Kentucky Rainbows (sequel to Diametrically Opposed)

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Chapter 12

The very first thing I remembered about Kentucky was yellow daffodils. Miles and miles of them in every pasture as far as the eye could see. Vivid yellow and swaying gently amid the Kentucky bluegrass, it grew so high you could walk through almost waist deep. I was always impressed by what Mother Nature could achieve when she set her mind to it and in my old home state she had done it proud.3

It was good to be back home after so many years and I breathed in the fresh spring air. Ireland had been an experience I would not have missed for the world but it wasn’t home. Even with all the success that Dad had at Inspiration Lodge the Diametric episode had left us all drained physically and mentally and now after five years had elapsed I knew it had been time to return to Lexington and the old farm.4

As I drove past familiar haunts I thought back on my time in Kildare and how I’d grown as a person and horse trainer in my own right. I had a great teacher in my father and he had allowed me to step outside the square that was Lord Williams’ private training establishment and go it alone. The winners had been few but what there were had been classy and I could add four group one winners to my resume. Of course I could not compete with my father’s record nor would I want to.5

Diametric had flown the flag at Inspiration and even after the trauma of being kidnapped he had gone on to capture three year old of the year and take out the Irish and the English Derby, The loss of the chance to win the Guineas mattered little as he won six races on end and all were group one victories. I smiled to myself as I remembered the day of his retirement to the stallion paddock. Still a baby at heart at five years of age, he had been the one thing that had been hard to leave. Horse and human had formed a strong bond and I could do anything to him I liked. It was time for him to breed on his strengths and time for me to move forward from Inspiration and Donnelly Clarke.6

As I recalled his name I felt a stab of pain in my heart that never seemed to completely go away even after all this time. My first love and perhaps the greatest love of my life; gone now but not forgotten. Donnelly had been easy to love, a charming and witty Irishman who was never at a loss for words. I had fallen under his spell from the start and although he was no longer with me I still felt his presence quite strongly.7

We’d had four and a half wonderful years at Inspiration; never a harsh word had ever passed between us, blissfully happy we had been planning what would have been the wedding of the year. Number one jockey marries top trainer’s daughter. That’s what the headlines had said and we laughed about the article they had written on us all the way to the Curragh. Donnelly had five rides that Saturday including a feisty two year old called La Belle. She was a filly I trained that had been a problem since day one but I had sorted her out and with Donnelly on board she had won her first two starts. She and he seemed to get along better than any other jockey I had tried and despite Donnelly not always being available I tried to place her in races that he could be the jockey of choice. Every now and again she would put on a turn at the barrier and refuse to jump away but Donnelly had the knack to calm her down and her two victories were in no small part due to his expertise.8

That day was a little different as she played up merry hell in the truck on the way to the course and arrived in a lather of sweat. She was so bad that I considered scratching her but Donnelly had talked me out of it, saying that she deserved her chance at this group race and against my better judgment I left her in.9

She played up all the way to the barrier and took an age for them to load her into the stall. Once in she put on a turn that could only be described as a rodeo act and watching through my binoculars from the stands I held my breath. She thrashed around and I could see Donnelly was struggling to calm her and maintain his seat.
Finally she threw herself down onto the ground and became wedged in the stalls with Donnelly pinned somewhere down there as well.10

It was at this stage that I felt a sense of surreal calmness and I swear that I heard Donnelly’s voice say ‘I’ll always be there lass, never doubt it’.11

The horse beside La Belle had put up with her antics long enough and as the attendants tried to extricate Belle from her predicament the horse in the next stall lashed out. Suddenly there was a siren and ambulance summoned and I knew that all was not right and Donnelly was in trouble. 12

I can’t recollect how I got to the barrier and I cannot remember if it took me a minute or an hour but I do remember seeing Donnelly’s lifeless body lying on the turf behind the stalls and the grim and ashen faces of the attendants that surrounded him. The horse had collected him flush in the face and it was hard to make out his features with so much blood everywhere. They tried to restrain me but I broke through and walked slowly to the spot where the ambulance men were working feverishly to revive him. I could feel the wave of panic that had been building up in my body suddenly begin to shudder into life and as I looked around at the faces of the other jocks that by now had their mounts out of the stalls I began to tremble. John Stanley who had ridden for my father was looking forlornly at Donnelly and I recall a trickle of a tear descend from his eyes. 13

The ambulance attendant saw a flicker of life and beckoned me to kneel down which I dutifully did. I looked into Donnelly’s green eyes and tried to smile. I wiped his face trying to stem the flow of blood that kept trickling and told him to stay still. There was no twinkle in those eyes I adored and he tried his best to speak but no words were forthcoming. I gently kissed his lips tasting the warm blood that was starting to dry and I felt his last breath on my cheek.14

I would never forget the last look I had of Donnelly; although he did not speak I knew he was saying I love you. From that time forward the hours and days were a blur and I lurched from reality to insanity. People had said that grief had a way of saving you and that the funeral was closure. That did not happen for me and my father was sure I was losing my mind. He would often find me alone with Diametric, the big black horse with his head resting in my lap listening to every word I said. We would have a conversation that involved the three of us and I spoke to Donnelly often in those first months. It helped me to think he could still hear me and advise me when the whole world felt as though it was collapsing. I am sure Diametric could feel him around and it was this that kept me getting out of bed in the mornings without having to remind myself to do so. My father was not as accommodating as the horse and when I told him that I felt as if Donnelly were still here, he begged me to find a counselor that could help me. I had laughed and told him that no person could convince me that Donnelly had completely gone from my life, he had promised he would always be there for me and knowing the Irish believed in little people I had no doubt in the world that Donnelly would guide me from beyond the grave.15

They say it gets easier and that time dulls the pain and the memories but being at Inspiration was too painful and although I got back to work and the horses, I could see Donnelly in every nook and cranny and I knew it had come time to go home.16

There was Mother in New York who offered to take me in, but I knew that the city was no place for me, that my unhappiness would only resurface if I was surrounded by concrete and smog. I declined her offer and appeased her by saying that I would visit with her as soon as I was settled. I had discussed all the possibilities with Dad and we came to the obvious conclusion that I needed the bluegrass of Kentucky and Freycinet Farm. Dad had left the farm in the care of his old friend and farm manager Dinny O’Toole, now in his sixtieth year he had been ill and needed someone to take over the responsibilities. It was inevitable that I would be the one given the task to take over the reins. I was proud that my father thought I could handle it and happy that I would be going back to a place that held so many childhood memories.17

I had said my goodbyes to everyone at Inspiration and young Jimmy who was a fully fledged jockey had sobbed unashamedly. I hugged him tightly and told him that he had to continue Donnelly’s legacy and become the best that he could be. He had nodded and his tear stained face had managed a small smile. Diametric knew I was leaving and the beautiful black had almost sulked and refused a pat or an apple that I offered. I told him that he would enjoy his retirement and the girls that were lining up for his services. I cried into his mane and I reminded him that Donnelly and I would both be watching with interest as his sons and daughters hit the track and to mind that he did a good job. There was a tinkling of laughter from behind and as I turned toward it, there was Donnelly, as large as life leaning up against the trunk of a tree. He had his arms cross and was shaking his head. I was more annoyed than shocked that he would be laughing at my tearful goodbye.18

‘There’ll be none of that me lass’ he said19

I wiped my eyes and stared at the shadowy figure of Donnelly and decided that no ghost was going to laugh at me.20

‘Why ever not? It’s not likely that I will ever return to Ireland and I’ll miss this rogue black horse, he is hard to leave’ I replied not moving any closer to my apparition.21

‘Sure you always have an argument, Shannon me love, you have no time for tears, You have plenty work awaiting you back in Kentucky, tears will not fit the trainer of such a fine establishment as Freycinet’22

‘How the hell did you know about that?’ I said then regretted it immediately as I presumed a spirit or the undead would know everything.23

Donnelly laughed again and shook his head ‘Lass, this is what you need; not here in Ireland feeling sorry for yourself but home in the bluegrass is where you belong now’.24

I sighed ‘I’m not sure I can do this Donnelly, especially without you there to guide me, I know I can be stubborn but your advice was always worth listening too’.25

‘Sure and you never listened enough me girl! If you had you would have remembered that I said I will always be there for you and I haven’t changed my mind. You won’t be alone Shannon Sharpely’26

I was now getting angry with him and I yelled ‘How on God’s earth can I rely on a bloody ghost?27

Donnelly looked seriously at me and softly replied ‘Just as we were bonded together in life me darlin’ we are in death. As sure as there are Kentucky rainbows, I’ll be there, never doubt it’.28

I shut my eyes to stem the tears and when I opened them again there was only Diametric and I standing alone. The horse nickered softly and I patted his nose.29

‘Well if you saw him too then I guess we are both bonkers!’30

As the car had pulled out of the driveway for the last time I could hear Diametric roaring his goodbye and as I watched him race the car in his paddock I could see the faint outline of a jockey on board smiling and waving me farewell. It was time to go home.31

On the drive to Lexington I thought about what Donnelly had said and for the life of me I could never remember any Kentucky rainbows; not that I’d really looked for them before, it was more likely to be a tornado than a rainbow when it rained.32

I drove past the time honored Calumet farm and remembered my father telling me all about the history of it. How is started off as a standard bred stud and had even won a Hambletonian with Calumet Butler. It had been William Morris Wright who had started it in 1924 and his son Warren Snr. had converted it to thoroughbreds. It was 640 acres of lush pastureland and a showpiece even today. Long gone were the Wright family though, Henryk de Kwiatkowski had purchased the farm at public auction in 1992 when it fell on hard times. Danzig had been owned by Henryk and of course everyone knew that Alydar had been bred at Calumet and had been leading sire in 1990. I breathed in the delicious smell of horses and knew I was headed in the right direction.33

Freycinet was near Paris and a stones throw from the beautiful Claiborne Farm, Dad had done a good job with the farm but it could not compare to Claiborne. The history there was quite unique. The Hancock family owned Claiborne and the grave of Secretariat was on the farm and I remembered Dad taking me there to visit and finding it all so amazing to a little girl of around five. Secretariat was probably the most famous racehorse in American racing history although the other story of Claiborne had more appeal. It was the story of Seabiscuit, the one they gave away. Seabiscuit had been by the great Man O’War but the farm had decided he was too runty to keep so they consigned him to the sales. Of course the story is now folklore how he ended up America’s favorite racehorse and winner of the Santa Anita Hcp with a rag tag depression era jockey and trainer and an owner who showed what true perseverance was. It was the one that got away I guess, but Claiborne still had the bragging rights of breeding him. Their stallion line up was one to behold, Nasrullah, Mr. Prospector and Danzig to name a few. Horse of the Year seventeen times and they had the sires of over 21 Breeders cup winners. The one I remember the most was Seeking the Gold, a striking copper chestnut horse with whom the Australians even sent a few mares to.34

I made a detour along the way to Kentucky Horse Park, visitors were always welcomed and as usual there were tour buses everywhere, so I slotted myself into a group and had the grand tour. The horse park was a 1200 acre working horse farm with over 50 breeds of horses on the grounds. It had over 30 miles of pristine white fencing, 2 museums and 2 theatres. Of course I paused for a moments silence at the gravesite of Man O’War and marveled at a horse that was said to have taken a 28 foot stride. Buried beside him is the afro-American jockey Isaac Burns Murphy who still holds the record high % of winning rides. The simple inscription read 1861-1896, so long ago to still be the record was outstanding.35

As I gazed into the afternoon sky I decided that I should be on my way otherwise Dinny would be sending out the search party for me. So I headed to the west of the Allegheny Mountains down interstate 64 past the old familiar counties of Madison, Clark and Fayette until I reached the sign that said Lexington, Bourbon and Paris. Not long now before I would see the sandstone walls of Freycinet and be back home in what locals called ‘The Athens of the West’.36

The sun was setting as I reached the wrought iron gates of Freycinet and drove up the winding driveway. The huge oaks on either side swayed to and fro in the evening breeze and I could smell the dogwood blossoms as they wafted down from the lawns in front of the house, I pulled up in the circular driveway and looked up at the large Cape Cod style house that my father had lovingly restored when he first bought the farm. It was as if I had never been away. The gentle trickle of water was audible from the rock garden waterfall as it cascaded down into the dark pool below. A top was the bronze statue of Dad’s first group winner and his pride and joy, Freycinet Inspiration. I recalled the inscription on the plaque below it; ‘A Dream, A Reality and our Inspiration’. It was this stallion who had done so much for Dad and the farm, he had been an outstanding racehorse and a leading sire, He was responsible for a lot of the refurbishments that now graced the farm and Dad had never let it be forgotten we owed our livelihood in most part to this horse.37

‘Sure and you do dither about girl’.38

I knew the voice straight away and wheeled around to see Donnelly perched on the bonnet of my hire car.39

‘Long way from Ireland Mr. Clarke’ I said softly40

‘Well now, I had to see if you could make it here safely didn’t I?’ he replied and slid down from the car and walked towards me.41

I almost expected to be able to see right through him but he looked as real as I did though I resisted the temptation to touch him for fear he would disappear.42

‘You get a leave pass from up there’ I said motioning towards the sky and smiling wickedly at him.43

‘You have heard too many stories me girl, we come and go as we please, and it’s like a job I guess you could say’.44

‘Ah so I am your job am I?’45

Donnelly shrugged his shoulders ‘It’s a pleasant one me love, I am just making sure you get the gist of going it alone and settling in, then I can get on with more important things’
I wrinkled my nose at him rather put out that he had more important things than me.46

‘Would have been so much easier had you really been here in the flesh’47

‘I am afraid this is the best I can do girl and we cannot change fate can we?’48

I was becoming angry at him and I didn’t want him to see it so I stomped off in search of someone at the house, I turned to ask if he was coming but as usual he had done the disappearing act once again.49

‘You are the most annoying person not on this earth Donnelly Clarke’ I shouted into the air and heard the lilt of Irish laughter from somewhere in the ether.50

‘Miss Shannon, you’re here!’51

Dinny had appeared at the door and was beaming a greeting at me, I was enveloped in a bear hug and remembered the Old Spice aftershave from my childhood and was glad that some things never change.52

‘Did you bring someone with you, I heard voices’ he inquired looking past me to the car.53

‘Er no Dinny, just talking to myself’ I said sheepishly thinking if I mentioned Donnelly to Dinny he would wonder what the devil had my father sent him.54

Dinny picked up my suitcases chuckling to himself ‘First sign of madness, talking to yourself Shan’.55

‘Some would say so Dinny’ I replied seriously as I followed him into the main foyer of the house. A strong smell of cooking was in the air and my stomach began to rumble, reminding me that the last meal I had was on the plane many hours ago.56

‘Now you set yourself down in the living room and I’ll call Mrs. Peacock to get you some food, I bet you’re starving’.57

‘A little peckish Dinny’58

He looked me up and down and frowned ‘I’d say you were almost that anomexic’!59

I grinned at him ‘Anorexic Dinny and I am not that skinny’.60

“Well I’ll let Mrs. Peacock be the judge of that’ he said patting his stomach ‘She sure has me on a good food diet!’61

We both laughed and although I knew Dinny had been ill lately, he still had that healthy ruddy tan complexion of someone who had worked outdoors all his life. The rough and wrinkled hands were strong still and no arthritis could be detected. The only sign of his age was the snowy white hair and beard making him appear a little like Santa Claus.62

He left me sitting in front of the large open fireplace and I enjoyed the warmth it threw out, although it was spring in Kentucky the air was chilly at night. The living room was still decorated in the peach tones my mother had chosen years ago although I suspected a new coat of paint had been done for my arrival as a faint smell of turps gathered in my nostrils. The cream and peach chintz sofa and chairs were worn but serviceable and still comfortable. The walls that I recollected had been adorned with Mothers French prints had been replaced with racing photos from all over Kentucky and other states. The farm had been doing pretty well though I noticed a lack of group races in the collection and I silently decided I would try to rectify that in the near future.63

‘I shouldn’t try too hard for a Group one victory Shannon’ came that familiar voice.64

‘Donnelly, for God’s sake man you are going to drive me insane! I said exasperated that he had reappeared.65

I turned to face him, lazing in the overstuffed chair by the door.66

‘Donnelly, I was not thinking about winning one, just thinking of ways to rectify the situation’67

