Chapter 144.
Emboldened by their success, the girls insisted on another game. Bobby, humiliated by his trouncing in the first one, convinced himself that it must have been an aberration. It was impossible a mere bunch of kids could have beaten him fair and square in a computer game. “It was that second dog,” he thought, “the one I called Old Mangy. He kept going the wrong way. This time I’ll use him to guard the big paddock…”
But in the second game he lost again. He did do better, scoring forty-nine points, but it was Mélisande who triumphed. It was difficult to think of something that could beat the previous forfeit, but after conferring for some time, Mélisande was heard to say. “I know!”. A whispered conversation was followed by a burst of giggling, then Amelia announced:
“Bobby’s going to be our pony and give each of us a ride round the garden! It was Mellie’s idea!”
The women burst out laughing.
“What a good idea, darling!” cried Clarissa. “How did you think of that?”
Bobby glared at MĂ©lisande, and blushed with anger and embarrassment. That was just a little too close to the truth. He even had a momentary panic that she meant to go and get his pony suit.
“Poor Bobby!” laughed Natasha. “What about his hands and knees?”
“Oh, I can sort that,” said Clarissa. “I’ve got some old leather gloves that’ll fit him, and for his knees… I know, we can attach sponges to his knees with duct tape! What about that, Bobby?”
“Pity you don’t have a little saddle, too!” joked Bethany.
“Yes, Beth… Hey, wait a minute! Mélisande darling…didn’t you once have a miniature saddle? I bought it for you when you had your first pony.”
Mélisande caught on quickly. “Oh…yes, mummy, you’re right. I think it must be in the box room… No, I know! It’s in the old cupboard in the loose box! I saw it the other day. It even has stirrups! Shall I go and get it?”
“Yes, get it. I wonder if it might fit Bobby… You never know!”
Bobby was furious. He had been completely stitched up. But there was nothing he could do.
MĂ©lisande disappeared, and returned a couple of minutes later carrying Bobby's saddle, from which dangled the girths and the stirrups, her hard hat, and her riding whip.
“Magic!” laughed Clarissa. “Bobby? Ready to be saddled? Let’s see if it fits. Mellie darling, could you bring me a hand-towel from the airing cupboard to use as saddle pad? Bobby, go down on all fours, please… Thank you…”
“I wonder…” said Bobby, as sarcastically as he could.
“Here, mummy…”
On went the towel, and then the little saddle.
“Well, well! Just look at that! A perfect fit!”
“That’s amazing,” exclaimed Bethany. “It could have been made for him!”
“Yes, it could!” agreed Clarissa, tightening the girth buckle . “And I would say the stirrup leathers are about the right length, yes, Mellie?”
“Yes, mummy. Perfect.”
“What a pity we don’t have a little bridle and bit for him. Never mind. Girls, you’ve both ridden a little, haven’t you? How do you turn a horse without using reins?”
“You can kick him on the side you want him to go…” suggested Charlotte.
“Amelia?”
“I would use the whip…and pull on his mane…”
“Yes. Good. You can borrow Mellie’s whip and hat, and we’ll take off his cap so you can hold onto his hair.” She flicked if off and tossed it aside. “Now, I’ll get the gloves. Mellie, could you find two sponges – there’s a pack of new ones in the kitchen cupboard, and the tape’s in the drawer.”
It didn’t take long. Clarissa taped the sponges to his knees, then as an afterthought folded his calves up and taped his ankles to his thighs, as if he were in his pony suit.
“There – we don’t want your nice trainers to get dirty, do we?”
She gave him the gloves to put on, and taped them tightly to his wrists. With a final check of the girths, she borrowed Mélisande’s whip and gave him a gentle slap on the side of his buttock.
“Go on, pony – outside please.”
Cheeks burning, he clambered over the base of the French windows and onto the patio. Another couple of slaps and he was on the grass. Charlotte and Amelia, clapping their hands with delight, danced along beside him.
“Right. Who’s going first?”
“Me, please!” cried Amelia, putting up her hand as if she were in class.
“Right. Get mounted then. That’s right…”
Everyone was outside now, laughing. Amelia climbed astride him, Clarissa helped her get her feet in the stirrups and put on the hard hat. For Bobby, used to carrying the heavier Mélisande in all her riding gear, Amelia felt like a feather. It was odd having his arms free, and no hooves, and the sponges were an irritation, but there were no real physical problems. No, it was just the humiliation, like that first time at Pitt’s Wood when they were auditioning for his rider. In his anonymous latex pony suit and mask, with Mellie on his back, with all the training he had undergone, he felt, well, almost a sense of pride in what they had achieved. This…this was the pits. He had to pretend it was a novelty. He couldn’t appear too natural, like it was something he did regularly, in case he aroused the mothers’ suspicions.
MĂ©lisande, smirking with delight, took the whip from her mother and handed it to Amelia. She gave Bobby a pat on the head.
“Good pony – give Amelia a nice ride, won’t you?” And to Amelia, “See how fast he can go, Amelia. Keep slapping him if he slows down. That’s how you have to treat untrained ponies. Here, on the side of his bum. You can hit him quite hard – he won’t feel much through the rubber.”
Bobby glared at her – what a bitch she could be when she wanted! – and was about to make a sarcastic retort when Amelia grabbed a handful of hair, and Mélisande’s whip connected with his bottom. She had taken her friend at her word. But the fine latex of his pants was nothing like his heavy suit, and it really hurt.
“Oww! Stop it!”
Everyone went into fits of laughter, and Amelia, taking that as a vote of approval, gave him another one which sent him scurrying down the lawn.
Amelia didn’t spare the whip, and they arrived back at the patio to a round of applause, her face glowing with excitement and Bobby’s red with anger and exertion. She had only hit him on his right side, and he was uncomfortably sore.
“Am I a good rider, mummy?”
“Darling,” cooed Natasha, giving her a cuddle, “you’re a natural. I suppose I’ll have to start giving you riding lessons again.”
“Yes…please, mummy…”
“She can practise on Bobby for free,” laughed Clarissa.
Natasha bent down and ruffled his hair. “Bobby, you’re such a good sport! No wonder the girls love you! You don’t mind giving her another circuit, do you? I’d love to get a video of you both in action.”
“No, I’m sure he’d be delighted,” smiled Clarissa. “Wouldn’t you, Bobby?”