The Prize. Stacy Gregg

who I am, Riley.”

      “I get that,” Riley said. “I guess I was hoping you’d be able to help me out over the next few weeks with Marco’s training.”

      “I’ll try,” Georgie said, “but this apprenticeship is really important.”

      “So the Firecracker isn’t important?” Riley frowned. “It’s a $232,000 race. I think it’s a bit more important than impressing some showjumping guy.”

      Georgie felt herself getting flustered. She took a deep breath. “Listen, can we not get into a fight about this?”

      Riley didn’t say anything. He cast a surly glance at his watch. “It’s almost six thirty. I’ll mix Marco’s feed and then we’ll go.”

      The drive back to Blainford was tense and silent. But eventually, as they got closer to the school, Riley’s mood seemed to thaw a little.

      “So, anyway,” Riley said, as he pulled up outside Badminton House to let her out. “I could really do with someone for Marco to race against. I was thinking that maybe you could come out again with me and ride Talisman?”

      “When?” Georgie asked.

      “Monday? Pick you up after dinner? We can give them an evening workout under the lights.”

      Georgie was going to be crazy busy on Monday. It was their first day of the apprenticeships and she had Belle to look after and schoolwork too, but after the conversation she’d just had, she didn’t really see how she could say no to Riley.

      “OK,” she smiled and kissed Riley goodbye. “See you then.”

      At midday on Monday Alice and Georgie were waiting in front of the red Georgian brick buildings of the Academy for the minibus to take them to their apprenticeships.

      “I can’t believe I’ve got stuck with dressage,” Alice groaned.

      “I can’t believe I got stuck with Kennedy,” Georgie said as she watched the showjumperettes approaching.

      Georgie noticed that Kennedy Kirkwood had somehow managed to substitute a pair of expensive navy Animo breeches with Swarovski crystals on the pockets for her regulation jods. She wore her glossy red hair loose and flowing over her shoulders as well – not very practical when she was about to spend the afternoon mucking out Dominic Blackwell’s stables.

      As the minibus pulled up in front of the school buildings, Kennedy tried to push her way past Georgie and Alice.

      “What’s the hurry, Kennedy?” Alice said. “There’s no first-class section on a minibus. You’ll have to sit in economy with the rest of us.”

      There was a titter from the crowd of eventers waiting to get onboard. Kennedy shot the girls a filthy look.

      “Tell your sidekick to watch her mouth or she’ll end up on Fatigues with you,” Kennedy told Georgie.

      “You can’t give Fatigues. You’re not a prefect, Kennedy,” Georgie glared at her.

      “Her boyfriend is!” Arden, ever the lapdog, leapt to Kennedy’s defence.

      Kennedy stepped past Georgie to take up position at the front of the queue. “Just because Tara has stuck us together doesn’t mean I have to be nice to you,” she sniped.

      “Trust me,” Georgie said, “that never occurred to me.”

      Kennedy and Arden took their seats at the back and Georgie stopped by the driver’s seat to talk to Kenny.