In 20 words

“Are you twins?” Honey asked, when she met the new groom’s niece and nephew.

“Almost,” Ellie replied. “But not quite.”

In 20 sentences

“I’ve got some good news for you, Honey,” Matthew told his daughter, as he gently led her from the house, across the snowy grounds and out towards the stables. “The new groom has arrived, with his family.”

Honey’s steps faltered and he wondered if she was remembering the last, terrible incident with their previous groom – the one that left her terrified of even entering the stables and after which he had promptly terminated the employment of the man who caused it – but she bravely lifted her chin and continued on her way to meet his replacement.

“Is he at all like Mr. Brooks?”

Matt shook his head. “No, this is a much younger man – and, I hope, a more understanding one. He has a niece and nephew about your age and has been helping his mother raise them after his older sister died.”

“Are they coming to live here, too?”

He nodded. “I actually offered him the job last summer when we first moved here, but he didn’t want to uproot the children from their home at the time. I’m not sure what’s changed, but he and I have come to some arrangements so that all four of them have somewhere to live.”

As they stepped into the stables, he called, “Regan, are you here?”

He watched Honey take a tentative step forward and, instead of a strange man, find herself face-to-face with two teenagers: a red-haired girl and a dark-haired boy who, in spite of their obvious differences, managed to look eerily similar.

“Are you twins?” Honey blurted out.

The girl grinned, but the boy grimaced.

“Almost, but not quite,” the girl told her. “I’m Ellie Mangan and this is my just slightly older brother, Dan. We’re actually fourteen months apart, but we moved around a lot when we were little and we somehow ended up in the same grade – I think, actually, the same grade as you; or, at least, the same as you if you’re who I think you are, which I think you must be–”

“She won’t be able to understand a word you say, if you talk that way,” Dan interrupted.

“No, I’m pretty sure I’ll understand her perfectly,” Honey answered, with a smile.

In 2020 words

Bill ran his finger down the inventory, frowning. He couldn’t figure out how his predecessor had kept Manor House stables running. Or maybe it was just that the man hadn’t kept good records.

“He didn’t clean enough, either,” he grumbled under his breath.

He shuddered in remembrance of the morning’s discoveries. Outside of the office, he could hear Dan and Ellie’s voices as they squabbled while scrubbing down the wall. The start of school couldn’t come soon enough, in his opinion, even if it did lead to another argument with Dan.

His concentration broke when a voice called, “Regan, are you here?”

He emerged from the office in time to hear a girl – presumably his new boss’s daughter – ask that ominous question: “Are you twins?”

Ellie fielded it with her usual cheerful wordiness, but Bill saw the resentment on Dan’s face and inwardly groaned.

“A word, while they’re getting to know each other,” Matthew Wheeler requested, leading the way into the office. “How are you getting on?”

Regan fought back a grimace. “These records are… difficult. But I’ve taken an inventory and started cleaning. I’ll call the supplies order through this afternoon.”

“Forget the old records and start afresh,” the boss directed. “After cleaning, my next priority is getting Honey back in the saddle. I forgot to ask, do your niece and nephew ride?”

“They’re both competent.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the busily chatting girls. “Encourage them to ride with Honey. And I’ll get one of Honey’s friends up for some lessons. She started learning in the summer, but Brooks barred her from the stables. If I’d known, I’d have overruled him.”

“Sure.” He hesitated. “You don’t mind Dan and Ellie associating with your daughter?”

His boss smiled. “Getting to know ordinary kids has done Honey a world of good. I hope they’ll fit right in with Honey, Jim and their friends. You’ll meet them tomorrow, I’d guess. I’ll send Jim down when he gets home.”

“He’s their landlord, right?”

“Technically, I’m holding the property in trust for Jim,” Mr. Wheeler answered. “But don’t worry. Jim and I are both more than pleased to have tenants at Ten Acres. If your mother needs anything else fixed, please let us know. The renovations are nowhere near complete, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“It’s a very nice house,” Bill answered, uncomfortably. When the idea had been floated, he’d had a much more modest image in mind from the description given.

“It will be, when it’s finished. Six months ago, it was a disaster.” His boss led the way back to the teens, introduced his daughter, then added, “Honey, why don’t you call Trixie and set up a time tomorrow morning for her to start her riding lessons again?”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Can she, really? Oh, that would be wonderful!” She turned to Bill. “Thank you so much, Mr. Regan! May I please use your office phone right now?”

“It’s just Regan. And of course you can.”

She darted away and her father took his leave as well. The other three moved over to look at the wall.

“Would nine o’clock be too early, Mr. Regan?” Honey asked, popping out of the office. “Or too late? I could call back and make a different time, if you prefer, or–”

“Nine would be good,” he interrupted. “Will you be riding this afternoon, Miss Wheeler?”

“Please call me Honey.” Her eyes swivelled to Jupiter and she flinched. The fingers of her right hand began to rub her left upper arm. “And, no, I won’t be riding today. Or tomorrow.”

“You’ll be here with your friend, won’t you?”

She nodded. “Yes, I’ll bring her at nine, but I don’t need riding lessons, thank you. It’s been lovely to meet you all, but I need to be going now, so I’ll see you in the morning, unless you aren’t here, Dan and Ellie, but in that case I’ll see you some other time.”

She practically ran out of the stables.

“I like her,” Ellie declared, almost before Honey was out of hearing. “I think she’ll be fun. Her friends sound like fun, too.”

“You’re only saying that because she understands you when you talk.”

“You’re only saying that because she thought we were twins.”

“How about if you quit arguing and finish the cleaning?” Bill asked them. “There’s supposed to be a good hamburger place in town. My treat tonight, if that wall gets clean.”

“It’s not worth it,” Dan snapped, heading for the door.

“Is this a bad time?” another voice asked, as a redhead entered. “I’m Jim Frayne. I thought I’d come and say hello and welcome.”

Regan made the introductions, trying to hint to Dan that he should act politely. His nephew remained silent and sullen.

“Is there a horse that needs exercising?” Jim asked. “I usually ride Jupe, but if Dad rode him already, I’m not fussy.”

“Jupiter wouldn’t object to another run,” Regan answered.

“Anyone want to come with me?”

Ellie waved behind herself. “I’ve got a wall to clean.”

Bill cleared his throat. “I’m bribing them with hamburgers and shakes.”

“From Wimpy’s?” Jim grinned. “Sounds like a good bribe.”

“But Dan can go with you,” Ellie continued. “I don’t mind.”

The siblings shared a long look, then Dan muttered, “Thanks,” and asked, “Which horse, Uncle Bill?”

“Starlight,” he answered, setting about readying the mounts, with Dan and Jim’s help.

“That was generous of you, Ellie,” Bill noted, once they’d gone.

She didn’t stop scrubbing. “Not exactly. I don’t want him in any more trouble. And for that, he needs better friends.”

Bill nodded, in total agreement.

That evening, Bill toured the stables and inspected the progress. He’d sent Ellie home long ago. He’d finished the bookwork and ordering. Thanks to their teamwork, his charges would spend the night in cleaner conditions. He patted each of the five horses in turn, closed the door behind himself and set off for Ten Acres.

The snow crunched under his boots, but the well-worn path was easy to follow, even in the gloom. He whistled a little, thinking about his new situation. His family were only a short walk away. He had a cosy room above the garage, sharing a bathroom and living area with the chauffeur. If Tom’s designs on one of the pretty maids met success, he might move out and give Bill more space.

The peace of his walk ended at the door of the mansion on the opposite hill.

“Uncle Bill,” Ellie greeted, drawing him inside. “Can we go right away? I’m starving.”

Across the room, Dan made a derisive noise.

“Aren’t you looking forward to hamburgers, Dan?” Bill asked.

A brief look of confusion crossed his nephew’s face, replaced by indifference. “I didn’t think I was invited. I walked out, remember?”

“But you worked before that,” Ellie added. “And the wall is clean.”

“She’s right.” Bill looked around. “Where’s your grandmother?”

Ellie’s face fell. “Her pain’s pretty bad. She went to lie down.”

Nodding to acknowledge the information, Bill strode through the house to his mother’s room. Tapping on the door and hearing her greeting, he went inside.

