Chapter 152.
The new stable block had been built parallel with the old one but about forty metres behind it, on what had once been waste land. So when you walked up the path from the car park towards the main buildings, it was the first line you came to, stretching away on your right, and only then would you come to the old block facing the exercise field. The two lines of stabling were separated by a new dirt track running between them, which would eventually be extended to join the other track leading out into the forest and the open countryside. The new stables were being built in two sections, the upper section nearest the car park being the more common modern design like a long shed with about fifteen boxes on either side, which made it much more efficient for mucking out and cleaning. All the livery horses would be stabled there. Beyond that there was a row of ten old-fashioned individual boxes, built mostly of timber, for the permanent residents. But what interested Nicole was the very last one, larger than the rest, its doors painted a canary yellow.
“Oh, look – they’ve started painting it! The outside, at any rate, ” said Nicole, mending her pace.
“Is that going to be Bobby’s?” asked Kaiya.
“That’s it. I can see it’s already attracting some interest…”
They found half a dozen girls hanging around the new building, chattering excitedly. Two of them in particular, both in smart red boots, seemed to know something about its purpose.
“No, it really is!”
“Melanie, I don’t think so…”
“I’m telling you! I heard Miss Poole talking to Jasmine. It’ll be a proper boot parlour, with a trained boot-cleaner guy whose job it will be to clean everyone’s boots!”
“Yeah? What so any time I want a boot job I just come along? If that were true he’d be rushed off his feet, for one thing. ‘Specially when it’s muddy. And it’s free?”
“Oh, no… I don’t think so…”
“There you are, then, Kath. Even if it’s true what you say, it’s not gonna help us, is it?”
Nicole approached the pair.
“Excuse me interrupting, girls… I'm on the committee, so I do know something about this. Shall I tell you?”
“Yes…please do. There are all sorts of rumours…”
“Well, you’re right…Kathy, is it? Kathy nodded. “It is going to be a dedicated boot parlour, run by a really nice guy called Bobby. He’ll be full-time, and he’s fully trained in the art of cleaning, polishing and preserving all types of riding boots. Now don’t quote me on this, but I believe that, though most people will have to pay for the service – there’s be a scale of charges depending on the amount of work involved – from what I’ve heard it may be that for one hour or so every day he’ll work for free for the staff and any regular customers or those that help out. So it may be that you will be able to avail yourself of his services…”
“Really? Great! We both ride here two or three times a week! We have our own ponies, and we both help out on Sundays as well! Imagine!”
“Wow…” said Melanie. “That’s amazing… This Bobby… What’s he like?”
“You’ll love him,” piped up Barbara. “He’s a friend of ours. He’s cool. Wait till you see him.”
“Yeah,” smiled Kaiya. “He’s cute. And he’ll have a special uniform, too, which I guarantee you’ll approve of.”
“Uniform?”
“Ah, sorry, girls,” put in Nicole, quickly. “That will have to be a surprise. In any case, it’s not really finalised yet. Barbara? Before we go in, would you care to take a couple of snaps for me to show Lavinia?”
“Certainly miss,” said Barbara.
Nicole turned to the girls in red boots. “Tell you what, since you’re so interested, why don’t I see if I can arrange for you to have a free trial when Bobby starts work? You could be his first customers, and it would be a good test run for him. What do you think?”
“Could you? That would be amazing!” exclaimed Melanie.
“I’m sure I can arrange it. I’m Nicole, by the way, and this is Barbara and Kaiya, who have just enrolled. So you’ll be seeing more of us from now on. Barbara, take a piccy of the girls standing by the yellow doors, would you? I’ll send it to Bobby so he’ll know what his first job will be.”
The girls composed themselves and did their best to look the serious professional horsewomen they were.
“Okay,” said Barbara. Just look straight ahead… That’s it… There, done.”
“Great!” said Nicole, “By the way, I hope you’ll be able to wear those lovely red boots for him. I seem to remember Bobby has a bit of a thing about red boots…”
The girls smiled and nodded vigorously. “No problem, miss”.
“Okay. Give Barbara your numbers so we can let you know when he’s ready to start. Barbara, could you send them the photo? Oh, and it looks as if some of the other girls want to have their photo taken too…”
Topic: His Aunt Nicole (Read 43016 times)
