Dream Rider, Page 4

  She was particularly amused by the way she had been able to trap Hilary, placing the bucket of hoof oil over the tack room door was simple but effective especially as the metal bucket had caught her in the forehead as it fell. She chuckled to herself, that pompous cow had deserved it even if the intention had been to catch out someone else but the fact that Hilary had been the victim was even better. Now the only thing she had to do was to think up the next thing to do. She smirked, she had been so clever and if everyone hated her well so what!

  Susan stepped out of the tack room the yard was quiet. She paused, it was too quiet. At this time of the evening there should be activity with grooms hanging hay nets and checking horses before they went home at the end of the day. She looked around, no clearly her paranoia was in overdrive, the staff had clearly finished early. She pulled the tack room door closed behind her, it was a bit late to set another trap today, as tempting as it was. She smiled and headed down the yard towards the stables flat.

  She lived with a number of the other staff in basic, but adequate accommodation beside the main yard. She remembered how she had argued with her father when she had first arrived, refusing to live in a shared room with some stranger. Of course she did not have to share for long, she soon ensured that there was nobody wanted to share with her by being obnoxious, simple things like taking one leg off their bed or pouring water on the mattress.

  She hated being there, but her father had made it clear. She had failed at school and refused to go into the family business so this was the only option. Well, the only option if she wanted to keep receiving her allowance and be part of the family. "Fail at this and you are not my daughter, you can go on your own like I did..." Her father's booming voice had travelled across the yard and caused sniggering and curious looks from the other staff.

  Stepping onto the back yard she was lost in thoughts, perhaps she should try to do something by herself, it had to be better than this. She snorted, no there was still fun to be had. She smiled passing an open stable door. There was a sudden movement, Susan shrieked as she was wrestled into the empty stable and flung onto the floor. She landed heavily. her fall broken by the thick straw left from the last horse who had been in there.

  "Hello Susan..." Tracy snarled standing over Susan's prone body. "Some of us would like a word with you." Tracy was flanked by a number of the other staff. She had been Susan's only competition, her nemesis who had been at the yard for some years and was a tough girl used to hard knocks having grown up with three brothers. Until recently Susan had left her alone, it was just simpler and saved trouble. However the truce ended last week when Susan had added almost a whole bottle of bleach to a load of Tracy's washing. She had been there to watch as she pulled her best jodhpurs and blouses out of the washing machine all streaked and dyed. Tracy had been devastated and with one look made it clear that revenge would be sought.

  Susan slowly turned over and started to get up. "Not so fast..." Tracy pushed the cold steel prongs of a pitchfork into Susan's chest, she slumped down. "Good girl..."

  "Now Tracy can I ask what the hell you think you are doing?" Susan snarled.

  Tracy laughed. "I am taking you down Susan." She leant on the pitchfork causing Susan to yelp.

  Susan grabbed the pitchfork and tore it from Tracy's hand's as she scrambled to her feet. "Yeah..." Susan sneered. "Well you have had your fun now..." She put her hand on her shoulder. "Try harder next time bitch!" Susan started to walk from the stable. Tracy grabbed her pony-tail dragging her back before slamming her head forwards into the stable wall. Susan fell to her knees before slumping onto the straw.

  ***

  Linda was busy in the kitchen when she heard the knock at the door. She glanced at her watch thinking that Hilary was early but she was glad to have the company. She crossed the front room and opened the door. "Well, you are early but we can open a bottle of wine while dinner...-" She looked up and saw Harry Thompson standing on her doorstep.

  "I can assure you that would be unnecessary Miss Gibbs." He pushed past her and into her front room.

  "Oh do come in please..." Linda muttered as she closed the front door. "How can I help you Mr Thompson."

  Harry Thompson had started his career as a builders labourer and now, thirty years on was a property developer pro ported to be worth many millions. He would gladly tell anyone that he was a self-made man and that he always got his way, this lead to him using somewhat unorthodox techniques to gain contracts or gain planning permission. However it was a brave person who suggested that there was anything improper with his business, those that had done in the past seemed to meet with accidents soon afterwards. Harry was the owner of the land and buildings that made up the Redbridge Riding School and he took great pleasure in ensuring that Linda was aware of this and that her business survived only because of him.

  "I wanted to just ensure that my daughter is working hard and that she is being treated well by the other staff."

  Linda stammered. "Yes, she is hard working and really fits in well..."

  Harry snorted. "Look don't lie to me Miss Gibbs. I know she is a lazy, good for nothing girl. I want her to learn as I did, the importance of hard work and manual labour." He paused. "However, I need to know that she is treated well."

  "Is there something that is specifically of concern."

  Harry smiled. "My daughter did mention that the head-girl, is it Hilary?" Linda nodded. "Well she said that she was being a bit hard on her."

  "I am sure that Hilary is very fair to her, but she does have to pull her weight."

  Harry sighed. "Of course. But let me put it this way, I would be unhappy if I felt that she was being mistreated."

  There was a knock at the door. Linda’s heart sunk. "Excuse me..." She stood up and opened the door to Hilary.

  "Hi Kath..." She smiled. "I am glad to say that the hoof oil that nasty bitch put in my hair mostly washed out. I could have killed that horrid cow, I mean..." She stopped as Linda was gesticulating at her furiously.

  "And who would that be?" Harry Thompson stood up staring at Hilary in the door way.

  "Shit!" Hilary hissed between her teeth. "Sorry..."

  "Look it is time for me to leave." Harry stood up and pushed his way past Hilary. "Just remember what I said Miss Gibbs." He glanced back at Hilary before walking down the path and back to his car.

  "Oh shit! I am so sorry..." Hilary frowned. "What did he want?"

  "Apparently you are bullying his precious daughter..." She laughed. "So bloody good timing walking in the door like that!" She smiled and welcomed Hilary into the room. "Never mind, frankly she deserves all she gets! Now, shall we have a glass of wine to get the evening started?"

  ***

  Susan slowly opened her eyes, shooting pains were running through her head. She tried to move but found that she was unable to. She panicked and struggled against the hard nylon net that enclosed her.

  "No, I don't think that you will get free all that easily." Tracy laughed and tugged on the rope in her hands. Susan felt herself being lifted. Looking around she saw that she had been pushed into a large hay net which was now hanging from the block and tackle in the hay shed. She shrieked as Tracy pulled on the rope again until Susan was hanging almost at the roof height, slowly turning on the rope.

  "Get me down from here!" Susan yelled. "You bloody cow, get me down!" She fought against the net causing it to swing wildly, eventually she slumped back exhausted.

  "Are you quite finished?" Tracy sat on a bale looking up smiling.

  "I'll get you..." Susan snarled.

  "Well, it seems I have got you first." She stood up walking towards the barn doors. "Good night!" Tracy slammed the barn doors leaving Susan hanging in the dark.

  ***

  After two bottles of Blue Nun and conversation into the early hours Linda had invited Hilary to stay for the night rather than walk back to the stables from the village, now a hand on her shoulder woke her from her slumber. She stretched and opened her eyes before
sitting up slowly.

  "I hope the sofa was not too uncomfortable for you last night?" Linda held out a steaming mug of coffee. "Here, that may help your head!"

  "Thanks." Hilary sipped the hot coffee. "How much did I drink last night?"

  "Oh you are a lightweight!" Linda laughed.

  "Yeah, how often do you think I get out!" She smirked. "Anyway, you were pretty drunk too. I didn't need to know about all your sexual conquests."

  "What?" Linda almost dropped her mug.

  "Don't worry it didn't take long!" Hilary winked. "And your secrets are safe with me. I will just have to keep you away from the baler twine!"

  Linda blushed deeply, stammering to respond. "That was one boyfriend and we didn't go out for long..."

  "Don't get all knotty about it!" Hilary smirked and Linda slapped her on her shoulder. "Come on we had better get to work I suppose. Just don't expect me to do too much for a few hours."

