‘Yes, we’d love to go. Please thank your mother for the kindinvitation. I just need to clear it with Bumpa but I think it should be all right as Skylark is booked to go swimming on Tuesday and Katie will take her. It’s actually probably the only day I could swing it.’
‘Perfect, Mum will be over the moon.’ Rafe picked his phone up and waggled it at her. ‘Can you please turn yours on occasionally, in case I need to get hold of you before Tuesday?’
‘Yes, I will. Sorry. I’ll call you later.’
He led the pony back to the door. ‘Now, you lot push off and let me get back to it. I’ve got to get some work done if I’m going to go off gallivanting with you both in a few days.’
Sage stretched up to kiss him softly on the lips, and then they were gone, jumping down the small drop out of the kitchen onto the gravel outside.
The next few days passed in a flurry of riding. Dennis was putting Sage on a different horse for each of the four lots every morning. On Thursday the weather was dank and grey. A chilly easterly breeze whipped along the Heath. Sage, head bent against the weather, rode a gangly bay colt called Food for Thought at the back of the string out towards Warren Hill. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, peering at the screen, and grinned as she answered it.
‘Hello, stranger!’ she said, laughing into the phone. ‘I was going to ring you later. All OK?’
‘I was calling to ask you the same thing, Sage,’ Dolly said. Her voice sounded full of concern. ‘Casper told me you and Hal are back at North Place now.’
She thought about her drive home with Casper. She hadn’t checked with him whether Dolly knew he had told her everything. ‘I’m fine, promise.’
Being among her family again had made Sage feel more certain about not reacting to Santiago’s threats. She hadn’t heardanything from him since her return, and she really did not want Casper to know about it. Santiago was her mess and no one else should have to suffer from his threats and bullying. Casper might lose his whole focus, his control, everything, if he found out. She wanted to protect her brother from the whole nightmare and allow him to concentrate on his racing. She might even be able sort it out with Santiago and Lucilla privately and he would never need to know. She hunkered down in the saddle as it began to rain.
‘You know, you were always a terrible liar.’ Dolly’s voice was not unkind. ‘You can talk to me, Sage. About anything.’
Sage exhaled down the line; it was so tempting to share her troubles. But if she did, she’d be forcing Dolly to keep a secret from Casper and they had only just found each other again.
‘I know. I will. I just can’t at the moment. Everything is slightly precarious. I really appreciate the offer and I swear that I will take you up on it. Can we see each other soon, please? I want to.’
‘Whenever you need me, I’m here for you. Always. Casper is worried about you, you know.’
Despite all her own worries, Sage grinned.
‘I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to hear you say that.’
‘That Casper is worried about you? What on earth do you mean?’
‘Because you knowing that means he’s your person again!’
Of all the things Sage had yet to make sense of, she couldn’t be happier that this was no longer one of them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered.
F. Scott Fitzgerald,This Side of Paradise
Rafe lay still, savouring the quiet, bucolic sounds of water and birdsong, and relishing the luxury of a lie-in. Sage’s brown hair was fanned out on her pillow beside him; she lay facing towards him, her full lips parted slightly, her features soft in sleep.
He was not in his childhood bedroom as that was where Hal was now happily sleeping, but in the smartest spare room that overlooked the back of Chipping Crockford House. It was an impressive view that centred around a tall cedar tree and a large baroque fountain that gushed water endlessly onto ancient Portland stone. The fountain was surrounded by lichened stone balustrades and steps that led out into acres of natural parkland which was home to some of England’s most ancient oaks, beeches and elms. A herd of white park cattle grazed peacefully among the trees.
A ray of determined February sunlight streamed through the gaps in the thick brocade curtains that covered the tall sash windows lining the outer wall while a blackbird sang sweetly from its lofty perch in the cedar tree that stood proud and sentinel. Rafe leant forward and kissed Sage gently on the mouth and her bow lips curved upwards slightly; she didn’t wake, but she turned over and moved closer to Rafe’s warm body, naturallyleaning in to him, nestling in his arms. There was a soft knock at the door and Rafe carefully extracted himself and padded over to open it. It was a maid with a tray of coffee. He took it from her with a word of thanks and placed it quietly on the shining oak chest at the end of the bed.
Sage stirred and stretched as Rafe clattered the pot and Hal appeared in the doorway.
‘Morning, champ. Are you excited to go hunting, by any chance?’ Rafe laughed, scooping up the child. Hal was already dressed in smart riding clothes, from his velvet hat down to his polished boots. What he had not already owned, Constance had found packed away in the attic and he was now properly attired for a day’s hunting. Rafe pulled off the child’s little brown boots and swung him up onto the bed. Hal grinned, bouncing up and down.
‘Can I go and see the new pony now?’
Rafe smiled and looked at the time on his telephone. ‘Hal, it’s only half past seven. Can we have breakfast first?’
Hal’s face crumpled with disappointment but he said bravely, his voice wobbling slightly, ‘Oh, OK, Rafe.’
