‘It’s brilliant!’ Twilight agreed. He tossed his head. ‘Should we go flying too, Lauren?’

‘OK,’ she grinned. ‘Let’s!’

CHAPTER

Nine

The next morning, Hannah got up to help Lauren with the ponies. They had arranged to go for a ride in the woods with Mel and Jessica that afternoon. ‘You know, we could always go and change the book that I bought you for your birthday present,’ Lauren said as they mucked out Magpie’s stable. ‘We could go this morning.’

‘You wouldn’t mind?’ Hannah said. ‘I mean, yesterday showed me how much I like being with ponies but I don’t think I want to get into the whole showing scene again so I’m not really going to use that book.’

‘Well, I don’t mind you swapping it at all,’ Lauren said, glad her cousin was being honest. ‘I’d rather you had a book you wanted.’

When they went inside she asked her mum if they could go to the bookshop and her mum agreed. However, when they got there, just before lunchtime, the bookshop had a ‘closed’ sign up.

‘Oh dear,’ Mrs Foster said. ‘I hope the shop’s not shut because Mrs Fontana is ill.’

Lauren peered through the glass in the door. Surely Mrs Fontana couldn’t be ill again. Not when she’d looked so well the night before. Suddenly her eyes caught a movement in the shop. It was Catherine, Mrs Fontana’s niece. Seeing Lauren, Catherine came to the door.

‘I’m sorry, we’re not open today,’ she said, opening the door. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying.

‘Is everything OK?’ Mrs Foster asked, looking at her in concern.

‘Not really.’ Catherine’s voice caught on the words. ‘My aunt passed away last night.’

Lauren stared. ‘Mrs Fontana’s dead?’ she whispered.

Catherine nodded.

No, Lauren thought, her mind seeming to refuse to take it in. It can’t be true. Mrs Fontana can’t be dead.

‘She died in her sleep last night. No one knows quite what time,’ Catherine went on.

Lauren felt like a bucket of ice had just been dumped all over her. ‘Last night!’

Catherine nodded.

But we saw her! Lauren only just bit the words back. Her mind whirled. Her mouth felt dry.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Mrs Foster said sympathetically to Catherine. ‘We’ll all miss her terribly. Our thoughts are with you and your family.’

‘Thank you,’ Catherine said, swallowing hard. She looked at Lauren and seemed to pull herself together. ‘Lauren, this might not be the right time, but there was a letter on my aunt’s desk this morning and it was addressed to you. If you can wait a moment I’ll go inside and fetch it.’

‘Of course we can,’ Mrs Foster said.

Catherine hurried into the shop. A few moments later she returned with a thick cream envelope. On the front it said ‘Lauren Foster’.

Lauren took it.

‘I wonder what’s inside it?’ Hannah said uncertainly.

Lauren opened it up. There was a letter. She unfolded it: