‘Definitely no blades. That’s why I got outta London.’
Pippa leaned her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Her New Year’s resolution to give up smoking hadn’t begun paying dividends just yet. She grinned.
‘Thank you,’ she breathed.
Pippa accepted her third cup of punch from Randy, the acting barman behind the precarious-looking table laden with refreshments, and made her way in the semi-darkness round the edge of the indoor school. She perched on the top pole of one of the jumps which had been pushed to the sides and watched, with satisfaction, the lads and lasses of Aspen Valley dancing and chatting, the coloured lights flickering off their animated faces. The atmosphere was so different from the week before, any reservations she might have harboured had evaporated with the warmth of the party.
‘Hula Hoop?’ offered a voice, raised above the thrashing of Scissor Sisters.
Pippa looked up to find Finn standing beside her, a littering of snacks on his outstretched palm. She gave him a grateful smile and took a couple, popping them into her mouth. She hadn’t spoken much to Finn over the past week. It seemed that in the absence of Rhys, his role as first stable jockey took him away from the yard more. Although she’d missed his good-natured presence, a feature that had been in desperate need since Boxing Day, she wasn’t altogether sorry their paths hadn’t crossed. She still didn’t know what to make of his and Melissa’s rendezvous. It even scared her a little that such a likeable person as Finn could do anything so devious. If indeed, he was doing something devious, Pippa reminded herself.
Finn sat down beside her and took a nonchalant swig of his beer.
‘Good craic,’ he said, gesturing towards the dancing crowd. ‘It was an excellent idea.’
‘Jack’s idea,’ she said.
Finn choked on a Hula Hoop and Pippa grinned.
‘Jack? He suggested all this?’
‘Well, I suggested it originally, but he didn’t take to it. Then of course, the Christmas Hurdle happened and he decided it would be a good idea,’ she explained.
‘Looks like he still can’t make up his mind,’ Finn said, nodding towards a group of people.
Pippa smiled as she recognised two lasses, probably emboldened by the liberally-spiked punch, pulling Jack towards the dancing area. His stance was of one being dragged to the galleys, but his half-hearted protests were uttered with humour.
‘We also had three crates of beer left over from last week’s drinks do. Had to think of something to get them drunk,’ she went on, still watching a self-conscious Jack now trying to dance to Black Eyed Peas. ‘I tried to return them to the off-licence in Helensvale, but they wouldn’t take them back.’ She bit her lip, realising she was moving onto potentially awkward territory.
Finn turned to her in a swift movement, nearly overbalancing on the pole and clicked his fingers.
‘Last Tuesday evening, you were in Helensvale down by the liquor store?’
Pippa nodded, not quite able to meet his eyes.
Finn wagged a finger at her.
‘I thought I saw your car outside!’ he said in triumph.
‘You were in town that evening?’ Pippa tried to sound nonchalant, but her heart began to thud. Was he going to deny being with Melissa?
‘Aye, at that lousy Turkish bar. You’d think with it being Christmas, they’d have turkey on the menu, wouldn’t ye?’
Pippa couldn’t help giggling. Damn, this punch was strong.
‘I thought I might have seen you through the window,’ she admitted with a vague wave of her hand.
Finn threw the last of his Hula Hoops into his mouth and crunched on them, his eyes glinting with wicked humour.
‘Ye did, didya?’
‘Yes, okay. I saw you,’ she surrendered with a defeated sigh. ‘And Melissa. But you don’t have to explain anything, Finn. I didn’t mean to see you. It’s none of my business what you get up to.’
Finn leant his head back and roared with laughter.
‘And what did you think I was getting up to?’ he chuckled.
Pippa looked down at her drink in embarrassment.
‘I don’t know. I guess the obvious came to mind, really.’
Finn wrapped his arm around her shoulders, jogging her as he shook with laughter.
‘You thought I was doing a line with Melissa Mardling? Pippa, a thaisce, what sort of chancer do you take me for? Riskin’ a pummelling from Jack for Melissa?’
A flush burnt Pippa’s cheeks and she shrugged.
‘What were you doing then?’
