‘Hurrah!’ Polly declared, dismounting in front of Ruan, who kept a wary distance from the snorting creature. ‘Think I’ve got the answer.’
‘Er … I’m sorry, Mrs – Polly – I can’t ride,’ he said.
She slapped him on the back and exploded with mirth. ‘Young man, I wasn’t expecting you to. Lucifer here would chuck you off the moment you tried to mount him. He’llonly have me on his back and no one else. No, I’m going to ride and you’re going to take my other trusty steed.’
Ruan braced himself for the appearance of a donkey.
‘Don’t look so scared. You can follow me in the Land Rover. That ridiculous sports car of yours is useless where we’re going.’
While Ruan was full of relief that he would be on four wheels not four hooves, he was wary as to Polly’s cryptic statement. ‘Wherearewe going?’ he asked as she led the skittish Lucifer round to the front of the house while Ruan kept a safe distance.
‘You’ll find out,’ Polly said with a grin. ‘Tell your friend – what’s her name?’
‘Tamara. Tammy.’
‘Tell Tammy we’ll be with her in ten minutes tops and have her at the festival in time for the tide. I’ve called in a few favours. Now let’s get a shift on.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Tammy glanced at her phone for the umpteenth time and a cold sweat broke out on the small of her back.
Where was Ruan? And this Polly person? It was amazing of him and the client to help, but realistically, how could they?
As instructed, she’d carried her equipment a hundred metres down the road to a farm gate very close to the pub and now all she could do was wait. Unusually, Ruan had been very sketchy about the details of the plan on the phone, merely saying he and Polly would pick her up – but how was it possible and then how was she going to get from here to the festival?
Since the accident had happened, she’d called her insurer and spoken to the police, but her van was off the road and would have to stay in the ditch until the recovery truck could reach it, which wouldn’t be for some time.
She didn’t have long left until it would be too late to even bother starting the design, so she scrolled to the emergency contact given by the organisers. It was time to phone and say the installation wasn’t going to take place so they wouldn’t need the stewards and cordoned-off area on the cliffs.
It made her feel sick to let down the festival, the audience – and to have to call off her big break. Even though she’d probably be able to do the other two pieces, this first one for the festival sponsor was so important. No matter how good her excuse, some people might think that she’d left them in the lurch.
For the first time, the icy fingers of despair clutched at her and an image of her father sprang into her mind. He’d told her several times over the years that he thought he’d let her down. She’d always denied it fiercely, hugged him and said: ‘Never.’ How she needed someone to do that now, even if, like her dad, she probably wouldn’t believe them.
She pressed the festival emergency number and listened for the first ring.
A low rumble in the distance drew her attention to the field. Over the gate, she saw a large white horse galloping towards her. For a moment, she thought Ruan was on its back but then realised it was a woman. The horse and rider were followed by a Land Rover bumping its way down the rutted track at the edge of the field.
Tammy ended the call.
The vehicle and horse stopped in a spray of mud and the rider slid swiftly to the earth.
‘Hello!’ the woman said, slightly pink in the face yet beaming. ‘You must be Tammy. I’m Polly. Ruan’s with me.’ She looped her horse’s bridle over the gatepost and the huge creature snorted as if keen to be off.
Ruan climbed out of the Land Rover and jogged over,slightly out of breath, yet his eyes were bright with excitement like a child’s.
Tammy was still processing their miraculous appearance. ‘B-but how did you manage to get here?’
‘Across my land and with the help of a few farmer pals,’ Polly declared. ‘Now, chop chop. We need to get you to this festival. Jump in the Land Rover with Ruan.’
‘All the roads are blocked,’ she protested, even as Ruan took her rake and tools and slung them in the back of the car.
‘We’re not going by road,’ he said mysteriously. ‘Wait and see.’
Moments later, while Polly jumped on to the horse again, Ruan closed the gate and climbed back in behind the wheel.
Tammy stared straight ahead, dumbstruck. ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’
‘Neither could I until Polly told me the plan. I had a job to keep up with her and Lucifer.’