He shook his head, ‘No point in trying to make excuses, I know exactly what you were thinking, remember I’m a step ahead of you’!68

‘You were impossible alive and now you’re insufferable dead!’ I growled at him,
‘Can’t a girl even have her thoughts to herself for heavens sake?’69

Donnelly grinned wickedly and my heart melted a little seeing it again and he leaned forward in the chair.70

‘Well it’s certainly for heavens sake I’ll wager that I get to hear everything you do and say. How else am I supposed to guide you in the right direction? Sure and true you’d be off somewhere doing something you’re not meant too and here I’d be wondering what I did wrong and the new boss may not be so forgiving’.71

He pouted and I ended up laughing at him and finally agreeing that as annoying as he was it was nice to know he was around and guiding me along.72

I warmed my hands by the fire and mentioned my expansion plan.73

‘I guess you are going to help me pick the new racehorses and broodmares from the next sales, seeing as I am not trustworthy on my own’.74

‘Well only if you asks me Miss’ came the reply from Dinny who had re-entered the room with Mrs. Peacock, who carried a dinner tray and coffee mug.75

I turned a deep shade of red and stood up to face them both.76

‘Oh Dinny, I hadn’t realized you were back’ I stammered77

‘Really Miss, then who were you asking to pick horses with you, maybe a ghost’?78

I spluttered the first mouthful of coffee and almost choked on it when I realized that Dinny was chortling to himself for the joke he had made.79

‘Oh Dinny, of course I’ll need your help buying horses, I’ve been in Ireland so long that I am afraid the USA bloodlines have gotten away from me a bit’.80

Dinny waved his hand airily ‘No problem there, you and your Dad could always pick a good one regardless of what their lines were so I have faith that you’ll do the same again. Course if you need a brush up then I could give Nick LaSaudo a call and he could come over and advise you’.81

I looked puzzled ‘Nick La Who?’82

Dinny chuckled ‘Oh you have been away a long time, I guess the last time you saw young Nick was about twenty odd years ago, both you young ones knocked around together on the farm. I reckon Nick was a few years older but you were inseparable’.83

I struggled with the dim memory of two kids playing on the farm together and the name didn’t ring any bells.84

‘Dinny I don’t recall a LaSaudo at all, I do remember a boy whose father worked here a long time ago but his name was Fitzgerald’.85

Dinny stroked his beard and nodded ‘That’d be him Miss Shannon, Nick’s parents split a long time ago and his Mother remarried a Santo LaSaudo, he adopted young Nick after a few years. Seems Nick’s father was a waste of space, drinking and gambling so I guess Nick never minded giving up the name’.
I raised my eyebrows ‘Mr. Fitzgerald was pretty adept at breaking in horses, I never saw him take a drink on the job’.86

‘No, don’t think he ever did but away from work must have been a different story. I think you and your Mum were gone when the problems started to surface. Poor kid would come to the farm trying to hide a black eye or a bruised arm. Nick trying to protect his Mother from a beating I suspect, though he never admitted as much’.87

I frowned ‘That’s awful Dinny, I never knew. Nick always appeared to be in total control even as a kid. He would order me around like I was the worker and he was the boss’.88

Dinny chuckled ‘Sure I remember that, you and he had some knock down fights as youngsters but he always came back and you always forgave him’.89

‘Well I’ve grown out of that thank you. I can cope very well being in charge’.90

‘I think Master LaSaudo would be a match for you Shannon, he’s done extremely well for himself since you have been gone. He went to University and got a degree in Equine Management and the past few years has been installed at Hilltree Farm down the road as their principal buyer and horse breaker, even does that whisperer stuff on them’.91

I giggled as I watched Dinny wrinkle his nose in disgust; he was far too old time to give horse whispering the accolades it deserved.92

‘Do you think I could use him Dinny’?93

‘Reckon it couldn’t hurt, Hilltree have had a lot of success in the past couple of seasons and its due to Nick’s expertise in picking the yearlings, seems to have the knack’ said Dinny thoughtfully.94

I stretched out on the sofa and yawned ‘Well I’ll look him up tomorrow, but now I think I am still on Irish time and need to get to bed’.95

Dinny clapped his hands together ‘Righto then, I’ll show you to your old room, we fixed it up adult like for you. I didn’t think you’d be wanting the Disney quilt that you had as a girl’!96

I laughed ‘Good Lord that was still here? I must have been about six or seven when I got that quilt’.97

I followed Dinny up the staircase to the second level and skipped ahead of him to the familiar white paneled door and opened it quickly. I gasped in delight with what I saw.
The room had been painted a pale mint green and the coverlet and furnishings were a deeper shade of green. Adorning the walls were old photos of me and my Dad with different horses from years ago and above the mantelpiece and open fireplace was the most beautiful portrait of Diametric with Donnelly aboard. Dinny read my mind about how it got there.98

‘Your father had it done a while ago and was going to give it to you and Donnelly as a wedding present but seeing as what happened he sent it here instead. I think he knew you’d be headed home this way sooner or later’ said Dinny smiling sadly.99

I walked over to him and hugged him tightly, ‘It’s ok Dinny and I think it’s just about the most perfect thing I have ever seen. They will always be a very important part of my life’.100

‘You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you sad’ replied Dinny sniffing softly.101

‘I don’t have a problem talking about it, actually it helps to reminisce about him and that damn horse’! I said very tongue in cheek.102

He nodded and slowly excused himself and left me standing there staring at the portrait, it was almost like a photo. You could make out every line and muscle of Diametric and if you looked closely there was a glint of green in Donnelly’s eyes.103

‘Not a bad likeness if I do say so meself’.104

I laughed as Donnelly walked towards the painting and studied it carefully.105

‘You and my father got up to mischief to organize this one’.106

He looked at me and smiled ‘Sure it was hard to do but between Kent and myself we managed to tear ourselves away from you for a few hours over the weeks. That bloody horse knew he was being painted, I swear he never moved an inch. Absolute poser he was!’107

‘I’m glad that you did, it’s a nice touch to have you both here looking down on me every morning and night’.108

Donnelly leaned on the mantelpiece’ Now girl, there is one serious thing I need to discuss with you. Make sure you ring Nick LaSaudo and take him with you to those sales.’109

I scoffed at Donnelly ‘What do you know about Nick, I haven’t seen him for many a year and I doubt that he can pick a horse better than I can’.110

Donnelly shook his head ‘I don’t doubt that for a minute lass, but it’s the one he’ll insist you don’t buy that will cause the commotion’.111

I chided him gently ‘So I am going to be stubborn and tell him that I want it and ignore him. Well thank you for the warning; I’ll make sure I listen to him’.112

Donnelly folded his arms and frowned at me ‘No Shan, I want you to buy the horse’.113

I was now totally confused and Donnelly tried to explain himself.114

‘I can’t tell you the exact horse, I don’t rightly know it myself but you will when you see him. It will be a colt and you will want it desperately and he will just as desperately try to talk you out of it. Shannon you must buy this horse, even if it’s the only one you get’.115

‘Donnelly I know that death can do strange things to folks, but you are making no sense at all. If you don’t know which horse it is how the hell am I going to know’?116

Donnelly winked ‘You’ll know Shannon, you’ll know’.117

I threw my hands up in the air and squeezed my eyes shut feeling a headache coming on at the chaos this conversation was having.118

‘I swear Donnelly, if I thought an exorcism would get rid of you at this moment I’d have it done!’119

Of course when I reopened my eyes I was standing there alone and I realized that there was to be no more explanations tonight. I fell into bed exhausted by the trip and by Donnelly’s ravings. It was a fitful sleep full of dreams about rainbows and horse sales, neither of which made any sense at all.120

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CHAPTER 2127

I awoke to a knock at the door the next morning and Mrs. Peacock appeared with a breakfast tray. She smiled kindly and set it down on the bed.128

“Dinny thought you may sleep a while this morning, so have your breakfast and he’ll meet you at the stables in about an hour or so”.129

“Thanks Mrs. Peacock, I never really got a chance to talk to you last night and thank you for the snack”.130

“Oh you’re welcome child, we’ve been looking forward to having you here, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a young one around with only Dinny and I rambling around the place”.131

I smiled at her; she would have been around the same age as Dinny and had that well worn country smile that made you feel right at home. It lit up her black features with a show of pearly white teeth.132

“Please call me Mrs. P, everyone round here does”.133

“Ok Mrs. P and call me Shannon, I am sure you will take good care of me”.134

She beamed and nodded “Miss Shannon, Dinny has told me so much about you and the letters your Dad had sent to him, he read them to me. I think he’s as proud of you as your father is”.135

I laughed again “Well lets wait and see if the magic of Ireland can be transformed to Freycinet before we heap praise on me just yet”.136

Mrs. Peacock headed to the door then turned and grinned “It will dear, I am sure of it”.137

I got the feeling she knew something more than I did but who was I to question it, I was still having conversations with dead jockeys!138

I had found an old and stained photo album in one of the drawers and some of the photo’s took me back to when Nick and I were kids. There were pages of us together, riding, swimming and fighting. I smiled softly as I recalled the memories, they were dim ones but the photo’s showed me they were real. Dad had always been a camera nut and had me posing on anything for a chance of a photo. I sighed; I’d give anything to go back to those days when Mum and Dad had been happy and together.139

By the time I had showered and made it to the stables Dinny was busy feeding up the horses in the stables. I patted each one as I passed by and noted that I had better check the office files to update me on their performances. Dinny filled me in on the fact that most were just coming back into work after the winter months and were a few weeks away from trialing. I settled myself down in the office on Dads old leather chair and began to pour over the track notes Dinny had painstakingly kept neatly in his handwriting. It was then I decided we need to update the files to a computer and made a note to order one during the week.140

Most of the horses were honest performers but none were outstanding and their times suggested a lean spring unless one jumped out of the woodwork and took us by surprise. I picked up the sales catalogue from the in tray and began to leaf through it briefly, I recognized a few of the stallions but the broodmares were not familiar at all.
There was a slight breeze that came through the open window and it caught the calendar and flipped a few pages to reveal a hand written note. I glanced at it, it read Hilltree Farm 555 3245. I suspected a hand of a ghostly jockey was behind it but there was no one around to point the finger at. I picked up the phone and dialed.141

It rang momentarily and then a deep southern, male voice answered with142

“Hilltree, Nick LaSaudo here”143

“Mr. LaSaudo, it’s Shannon Sharpely here from Freycinet”144

There was no instant recognition in his tone “Ms Sharpely, how can I help you”?145

“Dinny O’Toole said you may be able to accompany me to the upcoming horse sales at Keenland. I’ve been in Ireland for the past five years and I am afraid I am not quite up on the bloodlines”.146

He cleared his throat and replied “Well I am a busy man Ms Sharpely but there is a preview scheduled at Keenland for tomorrow. I’d be happy to swing past and pick you up. I will be going to check out a few for Hilltree, you are welcome to come along”.147

I got the distinct impression that I was asking a lot for him to even take me but I pressed on regardless.148

“That would be ideal, Mr. LaSaudo, I understand that being the head of a large farm is a very important job and as I am the daughter of Freycinet’s principal owner and its new manager I fully appreciate the value of your time”.149

I put it as succinctly as I could and there was a desultory pause at the other end of the phone.150

“Ah, well then I will pick you up around 8 a.m.” he replied almost apologetically.151

“That would be fine Mr. LaSaudo, goodbye”.152

As I put the phone down I noticed Dinny standing in the office doorway chuckling.153

“And the joke is?” I queried him154

“I suspect he didn’t remember you”?155

I sighed “Not at all, as a matter of fact he was downright arrogant. Made out his time was far more precious than mine, being a woman of course!”156

Dinny scratched his chin “People don’t stay the same as they were when they were kids. He’s taken on a lot of responsibility and he’s worked damn hard for the respect he’s got in this industry”.157

I banged the desk in annoyance “So have I Dinny! It’s been hard to make it as a woman trainer and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to take me lightly”.158

“Oh I have no doubt of that Shannon all I’m saying is that Nick is not the bossy little boy that you used to play with. He’s a very self assured businessman and a loner so I’ve heard. It may take awhile for you to get to know him again”.159

I snorted derisively “Not really interested in getting to know him again that well, I just want to pick his brains, so to speak for the sales. I will have the last say”.160

“Yes, yes I know that all too well” said Dinny smirking “Your Dad warned me you were the stubborn Sharpely in the family!”161

“Ok Dinny, you know far too much about me as it is, now off with you while I study up these racehorses and see if we can’t make some money for this farm”.162

He left me, chuckling away to himself, while I threw myself back into the business of thoroughbred racing. The profits had been good and they were up on last season by ten percent but the cost of running the place had gone up by over twenty so I knew we needed a very successful season to just break even. Dad had left me a substantial amount of cash to use at the sales but I suspected that I may need some of my own to buy a decent prospect. I had been frugal to the point of exasperation and even Donnelly had commented on the fact I may have some Scottish blood that I didn’t know about. In the short term I felt comfortable that the money was there if I needed it.163

I picked up the sales catalogue again and I heard the whisper of voices on the breeze.
It sounded like 222; I ignored it thinking my mind was playing tricks again. It got louder until Donnelly’s familiar voice rang in my ears, 222.164

I turned to page 222 but the lot was a filly and I frowned thinking he had led me down the garden path when I automatically turned back to Lot 222. It was a chestnut colt by Seeking The Gold out of a mare called Irish Lullaby. She was by Alydar so it was a familiar bloodline, it was then that I noticed the colt had been named and a shiver ran up my spine, the colt’s name was Kentucky Rainbows.
I took a pen and circled the lot number then put the book aside remembering Donnelly’s words; ‘as sure as there are Kentucky rainbows’. So that’s what he meant, not the ones in the sky but the ones in yearling catalogues. Against my better judgment I decided to look no further until Nick and I arrived at the Keenland sales complex.165

The rest of the day was taken up in meeting the rest of Freycinet’s workers and trying to remember names and faces. There were two work jockeys and glad to see that one was a young girl called Alana who was an apprentice and Clay was the hard bitten older jock who was too heavy to be a professional but Dinny informed me that he knew horses inside out and was a good judge of when they were ready to race. Alana and I hit it off straight away and I was glad of the feminine company, on the other hand Clay looked at me with the disdain of a man who now had to take orders from a woman. It was definitely not the southern way and I suspected it would take him a while to adjust to it. The stable lads were around young Jimmy’s age when he first started and two of them were black. Jesse and Cole smiled that perfect white smile and chatted away merrily and I knew I would get along with them fine as would I with the two born and bred Kentucky boys Kane and Abel. I delighted in the irony of their names only to find out they were indeed brothers of a god fearing southern family who had up and disowned them the minute they had decided thoroughbred racing was their calling. They were polite and had the strong southern drawl that I had missed so much since I was a child.166

I sat down that evening and rang Dad in Ireland, only to be met with the sleepy voice of Kent on the other end of the phone.167

“Hi Dad” I said gaily168

“Shannon, do you ever think to check time zones before you ring a person?”169

“Oh I’m sorry Dad, I didn’t think of that, I promise to do better next time but I just had to tell you about the first day on the job. I am trying to be a good trainer and manager”.170

I heard Kent sigh and I was slightly ashamed of me forgetting he would have been in bed for quite awhile when I phoned.171

“Well are we bankrupt or doing ok”? He inquired tiredly172

“We could be doing better” I replied seriously “but the sales are on next Sunday and I am off to the preview of the yearlings tomorrow. Do I have carte blanche”?173

“Shannon, I don’t want you buying on a whim, make sure you check them out thoroughly and get them vetted before you bid”.174

I snorted “Dad, for heavens sake, you know I am quite capable of doing the right thing and Dinny has organized for me to go to the preview with Nick LaSaudo from Hilltree Farm”.175

“Who’s he?”176

“Do you remember the little kid I used to play with? Well he used to be Fitzgerald but his mother remarried and now he’s LaSaudo, but it’s the same person”.177

I paused to take a breath and I heard my father murmur on the line “It’s a bit late to be taking all that in, but I gather young Nick Fitzgerald is the one you speak of, does he remember you”.178

“Ha, not at all, in fact he was quite rude when I spoke to him this morning, sounded like he doesn’t have much time for woman and especially woman managers and trainers, but he did agree to take me to Keenland tomorrow”.179

