Crown Prince (28 page)

Prince's ears flicked back in her direction as she reached forward to stroke his neck. “It's me Prince. It's just me, boy.” After Sarah had shortened the reins to establish a soft contact with his mouth, Jack released the bridle. The horse moved forward into an energetic walk, his head up, again looking at the spectators. Prince didn't object when, with her legs on his sides, she guided him to the rail and began walking him around the ring.

Sarah felt so many things at once. She was ecstatic to finally be mounted on her horse, to feel the powerful muscles working beneath her. They were as one being, this large powerful animal who trusted her completely and responded to the wishes she communicated through her aids. As he carried her forward with his amazing long strides, Sarah felt such pride that Crown Prince was
her
horse, hers alone. He was
the one,
the horse she would give anything in the world to keep as long as he lived.

For a brief moment, Sarah closed her eyes and imagined Crown Prince as a Pegasus-like creature, a glorious winged horse, soaring to unimaginable heights before coming back to earth. Carrying her on his back, he'd gallop through green fields and leap towering barriers in their path. Nothing could stop them when they were together!

When Sarah opened her eyes, the sight of the spectators spread out across the hillside brought her back to reality. With a jolt she remembered what this moment signified and the consequences if Prince didn't perform well. Some of those people watching her would determine their destiny: Jack, Mr. DeWitt, and most importantly, her parents.

“Try circling him at one end of the ring,” Jack called from the rail. “Don't be afraid to move him forward with your legs while you contain him with your hands. You must use all your aids to have a conversation with him. He'll be okay—and his training starts
now.”

As they came out of the circle, with Prince energetically striding forward, Sarah began to feel more confident. His attitude seemed no different than when he was on the longe line, happy to be in work and willing to do as she asked. Sarah wanted to go faster! Without waiting for Jack's suggestion, she pressed her legs against her horse's sides and distinctly said, “Trot.” There was no hesitation in her horse. As Prince broke into his ground-covering trot, Sarah was immediately taken with the length of his stride. She'd never ridden a horse that moved like this, his strong hindquarters powering them forward. She remembered what Jack had taught her: sit tall, and let the horse's motion move you into posting—forward and backward, not up and down.

When Sarah turned her horse across the diagonal of the ring to change directions, she became even more aware that she wasn't just a passenger on Crown Prince. He was listening to her! She was in control, and he was accepting of that control. And he was so smooth. No jerky strides, no up-and-down motion. She sensed a wonderful moment of suspension in her horse's stride, as if they were airborne for a brief moment. Crown Prince was like no other horse she'd ever ridden!

Sarah was trotting her horse down the long side of the ring when she became aware of a humming noise in the distance, that of a car approaching on the farm road. From the direction she was facing, she saw the car top the rise and start down the long hill toward the barn. On its way to the parking area, the car would pass close to the ring.

Suddenly the approaching car picked up speed, a lot of speed, and as it drew closer, Sarah saw that it was Rita driving her Mustang convertible. A ripple of fear ran through her, unsure of how Prince would react to the noisy car. Why was Rita coming so fast? At that rate she would have a hard time stopping when she reached the parking area. The road was posted at fifteen miles an hour, but Rita was breaking the speed limit just like she seemed to ignore any other rule if it pleased her. Would Prince spook, rear, or maybe bolt like Gray Fox when the speeding car got to them? Sarah felt panic rising.

The speed of the Mustang didn't slacken as it bore down on the riding ring. Sarah suddenly understood what Rita was planning.
Rita wants to frighten my horse,
she thought.
She knows the ring is very close to the road. She wants Prince to spook at the car and blow up, maybe even throw me off!
She immediately turned her horse toward the far end of the ring, distancing them as much as she could from the road and the fast approaching car.

As the vehicle bearing down on the ring continued to pick up speed, it drew the attention of the spectators. Mr. DeWitt also noticed subtle movement through the trees and underbrush where the woods trail connected to the farm road, and he jumped up from his chair. Yes, the gray Medina and the smaller chestnut pony were approaching the road, as Mrs. DeWitt and Grace returned from their trail ride. Pretty Penny, always anxious to get back to the barn, was in the lead, and at the rate Rita's car was going, the pony might step out in the roadway right in front of the speeding car!