“I’ll be fine,” she told him, before he’d said a word. “I’m lucky to be alive; remember that. If I’d been standing a few inches to the left the day the boat sank, I’d have been hit on the head instead of the shoulder and I’d have drowned. A bad back is a small price to pay for an extra eighteen years and counting on this earth. And what would have happened to you and Deirdre then, with your father already gone?”

Bill shook his head, knowing that there was no answer to that.

“Help an old woman up,” she urged and he crossed the room to comply.

“You’re not that old, Ma.”

She grimaced as she got to her feet. “Right now, I feel about a hundred. But let’s get these kids some food.”

They locked up the house and Moira Regan handed her son the car keys. Bill frowned and tried to give them back, but seeing her firm expression, sighed in resignation.

“You boys get in the front,” his mother directed.

Still grumbling under his breath, Bill started the engine and gritted his teeth. In the back seat, a lively conversation started.

“Why did you even bring me?” Dan muttered, as Bill tried to guide the vehicle down the narrow drive. “You could have just left me at home.”

“I’m not trying to make things more difficult. And you really did help me.” Bill shot a glance at the teenager. “This is supposed to be a new start for all of us; a chance to make things better.”

“What if I didn’t want a new start?” Dan asked, his defiant mask cracking enough to show a hint of pain underneath.

“None of us really had a choice,” Bill answered, after a pause. “Your grandmother can’t work any more and I couldn’t support all of us. This job pays more and the overheads are less.”

“That’s the truth?” the boy accused. “You’re telling me it’s not because of me?”

The road took a sudden turn and Bill hesitated while he concentrated on staying on it. “Even if it was just Ma, Ellie and me, I still couldn’t support us.”

“I meant my getting expelled from school.”

“It was the last straw,” Bill admitted, at length. “But we were going broke anyway. Something had to give.” He went on before Dan could answer. “And I’m hoping you’ll like it here.”

“I don’t get a choice, do I?”

Bill laughed. “Like it, or don’t like it; that’s your decision. But this is where we live, now.”

The next morning, Bill saddled Susie and Lady, ready for Trixie and Honey’s arrival. He heard their voices before he saw them, one full of excitement and the other subdued.

“Good morning, Mr. Regan,” Honey greeted. “This is my friend, Trixie.”

Trixie greeted him politely, but her eyes strayed to the horses. Bill liked her immediately.

“You’ll take Susie,” he told her. “And Miss Honey can take Lady.”

“You don’t need to call me ‘Miss’,” Honey objected. “And I thought I said I wasn’t riding?”

“Well, I thought I’d told you not to call me ‘Mister’.” His voice softened. “I think it will be helpful to Trixie if she has a companion.”

Honey gazed at Lady with trepidation. Regan turned and instructed Trixie on mounting. When he looked back at Honey, she was absently rubbing her upper arm again.

“It’s Lady,” he assured her. “She’s one of the most gentle horses I’ve ever known. And Jupiter is safely locked up.”

“It could still happen again,” Honey whispered. “A mouse could startle Jupe and he could knock me off Strawberry and nearly trample me to death and there’s nothing I could do about it.”

A shadow crossed Bill’s face. “I’ve gotten rid of all the mouse nests. And I would never leave Jupiter – or any other horse – untethered like that.”

“I still have the bruise from where his hoof scraped me.” Honey rubbed at her arm again. “He was so close to squashing me.”

Bill looked over his shoulder to where Trixie waited. “It takes some courage to get back in the saddle after a fall, but if you do it, you can ride with your friend.”

Honey looked over at Trixie, then Bill saw her draw a calming breath. She put her foot in the stirrup and swung into the saddle. He saw the fear in her eyes, but also the triumph of having conquered it.

The two girls rode into the paddock and Bill closed the gate behind them. The lesson began. Soon, he heard a noise behind himself. Turning, he saw a group of teens watching – Jim, Dan, Ellie, plus two more boys and a girl. Dan was deep in conversation with a blond boy who looked just like Trixie.

“That’s my almost-twin brother, Mart,” Trixie supplied, without prompting. “I think he’s the same age as Dan.”

Hope bloomed in Bill’s heart. This could be exactly the new beginning they needed.

The End

(But there’s a companion piece; see link below in notes.)

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