23 Quickly soon cheered up at Penscombe, taking chunks out of sweaters, upsetting all the other colts on the horse walker by cantering round, pushing it faster and faster, and whenever possible, creeping into the house to inveigle treats out of Taggie, who already adored him. ‘Quickly’s in the kitchen again,’ went up the cry. The question arose, which stable lad was going to look after him? Tough Walter Walter, the Head Lad, tried to persuade Rupert that the colt would fare better with a disciplinarian, who would stand no nonsense. Rupert, however, listened to Gav, who recommended Lark, one of the youngest stable lasses, a slim fair-haired Essex girl who laughed and sang all day, was always cheerful and already worked so hard looking after New Year’s Dave and other two-year-olds. Lark, who didn’t put out, and who, as well as going to Penscombe church on Sundays, came in to do her horses rather than let anyone else look after them. Mocked by Celeste and some of the tougher, older stable lasses, Lark also had a massive crush on Eddie Alderton and tried to hide her sadness when he and Trixie moved into the hostel top flat together.