‘You forget now with Rhys up to his clackers in plaster, I’m riding all of the mighty Mardling horses, including Virtuoso. She just wanted to talk a few things over about them.’
Pippa sighed with relief and searched Finn’s eyes in the dim light for reassurance.
‘Really? That was all?’
Finn squeezed her shoulder.
‘Yes, that was all.’ He chuckled and shook his head. ‘Now, don’t let that be botherin’ you. I believe this is Take That playing and with you being a fan, I think we should take to the floor.’
Dizzy with alcohol and relief, Pippa let Finn lead her into a hub of dancing stable lasses. With a laugh, she saw Jack valiantly trying to escape the group as Take That bounced their way through Shine. She grinned and mouthed ‘Okay?’ to him.
Jack gave a wry smile in reply and shrugged in defeat.
Caught up in a moment when everything seemed good again – Finn wasn’t sleeping with Jack’s girlfriend, Aspen Valley were enjoying themselves and Jack looked relaxed – Pippa laughed out loud, moving her feet in the springy sand in time with Finn’s and sang along to the chorus.
Her flushed cheeks were aching from smiling so much by the time the song finished. She paused for breath and tried to empty her open-toed shoes of sand, waiting for the next track to begin. The lulled electric guitar chords and drumbeat of Prince’s Purple Rain resounded about the building. Pippa looked up, her eyes locking with Jack’s. She gulped.
He stood, three feet away, an inevitable invitation to join him issued by body language as other parties coupled together.
She hesitated before taking a step forward. In a convoluted way, it felt right to dance with him. She stopped. On the other hand, it was absolutely absurd that she should dance to such a number with her boss.
A hand slipped into hers and pulled her away. With a slight start, she found herself in Finn’s arms, staring into his smiling eyes.
‘Dance with me?’ he said, cradling her waist.
A sudden relief swept through her as she nodded. What had she been about to do? Distracted, she nestled into his arms, swaying to Prince’s haunted yet melodic longing tones. She looked over Finn’s shoulder at Jack.
He was walking away.
A pang of disappointment twisted in her stomach. If she wasn’t mistaken, the look on his face before Finn had swept her away had shown a part of him had wanted to dance with her too. An irrational part. Jack stopped by the wide entrance to the indoor school and turned back, his face half-lit by the moonlight beaming through the doorway.
Without embarrassment or discomfort, Pippa watched him watching her. Finn, moving her body in a gentle rhythm, was forgotten to her. Jack’s face was almost statuesque with the silvery light cast against it, but his eyes bore into hers with penetrating intensity. She felt she was almost dancing with him instead. Like a rabbit being hypnotised by a snake, she couldn’t bear to break his gaze. And amidst the stillness of his expression, a feeling very much alive projected itself across to her. Wanting.
As Finn guided her round, she was forced to tear her eyes away from Jack. The moments that she had her back to him dragged by, made longer by the mesmeric tune of Purple Rain. When at last they’d turned a three-sixty and she could look at him again without banging heads with Finn, her heart dropped.
The doorway was empty, the place where Jack had stood looking lonelier for his absence.
Pippa’s eyes darted around the
room. Beside them, Billy and Emmie were locked in a slow dance shuffle. A few other couples were scattered around the dance area whilst others converged on the drinks and snacks tables. But Jack wasn’t among them.
Pippa stepped out of Finn’s embrace as the song faded to its conclusion. She made the conscious effort not to be hasty, lest the jockey take it personally.
‘Thanks, Finn,’ she smiled. ‘I – um, have to go.’ She gave an embarrassed giggle. ‘Nature calls, you know.’
‘Oh, aye. Thank you, a thaisce,’ he replied, giving her a genteel bow with one hand behind his back.
Pippa hurried to the exit. She wasn’t sure why she needed to find Jack and even less idea what they would possibly say to each other, but the urge to just see him was overwhelming. He wasn’t outside the building though. Hugging her arms around herself to fend off the cold, she made her way over to the office, ignoring the inquisitive equine heads looking out over their stable doors at the unusual events going on. The office lay in darkness.
