LITMIR.BIZ

      The next morning after breakfast the two friends asked Lisbeth whether they could go riding. She agreed on the condition that she and Bonny accompany them.

      The three horse lovers dressed in their riding outfits including helmets and made their way to the stables. Peter Bryant was mucking out the stalls.

      ‘Good morning, Mr Bryant. We’d like to take the ponies out for a ride. Would you be good enough to help the girl’s saddle up?’

      ‘Certainly, ma’am.’

      Bryant led Princess out first. When she was saddled he tied her to a post and then fetched Star. She was a little jittery and difficult to saddle up. Megan went over and stroked the pony’s neck and nose. Star responded, calming down.

      Once the three horses were saddled Mr Bryant assisted the two girls to mount their ponies, and Lisbeth led them out on Bonnie. She decided to take the trail which ran down by the river – it was a relatively easy ride.

      Apparently, Princess resented Star being on her turf and she attempted to bite the other horse anytime Megan tried to ride side by side with Lara. Lisbeth suggested they ride single file to alleviate the problem. They were riding through a wooded section when Megan moved too close to Lara and Princess. The pony kicked Star in the chest with both hooves causing Megan’s mount to rear up. Megan lost her balance, falling off the pony. She was wearing her riding helmet but she hit her neck on a tree stump. Lisbeth dismounted immediately as did Lara: Megan was unconscious. Lisbeth checked her neck for a pulse. There was one albeit very faint.

      ‘Lara, you stay here with Megan just stroke her hair and keep talking to her. I’m going to ride back to the house and get help.’

      ‘Don’t be long.’

      ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

      Lisbeth mounted Bonnie, riding as fast as she dared along the track. She arrived at Westmoreland hoping she would find Peter. He was working in the front garden.

      ‘Peter! Quick! Get the Land Rover. Megan’s had a fall and needs to get to the hospital as soon as possible.’

      ‘My God.’

      They ran to the machinery shed and leapt into the Land Rover driving as fast as he could over the uneven terrain. Eventually they reached the two girls. Lara had her friend’s head in her lap, stroking her head and crying, pleading for Megan to wake up.

      ‘Lara we need to get Megan to the hospital quickly let me take her. You sit in the backseat,’ Lisbeth instructed.

      ‘I’ll tether the horses and return later to bring them back to the stable,’ said Peter.

      Peter drove back to Westmoreland and then onto the recently opened Musgrove Park Hospital five miles away. On arrival, Lisbeth carried the still unconscious girl into the emergency ward. A doctor took her immediately, however, it was too late – Megan had died on the journey to the hospital. She was classified as ‘Dead On Arrival.’

      The doctor who made the pronouncement listed her cause of death as a vertebral artery dissection that led to a subarachnoid haemorrhage.

      Lisbeth sat next to Lara in the emergency waiting room put her arm around the little girl and whispered in her ear that her best friend had gone to heaven.

      Lara’s reaction was unexpected she got up and yelled.

      ‘It isn’t fair!’

      She ran from the emergency room. Fortunately, Peter was having a cigarette outside on the footpath. He called out to her. She stopped and lay down on the nature strip, crying. Lisbeth appeared and again lay down beside her grieving charge trying to console the little girl. Lisbeth couldn’t care less that they were outside a busy hospital – Lara was her main concern.

      Lisbeth and Peter managed to convince the grieving girl that they should go home. They drove the five miles listening to Lara sob – it was gut wrenching.

      When they arrived, Lisbeth took Lara into the kitchen to make her chamomile tea. This scenario was becoming all too familiar; surely this was enough grief for a little girl to bear.

      Peter returned to the scene of the accident with a horse-float loading the two ponies together; this could be a problem, he thought, but they were behaved. They possibly sensed that their animosity to each other had caused the accident.

      Upon arrival at the manor, he noticed a police car parked outside the portico. He decided to take the ponies back to the stables; the police would seek him out if they needed to talk to him.

      Lisbeth encouraged Lara to go to her room while the police interviewed her about the accident.

      The

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