“Well that’s good love, I think Dinny used to talk about him in his letters and how well he’s done for himself. It won’t hurt to have local knowledge with you the first time out. Now Shan are you sleeping alright, no nightmares or such things”?180

The question was asked almost sheepishly and I knew my father wanted to know was I still talking to dead people. I decided not to let him in to the fact I now saw dead people as well. I would wait until a better time presented itself.181

“No Dad, I am fine and feeling good being back in the heart of Kentucky, it’s almost like I never went away. Oh and by the way I love the portrait”.182

“That’s good Shannon now I don’t want to be rude but can you let this old man get some sleep and I’ll talk to you after you’ve bought me the next Freycinet champion”.183

I smiled fondly “No worries Dad get a good nights sleep and love to everybody at Inspiration, goodnight and I love you Daddy”.184


I put the phone down and thought about the stud in Ireland. I did miss everyone terribly but I knew this had to be a new beginning and I was going to do the best job I knew how to do. I wondered about how Nick had changed over twenty years. I remembered him as a dark skinned, tall athletic boy who could run all day, he had bragged how he was going to be a jockey but he was tall for his age back then and if he had kept growing he would stand no chance at that caper. I recalled the soft brown eyes he had and how they almost looked like one of Dads jersey cows and how I had teased him about them. Of course it must have caused a fight, because nearly everything I said back then did. Being the tomboy made me challenge Nick’s masculinity even as a child and I smiled thinking back to the earlier phone conversation where I had done the same thing. It entered my mind that he may still not recollect that we had met when he saw me tomorrow. At the age of seven I had been a plump, cherubic child in denim and sneakers but now as Dinny had remarked I was waif thin but I still had the long copper curls and bright blue eyes. I went to bed thinking it would be an interesting meeting.185

The morning was another bright Kentucky day and I ate breakfast with gusto, Mrs. P approved and clucked like a mother hen telling me that’s exactly how to put weight on my bones. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that apart from breakfast I never ate another morsel until teatime. It was not a good regime but one I had fallen into over time. Work horses all morning and you had an enormous breakfast, so much that you never felt the need to eat again until evening. I feared that if Mrs. P ever found out I would get a dressing down the likes I had never seen before.186

Dinny announced that Nick was in the driveway and I glanced at my watch noting how punctual he was, it was not a minute past 8. I walked towards the Ford Rodeo and held out my hand. He took it and shook it with a fierce grip, no smile or welcome accompanied it but I flashed my best one as he let go.187

“I see you are on time Mr. LaSaudo, I like that”188

“My time is precious and I believe yours would be also, Ms.”his voice trailed off as he peered into my face. I could see some flicker of recognition but it disappeared quickly.189

“Indeed Mr. LaSaudo and I do want to see most of the yearlings if it’s at all possible”.190

I watched his face and I knew that he saw something in me that stirred a distant memory; I thought maybe he was just too embarrassed to mention it. As usual I ploughed into the silence with both feet planted in my mouth.191

“You’ve grown up a lot Nick since you used to punch me up for beating you on your pony. What was his name? Rowdy I think”.192

I smiled and waited for the reaction, there was nothing but a puzzled frown.193

“I don’t believe I ever beat up a girl in my life” he replied tartly and turned to get into the truck.194

This was very puzzling to me now, we had spent the best part of three summers together, it just wasn’t possible that he didn’t recollect who I was.
“Damn it Nick, little Shannon Sharpely, don’t you remember, mass of red curls and quite plump at six. You and I spent every waking minute together but you were Nick Fitzgerald then”.195

I hopped into the truck beside him; Nick was gripping the wheel tightly and turned to stare into my face. With an expression that was etched in stone he answered me.196

“That person does not exist; he died a long time ago. About the same time a little copper headed firebrand left and moved to New York with her mother”.197

The words were said so icily that it took me aback for the moment; it seems I had been responsible for whatever had happened to Nick that last summer.198

“Surely you don’t expect me to believe that I had anything to do with your life, we were just kids. I didn’t have any choice whether I went with my Mother, God I was only six years old” I explained to Nick’s blank face.199

He started up the truck and we moved off slowly down the driveway before he spoke again.200

“Shannon, you were six and I was ten and I can’t remember a time when we were not together for three years”.201

“I know that Nick, but kids do that, we play and fight and then we move on to other things. Nothing stays the same forever. Look at you, you’re a successful horse breaker and buyer for Hilltree Farm and with a university degree. I did it the hard way, learning the ropes from my father. He was a good teacher but you had the whole box and dice. You made a life for yourself Nick and I am glad for you”.202

Nick stopped the truck halfway down the drive and turned to look at me, his face had softened somewhat.203

“You don’t remember do you?” he asked quietly204

I shook my head ruefully, “I guess I don’t because I have no idea what you’re going to say”.205

Nick opened the door and jumped down beckoning me to follow which I did. We walked a few feet from the truck and Nick put his hand on the old, gnarled trunk of one of the Oaks that lined the driveway.206

“This tree Shannon, I have never forgotten it” he said staring up at its foliage.207

I looked but all I could see was a tree trunk until I walked around behind him. There in the trunk was a heart and carved underneath were the initials SS and NF. Below it the word said ‘forever’. It was carved in the childlike scrawl from many years past.208

Nick drew his finger across the letters “Forever Shannon, we stood here just before you left for New York and swore to one another that we would never forget each other. We would always be more than friends. Sounds sentimental but I believed you for such a long time. Until I realized that you never replied to my letters and that you obviously had not meant what you said”.209

I stood staring at the tree without speaking, I did remember us carving it and I did remember promising I would write. The thing I couldn’t recall was my mother ever giving me any letters from Nick.210

“I don’t know what to say to you Nick, I have not forgotten the memory of carving it now you have shown me, but I promise you that if you wrote to me in New York, I never received any of your letters. Mother must have intercepted them, trust me Nick, I would have written had I got them”.211

He sniffed and moved towards the truck “Save your platitudes, it was so long ago it really doesn’t matter anymore”.212

I grabbed him by the arm and turned him around “It does matter Nick, I am telling you the truth, and I never got your letters. Mother dreamed of having me as a little clone of herself. Once she got me away from the farm she tried desperately to mould me into a lady. She sent me to finishing school in New York and had my father not rescued me once I’d turned seventeen she would have made me a debutante and engaged to some overbearing son of one of her upper class Manhattan friends. Dad had sent me a show jumper and I got back into horses so deeply that when he rang to see if I would go with him to England and then to Ireland, I jumped at the chance and fled New York immediately. I had no idea this had hurt you so much”.213

Nick laughed “Oh it hurt alright, but by the time I was sixteen I had given up thinking about it at all. I guess we were too young to have made that commitment to one another. It was just a stupid childhood promise”.214

I looked at him seriously still holding his arm “And one I would not have taken lightly, you were my best friend back then”.215

For the first time Nick smiled and his face mellowed, it took me back to those days when he always had been able to make me smile.216

“I was your only friend” he chided 217

I grinned “You are probably right, every other girl in the county thought I was uncouth. Looked and acted like a tomboy, I suppose you were the only one who could put up with me at all”.218

“You were a tomboy! Never saw you with a dress on and never saw a doll around the place. It was always denim and horses with you. By the way, I did beat you on Rowdy several times”.219

I frowned “Are you sure, I cannot remember that at all”.220

Nick opened the door of the truck and replied “I remember it”.221

The rest of the journey was spent reminiscing and I had almost forgotten half of what Nick was relating but his memory was sharp and the more he told the more I remembered. I thought sadly to myself how my mother must have schemed to keep us apart for so long. She never did approve of me racing around the countryside with Nick, bareback on ponies. She had berated me often on how unladylike it was and how I would end up with a reputation of being wild and rebellious. She was right about that, of course, in Kentucky girls were girls and boys were boys, there was no mistaking the gender. To my mother Nick would have been just the son of a stable worker and of no consequence. She could dismiss a person with the blink of an eye and once she disapproved, Nick could have made a million dollars, she would not have accepted him as a match for me ever.222

As we arrived at the gates of the Keenland complex Nick turned the conversation to the catalogue.223

“I’ve marked a few that Hilltree are interested in, you are welcome to come and look, and I’d value your opinion”.224

“Ok, I haven’t looked at many so those would be a good place to start” I said as I breathed in the strong smell of horses in the air. Nick took the lead and I followed meekly.225

The three Nick had picked were strong colts, well grown and sturdy. It surprised me how different in confirmation they were to the racier types in Ireland. Irish thoroughbreds were very refined in the head and had fine little pins for legs. These reminded me of quarter horses. Coarse faces and stocky legs, not my type at all but I acquiesced to Nicks experience.226

Once he was satisfied he inquired as to which one I would like to see.227

“I only had one marked, Nick, Lot 222” I said leafing through my book.228

Nick followed my lead and chortled when he got to the page.229

“Good Lord woman, you have been away a long time haven’t you. I shouldn’t waste time over him.”
“‘Why not”?230

“For a start, Hilltree bred him and I consigned him to these sales. He’s a rogue, rattle headed. Be lucky to even get a look at him”.231

I looked back at the page “I don’t see Hilltree listed?”232

“No it’s not, but Blanche Fabrice is a principal owner at Hilltree, the mare is hers and we bred the colt for her”.233

I stood on my determination “Still, I want to take a look”.234

Nick shrugged “Ok, come on lets get it over with”235

He sauntered off in the direction of ‘F’ barn and I thought with some irony if it stood for ‘failures’. In the back of my mind I heard Donnelly’s voice saying buy this horse. So far the conversation went exactly as Donnelly had said it would.236

As we approached the stall marked 222 I could see no horse, most of the other yearlings were peering curiously at us as we approached. Nick motioned to the stall and stood back. I popped my head over the door and took a look. Dozing quietly at the rear was a red chestnut colt with four of the longest white socks on each leg I had ever seen. He turned his head nonchantly towards me and I could see he had walled eyes. I looked back at Nick and he laughed.237

“I told you didn’t I?”238

“Well I can’t make a decision just looking at him in the barn, I want to get him out and see him walk” I said flatly.239

“Shannon, he’s got walled eyes, four white feet and he’s nuts. What more do you need to see”?240

I stuck out my jaw all the more determined by Nick’s obvious loathing of the colt.241

“Walled eyes make them looks nuts but it doesn’t affect their ability and four white feet is just an old wives tale. I want to see him out of the box”.242

Nick shook his head but went off in search of a groom, I turned back to reassess the colt. He would make a lovely show horse I thought, all red chestnut with a blonde mane and tail. He definitely fitted his name, he had more colors on him than any other horse I had seen.243

“Well me girl, what do you think”?244

Donnelly asked the question as he stood beside me looking at the colt.245

“Well he’s quite a sight, not a typical thoroughbred; he looks like a show pony”.246

Donnelly nodded “yet, he is the one Shannon, I am sure of that”.247

I looked at him soberly “If I buy that Donnelly, I’ll ruin my reputation before I even get a chance to have one!”248

“You must buy him, me love, rest assured you’ll be glad in the long run”.249

I was about to argue the point when I heard Nick and the groom approaching and again my friendly ghost had vanished.250

The groom grabbed the halter and approached the colt gingerly. The yearling nodded his head up and down in obvious distress before moving to the far corner and putting his head into it so the halter could not be fitted. The groom struggled with the youngster for a few minutes before I offered to do the damn thing myself. The groom did not hesitate and handed the rope to me and scooted out the door. Nick was still chuckling at the door and I threw him a foul look as I moved towards the colt.251

For a moment the colt’s wild eyes just stared into space but then he turned to look at me and his face softened, he lowered his head and moved imperceptively closer. I threw the halter on him and led him from the stall, and then the fun began.252

The chestnut decided that being free was a good thing and reared up in the air throwing me off balance and knocking me into the side of the barn. Nick ran to my aid but I shouted at him to stand still. I clucked to the frightened colt and spoke softly to him as I used to do to Diametric.253

“There, there now no need to carry on like that, no one is going to hurt you”.254

He dropped his head and his walled eyes rolled in fright as his nostrils fanned trying to take in all the smells about him. He walked towards me but stopped before he got within patting distance. I motioned to Nick to come and take the rope from me slowly so that I could get a good look at him. Nick did as he was told and I walked around the colt making mental notes about his confirmation. It was then I noticed that I had a shadowy figure following me and I hissed under my breath.255

“Donnelly, his proportions are all wrong and his head is too small for his body, what on earth made you tell me this was the horse?”256

Donnelly frowned “Nevertheless Shan, you need this horse and this horse needs you and Nick”.257

“Nick! Why the hell would he need him”?258

Donnelly whispered back “Because it’s the whispering he needs, you’ll never break him any other way. If you try the old and tried method the only thing you will break is his spirit”.259

I sincerely had doubts that Donnelly was sane and I know most people thought I was nutty but I turned to Nick and stated.260

“I like him Nick, what do you think he’s worth”?261

“God save us Shannon, I’d sell him to you for a nickel but Blanche wants a reserve of $100,000. Honestly there are over a hundred horses here that are better than him please reconsider before you bid on him. I bred the bloody thing and I don’t want you to buy him”.262

It was at this stage that I thought I saw panic on Nick’s face and I smiled remembering Donnelly saying that Nick would be completely against the sale.263

“No use Nick, I want this colt and I want you to break him in if you have the time, I’ll pay you the going rate of course”.264

He laughed loud and long at that statement “No money in the world would convince me to help you break that thing in, if you buy him you are on your own”.265

“I don’t know how to be a horse whisperer Nick and that’s what he needs, surely you can see that”?266

It was almost pleading but I didn’t care as Donnelly had not been wrong so far and I wasn’t about to go against the messenger of God, so to speak.267

Nick was quite firm and serious “No, no way Shannon I refuse to be a party in you buying this colt and I definitely will not be responsible for helping you break him in, he’ll be a waste of time for you and for me. Let some little, two bit trainer take him and race him somewhere upstate. Freycinet does not need a grazer they need a group winner”.268

The words stung and I assumed that Nick knew more about the lack of success at the farm than I had thought and it nettled me.269

“Well if you don’t mind I am going to disagree and you’ll see that when I am through with this one, he’ll be good enough to take on the best. I have had worse in Ireland and they didn’t beat me and I won’t let this one beat me either”.270

“Then you’ll probably lose a jockey, because he’s a colt that won’t be ridden easily and any jock worth his salt won’t even bother to offer his services to a rogue”.271

“Nick, I had the best jockey in Ireland and he rode the worst ones better than any and I’ll wager this colt won’t be as bad as the two year old filly I trained”.272

“The one that killed Donnelly Clarke”?273

I froze on the spot and I felt the color drain from my face, I hadn’t for a minute expected Nick to know about the accident. I looked into Nick’s face and there was no emotion at all.274

“Good jockey and a rogue horse, it happens from time to time, these hotshots think they can ride a rodeo horse but it all comes unstuck occasionally. Clarke must have felt invincible but a 500 kg animal can do what it likes with a 50kg puny bloke”.275

I felt the bitterness surface and the tears well up and I snarled at him.276

“What would you know about Donnelly Clarke and how good or how weak he was. He was the best jockey I had ever seen. It was an accident, pure and simple. The filly in the next stall was the one who struck him. Take care Nick what you think you know about Donnelly Clarke. I was there and I know the whole story. It was neither the horse nor the jockey’s fault”.277

Nick looked a little taken aback at the venom in my voice and stared at the ground for a few seconds.278

“Then it’s all true about you and Clarke”? he said slowly.279

“What do you mean by that” I growled at him between tearful sobs.280

“You were going to marry him and then he died before you could do it”?281

I wiped away the tears and nodded “Yes I was going to marry him and yes I loved him more than you would ever imagine”.282

Nick put the chestnut away in his stall and returned the halter to its peg before turning to face me again.283

“I’m sorry Shan, I read about it in the racing paper and I wasn’t sure if it was you as I didn’t recognize the photo. You have changed somewhat since you were six. I didn’t mean to hurt you; I mean I didn’t deliberately bring it up to make you sad. Lets just forget I mentioned it at all. If you ever want to talk about it then I’ll listen”.284

I smiled feebly “its ok Nick, I can talk about it but Donnelly meant so much to me that I am still protective of his memory, do you understand?”285

