‘Really?’ Alex said as relief flowed through her. ‘Thanks, Comet. It’s great to know that for certain.’ She felt a surge of affection for her magic friend as they rode over to Zoe and Saffron.

‘That last jump was dead messy,’ Saffron criticized. ‘To be a good showjumper, you have to keep your mind on what you’re doing. Otherwise you won’t get anywhere!’

Alex reacted without thinking. ‘So I lost concentration for a minute. It’s not a crime, is it?’ she said sharply.

‘I was only saying,’ Saffron said huffily. ‘Some people are so touchy!’

There was an awkward silence.

Alex saw that Zoe’s face had clouded with embarrassment and immediately wished that she’d bitten her tongue. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap,’ she apologized. ‘I guess I’m still a bit worried about Pasha’s bad leg.’

Saffron shrugged. ‘If you say so. My turn again.’ She urged her pony forward. ‘Come on, Princess! Let’s show them how it’s done! Watch and learn, you two amateurs!’

Alex tried to suppress a flicker of irritation. ‘Why does she have to be so bossy and full-on all the time? I thought this was supposed to be fun,’ she whispered to Comet.

But she must have spoken more loudly that she’d intended, because Zoe heard her.

‘Saffron can’t help being competitive,’ she said, defending her cousin. ‘Wouldn’t you be if your dad expected you to follow in his footsteps and be a top showjumper? Uncle Tim’s lovely, but he’s really strict. Give her a chance, Alex. She’s OK when you get to know her better.’

Alex wisely kept silent. She didn’t actually want to get to know Saffron better.

Why can’t it just be me and Comet and Zoe and Maxi for the school holiday? Like we’d planned, she thought wistfully.

‘Anyway, we all need to work extra hard if we’re going in for the showjumping at the Pony Club fundraising in two weeks’ time,’ Zoe was saying.

Alex blinked at her. ‘The what?’

‘I was going to tell you. Saffron has entered all three of us. It’s a special surprise.’

Alex was stunned. ‘She could have asked if we even wanted to go in for it!’

Zoe started grinning. ‘Duh! Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, would it, you muppet?’ she teased.

‘I guess not.’ Alex felt an answering smile beginning to surface. This was the first time today that she and Zoe had laughed together. It felt good – like old times, when it was just the two of them.

‘Clear round – again – for the marvellously talented Saffron Hall-Chapman on the wonderful Sparkly Fairy Princess!’ The over-the-top voice echoed around the field as if it was coming out of a loudspeaker at a horse event.

Zoe was giggling as she rode over to her cousin. ‘You’re a riot, Saffron!’

It was actually pretty funny. Despite herself, Alex managed a smile. She still thought that Zoe’s cousin was the bossiest girl she’d ever met, though. How was she going to get on with her for two whole weeks?