and knowing. An ideal children’s horse.
‘No.’ Niall hesitated as though unsure of his ground. ‘Look, there may be nothing wrong but the family’s worried and I don’t like the look of her. Matilda bucked Sam off and then kicked him while he was down. She seems almost wild-and they all tell me she’s never like this. I wondered if it’d be worth you having a look.’
‘I’ll come.’
Matilda bucking? Jess frowned. There had to be something wrong. Despite the distraction of Niall’s voice, her mind started racing. ‘Tell the Benns I’ll be there in ten minutes.’
‘I’ll wait,’ Niall told her. ‘I’m interested.’
‘There’s no need.’
‘No.’ She could hear the smile on the other end of the phone and Jess flushed. ‘I know there’s no need. But we’re medical partners, after all, and you might want a hand. I’m staying.’
‘I don’t need a hand.’
‘You’ve got one whether you like it or not,’ he said bluntly. ‘I’m staying.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
THEY were all waiting for Jess when she arrived.
She saw them as she rounded the last bend in the road and her nervousness lifted.
What a reception committee!
The road gate was a steel swing-gate and Jess could count eight heads over the gate. Ray Benn. Five assorted little Benns. Paige. And Niall.
Ray and Niall were chewing grass straws-as though Niall was country-bred and not a London doctor, for heaven’s sake-and indulging in slow country talk and the kids were avidly waiting for Jess.
The gate was swung open before she arrived and Jess pulled up, laughing.
It was almost enough to let her forget her nervousness-to forget what the sight of Niall Mountmarche did to her.
Almost.
‘It must be a heavy gate,’ she smiled as the children all pushed the gate closed and Paige emerged from the throng of children to claim Jess as her own.
The child seemed happy in this crowd of strangers-and Jess had to remind herself that this would be what Paige was accustomed to. Strangers were familiar.
It was family that was strange to Paige. The child was learning only slowly what having her own people meant. Having a parent who was prepared to face his responsibilities…
‘We’re really worried about the horse,’ Paige told Jess importantly. ‘And I told everyone you’d know what to do.’
Jess ruffled the child’s hair in affection, carefully avoiding Niall’s eyes in the process, and turned to Ray Benn.
‘What’s the problem, Ray?’
The fisherman shook his head.
‘That’s more than I can tell you, Jess,’ he said heavily. ‘The horse seemed out of sorts this morning when we loaded her in the float. Took me fifteen minutes to get her into the box and normally she comes in like a lamb. I couldn’t figure out what was what. If Sam hadn’t been so keen to ride-he’s been practising for months-I would have given up and left her at home.
‘Didn’t do us any good, anyway. She was hopeless in the ring. Didn’t do a thing Sam wanted and they’re normally a great little pair. Then, as they finished the event, danged if Matilda didn’t just up and throw Sam off-and then kick out at anyone who came near.’ He scratched his head. ‘She’s never done such a thing before.’
‘Has anything happened to her over the last few days? Anything to give her a shock?’ A horse sometimes reacted to a fright by being extra-sensitive for a few days afterwards.
‘No. Nothing. I tell you, Jess, she’s never been like this and we’ve had her ten years. I thought she must be coming down with something and asked the doc to have a look after he’d fixed Sam’s knee.’
Jess did meet Niall’s eyes then and a smile flashed between them.
How many times had Jess been confronted with this? Because she was a vet she was expected to know general medicine. So, while she was here, could she just have a look at Tommy’s rash or Mary’s sore throat-or even, once, Grandpa’s piles! It seemed, then, that for doctors it was the same. While you’re treating Sam’s knee could you just have a quick look at our horse…
‘And can’t Dr Mountmarche diagnose the trouble?’ she asked demurely and got a wicked look from Niall for her pains.
‘The doc said we ought to ring you,’ the fisherman told her. ‘I dunno, though, Jess. It was worth asking him. You can claim a doctor’s visit on the health fund and you can’t claim for a vet.’
Jess stifled a smile and grabbed her bag from the back seat of her car. The Benns weren’t a wealthy family. Ray Benn had worked as a fisherman’s hand until he was in his thirties and it was only by scraping and saving every cent that he was able to buy his own boat and this little plot of land to raise his family.
‘Let’s have a look at her, then,’ she said and they set off-the whole entourage.
‘Feel like the Pied Piper?’ Niall laughed into her ear and Jess grinned back.
It was exactly how she did feel.
The laughter died when she saw Matilda.
Ray had put the horse in a small paddock beside the house. The old brown mare stood backed into a corner, ears stiffly upright, nostrils flared and her eyes wide with flight. She looked almost haunted.
Jess took a deep breath.
‘Can you take the children inside?’ she asked Ray. ‘She’s obviously nervous-and I prefer to examine her alone.’
A horse like this was unpredictable-even dangerous. She didn’t need an audience.
‘I dunno…’ Ray said doubtfully. ‘Do you reckon you’ll be right on your own?’ He looked at the crowd of children. ‘The missus is out with the water truck-she says it’s easier to cart water than to look after this many kids-or I’d send ‘em all in to her and help but…’
‘I’ll assist Dr Harvey,’ Niall assured him. One small boy had just been edged off his place on the fence by his big sister and the early signs of World War Three were obvious. The horse was visibly flinching at the noise.
‘I can manage…’ Jess protested-but not too hard. There was something badly wrong here and she wouldn’t mind some back-up. Even Niall…
‘I’ll stay,’ Niall said firmly. ‘If you remember, Dr Harvey, I was first medico called in. You’re just here in a consultant capacity.’
It took time to get near the frightened horse and by the time she did Jess was really worried.
This was no mere fright.
Under firm instructions, Niall stayed where he was.
‘She’s scared stiff,’ Jess told him. ‘I don’t need anyone…’
‘And if she kicks?’
‘Then I might need someone,’ Jess acknowledged with a rueful smile. ‘So stay where you are and wait. If you’re lucky you might have a case to care for as I go down to a hoof. If I’m lucky you won’t.’
‘Good luck, then,’ he smiled and his heart-stopping smile was a caress. ‘You be lucky. I hope I’m not’
Niall Mountmarche folded his arms in a gesture that Jess was beginning to know, leaned back against the fence and watched.
Jess tried to block out his presence. Tried and failed.
The fact that she found his presence reassuring was almost infuriating.
Concentrate on the horse.
‘OK, Matilda…’ She spoke gently to the mare and
watched the nostrils flare. ‘OK…’
One step at a time…