Nick nodded “I think so”.286

I laughed, “Can you let me in on it because some days I don’t know whether I can go on at all. I feel that I am only half the person I was a year ago and then sometimes I feel like I can conquer the world as long as I keep Donnelly’s memory alive some how”287

You’ll always have the memories Shannon, they will be in your heart as long as you live but I am sure people have told you that life goes on.”288

I admitted grimly to him that I had tried to pick myself up and move forward and that coming here was part of the plan.289

‘I feel he’s around me all the time Nick, wherever I go and whatever I do he’s there and sometimes I could swear that I actually see him’.290

I looked up at Nick and blinked hoping for a sympathetic statement such as ‘oh don’t worry Shan everyone sees ghosts!’291

Instead he just chuckled ‘Next thing you have me believing is a voice from the dead has told you to buy that colt in there’.292

‘Well.....’ I replied sheepishly.293

Now Nick was laughing fit to be tied ‘Don’t play games with me like we were kids, no ghost could be that silly as to tell you that this colt is a good buy’.294

‘Well he did’ I blurted out ‘and I am bloody well going to buy him!’295

I stormed off with the sound of Nicks laughter ringing in my ears, I saw a sign saying bar and decided a beer was as good a way as any of cooling down my rising temper.296


CHAPTER 3297

By the time Nick had found me I was on my third Millers and slightly tipsy. He poured himself into the stool beside me, sitting quietly without acknowledging my presence.298

“I think you’ve probably had enough.” he said slowly.299

I glanced at him and grimaced, ‘I would be the better judge of that than you.”300

He turned to face me and sighed, “Look, Shannon, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings back there. I didn’t realize I had hit such a raw nerve.”301

“And which one would that be Nick?” I sneered as I took another swig from the bottle.302

“The one where you told me I could lose a jockey? Or perhaps, the one where you insulted the memory of Donnelly and called me nuts for wanting a horse that a dead person told me to buy?”303

Nick looked down at the floor and squirmed uneasily in his seat, “Ok, I apologize for the first one, it was uncalled for but I didn’t know about you and the jockey. Well, I did but I didn’t really believe it.”304

‘What’s not to believe?” I said flatly, “That I could fall for a jockey because they would be deemed beneath my station or is it the fact that you were going to be one and I left, never to return to you? Maybe that’s the real reason you felt the need to be so sarcastic.”305


Nick shook his head, “I never thought that once. Sure, I was hurt and for awhile I hated you and everything your Mother stood for but eventually I was grateful to you. If you had never left I would be still working as a stable hand for a few dollars a day. By you leaving Shannon, I made my mind up to go to University and get a degree. You were the driving force to make a better life for myself and my Mum, so I guess I really should be thanking you.”306

I smiled sadly at him, “Glad I could be of assistance, but getting a degree should have been about you wanting it, not proving to me or my Mother that you could be a better person. Nick, you were a good person and no degree would have changed that, not in my mind anyway.”307

He shrugged his shoulders and ordered bourbon from the barman, “Shannon, you may not believe this but you broke my heart back then. University became an escape from you and the farm.”308

I patted his arm gently, “I’m here now and we make a pretty miserable pair don’t we?”309

Nick managed a small laugh and nodded, “Yeah, you could say that. Look, Shannon, if you want that damn colt then go ahead and bid on him. I couldn’t hope to match the advice of a dead man!”310

I slapped him on the chest, “I know you think I am a lunatic, you can for all I care but I know what I’ve been told to do and now it seems quite logical to me.”311

“Glad you think so.’ he said rubbing his chest in mock pain.312

I pretended to strangle him, though I could barely fit my hands around his strongly muscled neck.313

“I know that no one believes in ghosts, hell, not even I do, but, the reality is that I see Donnelly, I talk to Donnelly and he advises me. Whether you want to believe me or not is up to you. I know what I see and he is as real to me as you sitting there on that stool.”314

Nick was looking into my eyes and I could tell he was trying not to laugh in my face, the more he suppressed it the more annoyed I became.315

I stood up from the bar, threw a few dollars on it and strode towards the door, turning only to see if he was following me.316

“I think we are going home?” he inquired317

“You go to the top of the class, let’s go.” I snapped as I left the bar.318

The drive home was one of silence for the first few miles. Nick turned the radio on and we listened to country and western music until I had couldn’t stand another boy meets girl, boy loses girl song any more. I reached over and tuned into the rock station which made Nick restless and grumpy. I grinned thinking just how country this man had become when there was an interruptive cough from the back seat.319

“Shannon, darlin’ you have made this poor fellow feel a mite put out this afternoon.”320

The tone of Donnelly’s voice was patronizing and I turned to look at my friendly spectre stretched out on the back seat of the truck.321

I hissed a reply, “Don’t you ever knock?”322

Nick’s brow lowered and he looked at me perplexed, “Sorry, what was that?”323

Donnelly roared with laughter and his green eyes twinkled more than ever at my obvious embarrassment.324

“Go on Shannon; tell him who you’re talking too!”325

“Shut up Donnelly, for Chrissakes!”326

Now Nick had slowed the truck to almost a stop as he turned to look into the rear of the truck. 327

“Did you say, Donnelly?”328

I reddened and stammered out a reply, “Er, yes.”329

I could tell from the look on Nick’s face that he saw no ghost, no spirit and definitely no laughing Irishman. I was sure he would now drive me to the nearest asylum and let them take me away.330

“You can’t see him, can you Nick?”331

Nick sighed and shook his head, “Nope, all I see is an empty back seat but if you say he’s there well, who am I to dispute it.”332

My voice became angry, “Now I am being patronized by two of you! A bloody spirit, and a damn, irritating living one to boot!”333

Donnelly chortled away in the back, enjoying every minute of watching me squirm.
Nick’s eyebrows were raised high as he peered into the back trying, for my sake, to see something.334

I threw myself back into the passenger seat, “Don’t bother Nick, you obviously are not supposed to see him. I think he is my nuisance, not yours.”335

Donnelly tutted, “Darlin’ a nuisance am I, well, I never had that one called to my face before.”336

“Oh shut up!” I said with annoyance, “If you are going to do this to me with such frequency, you could at least behave.”337

Nick was looking at me in bewilderment and amusement, “Shannon, ask him what he wants. I can’t sit here by the side of the road all night.”338

“Ask him yourself, he’ll answer you. Just because you can’t see him doesn’t mean he can’t hear you!”339

Donnelly moved himself forward and positioned himself between the two front seats, resting his head ever so closely to my ear that I could have sworn I could feel his breath on my face. I wanted to swat him away but how can you swat something that isn’t real.340

“Shannon, ask Nick why he let them take that colt to the sales after he spent weeks getting him to lead on a rope and take food from his hand.”341

I looked from Donnelly, who winked, to Nick who was waiting expectantly for the air to answer.342

“He wants to know why you let the farm put that colt in the sales when you were already breaking him in.”343

Nick’s face suddenly drained of color, “How the hell did you know that? I mean how did he, oh never mind who knew. Blanche had a set against the colt from the first time she saw him, probably due to the fact that he tried to bite her every time she came near him. I guess I saw some spirit in him that reminded me of a red headed girl I once knew so I took a bit of spare time and broke him in. I couldn’t convince Blanche to keep him, even after breaking him in, he would lunge at her. Damn sure it was that rosewater perfume she wears. I think it stinks too.”344

I actually could picture this matronly, southern lady being overwhelmed by a lunatic horse and I also was quite taken with Nick’s idea of me being an unbroken yearling, although his memory of me was a little out of date.345

“I can’t understand why you would think Donnelly wouldn’t know what you thought or did, after all, he has a fair bit of higher intelligence than we do,” and I pointed skywards. “Besides that, he is two steps ahead of me and I don’t even need to say it; just think it is enough.”346

I laughed at the thought and Donnelly nodded with smiling eyes, “You see Shannon, it’s the chaos theory. Everything is interconnected if you are willing to see it.”347

I became serious and watched Donnelly fade from the rear of the truck, “Well, you think I am like that colt? Perhaps, years ago I would have said so, but not now. I’ve mellowed somewhat, but it does explain why I have this need to buy that colt and I suspect you have a need to keep breaking him in. I also have the theory that Donnelly fully intended us to come together for a reason.”348

Nick grinned, “I suspect you’re right and even though I do think you need a therapist for your hallucination, I am going to throw caution to the wind and put some money in with you to buy that damn rogue. Who knows, between the two of us we might even get him to a racetrack in some far off town.”349

I looked at Nick with triumphant eyes, “Kentucky Rainbow, winner of the Kentucky Derby, has a nice ring to it.”350

Nick chuckled, “Let’s try for a maiden class race or maybe even just a trial win. Shannon, I can whisper to my hearts content but not all horses respond you know.”351

I wouldn’t be swayed, “No, you already had his trust and you’ll get it back again. I think we’ll make a good team. All I need now is for Donnelly to choose the right jockey and we’ll be on the way.”352

Nick slapped the steering wheel, “Lord knows, he’ll probably pick himself. I wonder what the stewards would make of a jockey who walks through walls.”353

We both ended the journey home to Freycinet, dare I say, in good spirits and spent the remaining drive talking over plans for the colt. I hoped as I got into bed that night he wouldn’t be out of our price range yet I knew in a strange sort of way that he’d be ours by the end of the sale.354

If I’d stayed awake long enough, I would have seen a forlorn faced Donnelly perched on the end of the bed, watching me sleep. I would never have comprehended the loneliness he was feeling at being so near to me yet unable to make contact.355

My dreams that night were peaceful yet sad and I heard the faint whisper of Donnelly saying softly, “You’ll be a success and then my job will be over, me love.”356

CHAPTER 4357

The next Sunday dawned on Freycinet with a brightly shining sun and a perfect blue sky. I stretched languidly as I tried to rouse myself from the best sleep I had managed so far at the farm. Glancing at the clock which read 7.30, I knew I had only an hour before Nick would be by to take me to the sales.358

Smiling with anticipation, I hurried with my shower and threw on my denims and boots, searching in vain for a shirt. I gave up on that idea and opted for a white singlet top. Catching sight on myself in the mirror I nodded approval.359

“Not too bad, Sharpely, even if I do say so meself!” came the familiar voice.360

Not even the appearance of Donnelly, this morning would dampen my mood and I poked a tongue out in his direction which drew a response of laughter.361

“I just can’t have a minute’s privacy can I, not with all the popping in and out you do.”362

Donnelly made a face of mock hurt, “Shannon, I only come when you have thoughts of me first. You have the control over these things, not I.”363

I sputtered in shock, “I do no such thing, Donnelly Clarke, and it’s quite obvious that they have not shown you the ways of humility up there.”364

He sauntered over to stand behind me and I must admit to being quite shocked when there was no reflection of him in the mirror, yet when I turned around he was there, looking all too real for comfort.365

‘Neat trick eh?”366

I sniggered, “Yes, I think I saw David Copperfield do it once in a Las Vegas show, say, can you make a plane disappear too?”367

“Sarcasm, me love, and you running late and all. Better get going and make sure you take your cheque book, you’re going to need it.”368

I took his advice and threw the cheque book into my coat pocket, grabbed it and strode downstairs, looked suitably apologetic for Mrs. P when I asked for only coffee then made my way to the office to check up on things before I left for the sales.369

Dinny was legging Alana aboard Whitefriar and both turned to wave at me as I approached.370

“Off to the sales, Miss Shannon?” smiled Alana pleasantly.371

“Shortly, Alana, and don’t forget to give this tub of lard a good work out this morning, he needs to lose about 20 pounds”, I said giving the bay an affectionate pat on his rump.372

Alana grinned, “He’ll get a good one, Miss, and don’t you worry”.373

With that she turned his head toward the training track and sauntered away, hooves making a click clack sound on the cobblestones.374

Dinny was nodding with approval, “She likes you, but then so does the rest of the staff.”375

I shaded my eyes from the sun and replied, “Why wouldn’t she, I am no slave driver Dinny, if anything I am too soft on all of them,” then smiling at him said, “That will all change once some new blood is brought to the farm, hopefully today.”376

Dinny gruffly cleared his throat, “Not with that rogue that Hilltree bred”, and he watched my face change color, “I heard it on the grapevine you looked at that rattle headed colt of Blanche’s. No use denying it Shannon, the grapevine here is better than the six o’clock news.”377

I looked at him sheepishly, “I am not going to deny it, Dinny. I liked the colt and he is not as bad as they all make out.”378

He threw his head back and chortled, “Well, after you saw him last week he’s managed to bite two stable hands and destroy one stall, but if you reckon he’s not that bad, who am I to say otherwise.”379

I grimaced, no one had bothered to mention those things to me and even my floating Irish apparition had said nothing. The grapevine upstairs must not be on line 24/7.380

I turned on my heel and stalked off back to the house when I was joined in step with Donnelly.381

“Don’t be put off, Shan, the horse is frightened with all the strangers, pushing and pulling him. You are not the only one who looked at him.”382

I didn’t break stride as I answered him, “Donnelly, this is sounding dafter the closer I get to actually bidding on this colt. You could also have told me who the hell I was going to be bidding against.”383

Donnelly frowned, “Well, if I had done that any sooner I might have frightened you off”.384

I eyed him suspiciously, ‘Who is it, Donnelly?”385

He made a polite cough and said, “Blanche Fabrice.”386

I stopped dead and if he hadn’t been deceased I would have knocked him flying but instead he passed straight through me and ended up in front of me.387

“What!” I hissed at him, “The damn woman who hates him and wanted him gone from Hilltree? That’s absolutely ridiculous, why on earth would she do that. She was the one who told Nick to get rid of him.”388

Donnelly said with all seriousness, “And Nick is the reason she is buying him back.”389

I shook my copper curls in fury, “You are not making sense, but then I expect that of you now. You haven’t been making sense since you materialized back into my life!”390

Donnelly slowly folded his arms, “That’s because you don’t listen to me! Blanche Fabrice is a forty year old widow, and may I say, quite an attractive one. She has had her eyes on Nick, long before her much older husband gave up the ghost and died of a stroke.” He grinned at his own joke and continued, “The grapevine doesn’t only work here at Freycinet, Shan, it works pretty well at Hilltree too. Blanche has heard all about you and Nick at the sales preview and I daresay she sees you as a threat.”391

I practically laughed in his face, “Threat? What threat? If she wants Nick, then she can have him. I am only interested in his expertise as a horse whisperer not as a boyfriend!”392

I spat the last words out in distaste and was annoyed that Donnelly suspected I had ulterior motives. I took a deep breath, remembering the he only knew what I was thinking. 393

Donnelly shook his head, “Shannon, you would do well to remember I know what will be and you should trust me that I know what’s best for you. I wouldn’t be trying to lead you down the garden path.”394

“Wouldn’t you just!” I replied, more than a little shocked, “Donnelly, I have no interest in Nick. I don’t want him, the only thing I want is you and that’s the one thing I know I’ll never have again.”395

“Give it time, Shannon,” he said softly, “It will happen and you will see that I am right as usual.”396

Before I could say anymore, he was gone and I was standing alone in the courtyard, hands on hips in anger and frustration, when I heard Nick whistle to get my attention.397

I managed a grim smile which brought an immediate frown to Nick’s face; he shoved his hands in his pockets and slowly made his way towards me.398

“Did I scare you or were you deep in conversation with, you know who?”
He said the last part in hushed tones as if someone would overhear.399

“Argh!” I shrieked, “You men are all the same! You are either bloody-minded or downright confusing, and I am getting sick of all of you; dead or alive!”400

I brushed past him, with a shake of my head and stormed to his Rodeo and slammed the door shut. Very quietly he opened the driver’s door and hopped in being very careful not to even glance in my direction. It took the best part of twenty miles before I had calmed down enough to start a conversation.401

“Listen, let’s just forget about this morning, I was having a bad apparition day and that is definitely not your fault.” I said sagely, glancing briefly into the back seat where all was empty.402

Nick stuck his arm out the window and nodded quietly, “If you say so, then this morning never happened.”403

I heaved a sigh of relief and began to relax my body into the leather seat.404

“Good. Now can I ask you just one thing before we get there and I want you to be completely honest with me?”405

Nick’s mouth grew wider, exposing a perfect white toothed smile, “Ask away, I have been nothing but honest with you Shan, perhaps too direct, but honest.”406