  The two women got into Linda’s car, it was not much more than a rusted shell but it allowed her to get about and in a few minutes they were pulling up at the stables. She slammed the car door and looked at her watch. "Seven o'clock and nobody is down. You see, the cat's away and the mice will have a lie in!" They both laughed before walking around to unlock the feed shed and barn.

  Linda swung the doors of the barn open and pinned them back. She was just about to walk away when she heard a noise.

  "What's up?" Linda stepped beside Hilary.

  She held up her hand. "Shhhh... Do you hear that?"

  "Hear what?" Linda paused. "Yes, what on earth is that?" The two women stepped into the barn. All seemed to be normal until they heard a moaning noise above their heads. Linda jumped. "What the hell!" She looked up and thought she could see something in the gloom above their heads. "There is something on the pulley." She stepped over to the tied off rope and started to loosen it.

  "Hang on a minute, be careful!" Hilary shouted but it was too late, as soon as the rope was loose it shot through Linda’s hands dropping the hay net heavily on the floor between them both.

  "Oh my god!" Linda stepped towards the net and saw that Susan was crammed inside. "Get her loose!" Hilary took out a pocket knife and sliced through the netting. Susan had hit her head when it had fallen and was unconscious, Hilary checked her pulse and breathing.

  "She is breathing. You look after her and I will get an ambulance." Hilary ran quickly to the office.

  Susan opened one eye slightly, she saw Linda kneeling beside her, she was clearly fretting. This was perfect, let them believe that they had injured her, get them all in trouble. She closed her eyes.

  ***

  "Miss Gibbs?" The nurse stepped into the waiting area. Linda had been waiting there while the doctors had attended to Susan. She stood up. "Oh hello. Would you like to come through." Linda followed the nurse back into the main part of the casualty ward, she pulled open a curtain, Susan was lying on a bed, she was awake but looking groggy. "She may be concussed so we would like to keep her in overnight."

  There was a commotion that had started outside, Linda heard someone being told that they could not come through, but it was clear that they were ignoring them. The curtain was flung open and Harry Thompson entered the cubical. Linda gasped and started to apologise to him.

  Harry ignored her turning to the nurse. "This is my daughter." The nurse glanced at Linda, she nodded briefly. "What is she doing in here?"

  "Miss Gibbs brought your daughter in."

  "Well, she is not required any more is she?" Harry turned to Linda. "Go away..."

  Linda stepped out of the cubical, she paused turning to go back in but thought better of it. She walked quickly out to her car.

  ***

  Hilary was waiting when Linda returned to the yard. "How is she?"

  "Oh she will be fine. They think she may have concussion so they are keeping her in overnight."

  "Thank goodness we can have a night without her." Hilary checked herself. "Sorry that sounds really bad."

  "Nov?. I agree. She is someone who is a pleasure not to have around." She sighed. "I need to talk with Tracy."

  "Ahh..." Hilary picked up on Linda’s body language. "So Tracy put her in a net."

  "It is a Damn shame. I want to shake her by the hand, but I know I will have to let her go." Linda sighed.

  "Do you want me to tell her?"

  "Thanks Hil's. But I guess I had better do this."

  ***

  "Daddy!" Susan sat up in her hospital bed.

  "How are you Susan?" Harry Thompson sat down heavily in the bedside chair.

  "I have concussion and I was pretty knocked about."

  "What did you do to cause this?" He ignored her protests. "No Susan, you were not just assaulted for nothing. This is exactly what happened at boarding school, and you said that you had done nothing, butter wouldn't melt in your bloody mouth." He shook his head. "So what did you do the people who did this to you."

  "Nothing?. They bullied me." She snapped. "You never believe me...-"

  "Because you are always bloody lying. Look I have found you this job to give you an opportunity."

