‘Sorry, they’re a bit wet,’ Kestrel apologized as he folded himself into the driver’s seat. ‘They will be so thrilled to get back home. The stone hall, my favourite room in the castle, has this enormous fireplace and the girls actually get right in next to the fire basket after their morning sea swim, and it dries them in minutes – they can’t be moved from that fireplace.’ He looked ahead dreamily.
‘I am so glad for you, Kestrel. Is the castle next to the sea too?’ Sage asked, overjoyed to see such a transformation in him. His eyes sparkled, his chin was held high. Their shared amazement that he had actually done it was exhilarating.
‘Yes, my dear, but it is on the other side, on the east coast. It’s over four hours from here. I am actually going to go there now and talk to the tenants. Inverness is on the way, so it couldn’t have worked out better.’
‘How did Mary take the news?’ Sage asked, curiosity overcoming her. ‘Obvious reaction aside, of course!’
‘Not well, I’m afraid. But I could see that she had known it was a possibility. I was actually relieved that she blew up and had a tantrum – that’s much safer than when she goes silent and deadly. The silence always means she’s cooking up something extra wicked. She knew what I was going to say this morning, I think she just hoped I might be too frightened of her to take that path.’
‘I’m sure she’ll see that it’s the right thing, in the end,’ Sage said, not really believing it.
Kestrel kept his eyes on the road as they pulled out towards Inverness, the car groaning and creaking in protest as he cajoled it up to seventy miles per hour. ‘So … when you and my cousin get hitched, would you like to do it from the castle?’
‘Ha!’ Sage hid her goofy, warm smile in her coat; she suddenlyfelt quite giddy with joy, but marriage was not on the cards, not yet.
Sage welled up as she and Hal hugged Kestrel goodbye at Inverness station. She was so relieved that he was in better spirits but she still felt as though she were leaving a beloved son or a brother, all alone, before their first night away from home at boarding school. There was something so poignantly fragile about him, he roused all of her maternal instincts; she just wanted to protect him.
The train was almost empty and they had a whole four seats and a table all to themselves. Hal was bouncing about, fizzing with excitement about his first train journey.
Sage gave out a deep sigh. Like a greylag goose that travels from Sweden to North Africa because it has an inescapable feeling, a yearning, that renders it unable to remain in the same place until it reaches where it needs to be, she knew she was travelling towards her true purpose. Back to Rafe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I, who have no sisters nor brothers, look with some degree of innocent envy on those who may be said to be born to friends.
Samuel Johnson,Letter to a friend, 1758
Casper was having a horrible day. He had ridden two no-hopers that had both trailed in well behind the placed horses, and had taken a fall from a green novice hurdler that had potential but had not known where his feet were at the final jump. He was now being legged up onto his fourth and final ride of the day. He hoped this one, a strong and athletic six-year-old called Moonraker, on whom he had won last time out at Sandown, would perform better and the day would not be a complete washout. Casper was the season’s leading jockey but the others were catching him up. His mind had not been on the job recently.Woman troubles, he thought wryly. It was such a cliché but there it was – he was distracted to the point of sabotage.
‘Hello, Uncle Casper!’
He heard the clear, piping voice from the other side of the white rails in the parade ring. Swivelling in his stirrups, Casper saw a wriggling Hal clasped in Sage’s arms, and called back to him.
‘Buddy! I’ll win this one for you.’ He was suddenly filled with optimism and grinned at his wildly waving nephew.
True to his word, Casper urged Moonraker past the postfirst. As he rode back to the stands he instinctively searched for Hal and Sage. Finally he spotted them waiting on the steps of the grandstand, wrapped up in hats and coats, cheering for him.
‘I won a tenner!’ trilled Hal ecstatically, flapping a betting slip about.
‘Ha, good lad. That’s a fair few packets of Polos.’ He cast his eyes to Sage, who was beaming as brightly as her son. ‘Meet me in the car park in fifteen minutes,’ Casper shouted with a light heart as he was led off to unsaddle and weigh in.
Casper had brought up Betsy’s old Golf; it was one of the last vehicles left in the car park when Sage and Hal went out to look for him. He was leaning against it, talking into his telephone, wearing jeans and a bright yellow sweatshirt with Mickey Mouse on the front.
‘Erm … what are you wearing? And why are you driving Gammy’s car?’ Sage asked, perplexed. Casper normally wore a suit to the races and drove a very smart black Porsche, ever the consummate professional.
‘Get in. It’s a long story and the two are, in fact, related.’ Casper opened the back door and Hal scrambled in. ‘Look how clever I am that I remembered your car seat!’
‘Clever,’ Hal said solemnly, putting a small, loving hand in Casper’s.
They were rumbling along towards the A1, Sage waiting for Hal to nod off. She had hoped that being with Casper would make it easier to decide whether or not to tell him about Santiago’s blackmail threat, but she felt no clearer.
‘You’re sure Santiago has left Newmarket then?’
Casper had texted her that morning to say that Dennis had been repeatedly calling the hotel he was staying in to find out.
‘Yes, definitely. The coast is very much clear now, I promise.’ As Casper reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, a weight lifted from her shoulders.
Should she bring up the photographs now? Sage prevaricated and asked instead, ‘So what’s with the weird outfit and Gammy’s old banger?’