“Agreed”, I said calmly, “What is your relationship with Blanche Fabrice?”407

There was a perception of redness in Nick’s cheeks but he regained his composure quickly, hoping I had not noticed it. He was wrong, I had.408

“Blanche Fabrice is my boss, Shan, nothing more.” He said it as matter of factly as he could and I duly noted his anxiety in the statement.409

“The grapevine tells me otherwise,” I continued, “You see I had pictured a plump, matronly middle aged lady with the southern drawl perfected as well as her lipstick. Am I on the right track or way off?”410

Nick chuckled, “I’d say you were a fair way off but I’ll let you judge for yourself, she’ll be at the sales today. She never lets her horses go through without checking who buys them.”411

I flicked through my catalogue nonchantly as I answered him, “Dinny says, she has her eyes set on you being her colt.”412

Nick growled in reply, “Dinny, the old bastard should stop gossiping. He thinks he is a party to everything that goes on around Paris, but he doesn’t and he especially doesn’t about me.”413

I thought to myself, ‘here goes’ and spilt the rest of it.414

“Donnelly said the very same thing.”415

“Ah, now we’re getting to the crux of the matter! Because your Irishman says so, then it must be so?”416

The air was becoming undecidedly thick and humid inside the car and I wound my window down and took a large, deep breath of country.417

I waited for Nick to continue but he stared at the road without another comment.418

“All Donnelly said was, that Blanche had her eye on you since her husband died and that I was her perceived threat.”419

With that, Nick looked at me curiously, “Shannon, what could you possibly threaten her with, apart from the odd haunting from Donnelly! Now that would be worth watching, Blanche is certainly a fragile, southern belle, if ever I’ve seen one.”420

“Ha”, I said derisively, “I’ll wager that is an act. No such thing as a fragile, southern belle, only a scheming one.”421

“Listen to you, attacking the woman before you’ve even met her.”422

I shook my copper head firmly, “That’s where you’re wrong, Nick. I have met her type before but my one was Italian. Florian, the vet at Inspiration was a scheming viper. These women always think they can have what ever they want. I am just worried that if she thinks that colt will get her closer to you, then we have no chance to buy him. I can’t justify spending all Dad’s money on one horse.”423

“That’s where you, are wrong, Shannon,” said Nick smiling in a secretive way, “Blanche has husband Harry’s one billion dollar inheritance and she won’t fritter it away on a horse she truly dislikes. Now you may say she wants me but I know her well enough that her money is worth more than any man to her. She won’t waste more than the colt is worth.”424

I was not convinced by Nick’s comments and knowing that the reserve was $100,000, I feared the bidding would go up quickly. I knew that I would not pay more than $200,000 for fear that my Father would disown me when I sent him a picture of the colt.425

If there was one thing I knew about Dad, it was his ideas on what made a good racehorse. He had drummed it into me relentlessly since I was a baby. Now I was about to go against everything he had taught me and buy a horse whose knees were not well formed, a head too small for his body and the advice of a dead Irish jockey. I sighed to myself, thinking I would have me put away too!426

Once we had pulled into the Keenland complex and parked the car, I raced off to register as a buyer. There was only the matter of thirty minutes before the sale began and I wanted a good spot in the ring. Another thing my Father had said was never be the centre of attention at a horse sale, find a spot somewhere up high where you can survey the rest of the crowd and if you are a newcomer, let the spotter know what your method of bidding will be in case he misreads it. Dad was an expert at this and only used a slight upturn of his head to make a bid. I, on the other hand, had no idea what my style would be so I did not seek out the spotter to inform him.427

I had to wait in line for a rather shapely blond to finish her paperwork with the sales company. I found interest in this event when I heard the clerk wish her all the best.
“Good luck with your bids Mrs. Fabrice.”428

“Why, thank you mah deah.”429

As she turned towards me, her charming smile was replaced by one of smug recognition.430

“Ms, Sharpely I believe, a pleasure to finally meet you.” She said sneeringly.431

“And you Mrs. Fabrice, I have heard a lot about you.” I replied as sweetly as I could.432

“Please its Blanche deah, no formalities needed; after all we are neighbors now.” She said with much insincerity.433

“Mm,” I pondered, “Shannon.”434

‘Deelightful name for such a sweet child.” She responded with a sticky sweet drawl.435

I felt the hackles go up on my neck but decided not to let her see that the comment had hit its mark. Child indeed! It was intended to get under my skin.436

I drew myself up to full height and strolled past her saying nonchantly “I mustn’t dawdle; Nick will be worried if I take too long.”437

I flashed her my best smile, flicked my curls and handed my papers to the clerk. I heard the annoyed sniff as Blanche left my presence without so much as a goodbye and knew that my barb had also hit its mark.438

Nick was waiting patiently by the sales ring entrance and smiled a greeting as I approached.439

“You took your time, waylaid by a friendly ghost?” he inquired laughingly.440

“No, waylaid by a certain southern belle.” I said, not containing my amusement as Nick blushed furiously.441

“So you have met the matronly Mrs. Fabrice?” he said chuckling loudly.442

“Quite an experience, one I would liken to two wildcats circling one another wondering when the right moment would be to pounce!” and I smiled at Nick’s obvious discomfort, “Don’t worry Nick, I was pleasant and she was at her southern, sarcastic best, but I think I got in the last word.”443

“Gee, Shan, I hope you didn’t upset her, we do want that colt don’t we.”444

“Nick, I think you could talk her out of bidding on that horse. I feel if you were to go and tell her what a bad idea it would be and that I had little or no chance of getting him to the track she would be over the moon not to stop me buying him.”445

Nick eyed me suspiciously, “That sounds a lot like being dishonest, but I got to admit I don’t think we have a chance in hell of getting that colt to the races either. I’ll speak to her if you think it will help.”446

I put my hand on his chest and fluttered my eyelids at him, “Nick, darling, I am shuah you can turn on your charm and the lovely Blanche will do anything for little ole’ you!”447

I laughed at his shocked expression as I perfected the southern drawl that Blanche seemed so fond of.448

“I swear Shannon, you are very odd, very odd indeed!” replied Nick as he walked away shaking his head, the sounds of my laughter still ringing in his ears.449

“You all come back now, y’hear!” I said, choking back the tears of amusement.450

He waved his hand in exasperation and kept going until he disappeared from view.451

I placed myself the second last row inside the complex and studied my catalogue awaiting Nick’s return. I watched as buyers came in and nodded unsmiling to Blanche as she seated herself front and centre in the first row. If she acknowledged me I didn’t see it and she almost threw herself into the seat with unfeigned anger.452

“Now there’s an enemy you’ve made without trouble, me lass.” said Donnelly from the seat beside me.453

I grinned at him wickedly, “I did so enjoy our first meeting, it went well, don’t you think?”454

Donnelly grinned back, “To be sure Shannon, but do not underestimate the lady. She’s a formidable player in these parts, and making Nick a party to your dishonesty, that’s not cricket me love.”455

I shrugged, “I don’t know much about cricket but I just thought it couldn’t hurt to have some advantage in this situation.”456

Donnelly looked hurt, “Advice from beyond the grave not enough for you now? I am deeply distressed!”457

I frowned at him, “Oh, you know what I mean and if they don’t like it up there; well, bad luck. Guess I won’t be seeing you in the ever after.”458

Donnelly chuckled, “You wouldn’t like it in the other place, Shannon me girl, too many people you know are there!”459

Just as I formed a sarcastic reply he was gone. Typical, I thought although I did shiver at the picture I had of burning in hell forever. I hoped that I had accumulated enough brownie points with Donnelly not to ever find out.460


CHAPTER 5461

The pace of the sales was such that I became quite nervous and restless waiting and watching. Each yearling was led in by an attendant to the small sales ring and made to walk around in a circle while bids were placed fast and furiously. Each crack of the auctioneers hammer made the yearlings fractious and they leapt in the air, rolling their eyes in terror. The ones who took the commotion in their stride seemed not to bring as much interest. I found this intriguing and I remembered my Father telling me that a sensible horse, who took no fright in strange surroundings or noises, was most likely to be an easy prospect to break in. Not necessarily a slow racehorse but one who seemed to understand what was expected of him.462

Of course, at this sale, I was not putting into practice anything my Father had taught me and I was more than a little apprehensive at the dressing down I would receive when I finally told him of my purchase, if it happened.463

I had watched with mild amusement as Nick had sidled up to Blanche Fabrice in the front row, falling into deep and animated conversation with her. I couldn’t help but notice the frequency of her touches on Nick’s knee.
I could see the upturned nose wrinkle with delight as she did so and I felt a wave of disgust at the openness of her flirting. I tried to focus my attention on the yearlings but I was drawn back to Nick and wondered if he was going through with our little plan of deception. Finally he stood up and bade her farewell, climbing the stairs hurriedly as if in fear that she would follow him to where I sat. I moved to the next seat to enable him to place his well built frame into the seat on the aisle.464

“Well, I don’t think we have to worry about Blanche.” He said through gritted teeth.465

“So you did tell her our story then?” I whispered back.466

Nick looked at me with a curious frown, “No, I didn’t have to. She had made her mind up that you deserved the colt. There was no argument from her at all, which makes me wonder what kind of impression you made on her when you first met.”467

I chuckled, “Donnelly did mention that I had easily made her into an enemy without trying.”468

Nick wiped his brow with his handkerchief, “You did a good job, the lady is suitably piqued and I think her last comment was, if the wild child wants a wild horse, then who am I to stop her.”469

I felt a sense of relief, “Good, then maybe we’ll get the colt for less than I’d anticipated.”470

The sound of the auctioneer’s hammer put a stop to our conversation as the next lot came into the ring, our colt was in a cantankerous mood to say the least. Sweat beads glistened on his red coat and he tossed his head from side to side, fighting the attendant who was red in the face from trying to control the erratic youngster. As if on cue, he stopped still in the middle of the sales ring and let out a scream that echoed around the complex bringing amused comments from all and sundry around us.471

“Rogue.” Said a voice from behind me. It came from a wizened old trainer that I had seen earlier checking yearlings with his perspective buyer.472

The perspective buyer, resplendent in Armani suit replied, “Pity the person who tries to tame that thing. Hilltree are well rid of animals like that.”473

The trainer nodded, not lifting his eyes from his catalogue, “Still, the breeding is better than most. Shows you can never tell about these gene pools. The mare was a fair racehorse, won a few group races and we all know how good the stallion is. Guess all good ‘un’s have a bad seed once in a while.”474

I heard Nick groan and knew he had overheard the same conversation but in my mind I kept hearing ‘as long as there is Kentucky rainbows’, so I refocused my attention o n the auctioneer and waited for the battle to begin. I did spy Blanche looking up at us with that sweet but treacherous smile and I thought about how happy she must feel, thinking she had me fooled.475

The auctioneer’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker system, “Where can I start the bidding Ladies and gentleman, on this regally bred colt from Hilltree. Come on now, don’t be shy, is there 100,000.”476

There was barely a ripple of response so he tried again.477

“Come now people, look at this colt, he is strong and full of spirit, what about 50,000?” It was a plea more than a question and I could see people shaking their heads, I felt new compassion for this colt that no one seemed to want.478

“50,000.” I said loudly which made people turn there heads to see where the bid came from, it also included a deep chuckle from the old trainer behind me.479

“Newcomer.” He scoffed and kept chuckling until I turned and spat at him with venom.480

“Maybe young eyes see what the old refuse to!”481

He raised his brow and whispered slowly, “And maybe they chose not to see at all, ma’am.”482

Indignantly I turned my back on him and saw that Nick was shaking his head ruefully. The auctioneer had called for the second time on my bid when a shrill southern voice could be heard.483

“One hundred thousand, sir.”484

“That’s more like it, and the bid is with the vendor, Mrs. Fabrice!” boomed the auctioneer.
Nick looked aghast and I remained silent as the auctioneer moved quickly to count the colt out.485

“She said she wouldn’t,” stammered Nick.486

I tossed my head defiantly at him, “Never take the word of a cobra, they are always poised ready to strike.”487

“One fifty.” I said and motioned at the spotter who put his arm up to indicate the bid to the auctioneer. There was now a murmur of interest in the ring.488

“One eighty!” The immediate response came from Blanche as she turned to give me an evil, triumphant smile, which served only to make me more determined.489

“Two hundred!” I shouted and Nick groaned louder as the buzz of the crowd grew stronger.490

I was now beginning to perspire and my heart was pounding with anticipation and nervousness. I caught sight of a shadowy figure standing beside the auctioneer and the surreal calmness I had experienced only once before suddenly returned. ‘I’ll always be there Shannon, never fear.’491

“Going once, going twice, third and final time,” the auctioneer surveyed the room, staring at Blanche in the front row whose expression was now fit to be tied. He raised his hammer and as he did I watched Blanche raise her hand. Suddenly there was a boom and a smattering of applause.492

“SOLD!” yelled the auctioneer and my heart fell feeling all had been lost until I noticed the shadow was now more obvious and it was waving at me.493

“Sold for $200,000 to the young lady in the back.” Smiled the auctioneer staring at me then looking curiously at the hammer he had just used. Scratching his head and wondering how on earth he had banged it so quickly without even moving his hand.494

Nick was laughing and I was blankly staring at the spotter who was proffering the paperwork to sign, which I did on automatic pilot.495

“Shannon, if I didn’t know better I’d say that was divine intervention if ever I’ve witnessed it!”496

“Which means?” I said testily as I viewed the dramatic exit of Blanche from the complex knowing it wouldn’t be the last time we crossed horns.497

Nick spluttered, “You mean you didn’t see it? The auctioneer had his hand in the air with the hammer, Blanche was about to raise another bid and then I swear that hammer flew out of his hand and hit the stand with such force that it almost had to be the devil himself propelling it!”498

“Or an Irishman.” I replied quietly as I stood up to leave.499

I glanced at the trainer behind us and he was grinning at us, “Young lady I commend you for bidding with such conviction. I wish you good luck, you sure as hell are going to need it!” and he chortled away slapping his hand on his knee at his attempt at humor.500

I smiled back and said determinedly, “See you at the races.”501

He nodded and laughed louder shaking his head with delight and digging his buyer in the ribs at the absurdity of my comment.502

My hand trembled as I wrote out the cheque and handed it to the accounts girl; still trembling I accepted the receipt and headed out of the office in search of ‘F’ barn and my purchase. It was on the way that Blanche again crossed my path.503

“Deah,” she called out “Mah congratulations to you, what a handful of a colt you have there.”504

“I suppose I should say thank you, but I don’t feel it is appropriate seeing as you were the under bidder.”505

She eyed me with unveiled bitterness and then her flashing pearly white smile reappeared, “All’s fair in love and horses shall we say?”506

“And which one were you bidding on back there Blanche?” I said innocently.507

She tried to look hurt but didn’t quite pull it off, “Child whatevah do you mean? Nick recommended buying that colt back and I was only doing what I was told to do.”508

I thought she lied very well and suspected she was pleased with the way she conveyed herself to me.509

“Nick can continue to like the colt, Blanche, at my place, as I have hired him to keep breaking him in. I am sure you would have recommended him to me, after all the colts and fillies he has broken for you at Hilltree.”510

Her eyes narrowed, “Of course, mah deah, he is the best around but his time is precious, I only hope he can find the time to help you out.”511

‘Oh, I am sure he will, seeing as he owns half of the colt himself.”512

Her over powdered face suddenly whitened even more and she let out the faintest hiss of surprise.513

“He nevah told me that! Nicky is full of surprises but I guess you have noticed that for yourself?”514

I smiled at her in all her puffed up self importance, “I am not much for surprises and Nick and I go back such a long way that I think I know him as an honest and truthful man.”515

I left her standing, tapping an impatient high heel as she searched for an equally sarcastic reply. It never came as I hurried away to the barn where Nick was going over the colt with careful hands.516

“Is everything ok?” I remarked casually, “Nothing amiss with our future champion?”517

“Not that I can see, his knees are ordinary but I can’t feel any heat and considering the way he has played up this past week, it’s a wonder.”518

Nick stood up and brushed the dust from his palms and patted the colt softly on the neck, “You and I old boy are going to become reacquainted over the next few weeks.”519

The horse nickered and dropped his head to Nick’s hand and I nodded approval. I was right to suspect that both horse and human had formed a bond at Hilltree. Had he been black I would have sworn that Diametric had been reborn here in America, such were the similarities of their characters.520

