it,” Lisa said. “She just told you. Too bad you couldn’t understand.”
A girl walked into the stable. “Are you Stevie and Lisa?” she asked. Stevie and Lisa turned around. “I’m Karenna Richards.” She shook hands with both of them.
Lisa was a little surprised. She wasn’t used to shaking hands with people her own age. Karenna, though, didn’t look like someone Lisa’s age. She was dressed in tight-fitting riding blue jeans and an elegant purple coat, and she wore dangling earrings and lots of lipstick and purple eyeshadow. Lisa had never worn eyeshadow in her life.
“It was nice of you to invite me to come,” Karenna said. “Is this your horse?”
“No,” Lisa said, “she’s Stevie’s.”
“Her name is No-Name, but that’s not really her name.” Stevie explained her trouble with No-Name’s name. Then she and Lisa took Karenna through the barn, introducing her to Starlight, Barq, and some of the other horses, as well as Max and Red O’Malley, the head stable hand.
Meg Durham and Betsy Cavanaugh were cleaning tack. They were better friends of snooty Veronica diAngelo’s than they were of The Saddle Club, but they were Pony Club members and Stevie and Lisa liked them well enough.
“Hey,” Stevie called to them. “Come meet one of Carole’s old friends.” She introduced them and Karenna shook their hands.
“Great to meet you,” said Betsy. “Those are really cool earrings.”
Karenna flipped her hair back so they could take a closer look. “You like them?” she asked.
“They’re the greatest,” Meg said enthusiastically. “Look, Stevie, they’re little horse jumps!”
Stevie looked. “Very nice.” She had never liked dangling earrings. Somehow she didn’t feel that she was on quite the same wavelength as Karenna.
A FTER K ARENNA TOLD Max about her riding experience and friendship with Carole, he allowed her to take Starlight on a trail ride with Stevie and Lisa. The girls were pleased to see that Karenna was indeed a very good rider.
“Do you have your own horse?” Stevie asked her. They headed for the trail that went through the woods and alongside the creek. It was the prettiest trail this time of year.
“No, I never have,” Karenna replied. “I’ve taken lessons for a long time though. A lot of Marine bases have stables, and when they don’t I can usually find one off-base nearby.” She gave Starlight a pat.
Grand Alice turned the page of the album again, then very quickly flipped it forward to the next page. But Carole had already seen the picture: Jessie, perhaps ten yearsyounger, standing with a huge smile on her face. A tall man stood with his arms around her, and in her arms Jessie held a young girl, two or three years old, with her hair in pigtails and a smile that matched Jessie’s own. Carole even recognized where they were standing: in front of the Statue of Liberty, in New York City.
“But who was—” Carole started to say.
“We don’t talk about that.”
“But I thought—”
“We don’t talk about that,” Grand Alice repeated firmly. She continued on to the next page of the album.
Carole was puzzled and curious. Wasn’t
all
of their history important? Was this another family skeleton? She wanted to ask, but something in the tilt of Grand Alice’s chin warned her not to.
Who were that man and child?
“W HERE DO YOU think Karenna is?” asked Stevie. It was Friday afternoon and she and Lisa were at Pine Hollow, ready to ride. Barq and No-Name were groomed, tacked up, and ready to go as well.
“I’m sure she’ll get here,” Lisa replied. “I heard the directions you gave her, and for once they made sense.” She flashed a grin at Stevie.
“I can usually make sense if I try. It’s just that I’m usually not trying.” Stevie ran her hand lightly down No-Name’s velvety nose. “Horse,” she said with exasperation. “Why don’t you tell me your name?” No-Name blew gently into Stevie’s hand.
“That was it,” Lisa said. “She just told you. Too bad you couldn’t understand.”
A girl walked into the stable. “Are you Stevie and Lisa?” she asked. Stevie and Lisa turned around. “I’m Karenna Richards.” She shook hands with both of them.
Lisa was a little surprised. She wasn’t used to shaking hands with people her own age. Karenna, though, didn’t look like someone Lisa’s age. She was dressed in tight-fitting riding blue jeans and an elegant purple coat, and she wore dangling earrings and lots of lipstick and purple eyeshadow. Lisa had never worn eyeshadow in her life.
“It was nice of you to invite me to come,” Karenna said. “Is this your horse?”
“No,” Lisa said, “she’s Stevie’s.”
“Her name is No-Name, but that’s not really her name.” Stevie explained her trouble with No-Name’s name. Then she and Lisa took Karenna through the barn, introducing her to Starlight, Barq, and some of the other horses, as well as Max and Red O’Malley, the head stable hand.
Meg Durham and Betsy Cavanaugh were cleaning tack. They were better friends of snooty Veronica diAngelo’s than they were of The Saddle Club, but they were Pony Club members and Stevie and Lisa liked them well enough.
“Hey,” Stevie called to them. “Come meet one of Carole’s old friends.” She introduced them and Karenna shook their hands.
“Great to meet you,” said Betsy. “Those are really cool earrings.”
Karenna flipped her hair back so they could take a closer look. “You like them?” she asked.
“They’re the greatest,” Meg said enthusiastically. “Look, Stevie, they’re little horse jumps!”
Stevie looked. “Very nice.” She had never liked dangling earrings. Somehow she didn’t feel that she was on quite the same wavelength as Karenna.
A FTER K ARENNA TOLD Max about her riding experience and friendship with Carole, he allowed her to take Starlight on a trail ride with Stevie and Lisa. The girls were pleased to see that Karenna was indeed a very good rider.
“Do you have your own horse?” Stevie asked her. They headed for the trail that went through the woods and alongside the creek. It was the prettiest trail this time of year.
“No, I never have,” Karenna replied. “I’ve taken lessons for a long time though. A lot of Marine bases have stables, and when they don’t I can usually find one off-base nearby.” She gave Starlight a pat.
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