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have a real bond, anyone can see that, and it would mean you’d have your own horse for now but not one that would take up riding time. I reckon Len’s going to sell her soon; he only bought her because he wanted her mother. So why not do it?”
    Ellie’s head spun. The thought of buying the foal filled her with delight partly because it was such a mad, unexpected idea! But why not? Her parents had left her money in their will. Her grandma was one of the people in charge of it, but she’d always said that Ellie could have money for anything reasonable—she’d let her buy Spirit. Surely she’d let her buy a foal. And Ellie hated the thought of Hope being sold on. “I could, couldn’t I?”
    “Yeah!” Luke grinned at her, seeming to have forgotten all the earlier tension. “Go for it, girl!”
    “OK, I will!” Ellie declared. “ I’ll ask Uncle Len when we get back!”
    The yard was bustling when Ellie and Luke returned. Sasha and Helen were grooming while Stuart swept the yard. Horses looked over the loose-box doors around the courtyard, their coats gleaming, ears pricked. Carey and Melissa were riding their horses in the schooling ring.
    Ellie washed Picasso down, then put him in his stable to dry off. She went to the office to see if her uncle was there. As she approached, she hesitated. If she planned to ask about buying the foal, she wanted to catch him in a good mood and he certainly hadn’t been in one that morning. But just then the office door opened and Len came out, smiling.
    “Hey, Stu,” he called across the yard. “I’ve just had a phone call from Jeff Hallett. Get the box next to Starlight ready. A new horse is coming this afternoon.”
    “What horse?” Stuart asked.
    “Jeff’s bought a new hack for his daughter. It’s a youngster. Anna wanted a baby to bring on next season. It’s just been backed apparently. A gelding, 15.1 hands high. Sired by Golden Glory.”
    Stuart gave an appreciative nod. Golden Glory had been a champion hack who had won at the Horse of the Year show. “Sounds interesting.”
    “It’s arriving later and Anna’s coming for a lesson on Lucifer beforehand. Will you get him ready?”
    “I’ll do it,” Ellie offered.
    Lucifer was a beautiful but difficult horse that Luke rode in the hack classes when Anna Hallett couldn’t. The horse had a troubled past, but he trusted Ellie. It was very important he did well in shows. Jeff Hallett owned the horse-food company that sponsored Len, providing free food for all the horses on the yard.
    Len nodded. “Make sure he’s groomed up really well, lass.”
    “Sure. Uncle Len, can I ask you something first?” Ellie looked at her uncle’s face. For once he looked almost jovial. “You know Hope—the foal. What are you planning to do with her?” She held her breath.
    “I’ll sell her on. Why?”
    “Well …” Ellie looked at him hopefully. “If Gran will let me, could I buy her from you?”
    “You?”
    Ellie nodded.
    “Why would you want a foal?”
    To love, to care for, to be mine … Ellie knew she couldn’t say that to him. “To bring on. I’ll work with her. Back her when she’s old enough. Sell her on in the end.” She had no intention of selling the foal, but she knew she needed to speak a language her uncle understood.
    “So you want to see if you can make some money from her?”
    Ellie nodded.
    “All right.” Len nodded approvingly. “It’s a good attitude. You can buy her. See what you can do with her. We’ll do the same deal as we had with that gray you picked up at the sale. You can have her feed and stabling for free in return for the work you do for me.”
    He walked back into the office. Ellie stood, rooted to the spot for a moment as it slowly dawned on her that this wasn’t just a mad plan any more—she was actually buying Hope if her grandma agreed. She couldn’t wait to tell Spirit! It would be just like having him on the yard all over again. Her own horse there to love, who would