Nick glanced at my smiling face, “What are you looking so pleased for, is it the fact you have just divested me of $100,000 or is it because you have won the war over Blanche.”521

“Oh I wouldn’t say the war is over, the first battle perhaps and as for the other little matter of money, don’t forget you have to give me a cheque for your half.”522

“I won’t forget,” said Nick, his eyes twinkling in the half light of the stall and I felt a pang of loneliness envelop me. Without a word between us he leant over and placed his lips on mine, my heart betrayed my head and I kissed him back feeling the rough skin of his cheek against mine. The horse broke the moment by moving slowly away to his feed bin.523

It jolted me back to the present and I moved back and away from Nick.524

“I, I don’t know why I did that.” I breathed in embarrassment.525

“Shannon, you don’t need an explanation for everything you do or say.” said Nick slowly, then he moved towards the door of the stall, “It was just a kiss of appreciation, nothing more, besides I already know where your heart lies.”526

Leaving me in a state of confusion he turned and wandered out into the afternoon sunshine and I let him go without an answer.527

“It wasn’t appreciation now, was it Shannon?”528

Donnelly’s voice was thick with emotion and the colt turned his head towards him and whinnied quietly. I looked at both of them with wide eyes.529

“The horse can see you?” I asked in amazement.530

“Animals have no preconceived ideas about life or death, me love. That’s why Diametric had no problem with your conversations at Inspiration, he knew full well I was always there, and I think you knew it too.”531

Donnelly put his hand up in front of the colts face and the colt responded by sniffing the space in front of it and nodding wisely.532

“Donnelly, I have no interest in Nick, not in that way, I’m not ready for anything like that in my life, and I have far too much to do at the farm.” I said flatly trying to convince myself and Donnelly that I was speaking the truth.533

Donnelly lowered his head, “Shannon, I could tell you all the old clichés about how time heals and life goes on, but you have already heard those things. No person has only one soul mate in their lives; if we are to be truly blessed we get to experience love and passion more than once. You are being given that chance and I want you to take it. You owe it to yourself to be happy again, my life is over but yours goes on. Nick is a good man not unlike me.” Donnelly smiled when he saw I recognized his Irish humor, “Do yourself a favor Shannon, and let him in.”534

I felt a sob escape from my throat, “I can’t Donnelly because all I see sometimes is me growing old without you.”535

He moved closer to my face and replied, “I’ll always be there Shannon, forever young in your heart, no matter how old you become.”536

I felt a tear traverse my cheek and felt the featherlike touch wipe it away, my heart lurched for a chance to hold Donnelly in my arms and for he and I to just disappear from the world and be together as we were in Ireland.537

“Let him in Shannon,” said the voice as it faded and left me standing alone with the colt who was watching in silent inquisitiveness.538

I wrestled with my thoughts and feelings as I put a bit and halter onto the colt to take him out to the transport truck. Did I have feelings for Nick? I wasn’t really sure how I felt, I had spent so much time fighting the feelings of longing for Donnelly that having him appear in my life again, albeit briefly and ethereally, seemed at the start to be enough. Now, after experiencing Nick’s kiss, and listening to Donnelly’s assessment of what he hoped life would hold for me, I wasn’t sure of anything at all.539

Nick was standing by the truck waiting patiently and I handed him the colt’s rope and stood back while he lead him slowly onto the truck. It dawned on me how quiet the colt had become, as if he knew what was expected of him. I kind of knew that Donnelly played a part in making it so and at least it was one thing I could report back to my Father about the yearling.540

Nick came back down and handed me the rope, he was silent and brooding as he helped life the tailgate shut.541

I broke the icy silence, “Nick, I want to thank you for all you have done today.”542

“No need for thanks Shannon, I only do what I want to do.” He replied as he walked back towards me, for the first time I stared into his dark brown eyes and saw my own reflection held in them.543

“Nick, will you have dinner with me tonight?” I blurted the words out for fear that I would change my mind if I waited a split second longer, “For a celebration in getting our horse and finding each other again.”544

He looked at me squarely and his eyes softened, “Have we found each other Shannon? Or are you in need of a friend to help ease the loneliness
of Donnelly. I lost you once all those years ago and I am not giving my heart to you again just to have it ripped apart.”545

I didn’t really know what to say to him and there was an uneasy silence between us for more than a few moments.546

“I’m not asking for your heart Nick, Lord knows I could use a good friend. I don’t have the right to expect anymore from you than that because I don’t know if I can give you anything more. I was told that to start living again, you have to let someone in; back into your heart, it’s easier said than done.” I paused and sighed, reliving Donnelly’s words, “If I could give you my heart then I would but at the moment it is still not mine to give, it belongs to Donnelly and I have no idea when that feeling will go away, but you will be the first to know.”547

I squeezed his hand and walked away towards the car park leaving Nick standing alone, shoulders slumped.548

Donnelly stood beside him nodding his head sagely.549

“Too late, Shannon, me lass, he’s already lost his heart and now it’s up to you to find yours again.”550

551

CHAPTER 6552

Kentucky Rainbows first foray to his new home at Freycinet was less than perfect. The transport driver’s grim face told the story silently and I wished that Dinny was not the first person to see the sweat soaked colt appear from his imprisonment inside the truck. As the driver led the sad looking colt down the ramp, the look on Dinny’s face was priceless. It was a combination of shock, horror and an overwhelming urge to laugh. He shot me a look of shame at having brought this thing into Freycinet.553

I took the halter apologetically from the driver who returned to his truck and got out of the driveway faster than was necessary. I deduced he was thinking I would change my mind and have the horse taken away again.
As I led the horse down the row of boxes with Dinny following behind making all kinds of sighing noises that meant, ‘what are we going to do with him’ doubts began to creep into my mind for the first time. Dinny opened a box at the end of the row which led out to a large outside area for the colt to get used to his surroundings. He muttered something about being too embarrassed to let anyone actually see the darn horse but I ignored the comment and let the colt pass through. He made his way slowly to the water bucket to slake his thirst and emptied the bucket in one go.554

“Miss Shannon, I know I’ve held my tongue and let you go and buy this sorry creature, but now I have seem him in the flesh, I gotta asks you, why in God’s name did you spend $200,000 on that?” and Dinny raised a weathered finger accusingly at the colt.555

“Dinny.” I replied tartly, “You have not really kept your mouth closed; I have been listening to your mutterings since I brought the colt off the truck.” I lowered my eyes to peer at him seriously. “I only spent $100,000, Nick owns the rest of him and I’ll thank you not to mutter so loudly next time if you meant me not to hear you!”556

He shook his head and rubbed his nose with a gnarled finger. “Miss Shannon, your father is going to skin me alive when he finds out what you’ve chosen to bring Freycinet back into the winner’s circle. I don’t even think he’d bring twenty cents a pound at the knackery.”557

Without waiting for my reply, he headed off back towards the office still raving on about the stupidity of women and horses. Kentucky Rainbows made his way back inside the stall to me and hung his head over the side to rest his nose on my shoulder. I could feel his teeth make an exploratory over my skin and I moved away.558

“I’d advise you not to think of taking a bite.” I mentioned to him as I stroked his nose, “I might be the only friend you have here at Freycinet.”559

“And me too.” The call came as Nick approached stall, “I gather Dinny thinks we both need our heads read?”560

I pouted. “Meet him on the way here, did we?”561

Nick nodded and smiled as he replied, “Oh, I got a right royal dressing down, you know, for being a bad influence and throwing good money after bad.”562

I threw my hands up in the air; it was at this opportune time that a visit from Donnelly could have eased my worried mind. It was all going to get worse when I rang my father in Ireland and explained the purchase. I shivered at the thought of what the conversation would be. He had entrusted me with the running of this farm and I didn’t want to let him down so how on earth was I going to tell him that the colt I had bought wasn’t wanted by anyone save for me, a horse whisperer and a bloody ghost?563

Nick read my mind. “Shannon, the sooner you make that call to Kent, the better it will be. No use putting off the inevitable.”564

“I know, but it’s too late to do it tonight, let’s just go to dinner and I promise when I get back I’ll ring him with the bad news.”565

“Getting cold feet?” Nick mused. “I would have thought it would only serve to make you more defiant in proving them all wrong?”566

I shook my head firmly and said, “I want to prove them wrong but you don’t know my father. He gave me this job safe in the knowledge I had been a good pupil and learned word for word everything he taught me. About buying horses, training them and making them profitable. Lord knows how I am going to convince him that this one will amount to anything at all.”567

Nick chided me. “Shannon, Kent Sharpely has a good eye for horses and an astute business brain but you’re his daughter and he loves you, I don’t think it will be as bad as you think it will be.”568

“One can only hope,” I said as I locked the stall and started back to the house with Nick falling in alongside.569

I made him wait downstairs while I got changed for dinner; Mrs. P provided coffee and cake so there were no protestations over how long I would be. I realized that I hadn’t packed any suitable clothes to wear to dinner so I settled for black pants and a white halter neck top; I even acquiesced to high heels even though I knew my feet would be aching by the end of the evening.570

Nick wolf whistled in appreciation which only served to blacken my mood further and he motioned his apology as he led me to his car. I was a little taken aback when I saw that the Rodeo had been replaced by a pristine ’68 Mustang and Nick opened the door to let me in.571

“The man has a passion for cars too?” I said managing a small smile.572

‘Well, you can’t take a lady to dinner in a truck, can you?” he replied with a wink as he hopped into the drivers seat. “Took me a long time to afford this little beauty so don’t smudge the paint work!”573

It was said so tongue in cheek that I laughed and felt, maybe; it was going to be a pleasant evening after all. In the cool evening air I studied Nick for probably the first time as he sang softly to the same country and western music I so loathed. He had the tanned appearance of a man who had lived his life in the outdoors, a strongly chiseled jaw line with a perfect smile, his eyes were of deep brown and his hair of russet brown blew about his face in disarray. It was collar length but thick and vibrant, it gave him the appearance of a native Indian and I smiled wondering what he would look like in feathers. His hands were coarse and strong, lined with the dirt of a man whose life and passion was working with horses and leather harness yet appeared that they would be light and gentle to a young colt that needed his expertise.574

I wondered what he really thought of me since I had returned to Kentucky.575

“He thinks you are grand.” The reply came from behind me and I glanced back knowing full well who it was.576

“No, don’t speak Shannon, for you’ll only break your moment of reflection and Nick will begin to poke fun, though he won’t mean it.”577

Donnelly moved closer to my ear and again I had the impression of soft breath on my cheek.578

“Now, me girl, I’ll not disturb you again tonight but I thought you could let Nick know that you should start on that colt in the morning. Strike while the iron is hot.” I nodded agreement silently as Donnelly continued. “Your father will be upset but it won’t last, it never does with you lass. If you asked him for the world he’d get it for you, so don’t be bothering your pretty head about that one. There is only one other thing to say; your heart needs to rule your head Shannon, me girl. You were studying him because you have those feelings deep within you, you must be letting them out. Make this Irishman happy and enjoy.”579

The voice faded away and I glanced back again but there was only a vacant seat. I would try to do what Donnelly asked but I feared my head was still winning the battle over my heart and who it should belong to.580

We pulled up in front of a quaint colonial inn with more of the dogwoods swaying in rhythm with the breeze. I alighted from the car and waited for Nick to join me at the door.581

“I think you’ll like this place, Shan.” He said as he guided me up the steps and into the inn.582

It was a lovely setting with neat white curtains tied at each side of shuttered windows, some were ajar letting the faint scent of the dogwood blossoms fill the space in the room. Although it was Spring, a fire burnt in the open fireplace giving off its crackle and hiss making the room seem cozy and inviting.583

It wasn’t full of faces I recognized but the people all turned and nodded their greetings to Nick, who I surmised was well respected in these parts. The waitress led us to a table by the fire and Nick did the gentlemanly thing and pulled back the chair. I was impressed; I guess I had thought back here in Kentucky that chivalry may be dead. I need not have worried; Kentucky was still a part of the old south and the traditions of ladies being treated as ladies were held with high regard.584

By the time desert had come around I was completely relaxed and quite enjoying Nick’s company. It was easy to slip back into being that red headed tomboy and relive the memories that Nick was relating. I laughed and almost cried with some of the things he was saying, I suspected the slant on them all suddenly had been turned to him being the victor in most of our exploits.585

I took a sip from my glass. “Nick, I swear I do not remember any of those things you are telling me. I seem to vaguely remember that I would let you win when we were riding, or wrestle you for it when you didn’t!”586

Nick nodded and feigned pain at the thought. “Unfairly though it was, because you used your fingernails to advantage, I looked like I had wrestled a mountain lion, not a slip of a girl.”587

“Now you are having me on, I did no such unladylike thing to you!”588

“Quite the contrary Shannon, you were a spitfire and most of the county thought so too. It was just that I saw through your tomboy act and today I see a lovely young woman that has managed to get from child to lady in a most attractive way.”589

I blushed at the compliment and replied, “You have changed somewhat since childhood as well. Gone is the skinny boy who was always covered in mud and horse hairs. The man that sits here is intelligent and clean!”590

Nick laughed. “Well, maybe clean but I never completely get rid of the horse hairs and neither do you.” He leaned across the table and plucked a golden one from my curls, holding up to the light of the fire for closer inspection. “I’ll wager that one comes from Kentucky, with his mane and tail being so blond.”591

I looked across at him seriously. “You know Nick; you never mention anything about your life and where it took you after I left. You have only touched on the fact, how mad you were at me.”592

“Doesn’t make for a pleasant dinner conversation I guess.” And I noted he squirmed uneasily in his seat.593

“I’d still like to hear it, what happened to you and your family while I was so bored and miserable in New York?”594

Nick frowned, “Not much to tell, you have probably already heard about Dad and his drinking?” I nodded as he related the tale. “He got worse after you left, stayed out some nights without making it home, Mum and I would sit up waiting but until I got to Freycinet the next morning, we had no idea where he was. Mum had the idea he had another woman but I knew it was the drink. He’d get shickered up with whiskey and then pass out in the car and sleep it off until morning.”595

“Must have been terrible for you and your mother?” I ventured.596

“Yep, pretty much but she loved him and put up with it longer than I would have. Anyway, Dad started turning up late for work and you know how Kent hates that kind of thing so he chewed him out one day and Dad just up and left. Not a word to anyone, Mum was at the store and when she got home, clothes were gone and so was he and the car. She and I never mentioned him again.” He paused for a drink and then returned to the story. “Few years went past, I worked on Freycinet permanently after I turned 15, Mum worked at Hilltree in the kitchen and we got by as best we could. Then Mum met a bloke at Hilltree called Santo, he worked with the horses and they got together. I wasn’t real pleased but he treated her well and eventually I came round.”597

“Did he teach you about horses?” I asked as the waitress cleared our plates.
Nick wiped his mouth with his napkin and nodded. “He had learnt from a man called Monty Roberts how to do that whispering thing. I was fascinated how he could make a horse do just about anything with an hour of starting to break him in. Hilltree had built Santo a round pen to accommodate the technique and I spent all my spare time watching and learning. He taught me how to be patient and join up with a horse, make it want to be with you rather than force it.”598

“I have heard of Monty Roberts, I’ve read the books but Dad was reluctant to try it, too old fashioned and in Ireland I doubt there was anyone who knew how.” I recounted.599

“Shannon, it’s the easiest method in the world, you send the horse away and then invite him back in to you, if he refuses then send him away again until you see the signs of him wanting to be with you. The horse will turn an ear to you and listen, they’ll drop their heads as if bowing to your request and lick and chew with their mouths, asking you to allow them in.”600

I could see how Nick’s face had lit up just talking about the subject and how it made him feel to be able to join with an animal and make it trust you so completely.601

I touched his hand and replied, “You’ll get your chance again on that blasted colt of ours. He’ll need every bit of attention we can give him. I think he could very easily explode if we get it wrong.”602

“We need you to organize a round pen for it and I am not sure Dinny is going to be very happy about it at all.” said Nick chuckling wickedly at the thought.603

“You just leave Dinny to me, I’ll sort him out even if I have to lead him kicking and screaming to new, modern methods!” with that I glanced at my watch. “I think you better get me home, this phone call to Dad is not going to wait much longer and I think the sooner he yells at me the better!”604

