that be enough?’ He picked up his racquet. ‘I’m going outside. It’s too hot in here.’
Outside, in the corridor, he saw Martina and the twins emerging from their bedroom.
‘Hello there!’ he said cheerfully. ‘Everything all right?’
‘Everything is fine,’ said Martina. ‘This is a very nice house. So big, so beautiful . . .’ She gestured admiringly.
‘Well, yes, I suppose it is in its own way,’ said Charles. ‘All right, boys?’ He looked down at the twins. ‘Oh no!’ They had sidled over to an alcove by the window. Ben was about to put a glass elephant in his mouth and James was tugging at a pale curtain with chocolate-covered fingers.
‘Mrs Chance, she gave the boys chocolate biscuits,’ said Martina apologetically, pulling James’ hands away and wiping them with a tissue. ‘I tried to tell her that Mrs Mobyn did not like it, but she wouldn’t listen.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Charles, removing the elephant from Ben’s grasp. Ben’s face crumpled, and he held his hands up entreatingly to his father. ‘No, Ben. It’s dangerous. Let’s get these horrors outside.’
‘Mrs Chance said we should go and look at the horse,’ said Martina doubtfully.
‘Grand idea,’ said Charles. ‘Do you want to see a horse, Ben?’ Ben made a grab for the elephant again.
‘See the horsey?’ said Charles encouragingly, putting the elephant carefully back on its display table and carrying Ben off down the corridor. ‘See the horsey?’
‘Horsey,’ echoed Martina, picking up James. ‘We go to see the horsey.’
‘She’s not a horsey,’ said Georgina cuttingly. ‘She’s a pony.’
‘Of course she is,’ agreed Charles hurriedly. They had arrived at the paddock to find Georgina leading Arabia round the perimeter while Nicola sat astride, clutching the reins awkwardly and beaming with pleasure. Toby sat peacefully on the fence watching, a placid little boy with a sunny smile. When she saw them, Georgina turned round and brought Arabia up to the fence.
‘Isn’t she gorgeous!’ she said proudly. She buried her face in the pony’s mane. ‘You’re so beautiful!’ she murmured.
‘Georgina’s teaching me to ride,’ said Nicola. ‘I can walk.’
‘Very good!’ applauded Charles. He held Ben up to see.
‘Look, Ben! Look at the lovely hor . . . er pony!’
Martina was cowering behind, staring distrustfully at Arabia.
‘Bring James nearer so he can see,’ said Charles. He turned round. ‘What’s wrong, Martina? Don’t you like horses?’ Martina stepped forward nervously a pace or two, then retreated as Arabia threw up her head and whinnied. Ben looked up at Charles, his eyes huge with astonishment.
‘Come on,’ said Georgina impatiently. ‘Let’s go round again, and trot this time. You’d better put a hat on.’
Charles watched compassionately as Nicola fumbled with the chin strap of the hard hat. Her poor right hand struggled to keep up with the left, and she grunted several times in frustration as the webbing slipped out of its buckle. Georgina watched without expression, neither hurrying Nicola nor offering assistance. Martina gave an initial exclamation as she saw Nicola’s jerky hand moving uncertainly up to her chin – but, after a look from Charles, kept quiet.
‘Right,’ said Georgina, when Nicola had eventually succeeded. ‘Let’s go.’ She pulled gently on Arabia’s reins, turned round, and began to walk around the paddock, gradually increasing her pace to a run.
‘Hold on!’ she shouted at Nicola. ‘Go up and down when she starts trotting!’
It was an unexpectedly moving sight. Georgina’s hair streamed behind her in the sunlight as she jogged round the paddock; meanwhile, Nicola bounced up and down with a mixture of delight and terror on her face. Charles stole a look at the faces of the twins. They were both staring enraptured at the scene.
Eventually Georgina led Arabia back up to the fence.
‘Do you want a go, Toby? You can’t
Outside, in the corridor, he saw Martina and the twins emerging from their bedroom.
‘Hello there!’ he said cheerfully. ‘Everything all right?’
‘Everything is fine,’ said Martina. ‘This is a very nice house. So big, so beautiful . . .’ She gestured admiringly.
‘Well, yes, I suppose it is in its own way,’ said Charles. ‘All right, boys?’ He looked down at the twins. ‘Oh no!’ They had sidled over to an alcove by the window. Ben was about to put a glass elephant in his mouth and James was tugging at a pale curtain with chocolate-covered fingers.
‘Mrs Chance, she gave the boys chocolate biscuits,’ said Martina apologetically, pulling James’ hands away and wiping them with a tissue. ‘I tried to tell her that Mrs Mobyn did not like it, but she wouldn’t listen.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Charles, removing the elephant from Ben’s grasp. Ben’s face crumpled, and he held his hands up entreatingly to his father. ‘No, Ben. It’s dangerous. Let’s get these horrors outside.’
‘Mrs Chance said we should go and look at the horse,’ said Martina doubtfully.
‘Grand idea,’ said Charles. ‘Do you want to see a horse, Ben?’ Ben made a grab for the elephant again.
‘See the horsey?’ said Charles encouragingly, putting the elephant carefully back on its display table and carrying Ben off down the corridor. ‘See the horsey?’
‘Horsey,’ echoed Martina, picking up James. ‘We go to see the horsey.’
‘She’s not a horsey,’ said Georgina cuttingly. ‘She’s a pony.’
‘Of course she is,’ agreed Charles hurriedly. They had arrived at the paddock to find Georgina leading Arabia round the perimeter while Nicola sat astride, clutching the reins awkwardly and beaming with pleasure. Toby sat peacefully on the fence watching, a placid little boy with a sunny smile. When she saw them, Georgina turned round and brought Arabia up to the fence.
‘Isn’t she gorgeous!’ she said proudly. She buried her face in the pony’s mane. ‘You’re so beautiful!’ she murmured.
‘Georgina’s teaching me to ride,’ said Nicola. ‘I can walk.’
‘Very good!’ applauded Charles. He held Ben up to see.
‘Look, Ben! Look at the lovely hor . . . er pony!’
Martina was cowering behind, staring distrustfully at Arabia.
‘Bring James nearer so he can see,’ said Charles. He turned round. ‘What’s wrong, Martina? Don’t you like horses?’ Martina stepped forward nervously a pace or two, then retreated as Arabia threw up her head and whinnied. Ben looked up at Charles, his eyes huge with astonishment.
‘Come on,’ said Georgina impatiently. ‘Let’s go round again, and trot this time. You’d better put a hat on.’
Charles watched compassionately as Nicola fumbled with the chin strap of the hard hat. Her poor right hand struggled to keep up with the left, and she grunted several times in frustration as the webbing slipped out of its buckle. Georgina watched without expression, neither hurrying Nicola nor offering assistance. Martina gave an initial exclamation as she saw Nicola’s jerky hand moving uncertainly up to her chin – but, after a look from Charles, kept quiet.
‘Right,’ said Georgina, when Nicola had eventually succeeded. ‘Let’s go.’ She pulled gently on Arabia’s reins, turned round, and began to walk around the paddock, gradually increasing her pace to a run.
‘Hold on!’ she shouted at Nicola. ‘Go up and down when she starts trotting!’
It was an unexpectedly moving sight. Georgina’s hair streamed behind her in the sunlight as she jogged round the paddock; meanwhile, Nicola bounced up and down with a mixture of delight and terror on her face. Charles stole a look at the faces of the twins. They were both staring enraptured at the scene.
Eventually Georgina led Arabia back up to the fence.
‘Do you want a go, Toby? You can’t
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