  "Opportunity?" Susan's tone changed. "You want to get rid of me so you have dumped me in this shit hole." She snarled. "You're right I may have played a few innocent pranks on them, but I did not deserve this happening to me. I am going to tell the police, let’s see how they like being charged with assault."

  Harry stood up and slapped Susan hard across her face. "Don't you dare! Have I taught you nothing? We never get the police involved in our affairs."

  "Sorry daddy..." Susan rubbed her face.

  "You will deal with this. If you can't I will sort it for you. But this is it. No more nonsense from you."

  "Or what?" Susan sneered.

  "You don't want to find out." Harry stood up and left the ward. Susan was taken aback, but knew better than to try and argue with her father. She pondered what she could do, she smiled to herself, this would of course mean revenge.

  ***

  Linda sighed, Tracy was sitting opposite her in the stables office. She had waited until the end of the day, not least because she had wanted to put off the inevitable task. She hated having to let anyone go and especially not Tracy who had been such a promising instructor and liked by the staff and customers.

  "Okay..." Tracy lifted her head from her hands. "I know what I did was stupid. But... Grrr!" She clenched her fists. "You know what she did to me, what she did to everyone." She snarled. "You should have done something about her. You sit there treating her with kid gloves and letting her get away with murder! I just took action to put her in her place..."

  Linda wiped her eyes. Of course Tracy was right, she should stand up to Susan. Perhaps her father would even respect her for it. However she doubted it?. "I am so sorry, but you have to understand..."

  "Understand?" Tracy snorted. "You’re firing me. Where the hell am I meant to go until I find another job?"

  "Okay..." Linda looked up. "Look if you resign I can let you work some more time here, I'll be as flexible as I can be, take as long as you like and I will write you a good reference. Just do me one favour and keep away from her..."

  "That won't be easy."

  "Just try." Linda smiled. "I don't want to lose you and you are totally right about what you say I should do something about her and I will, it's just." Tracy started to speak but Linda cut her off, "I am just a coward."

  "I wouldn't say that?." Tracy paused. "Look I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done what I did, and I do understand why you have to do what you have do. I am just sorry to leave here, it is a great yard, I have friends here. I suppose this serves me right."

  "There is not one other person who doesn't support what you did to her..." Linda smiled, "In fact if I had been in your shoes..." She left her thoughts wander for a moment. "Let me have a word with a few friends, there are other yards that would snap you up. Let me at least help you out somehow."

  "Thank you..."

&nb
sp; ***

  Linda had not been able to sleep thoughts had kept running through her mind. By the morning she had made her mind up. She dressed quickly and made her way out to her car. The morning was bright and the sun was already starting to become warm. She only had a short drive to the headquarters of Thompson Construction in the nearby town of Ashburton. Linda pulled up in the car park beside considerably more affluent cars and walked towards the modern office building.

  "Hello madam, how may I help you?" The perfectly manicured receptionist did an obvious double take as Linda approached the desk, dressed in work clothes she supposed that a visitor dressed in jodhpurs and riding boots was an unexpected sight in these offices.

  "I need to see Harry Thompson."

  "Do you have an appointment?" The girl knew that she did not, his diary was clear as he had specifically requested that she clear his diary this morning.

  "Will you tell him that Linda Gibbs is here and I would like to see him."

  The receptionist promised that she would try and asked Linda to sit down. She called through to Harry's personal assistant, she said it was unlikely that he would see her, but that she should wait. The receptionist quietly hoped that she would be made to wait a long time, just turning up demanding an appointment. She was shocked when the phone rang and she was told that Miss Gibbs should be shown straight through.

  Linda stepped into the large office, Harry Thompson was sitting behind a large wooden desk and was currently speaking on the telephone. He gestured to Linda to come towards him and sit down. She perched on the edge of the leather chair and waited while Harry completed an increasingly angry phone conversation before slamming down the handset. He slowly looked up and made eye contact with Linda. She shuddered.

  "Miss Gibbs, what a pleasant surprise." He glowered at her across the desk. "I suppose you have saved me coming to see you, but I am rather busy."