Nick opened the car door for me and put a hand on my shoulder. “I enjoyed tonight, Shan. It’s easy to talk to someone you have known a whole life time.”605

I looked up at him and blushed as I said, “Yes Nick, best friends never have trouble in saying what they feel.”606

“Is that what I am Shannon, your best friend?” he inquired of me.607

I reached up and touched his face and softly planted a kiss on his cheek saying, “Isn’t it the best way to start, for now?”608

He put his hands in the air in defeat and said “Ok, you win Shannon, for now.”609

We drove back to Freycinet in silence but it was not icy like before, it was a peaceful, fulfilling silence that passed between us. Nick placed his hand over mine and for the first time I did not pull away. Best friends didn’t need to.610


CHAPTER 7611

Next day at Freycinet began the education of Kentucky Rainbows. It took quite a bit of convincing to get Dinny to even start a round pen. I enlisted the help of Alana, who was quite enthusiastic about it and Dinny eventually came round and helped hammer in some posts. There was no time for wooden railings so we substituted thick rope between the posts, four lengths in all, securing them with large steel staples onto each upright post. Nick arrived bright and early and we had the colt in his new pen by mid morning.612

The colt surveyed his surroundings warily, rolling his eyes at Nick who stood stock still in the middle of the pen. He had with him a length of rope which he flicked out towards the colt’s hind legs. Kentucky darted forward in a slow canter around the perimeter of the pen, he snorted and tossed his head in defiance but Nick kept the colt moving, flicking the rope time and again behind him.613

Alana, Dinny and I watched in silence lest we take the colt’s attention from his task. Nick continued to send the colt away for over 15 minutes when we saw a small change in attitude. Kentucky had turned his right ear towards Nick and was focusing in on what Nick was asking him to do. It was as if the horse was listening for a command. Nick dropped the rope and flicked it again, but this time in front of the colt who immediately reared up and stopped. Then he wheeled around and went in the opposite direction still with an ear firmly tuned in to Nick. This continued for at least another 10 minutes when the colt again displayed another change in attitude. He dropped his head to his chest in a submissive pose, Nick didn’t stop him but continued to keep him cantering at a good rate.614

I was fascinated; all the things I had read were happening and even Dinny couldn’t keep his eyes from Nick and the colt.
Suddenly, Kentucky started to lick and chew, bobbing his head up and down. Nick recoiled the rope and let the colt slow to a walk and then stop. Nick had his head bowed as he watched Kentucky take a small step towards him then stop and toss his head in confusion. Nick took a step towards the colt and then turned and walked away from him, Kentucky did not hesitate to follow Nick. It was only a few strides but the colt was now close enough to stretch out his neck and sniff the Nicks back. Nick moved off again and the colt began to follow him with head bowed and tail swishing softly.615

I wanted to clap but I stayed silent for fear I would break the moment, Alana turned to look at me and smiled knowingly. We both turned to Dinny who was scratching his head in amazement.616

When Nick and Kentucky had stopped again, Nick turned and approached the horse without eye contact. He turned his shoulder away from him and raised a hand to pat him on the neck. The colt did not move away but accepted the touch. Nick continued to do this all over the colt’s head and neck, moving slowly and surely down his flanks and back. This time Nick was speaking in hushed tones and Kentucky was turning his ears to and fro as Nick moved along to the rear end and around to the other side.617

After repeating this for a short time, Nick picked up the bridle and showed it to the colt, still talking and encouraging the colt not to be nervous. He slid it onto the colt’s head and placed the bit in his mouth. There was no tantrum as Kentucky accepted the steel bit and he let Nick put the reins on and over his neck. All this completed within the hour and Nick removed the bridle and patted the horse again, moving towards us on the outside of the ring.618

“That will do him for today, I gotta admit he did better than I thought he would.” Nick said, wiping the perspiration from his face.619

I smiled and replied, “Well, we are only an audience of three, but you convinced us.”620

We shot a look of curiosity at Dinny and he nodded in defeat.621

“I admits it young feller, mighty good job. I didn’t think you had a chance to get that youngster to agree to anything let alone putting a bridle on.”622

Nick slapped Dinny on the back. “That’s high praise coming from you old timer! Our job is only just beginning, this colt has a lot more to learn and the proof will come when we put a saddle on his back and a rider. I doubt he will be so condescending then.”623

I led Kentucky back to his stall, putting in a fresh bale of lucerne for him to munch on. Nick leant over the door watching both of us.624

“Did you call Kent?”625

I nodded. “Uhuh.”626

“Well?”627

“I haven’t been cut out of the will, if that’s what you’re asking.” I said as I let myself out of the box, shutting the door firmly. “Dad was less than complimentary on our choice and I got a suitable dressing down for going out on a limb but by the end he backed my judgment and when I told him you had thrown in half the money that sort of ended any qualms he had about it.”628

Nick looked thoughtfully at me. “Probably thinks because the colt is Hilltree bred that he is a good looker. Did you fill him in on the problems as well?”629

I shuffled beneath Nick’s gaze. “I decided I didn’t need to overload him with too much detail just yet. Let’s wait and see how he shapes up before I go telling him what could go wrong. It may never happen!”630

“Shannon!”631

It was said sternly and I avoided looking straight into Nick’s frowning face.632

“I know, but I didn’t lie! I just didn’t tell him.”633

We spoke no more about it, though I could tell Nick was uncomfortable that I had been less than honest with Dad. I pushed him off into his truck and waved him goodbye wishing I could be a fly on the wall when he got back to Hilltree to confront Blanche about his whereabouts all morning.634

*************635

Nick was dreading the meeting with Blanche and on arrival back at Hilltree tried to sneak back to his office at the stables without being noticed. He needn’t have bothered as Blanche was seated in his chair at his desk waiting impatiently for him.
“A fine thing.” She pouted. “I come looking for mah breaker and he is no where to be found. When I ask, I am told he is at Freycinet with that damn colt!”636

He tried to look apologetic but Blanche would not be swayed from her tirade so he stood quietly as she continued.637

“Is this to be expected from now on, must I make an appointment to see you and discuss Hilltree’s business?”638

“I’ll try to do it in my own time Blanche, but I owed it to Shannon to get her started with the colt straight away, after all I do own half of him now.”639

Blanche sniffed. “I wonder who put that silly ideah into your head. You agreed with me that the colt should go to the sales, when did you change your mind?”640

Nick shook his head vigorously and said, “When did you change your mind Blanche, and decide you wanted to buy him back?”641

Blanche laughed and fluttered extremely long eyelashes which framed her overly made up blue eyes. “When I saw your penchant for a red headed filly.” She got up and made her way over to where Nick stood and laid her hands on his chest. “I am not in the habit of sharing Nicky, I thought you understood that?”642

Nick extricated himself from Blanche’s touch and replaced her in the chair, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk.643

“Blanche, we had one night and both of us were very drunk. I never promised you anything more.”644

Her tinkling laughter made his skin crawl. “Mah deah Nick, you know damn well I had designs on you and you also knew the fact that I had designs on Freycinet. We both know it’s in financial trouble, and was, long before Miss Shannon Sharpely came into town.”645

“Shannon can turn the farm around if she is given the opportunity too.”646

Blanche refused to listen to Nick’s rhetoric. “I have had quite enough of playing second and third fiddle to Claiborne and Calumet farms, I aim to make Hilltree the biggest stud in this county and to do that I need Freycinet. Joined together we will have over 1200 acres of pastureland and enough room to add a stallion roster. No red headed upstart is going to upset mah plans. When the bank forecloses on Freycinet, I aim to be the one to buy them out and at a considerably lower price than what it’s worth!”647

She ended the statement with a triumphant gleam in her eye. “By the time your Shannon gets that colt to the races, if, indeed, she evah does, the colt would have to be the two year old of the year to make enough to pay the bank what the farm owes.”648

Nick growled at her and replied thickly, “You have no morals at all have you? I bet you never mentioned this scheme to Harry when he was alive.”649

Blanche flounced towards the door then turned and spat the words viciously in Nick’s direction. “He had one foot in the grave when I married him, I got what I wanted from him and now I intend to be the Queen of Paris and its equine society!”650

With a flourish of her hand she dismissed Nick and slammed the office door shut. Nick could do no more but sit and watch her leave with the anger building up within.651


******************652

Having a relatively free afternoon now that the colt’s first lesson had been completed, I decided that I should get down to auditing Freycinet’s books properly and find out exactly where the farm stood. The computer I had ordered had been delivered and I set about transferring the accounts onto the hard drive. The more I did the more worried I became. The incomings to the farm from dispersal sales of racehorses were far from encouraging and the income from races won were a steady stream but prize money from small metropolitan handicaps did not match what the farm owed the banks. Further inspection showed Dad had made substantial transfers of funds to pay the mortgage for awhile but with my mother’s constant spending which Dad still funded, there was a considerable shortfall. The mortgage was several hundred thousand in arrears and if you compounded the interest, it would be close to the million mark. That was a figure I feared most of all. I wondered how long it would be before the bank started to ask questions. The answer became clearer when I sheet of paper floated gently onto my desk, given a ghostly helping hand.653

I looked from the paper to Donnelly’s reappearance. “What is the importance of this?”654

Donnelly was in a very serious mood so I picked up the paper and began to read.655

It was a letter from the Bank of New York which read,656

Dear Kent,657

I am writing to inform you that your loan of $2,000,000.00 is more than three months in arrears. While I appreciate your transfer of funds for the interest due for one month I have to request that you forward as soon as you are able the rest of the payment.658

I remain cordially you friend and financier,659

Robert J Bolton660

As I finished reading, Donnelly pointed at the letter and said, “Blanche Fabrice is also a cordial friend of Robert J Bolton.”661

“Should that interest me in the least?” I replied.662

“It should Shannon, because she knows how much debt Freycinet is in and she wants to get her southern mitts on this property and she will if we cannot turn the fortunes of this farm around.” Donnelly said, placing himself on the edge of the desk.663

I revisited the letter and tried to work out how the farm had got itself into so much trouble financially and why my father had not mentioned the problem when he let me come back home.664

“Donnelly, I don’t understand. You know I am not that good with figures, give me horses any day! Why would Dad have kept this to himself?”665

Donnelly sighed and replied, “Because he would have had to admit to you that your mother has been bleeding him dry for years and though there is no love lost between the two of you; she is still your mother and Kent won’t tarnish your image of her further. Why do you think she doesn’t marry that fool of a boyfriend she has? It’s because she would lose Kent’s allowance that’s why!”666

I was staring incredulously at Donnelly trying to digest all that he was saying. “She makes a good living, God, she earns more at her job than this farm would make in a year!’667

Donnelly sneered, “And she spends more on herself and her apartment than necessary but that doesn’t stop her. Shannon, me darlin’, your mother has never been interested in anyone but herself and now you have another problem very similar to your mother. Blanche Fabrice cares about no one else but herself and she does have the money to take this farm away from you!”668

I looked at him curiously and said slowly, “How come you have taken this long to tell me about all this?” and I waved my hand around the room.669

“Because, lass, until you had met her and Nick and finally got to really looking at these accounts would you have believed me?”670

I flinched at his words and sighed, “No, you are probably right; I would have thought you were talking nonsense. Dad has always been so good at business; I would never have believed he could let this go for so long.”671

I was becoming very angry, livid, in fact, but I wasn’t sure at whom. My mother for being the selfish bitch, my father for stupidly thinking he could hide it all from me, Donnelly perhaps, for not telling me? Or, there was Nick. Yes, Nick, who had to know about it, how could he not, I thought. He worked for Blanche and must be privy to the accounts as her breaker and farm manager. With the obvious attraction she had for him, she must have told him something.672

When I looked up from the desk, Donnelly had vaporized and I was left holding the letter tightly in my fist, crushing it into a ball secretly wishing it was Blanche Fabrice’s neck.673


CHAPTER 8674

The start of the racing season was fast approaching and we were in full swing at Freycinet. I had a full contingent of racehorses to deal with and workouts were a busy time. I was glum at the thought that I had no outstanding prospects for the classic races and Kentucky Rainbow was no where near ready for the early two year old races.675

Nick was doing a fine job with the colt. The speed at which he had managed to break him in astounded me. Within a week he had Alana on the colts back in the round pen. We had many a chuckle together, when KR as we had nicknamed him, chose to lose Alana when she wasn’t concentrating. He had this little habit of flicking his back legs out behind him causing Alana to become unbalanced, and then he would dance sideways popping his rear end up and down like a piston. Eventually it would see Alana unceremoniously dumped onto the sandy floor. KR would then stand over her with an unfazed look that said ‘what on earth are you doing down there?’676

Alana was, in the most, unfazed by it too. She would remount immediately and send the colt around the pen telling him the way it was going to be and not the way he thought it would! I had been impressed with Alana’s horsemanship from the moment I saw her at Freycinet. She was not tall but she was strong and wiry. Sometimes you forgot she was a girl as her blond hair was kept in a boyish bob and everyday she was in riding breeches and skull cap. Alana was always in charge of her mount and I had every confidence I could put her on a skittish colt or a racehorse who knew what the business was. She rode all according to their experience and had a kind hand, never sawing on their mouths fighting for control.677

KR liked her and that was plain to see, sure he had the play fits but that’s all it amounted to be; playing. Just youthful enthusiasm to beat the boredom of going round in circles all the time. I wanted to start him on barrier trialing, as that was just as important as him being able to run. The starting barriers were monsters to a young horse and if you didn’t give them plenty of time, you could spook them forever. It was unnatural for a horse to be loaded into a small steel stall, where the sides touched their flanks and moving in either direction, back or forward, hemmed them in. No horse enjoyed it but it was a fact of a racing horse’s life that he needed to do this. To get away clean from the starting stalls could determine where you ended up in a race. Position in a field was so important, you didn’t want the horse on the fence where he could be buffeted around; that could make him lose all confidence. On the other hand, you didn’t need him to be out three and four horses wide, covering all that extra ground.678

The morning Nick and I decided to take KR to the training track was windy and I feared the extra complication of wind would be detrimental to him but Nick reassured me the colt had to learn. No matter what the conditions were like.679

Nick tried to convince me as we walked the horse down the back gravel path to Freycinet’s five furlong dirt track.680

“Shannon, I have done all I can do for this colt. He’s outlived the round pen and he has to learn about life on the track. Now is as good a time as ever.”681

“I know, but this wind is pretty strong and you can see he’s uneasy.” I replied watching the colt roll his eyes as he took in the new surroundings.682

Nick patted KR on the neck and cooed to him, “You fine, buddy aren’t you? Just a little Kentucky breeze can’t hurt a big, strong boy like you.”683

KR rolled his eyes again at Nick but continued to walk on without stopping.684

Still not convinced I started to tell Nick about the outstanding debts that Freycinet had.685

“Did you know about the loans my father put on Freycinet?”686

“Yep.” Said Nick defensively, “I had heard, but I didn’t know the amounts.”687

“Two million dollars, to be exact, and they are overdue in payment by about three months.”688

Nick looked at me but said nothing, I felt like he knew more about this but was afraid to tell me. The tomboy in me allowed ‘foot in mouth’ disease to plough on regardless.689

“Donnelly said that Blanche wanted this farm. So Hilltree and Freycinet would be the largest stud and training complex in the county. She ever mention that to you Nick?”690

Nick laughed nervously and replied, “Blanche doesn’t even work on the stud she’s got, why would she want a bigger one? Donnelly sounds like he is leading you down the garden path.”691

I frowned and retorted, “What would Donnelly gain from lying to me? He’s dead, remember? He was very insistent that Blanche knew about the money we owed and also that she was great friends with Robert Bolton, who is the bank manager in New York that Dad took out the loans with.” I stopped Nick and the colt in their tracks and confronted him. “I think you know damn well what Blanche is up to! Donnelly wouldn’t lie but you sure as hell are!”692

Nick sighed and hung his head; I knew I had him beat; now all I wanted was a truthful answer to the question.693

“Ok, Shannon, ok. Yes, I know Blanche has designs on Freycinet.” He flinched as it reminded him of the other thing she wanted in her life. “She mentioned it the other day but I don’t agree with her or her methods on how she intends to get her hands on it.”694

