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It was a moment of pride when Amelia, the six-year-old evacuee, got on the back of one of the gentlest ponies for the first time. Carlotta glances with satisfaction back at the girl who a few weeks ago would have hysterically sobbed at the sight of them.

She slips the little girl into her Beginners class, and manages to get her to do a whole hour. By the end, Amelia is able to lead Maisie around the field on her own.

"Well done!" Carlotta says, grinning. "We'll make a circus girl of you yet."

"You have got to be kidding!" The older evacuee, Arabella, storms down the path in her high heels. "I've told you before, you're not turning my sister into a horsey girl!"

"Arabella..." Carlotta sighs. "Amelia's young. She'll soon adapt back to your way of life. Let her enjoy what she can do here and can't do in London."

She sees Arabella's eyes suddenly widen. She looks around. Amelia is standing on Maisie's back, like Carlotta does when she's showing her circus skills.

"Amelia, get down." Carlotta says firmly, but calmly. "You're not ready for that yet.

Arabella screams.

Maisie is alarmed by the screams, and bolts. Amelia loses her balance and falls backwards...

Carlotta leaps to try and catch her, but doesn't get there...

***

Mrs Frances glances at her as she sits in the hospital waiting room. Then puts her arm around her gently.

"This wasn't your fault, Carlotta. I heard you tell Amelia several times that standing on the horse was something that was only possible after years of training."

"Then why did she do it?" Carlotta asks.

"Because six year old girls don't always do as they're told." Mrs Frances says. "I know mine certainly didn't when they were six! Amelia will bounce back; she didn't fall that far."

The doctor comes out and looks at them over his glasses.

"Amelia has a greenstick fracture of her wrist." he says. "It's not serious, but she'll need to be in plaster for six weeks."

Carlotta's heart sinks. A fracture! That's going to ruin the little girl's confidence on horses again!

Half an hour later, Arabella comes back with Amelia and her arm in plaster. They go straight up to Carlotta. Amelia tries to hug her, but as Carlotta hugs back, Arabella pulls her sister away.

"I don't want you near her ever again! You're not fit to be a mother!" Arabella shouts. "I'm calling Mummy immediately when we get back, and insisting we go home."

Back home, Carlotta bites the bullet and has a long conversation with the evacuees' mother on the phone. She actually takes it rather more calmly than she thought she would.

"The girls say they want to go home." Carlotta admits. "But if you're happy for them to stay, we'll do our very best to make sure nothing like this happens again."

There is a pause. Then Arabella's mother speaks again.

"Please don't tell the girls this but... I'm afraid our home was bombed in the air raids last week. I'm unhurt, but there's no home for them to come back to right now. I'll sort something out, but they're safer with you, and Amelia admitted that she got hurt by not doing as she was told. Please carry on taking care of them."

Carlotta promises to do her best, and gives the phone back to Arabella. The news does not go down well, and ends with Arabella slamming the phone down.

"We are not staying here." she snaps at Carlotta, before storming off.

Amelia slips through the other door and clings to Carlotta with her non-fractured arm.

"I'm really sorry Auntie Lotta. Can I make it up to you?"

Carlotta smiles slightly at the little girl and crouches to her level.

"Well I'd like to hope you'll get back on the horse some time. Properly, mind. But I'll understand if you don't want to."

"It was really fun before I was silly and fell off." Amelia admits.

"Good for you, kid." Carlotta says, ruffling the little girl's hair.