Pippa stopped. She sighed, her breath escaping in misty clouds. What was she thinking running after Jack like that?
She gave herself a shake to jog herself out of this dazed aura and walked along a row of stables towards Peace Offering’s box. Like many others, he was alert and looking over his door, his ears flicking to the sound of the music from the nearby indoor school.
Pippa wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his warm neck, breathing in the heady aroma of bedding and horse.
A beam of light projecting across the mist-veiled Gallops to her right caught her eye. Looking up, she watched the headlights of Jack’s Land Rover swing across the rolling landscape, rousing the slumbering steeplechase fences out of the shadows, and vanish over the brow of the hill towards his house.
She exhaled in defeat. This was where her party ended too.
She continued to gaze at the spot where the vehicle had disappeared, a slow realisation that probably Jack had made the right decision by leaving when he did, settling inside her.
A shooting star winged across the horizon and Pippa’s grip on Peace Offering’s mane tightened. She closed her eyes. She pressed her cheek against the soft strength of her horse and mouthed the words,
‘I wish I didn’t care so much.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
From the deep murmur of his voice emanating from beyond his closed door, Pippa was uncomfortably aware of Jack’s presence in the office when she walked in the next morning. She read Aspen Valley’s emails, seeing the typed words, but not concentrating on their context as, hearing the tone of his voice winding up his telephone conversation, she readied herself for the inevitable encounter. With an attempt to keep her face devoid of expression while her heart thumped in her ears, she watched the interleading door click open.
Jack hesitated when he saw her seated at her desk before walking through and giving a brief nod.
‘Morning, Pippa.’
‘Morning, Jack.’
The silence that followed was punctuated by the tapping of Jack’s Entries and Declarations notebook against his palm.
‘Good party last night,’ he said.
‘Yes, I think so. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.’ A small smile lit her face as she thought of the numerous lads and lasses who had stopped her on her way from the car park this morning to thank her for the occasion.
‘Seems most have turned up for work today as well despite their hangovers,’ Jack nodded. ‘I’ve already caught two people hurling their guts out behind the stables.’
Pippa’s smile broadened.
‘Kills two birds with one stone then,’ she replied. ‘Not only has it lifted their spirits, but the riders are always trying to keep their weight down.’
‘Did you – er – stay late?’ Jack probed.
Pippa guessed the slight frown settling on his forehead was directed towards himself rather than any judgement being passed on her social escapades.
‘Not too late,’ she said. She hesitated, the question on her tongue burning to be asked. ‘You left early as well?’ Damn! She bit her lip until it hurt. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Jack’s frown deepened.
‘Yes. I had to go because I – er – had to go.’ He cleared his throat and dropped an envelope on her desk. ‘Owners’ passes for Wincanton on Saturday. We’ve got the Penningtons’ Smoking Ace in the same race as Peace Offering so can you get two of those passes posted Special Delivery to them?’
She nodded, anything to change the subject.
‘Sure.’
She slit open the envelope, letting four passes fall out. Her stomach leapt in anticipation of taking on the role of racehorse owner once more. Being so involved with the horses sometimes made her forget that she owned one of them. The reality check of Peace Offering’s infrequent visits to the racecourse was enough to bring the excitement of ownership rushing back to her.
‘Who are you bringing along? Your friend, Tash?’
Her excitement ebbed at his question and she struggled to meet his eyes.
‘No. Ollie’s coming down for the weekend…’
Jack have a deliberating nod of his head.
‘Oh, yes. Ollie.’ He smiled sardonically. ‘I’d forgotten about him for a moment.’
If it hadn’t been quite so awkward, Pippa was tempted to agree with him. Ollie had featured less in her thoughts these past few months than could be considered healthy for any relationship.
She fingered the passes, searching for something else to say that would diffuse the strained atmosphere. The office door opened and she looked up, exhaling with relief then inwardly cringing when Finn stepped into the room.
‘Mornin’,’ he grinned. ‘With faces like that, you’da thought it was the two of you partying ’til dawn and not the rays of sunshine out there.’ He leaned up against the reception unit and chuckled at Jack and Pippa’s sober expressions. ‘And you, Miss Taylor,’ he said, wagging a finger in her direction. ‘There we were enjoying a slow number and next thing you were after disappearing.’
