Destiny and Stardust Read online

  “Thanks,” Issie said.

  “How much longer are you going to have that sling for anyway?”

  “The doctor said maybe a week or so. It’s starting to feel better already.” She gave her wrist a wiggle.

  When Issie emerged again from the tack room with Blaze’s feed the mare was rugged up and ready for her.

  “I’m going to check on Coco. I’ll meet you back at the car,” Stella told Issie, leaving her alone with her pony.

  Blaze shoved her head eagerly into the feed bucket, then lifted it up again and gave a happy nicker across the paddock, calling out to Coco and Toby.

  “It’s good to be home again, huh, girl?” Issie said.

  She was just waiting for Blaze to chew up the last remnants of her chaff and pony nuts when she saw a rider striding towards her from the clubrooms. Even at a distance she recognised the stiff blonde plaits and haughty manner immediately.

  “Hello, Natasha,” Issie sighed as the rider approached her.

  “Isadora! I thought it was you,” Natasha said icily. “Mummy just brought me to the club to pick up my hard hat. I left it behind at training. And here you are! Well, I must say I’m so glad you’re back!”

  “Really?” Issie looked at her.

  “Yes. I wanted you to be the first to congratulate me on my win,” Natasha smirked.

  “What?” Issie was confused.

  “The summer dressage series. I completely won it. Fabergé and I annihilated the competition. Nobody else stood a chance!” Natasha’s smirk had spread from ear to ear now. “Of course I know that technically you didn’t compete because you weren’t here, but I can tell you that Fabby was pretty unbeatable. I’m sure that we would have won anyway, even if you had been riding. So that makes us the best in the whole club. Anyway,” Natasha looked over at the Range Rover where Stella and Kate were staring at her through the windows, “I see you’re all back. How was your holiday? Did anything interesting happen?”

  Issie looked back at Stella and Kate, who were now pulling faces at Natasha and mouthing at Issie to hurry up.

  “Nope,” Issie said with a grin on her face. “I mean, what can I say that could possibly beat your story, Natasha? Wow, huh? Good for you! It sounds like you’ve had quite the exciting time. I’d love to hear more about it, but I need to put Blaze in her paddock and get home now. It’s been a long day.”

  Issie tried to suppress her giggles as she turned away from Natasha and led Blaze through the paddock gate. She didn’t need to tell Stuck-up Tucker about what had happened. Natasha would no doubt hear all about it at the pony club soon enough.

  Issie slipped the halter off Blaze’s head and watched as the mare trotted off happily to join Coco and Toby. It was hard to believe that her pony was going to have a foal.

  “I hope it’s a girl. She’ll be beautiful, Blaze – just like you,” Issie said.

  As Avery leant on the horn of the Range Rover, telling her to hurry up, Issie paused and took another look around the familiar fields of the Chevalier Point Pony Club. It was good to be home.

  The Pony Club Secrets series:

  1. Mystic and the Midnight Ride

  2. Blaze and the Dark Rider

  3. Destiny and the Wild Horses

  4. Stardust and the Daredevil Ponies

  5. Comet and the Champion’s Cup

  6. Storm and the Silver Bridle

  7. Fortune and the Golden Trophy

  8. Victory and the All-Stars Academy

  9. Flame and the Rebel Riders

  10. Angel and the Flying Stallions

  11. Liberty and the Dream Ride

  Also available…

  Issie and the Christmas Pony (Christmas special)

  Copyright

  www.stacygregg.co.uk

  Destiny and the Wild Horses first published in paperback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2008. Stardust and the Daredevil Ponies first published in paperback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2008. First published as a two-in-one edition as Destiny and Stardust in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2010.

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  PONY CLUB SECRETS—DESTINY AND STARDUST. Text copyright © Stacy Gregg 2008.

  Stacy Gregg asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.

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