I was more than a little upset with Nick but I tried to keep myself from turning shades of purple and red with anger. I was seething at the thought of that over-stuffed, southern slut ever setting foot on Freycinet as the owner!695

“I am going to find a way to pay those loans off; I’ll be damned for all time if Blanche Fabrice ever has a chance to purchase this farm!” I said through gritted teeth.696

Nick looked sideways at me and then rubbed KR’s mane thoughtfully before answering my tirade.697

“Shan, this colt is your best chance of paying off those loans. Blanche already thinks you have no chance of getting him to the track, so instead of letting off steam at the woman, let’s just get on with making this colt a racehorse.”698

I was defeated. Nick was right of course, Freycinet needed a new champion and this colt was the only thing we had up our sleeves. Dinny was hollering out from the track to get a move on. I threw my hands up in the air exasperated by the futility of it all.699

“Let’s get on with it! I swear, if this colt can win me the Kentucky Two Year Old Riband, I’ll give up talking to ghosts!” and with that I marched ahead to the fence where Dinny and Alana stood waiting.700

I could hear Nick chuckling behind me but chose to ignore him; it was harder to ignore the Irish voice in my head that said, “Sure and begorrah lass, not talking to ghosts, we’ll have none of that!”701

Dinny was shaking his head saying, “Kentucky Two Year Old Classic, that colt couldn’t win yer a maiden in Hicksville, if there was such a place!”702

“Oh shut up Dinny! I am sick and tired of all the negativity around this place! Let’s give the horse a chance.” Turning to Alana I made a decision on the morning’s work. “Al, let’s just go two laps at a canter and then let him down for three furlongs and see what he’s got. We can do the barrier work when he’s tuckered out a bit, which will be less stress on him.”703

Alana nodded, turned to Nick for a hand up on to the colt’s back. Nick responded and vaulted her gently into the saddle. KR danced and snorted as he felt the rider settle into position and Alana chided him.704

“No nonsense my fine lad, this is serious. You have to show these nice people you are a racehorse this morning and not a rodeo bronco.”705

KR twitched his nostrils and ears at Alana’s voice and nodded his head in recognition of it. He set off at a very well behaved pace on to the track, Alana stood up in her stirrups and they cantered off into the breeze. Nick, Dinny and I watched them until they turned into the back straight of the circuit. Nick patted me on the shoulder.706

“You sure you want to let the colt slide a few furlongs so early?”707

I shrugged and said, “I need to know if we have a prospect or not. I don’t have time to be nice to him, Nick. You could say that KR has two million riding on him this morning. He will either be worth it or worth two cents at the dogger’s.”708

Dinny added his worth to the statement by saying, “I reckon you’re being generous at two cents! And with that he aimed a spit at the fence. “Yep, I reckon he’s only worth one!”709

I listened to the old coot and grumbled under my breath but said nothing, turning my attention back out to the track as I heard the clatter of hooves coming into the straight for the second time. I took the stop watch from my jeans and readied it to start. As Alana flew past in a blur of dust and chestnut colt, I yelled for her to ‘let him go!’710

I watched Alana crouch low against the colt’s neck and throw her hands out against the reins pushing the colt to speed up. As she did so, I pushed the start button on the stopwatch and it whirred into life, spinning round the dial at break neck speed. KR disappeared into the back half of the track but I could still hear the pounding of his hooves and the outline of that blond and silver tail that was streaming out behind him. I dared not look at the watch as I heard the seconds tick over but I did hear Dinny cluck in approval.711

“She sure has him stretching those white legs, goddamn it Shannon, he is surely moving!” said Dinny chortling in amazement. “I do believe that rascal can run!”712

Nick was up on the fence shading his eyes from the breeze and the sun and he too was whistling in astonishment.713

“Shannon, get up here on this fence and see this!”714

I climbed up the white rails and swung a leg over as Nick helped steady me. I could see KR and Alana rounding the top of the home straight and Nick was right, KR was leaning his neck out, ears flat to his head, straining every muscle he possessed as Alana urged him on. They flashed past the finishing post and I heard Alana give a whoop of triumph, raising her whip high in the air. She slowed the colt down and turned him back towards us as I took a look at the stopwatch and its final time.715

As I stared at the numbers I felt Nick’s breath on my face as he peered over my shoulder at the watch. I looked up at Alana as she brought KR to a standstill in front of the fence.716

“Man, I hope that watch says he was going fast because he sure felt like he was.” Breathed Alana with a big smile on her dust streaked face.717

I glanced at the colt that was glistening with flecks of white sweat and his sides were heaving, nostrils flaring wide to suck in some more air. Nick jumped from the fence and took hold of him; he began to walk him around to cool him down. Dinny impatiently grabbed the watch from my hand.718

“Hey!” I said gruffly.719

“Too late, Miss Shannon, youse are just too slow!” replied Dinny, squinting to make out the numbers on the watch; he let out a long, slow whistle. “Well, I can remember old Freycinet Inspiration burning up the track years ago, but he did it as a three year old. Looks like this one will be a two year old!”720

“What are you saying, Dinny?” I said impatiently grabbing the watch back and then gasping as I noted the time while Dinny chuckled on.721

Nick brought KR and Alana back to the fence. “Come on Shannon, don’t keep us in suspense. How did he go?”722

Alana smiled and replied, “Betcha it was as good as old Inspirations time that Dinny waffles on about all the time.”723

Dinny cast a filthy look in Alana’s direction and then grinned, “Actually it’s better.”
“It’s what?” said Nick incredulously.724

I stammered, trying to get the words out as I was still in shock and staring at the watch, as if it would disappear. “He’s right, Nick, it’s at least two tenths quicker than the fastest time ever at this track.”725

Nick was looking at me trying to comprehend what I had just told him when Dinny began to chortle loudly; we both turned to look and both of us ended up doing the same thing. There were tears streaming down my face but I think it was relief more than anything. I hugged Nick first and then Dinny and saved the biggest hug for KR, he just shot his head into the air, perplexed by all the attention. They say horses have a keen sense of their surroundings and I should have paid more attention to it. I would have seen what had upset him so quickly.726

In the bushes by the fence, about two hundred yards from where we stood, was an ashen faced Blanche Fabrice and her assistant trainer. Both had witnessed the colt’s performance, the digital watch gripped tightly in Blanche’s hand.727

Blanche had turned to her trainer and remarked, “This could be a very big thorn in our side. A very big thorn, indeed.”728


CHAPTER 9729

As I sat in the office recording KR’s times into the training log, I couldn’t help but smile. After all the weeks of not knowing, we were now a little closer to the ultimate prize; a damn good racehorse for Freycinet. Dinny had even asked to wash the colt down and put him back in his stall. That, in itself, was a feat I didn’t think possible.730

Donnelly had been conspicuous by his absence in the past few weeks but I felt that I was in control for the first time and didn’t need his advice. How wrong I was when the phone started to ring.731

“Freycinet, Shannon Sharpely speaking.”732

A deep male voice boomed forth from the receiver.733

“Miss Sharpely, it is Robert Bolton speaking.”734

My heart did a somersault as I replied, “Mr. Bolton, what can I do for you?”
He hesitated before speaking. “Miss Sharpely, I wondered if you received the letter from my bank regarding the loans. I did fax your father a copy of it in Ireland but I have heard nothing back.”735

“I only read the letter about a week ago, Mr. Bolton; I was going to ring you when I had a spare moment.” I lied through my teeth and continued. “I wanted to try and come to some arrangement, you see, I have only been back at Freycinet for such a short time and I had no idea about the loan my father had drawn up.”736

I could tell from his sigh that I wasn’t fooling him even though I spoke the truth. Dad had said nothing about the massive debts owing, I knew that was the second phone call I would be making today.737

“Miss Sharpely, the loan is a substantial one and the amount owing is growing by the day. We need some kind of word from you or your father that monies owing will be paid. I think the bank has been patient, do you agree?”738

“Of course, Mr. Bolton, I do, but as you can well imagine I am right into the preparation for a racing season I was hoping you could hold off on payment due until the season was over?”739

I held my breath as I waited for him to answer, fearing the worst.740

“I have instructions from my superiors that unless the amount outstanding is not paid by the end of the month, we will have no choice but to proceed with foreclosure notice.” He ended his statement in a very firm, bank like tone.741

I tried to remain calm but tiny beads of perspiration were forming on my brow and I struggled to find words to reply, suddenly Donnelly reappeared almost in the nick of time. He motioned a time out to me and I hastily asked Robert Bolton for a few minutes to answer the other line.742

“Well, you sure know when to turn up out of the blue!” I breathed in relief.743

“Shannon, tell him you will pay the entire two million back by the end of May.”744

I blinked at Donnelly, my mouth forming words but nothing came out, I looked back at the phone with the red light flashing on hold and felt the fear rising in my mouth.745

Donnelly leant closer to me across the desk and said, “Do it!”746

I let out a shriek of annoyance. “Now I know that one of us is stark, raving mad! Either it’s me talking too and believing what a blasted ghost tells me or it’s you who have lost all your senses now that you are transparent! How in the devil are we supposed to make that kind of payment within two months?”747

“Sure and you do talk fast girl when you’re upset!” said Donnelly with an amused look on his face748

I could have strangled him on the spot, if I thought I could! “Donnelly, if I tell Bolton that he will laugh in my face so if you don’t have a reasonable and logical idea then I swear, if you don’t melt away into the ether right now, I’ll.... I’ll...have every goddamn priest and reverend in the county come and exorcise you out of my life for good!”749

Donnelly smiled and that only served to make me angrier but he shook his head and replied. “Shannon, me love, you still do not make an effort to listen to all I have to say, now shut up and sit there like a good girl.”750

I sat back in the chair with astonishment, he had never told me to shut up quite like that before.751

He began to pace the room. “The colt is as I said a good racehorse and with time will get better. There is no doubt of that at all.” He said it with such fervor that I began to half believe him. “Further more lass, by May he will have won you enough to pay off that loan in full. The prize money and what you will win by punting him will be more than adequate. Now instead of babbling just pick up the line and tell Mr. Bolton what you are prepared to do. Just have a little faith.”752

I picked up the line, wiped my face with the palm of my hand and began to spin Donnelly’s story.753

“I am sorry to have kept you so long, but I think I have a solution to our problem.” I said, not really won over by Donnelly’s solution but it was the only one I had.754

“I’m listening.” Robert Bolton’s reply came in calm tones.755

“What if I told you that I will not only pay the interest owing to your bank by the end of May but, I will pay the entire two million as well.”756

There was a nervous chuckle as Bolton digested my words. “I should say Miss Sharpely; the bank would be most pleased and amazed if both those incidents occurred simultaneously.”757

I sighed, “Well, Mr. Bolton, I am assuring you that I can and will do those things. You will have full payment by the end of May. If you; as the bank manager, are willing to give me the two months.”758

I heard him um and ar together with rustling of papers and I could only wait for his reply as Donnelly watched on, nodding approval.759

“I will have to consider this for a few days Miss Sharpely and get back to you.” He said seriously.760

“That’s fine Mr. Bolton, you take all the time you need!” I replied brightly.761

“You don’t have all the time you need Miss Sharpely. Rest assured you will hear from me within 48 hours. Thank you for your time.”762

The phone clicked and the line went dead. I replaced the receiver in its cradle and slumped forward onto the desk.763

Donnelly chuckled and said, “You did a grand job, me girl, a grand job!”764

I frowned at him and said back, “I don’t think I fooled him for one minute Donnelly. He must know we have no way of paying that loan back in full. KR would have to win both the two year old Riband and the guineas and even then we would probably have to take him to Saratoga to win the two year old classic there as well. He won’t be the only two year old competing you know.”765

“I know Shannon, but at this very moment, in New York, Robert will be on the phone to a dear friend. Relaying your story to her and asking what he should do. That dear friend will be laughing and saying, give the time extension because you have no hope of paying the loan.”766

I eyed him suspiciously. “And of course, that dear friend would be, Blanche Fabrice.”767

“Exactly.” Donnelly said quietly. “Shannon, she has wind of the colt’s trial but she still doesn’t believe you can complete the task in the time frame, you have the upper hand here.”768

I scoffed, “How do you suppose that? Besides, how did Blanche find out about KR’s trial?”769

“She was there, Shannon! She was hiding in the bushes, doing her own timing of the event with that assistant trainer of hers, Tom Gould.”770

I wrinkled my nose at the mere mention of Tom Gould’s name. I had not been formerly introduced to him but whenever Nick and I were together at Hilltree; he always seemed to turn up. It almost felt as if he shadowed us and I found it disturbing. Tom Gould was a man in his forties with a receding hairline of greasy, lank black hair. His face was craggy and pitted with scars. The one that stretched from the top of his cheekbone to the edge of his mouth gave him the appearance of always grinning. An evil grin was the best way to describe it and I thought briefly that he reminded me of The Joker in the Batman movie. I shivered; he was not a man I cared to encounter.771

Donnelly watched my face before continuing. “You would be well advised to steer clear of Tom Gould, lass. He is not to be trusted and would do anything for a few dollars earned.”772

I scowled and replied, “No need to go there Donnelly. He makes my skin crawl just to think about him. Nick has even remarked that he is slovenly and does little to earn his pay at Hilltree. I have the feeling that Blanche hired him for reasons other than his training ability.”773

“Aye lass, there is a man who would be only too willing to turn to crime if Blanche asked.”774

I heard Nick’s happy whistle approaching the office door and I glanced at Donnelly who raise a hand in mock defeat.775

“Alright, I know when I’m not wanted. Be warned Shannon, there are those who want you to fail but keep the faith and remember Nick and I will always be on your side.”776

“Such blarney!” I snarled at him glibly and I again heard the faintest muffle of mirth as he faded from view, just as Nick burst through the door.777

Nick flopped himself down in the leather chair and grinned broadly.778

“Damn, if that wasn’t a good morning.” He said.779

“You’re very pleased with yourself.” I replied half grinning.
“Shannon, I never would have thought that colt could do that, I think he’s the real deal.”780

“He better be. I just told the bank manager on the phone we would pay off the loan in full by the end of May.” I said firmly.781

Nick’s smile disappeared from his face. “You did what to who?”782

“You heard me. Robert Bolton rang to inform me that we had no time left to pay the amount owing so, with a little help, I convinced him to give us until the end of May to pay off the two million in full.”783

“A little help you say? Not earthly help I’ll wager. Shannon, do you realize how tough it will be to get two million dollars in two months?” Nick replied growling under his breath at what he perceived to be my stupidity.784

“I know it sounds risky but I’m going with Donnelly’s assessment of the colt. Nick, I think KR is a great chance and Donnelly agrees that he can win the two biggest races on the calendar. I’ve got nothing to lose.”785

Nick stood up and placed his hands on the desk; he leant over towards me and said seriously, “Nothing to lose, except Freycinet.”786

I shook my head firmly and retorted, “I will not be losing Freycinet to that woman! I know that to hang our chances on a voice from beyond the grave is risky but he did get us that colt. I am determined to see Donnelly’s plan through to the end.”787

I could see that Nick was not on my wavelength for this but somewhere deep within me I just knew that Donnelly had never steered me wrong. He had always promised to be there and even though I felt slightly stupid defending a ghost, I was motivated enough to encourage Nick to see the sense in it.788

“Nick, if we pull this off and KR does win those races, don’t you see, Blanche will never get the opportunity to buy this farm because the bank won’t be foreclosing. They will have their money and we will have the next superstar in our barn.”789

“I don’t know Shannon, anything could go wrong. The horse could break down; he could get a bad journey in the race and not get out in time. It just sounds a little too far fetched to play out the way you want it too.”790

I laughed at him, “Do you remember what you said at the sales?”
Nick looked bemused and shook his head.791

“You said Donnelly will choose himself as the jockey to ride KR.”792

I looked into Nick’s eyes and said with as much conviction as I could muster. “And he will, Nick. Whoever I put on that colt, Donnelly will be going along for the ride; rest assured as long as we have Kentucky Rainbows we will also have Donnelly Clarke as his jockey.”793

Nick slumped back into the chair and smiled at me in resignation.794

“I always thought I could fight but when it comes to a stubborn, red headed Kentucky born woman and her Irish apparition I admit defeat! Ok Shannon, we’ll try it your way and all I can think of is God help us!”795

I beamed at him and said softly, “With a bit of old Irish luck as well!”796

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