The Grumpy Bridesmaid

Copyright

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2000

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers

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Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Text Copyright © Diane Redmond 2000

Illustrations copyright © Strawberrie Donnelly 2000

Cover photograph copyright © Alan Powdrill

Diane Redmond asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780006754664

Ebook Edition © DECEMBER 2014 ISBN: 9780007571703

Version: 2014-11-12

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Keep Reading

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Izzy did not want to be a bridesmaid. Well, that isn’t quite true, she did want to be a bridesmaid, in fact she’d always wanted to be a bridesmaid, but NOT on Saturday May 8th. And not at two o’clock in the afternoon. Her sister Clare had chosen to get married on the exact date and time of her riding school’s gymkhana. A day she had ringed on her Pony Club calendar ages ago. How could her sister have forgotten that she was going to ride Crackers in the Chase me Charlie race and dress him up as a unicorn for the fancy dress competition?

Izzy wanted to get excited, she really wanted to, but every time she heard the word ‘wedding’ she’d think ‘gymkhana’ and scowl.

“My sister, Isabella,” said Clare when her best friend, Zoe, came round, “is going to be my bridesmaid – my grumpy bridesmaid,” Clare added with a laugh.

Izzy stuck her tongue out at her big sister who knew she hated being called Isabella.

“Zoe is going to be my ungrumpy bridesmaid,” said Clare.

“Hmph!” snorted Izzy.

Izzy ate her supper in a grump. Clare pretended not to notice – she was too busy talking to Zoe about her plans for the big day.

“I want a silvery wedding dress, with a billowing veil held by a tiara dotted with blue stars.”

“You got that idea from the pantomime!” Izzy interrupted grumpily.

Clare had played the part of the Fairy Queen in the local drama club’s Christmas production of “Cinderella”.

“So what if I did,” said Clare, sailing on like a ship in full flow. “I thought of dressing the bridesmaids in gold, like fairies tripping before their fairy queen!”

“I don’t think I fancy that!” giggled Zoe.

“And an open-topped carriage pulled by silver horses,” Clare finished in a rush.

Mum, who’d been worrying about the cost of the wedding for weeks, choked as some of her food went down the wrong way.

“WHAT?” she spluttered.

“There’s no such thing as a silver horse,” said Izzy. “You can have grey, dark grey or light grey but not silver. “’Course there are palominos,” she added helpfully. “They’re pale blonde with creamy mane and tails…” her voice trailed away.

Nobody was listening to her – not even her mum!

Chapter Two

Izzy broke the bad news to Crackers in the pony paddock.

“Hi, boy!” she called.

At the sound of her voice Crackers neighed loudly and trotted over to greet her. Izzy laughed as he cheekily poked his nose into her jeans’ pockets and snuffled about for a sweet.

“Here you are,” she said, offering him a mint on the flat of her palm. As he noisily crunched the sweet Izzy blurted out, “My big sister’s getting married on May 8th so we can’t do the gymkhana!” The thirteen hands silver grey tossed his long silky mane. “It really isn’t my fault,” Izzy added sadly.

To take her mind off the disappointment Izzy tacked up Crackers and took him into the field for a Chase me Charlie practice but neither of them had their heart in the race.

“There’s no point in practising if we’re not doing the real thing,” Izzy said to her friend Nina.

“Cheer up,” said Nina. “At least you’ll be going to church in a horse-drawn carriage.”

Izzy nodded. “I bet it will rain!” she said glumly.

A few hours later Izzy returned home, hot and dirty after mucking out Crackers’ stable. As she kicked off her riding boots she could hear Clare on the phone in the lounge.

“Hello, is that the pony and carriage hiring company? Good. I’d like to book an open-topped carriage for my wedding with a pair of silver ponies to pull it.”

Izzy grabbed a packet of crisps from the kitchen cupboard, then wandered into the lounge to listen in on her sister’s conversation.

“No silver ponies?” cried Clare, jumping to her feet.

Izzy raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I told you there was no such thing!” she said.

Clare waved her hand and mouthed the words, “Shut up!” then quickly turned her attention back to the person on the other end of the line.

“No, no! I don’t want a dark bay pair. No! I definitely don’t want a golden chestnut pair. I want silver to go with my dress and tiara!” On the point of tears, Clare shoved the phone into Mum’s hand.

“I’m sorry, my daughter’s a bit upset,” Mum said. Another pause as this time she listened. “Oh! So you’ve got one. A thirteen hands silver grey. Thank you, I’ll let my daughter know.” She put the phone down and looked at Clare.

“Well, they’ve got one silver pony,” she said.

“One can’t pull a carriage on its own,” grumbled Clare.

Izzy jumped up, her face pink with excitement.

“If it had a partner it could!” she cried.

Clare glared at her little sister. “Isabella, there’s only ONE pony!” she snapped. “They haven’t got TWO.”

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