The others could also see the imminent danger, and a wave of terror swept over the group. A collective cry rose from the people near the ring as Gus Kelso came from nowhere, running toward the trailhead at a breakneck pace no one would have believed possible from the barn manager. At that moment everyone was aware of a tragic accident about to happen, one they all felt helpless to prevent, even when every voice on the hillside screamed “Stop! Stop!” at the speeding driver.

Now all eyes were on Gus, the speeding car, and glimpses of the pony approaching the road. Even with Gus in plain sight, the Mustang didn't slacken its pace, but rather seemed to come even faster. It looked like the three of them would reach the same spot at the same time!

The moment Gus reached the trailhead, he lunged for Pretty Penny's bridle just as the pony was about to step out into the road. Only then did Rita hit the brakes hard, but going that fast, the car only fishtailed and slewed forward for a long distance in the gravel roadway, leaving deep tire tracks behind.

At the far end of the ring Sarah did a flying dismount from Crown Prince and pulled the reins over his head. When she turned, she could see Gus holding Medina and Pretty Penny while Mrs. DeWitt bent over something in the road. Jack and Mr. DeWitt raced to the sobbing woman as she stood up holding her little Taco, who lay motionless in her arms.

SARAH RAN FORWARD,
Prince trotting beside her. She had to get to Mrs. DeWitt! Prince was startled by the commotion and pulled to the side, his head high, but Sarah managed to hang onto the reins. She looked for her father.

“Dad!” she yelled. “Dad, please come hold Prince!” Mr. Wagner sprang into action and slipped through the fence boards. When he got close, Sarah quickly thrust the reins into her father's hands. “Just walk him around,” she called, as she sprinted away. Before her father could say anything, she was running the length of the ring, out the gate, and down the road. She made a beeline for Mrs. DeWitt, ignoring Rita's Mustang, which she passed on the way.

Sarah reached the small group gathered around Mrs. DeWitt and pushed her way to the front. Grace was still astride Pretty Penny, tears streaming down her face. Mr. DeWitt hurried to his granddaughter and lifted her from the pony. He held her tightly as she cried. Jack was speaking into his cell next to Mrs. DeWitt, whose face was ghostlike as she sobbed, still holding Taco. His eyes were shut and a trickle of blood flowed from the little dog's nose onto her yellow polo shirt. There were snatches of muffled conversation. “There's nothing a vet can do…. He's gone….”

Spin ran in a tight circle around them, looking up at his fallen comrade, sensing that something was terribly wrong. Sarah felt hot tears as she got down on her knees and called to Spin. When he came to her, she wrapped her arms around the distraught dog and hugged him as she wept. How could this have happened? Rita's stupidity and recklessness had taken Taco from them!

The spectators parted to make way for Kathleen's car as it pulled up near them. Kathleen flung the door open and rushed to where Mr. DeWitt stood holding Grace. A few minutes later they walked to the car, the little girl still in tears.
Kathleen must be taking Grace back to the bungalow,
Sarah thought. She picked up Spin and hurried to Kathleen's car as Mr. DeWitt carefully eased Grace into the front seat, giving her a kiss before heading back to his wife.

“Can you take Spin with you?” Sarah asked Kathleen.

“Of course,” Kathleen said. “Good idea.” Spin did not resist when Sarah placed him in Grace's lap, and the little girl held him close. After Kathleen had driven away, Jack turned to the shaken onlookers.

“I think 'tis best if we all take leave,” he told them in a quiet voice. “There's nothing to be done here. Let's give the DeWitts a few minutes alone.” They all turned almost in unison and began to trudge back toward the barn or the parking area, talking in quiet groups. The ride on Crown Prince was all but forgotten. Kayla's mother beckoned to her daughter as she headed to her car. Before hurrying to catch up with her mom, Kayla ran to Sarah and gave her a hug.

Sarah started back to the ring, her mind racing, a cutting sorrow overwhelming her. She was trying to deal with what had happened—she'd never lost a pet before, and she felt like Taco was almost her own dog and a part of her family. She would never see him again, never hear his paws skittering on the barn aisle as he raced to see her, and never again pet his beautiful face. And poor Mrs. DeWitt! How awful for someone so kind-hearted to lose her beloved dog in this way!

Ahead of Sarah, Gus was slowly walking Medina and Pretty Penny back to the barn, his head down, shoulders slumped. Sarah saw her father still dutifully leading Prince in a circle in the ring. Prince was animated, occasionally dancing beside him. He wasn't being unruly, but he tugged against the reins, excited and unsure what all the commotion was about. For someone not accustomed to handling horses, her father was doing a good job. Sarah hurried to her horse.

Sarah took the reins. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, her voice breaking. Sarah's mother was watching from a nearby vantage point on the rail. “Was it one of the dogs that Rita's car hit?” her mother asked with concern. When Sarah nodded, Mrs. Wagner shook her head. “Mrs. DeWitt must be devastated, and you, too. I'm so sorry, Sarah. I know you had a special relationship with those dogs.” They turned to watch Jack drive by in the farm pickup and stop when he got to the DeWitts. When Sarah saw him lift Taco from Mrs. DeWitt's arms, she turned away. She couldn't bear to watch.

“I'm going to take Prince back to the barn now,” Sarah said to her parents, unable to meet their gazes. “I'll be home later.” She led her horse to the gate and onto the roadway, holding the reins tightly as he pulled her toward the barn. “Easy, boy, easy,” she said, holding him back.

She was relieved when they got back to the barn. Inside, an unusual silence prevailed, surprising since a few people were still going about the business of caring for their horses. Most had witnessed the accident and bore their sadness privately. Usually there was a radio playing in the background, but not now. Sarah gave a half-hearted wave to Paige, who was grooming Quarry, but the girls didn't exchange words.

As she passed by Medina's stall, Sarah saw Gus inside with the mare, leaning against the wall with his hand on his forehead. His eyes were closed, and she could see the wet tracks of tears on the man's craggy face. Sarah was astonished to see such emotion from the usually stone-faced man. She'd never seen him pay any attention to Mrs. DeWitt's dogs.
But he must have thought a lot of Taco,
she thought.
He just never showed it. I guess that's just the way Gus is. He must care a lot about the DeWitt family, to run like he did to save Grace.

Sarah led Prince to the back of the barn, glad that the area was deserted. She decided to untack him in his stall, instead of the aisle. After removing the bridle, she looked down at the beautiful eggbutt snaffle bit balanced in her hand. Today her horse had discovered that it wasn't painful to have a bit in his mouth, and free of pain, he'd been extremely well-behaved under saddle. This should be a day to celebrate another major turning point in her life, but she felt only sadness. They'd all lost a friend. Thinking of Mrs. DeWitt and how much she had loved her little Taco, Sarah's eyes welled up. How lonely Spin would be without his brother! She brushed the tears away and pressed her face against her horse's neck. Prince stood quietly, as if he understood.

A few minutes later Sarah took a deep breath and went back to the business at hand. She removed the saddle and put her tack outside the stall. After running a brush over her horse, she started for the tack room with her bridle and saddle, leaving Prince drinking from his water bucket.

Going by Chancellor's stall, she paused to look at the grand horse, relaxed with one hind leg drawn under himself. He was beautiful, his black coat gleaming.
How could someone with a horse as lovely as Chancellor begrudge another person having a horse? And then to act so stupidly that she'd killed one of Mrs. DeWitt's Jack Russells!
She felt anger boiling inside her.

Shaking her head, Sarah continued on her way to the tack room where she used her new saddle soap to clean her tack. As she worked, vivid images of the events of the afternoon flashed before her.
Perhaps Rita would no longer be welcome there. Maybe the DeWitts would ask her to leave Brookmeade Farm.
It was a thought she relished.

When she had finished, Sarah put her tack away before turning off the lights and walking back to Prince's stall. As she was passing Chancellor, she stopped in her tracks. Rita was in the stall with her horse! She stood on his off side, so Sarah couldn't see her clearly, but there was no doubt it was Rita. Her long dark hair fell over part of her face, and one arm was draped over Chancellor's neck. Sarah stood still, watching. In her mind's eye she could again picture Rita's green Mustang convertible barreling down the hill, speeding dangerously toward them, going faster and faster.