‘Yes, he does but he’shere, now. He was there when you dropped me off. He’s come to England. I told him I’d meet him in town just to get him away from North Place and keep my grandparents safe. I need to check they’re all right, and tell them to lock the gates.’ Sage started to shiver, both the cold and shock permeating her bones. ‘Can I possibly use your phone quickly?’
‘Oh Christ. Yes, of course.’ He handed her his mobile. ‘Then let’s go into the house. I’ll just tell the lads to lock up.’ Rafe stepped back into the tack room and Sage quickly dialled her grandparents’ number. She got Maggie who told her that the gates were locked already and that her grandparents were just sitting down to supper. Sage thanked her, relieved, and said she’d call back later.
‘Shall I grab the little man?’ Rafe asked.
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.’ Sage’s plan had only got this far. She had meant to get as far away from Newmarket as she could but now that she was at Touchstone Lodge she couldn’t bear to tear herself away from Rafe. She felt safe with him.
‘I’m sure.’
‘Then yes, please.’ She smiled, blushing, and Rafe efficiently scooped a dozy, slightly bemused Hal out of his car seat and carried him gently him into the house.
Sage distractedly noticed the beauty of the cottage. It had been decorated with exceptional taste. They went in through a little hall that was painted cream with green trim and where thick, embroidered curtains of the same colours hung from the large sash windows. There were stunning oil paintings ofracehorses on the walls and an exquisite little portrait of Rafe in racing silks, all in simple, pale gold frames. Rafe disappeared through a heavy green door and Sage followed, trying to take everything in. She found herself in a much larger kitchen than she could have imagined possible from looking at the house from outside. It had a polished oak floor and burnt-ochre walls cast a warm golden glow, emphasized by copper lanterns hanging from the high ceiling above an antique wooden table. Rafe had walked over to a pair of elegantly upholstered button-back chairs beside a stone fireplace and gently nestled Hal into one of them. The fire was roaring. The house was warm and inviting.
‘Are you allowed to watch telly?’ he asked, bending down so that his face was on a level with the child. Hal looked beseechingly at his mother, his huge eyes imploring her to allow him.
Sage let out a chuckle.
‘Yes, you can today, sweetheart.’ Her heart ached with love as she watched Hal put his little hand on Rafe’s arm and repeat solemnly, ‘Yes, I am allowed today.’
‘All right,’ Rafe said, ruffling Hal’s hair. He opened a walnut corner cupboard and pulled out a small flat-screen television that sat upon an extendable arm. He pressed a button on the remote control and the screen lit up, showing racing under lights somewhere. ‘Is this what you normally like to watch?’ he asked Hal politely.
‘No!’ Hal went off into peals of laughter.
Rafe changed the channel, a serious expression on his handsome face, and put BBC News on.
‘How about this?’ A reporter was standing in front of the Houses of Parliament.
‘No!’ screamed Hal, laughing his head off.
‘Quite right, that looks excessively dull.’ Changing the channel again, Rafe foundThe Octonauts. ‘How about this?’ He laughed when he received no reply and looked down atthe rapturous expression on the child’s face; Hal was instantly absorbed.
Rafe made his way over to a large Welsh dresser and took down two crystal wine glasses, indicating for Sage to sit down at the huge table.
‘Glass of wine? I have both white and red … or something else? I am quite well stocked. Gin? Whisky? Diet Coke?’ he asked gently, waiting patiently.
‘Have you, by any chance, got any food?’ Sage asked apologetically, surprised to find that she was hungry. She did not particularly want to drink on an empty stomach. ‘I am absolutely famished.’
‘Hmm, let me see …’ Rafe began opening cupboards. He produced a big bag of crisps and found a pot of olives in the fridge. ‘Crack these open and I’ll ring for an Indian. Do you like Indian food? Icanactually cook but since I started training, I’ve probably cooked about five times. There’s sod all in the fridge!’
‘I love Indian food,’ Sage said gratefully.
Rafe poured whisky into two tumblers and, handing one to her, said, ‘Drink this while we wait, it’ll help.’ Then turning back to Hal, ‘How about you? Would you like a vindaloo? Lime pickle and poppadoms?’
Hal looked at Rafe in confusion, who tried again.
‘Are you hungry?’ he smiled.
Hal grinned back and shook his head, quickly returning to his programme.
When they had eaten the takeaway and Sage had filled Rafe in on the situation, she busied herself tidying up the debris on the table while he made a phone call in his study. She felt better after eating but she knew that she could not go back to North Place that night. She worried about encroaching on Rafe and was turning the options for where they could go over in her mind.
When Rafe came back, apologizing for being so long, she asked, ‘Can I possibly call North Place again? I need to get my father’s phone number.’ She had just that moment decided that was where she would go for temporary sanctuary.
‘Yes, of course. You know … you are both welcome to stay here with me. I have three spare bedrooms. You could share with Hal or have your own, whichever you’d prefer. There’s plenty of space …’ Rafe trailed off, the expression on Sage’s face not hard to interpret. ‘Well, I would like you to share my bedroom, of course! I was trying to be a gentleman.’ He shrugged helplessly.
‘I just wanted to know that I was invited!’ Sage laughed, thinking that this was not how either of them had envisaged sharing their first night together.
‘Wicked temptress. Use my study to phone by all means but seriously, I do mean it, I’d love you both to stay.’ Rafe was not worried about the threat of Santiago himself; he just wanted to protect Sage and Hal. He drew her close for a moment.