Pippa darted a panicked look towards Jack.
He stared at her, his face immobile, but his throat muscles tense.
‘I had to go. Sorry,’ she mumbled hastily. ‘I remembered something I needed to do at home.’
‘Your presence would’ve been handy a little later when we had to cart Billy off to Bristol A & E.’
‘Oh, God. Is he okay? What did he do this time?’ Pippa asked, aware of Jack shaking his head.
‘Was tightrope walkin’ along one of the jumps and o’ course went arse over tit. Thought he’d broken his wrist, but turns out ’tis only a sprain.’
Pippa closed her eyes, relieved he hadn’t broken any bones, but at the same time cursing him. He was a walking, breathing illustration of why Jack hadn’t wanted to have the party in the first place.
‘Who took him to hospital?’ Jack asked. ‘You must have all been over the limit.’
Finn shook his head.
‘Emmie was off the booze. She donned the adult role. Nevertheless, I thought I’d report it and see if it needs to go in the Accident Report Book.’
Pippa looked at Jack, unsure.
Annoyed, he shook his head.
‘It wasn’t a work-related accident. Bloody idiot,’ he muttered. He was about to give the Entries and Declarations book to Pippa when he paused and turned to Finn. ‘I’ve put you down in the entries aboard Smoking Ace rather than Peace Offering. Presumably, you’d rather be on the more fancied ride?’
Pippa looked away, stung. When she raised her gaze, she found Finn looking at her, a mixture of pity amidst the humour in his eyes.
‘Well, I don’t know,’ he said to Jack. ‘I wouldn’t say Peace Offering was without a shout now. If you’re givin’ me the choice then I think I’ll opt for him instead.’ He winked at Pippa and she gave him a grateful smile.
‘Fine,’ Jack said curtly. He tossed the book onto her desk and strode back to his office. ‘Pippa, m
ake sure you get those passes sent out,’ he threw over his shoulder. ‘I hope your boyfriend enjoys his first day out as an owner.’
She stared, her mouth open half in surprise, half in disgust as the door slammed shut behind him.
What was his problem?
‘Boyfriend, eh?’ Finn recaptured her attention with a raised eyebrow. ‘That’s something you didn’t mention before.’
Pippa squirmed in her seat.
‘There never seemed a good opportunity to mention him,’ she replied.
Finn’s green eyes danced with mischief.
‘And where is the lucky man? I sure haven’t seen him with you at The Plough. Keepin’ him locked away in the cellar?’
‘He lives in London,’ Pippa explained. ‘He’s not really a country kind of guy.’
‘Then I won’t be complainin’ about that. The more we have of yerself in the sticks alone, the better.’
Pippa snorted and shook her head.
‘Do you still want to ride Peace Offering?’
Finn looked affronted.
‘Of course I do. It’d give me a legitimate excuse to kiss you if we win.’ He gave her a lazy smile. ‘You do know that it’s customary for the winning owner to kiss the jockey, don’t you?’
‘I guess so,’ Pippa laughed.
‘Plus, Smoking Ace has a fair chance of winning too and that means I’d have to kiss Lady Pennington,’ he added in a stage whisper.
‘Is she really that bad?’ she giggled.
Finn pulled a face.
‘If you’ve ever tried to kiss a cow on its nose, you’d know what I mean.’
Pippa covered her mouth to conceal her laughter.
‘That’s a terrible thing to say.’
‘Aye, but not a word of a lie in it,’ Finn shuddered.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Pippa drummed her fingers on the freshly varnished wooden windowsill and looked out over Hazyvale’s shaggy front garden. Through the foggy glass, she searched for the first flash of red entering the driveway amidst the bleak leafless shrubbery. Apart from a shivering rabbit hopping among the tangles, nothing stirred. She glanced at her watch, sucked her teeth in impatience and dipped into her handbag for her mobile to see if she’d missed any calls from Ollie.
Keeping the Peace Page 20
