Showjumpers. Stacy Gregg

packed. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

      It didn’t take Georgie long to throw her things in a bag. Once she was ready, she went back downstairs and told Frances she was leaving. She couldn’t wait to get out of this place. But there was one final goodbye that she had to say before she went.

      “Belvedere,” Georgie cooed as she unbolted the door of the gelding’s stall and stepped inside. “I’ve got something for you.”

      At the sound of Georgie’s voice, Belvedere came closer. Georgie reached out her hand and the big brown hunter spied a carrot in the outstretched palm. He stepped forward and used his soft lips to nuzzle the treat from her, crunching the carrot with his enormous jaws.

      “Thank you for being such a super horse,” Georgie told him, patting his broad muzzle before slipping back out the stable door. “Bye, Belvedere,” she said sadly. “You were the nicest of all of them.”

      As she walked through the gardens towards the house, Georgie half hoped that she might see a car in the driveway, but no one was here to collect her yet. Instead, she saw Kennedy standing on the steps to the front door with Arden and Tori. They were holding racquets and waiting for Tori to do up the laces on her tennis shoes.

      “We’re going down to the courts,” Kennedy told Georgie. “We’d have asked you to come – except we didn’t.”

      “That’s OK, Kennedy,” Georgie replied. “I’m leaving in a minute anyway.”

      Kennedy looked taken aback. “What do you mean?”

      At that moment there was the low rumble of a lorry engine and heavy wheels crushing the pebbles on the driveway. Then the deep honk of a horn sounded as the Duprees’ horse transporter pulled into view.

      “Georgie!” Alice was waving frantically out of the passenger window as her big sister Kendal swung the wheel of the massive lorry to turn it around the fountain.

      “I’d love to stay and chat,” Georgie said, amused by the look of total shock on the showjumperettes’ faces, “but my ride is here.”

      She looked over at Alice, who was beaming as she swung open the door. Georgie threw her bag in and climbed onboard. “See you back at Blainford,” Georgie said, slamming the door. She squeezed in next to Alice, doing up her seatbelt as Kendal put the lorry into gear.

      “Go round the fountain once more!” Alice begged her sister. Kendal’s skinny arms swung the wheel hard as she did a 360-degree turn to circle the fountain for a second time while Georgie and Alice raised their hands to the window and pretended to wave like the Queen as they bid the stunned showjumperettes goodbye.