‘I’ll be fine, Rafe. I’ve managed to survive this long on my own. No, I haven’t broached it with Cas yet … he’s got a lot on his plate. But I will.’
She smiled across at him, her love for her brother making her even stronger. It was just a glance, but it was enough to remind him that she was tough; she could fend for herself. He just could not stand the idea of her being alone and so far away.
‘Talk to him before you go,’ he pleaded. ‘Will you take Hal?’
‘No, I’ll leave him with my grandparents – so long as they agree. I will talk to Casper. I was hoping I could sort it out without him having to worry about any of it. Now, I don’t think I can. I’ll ride Skylark and then call him this morning, I promise.’
‘I could have Hal. I’d be happy to.’ Rafe meant it: he would miss the little boy just as much as Sage.
‘I know you would, Rafe, but you’ve got a lot going on. Hal will be happy at North Place with Gammy and Maggie clucking over him, and he has nursery a few mornings a week. I’d love it if you’d check in with him though, while I’m away, although I’m hoping to only be gone for a couple of days.’
Rafe eased off the pedal, conceding defeat. The roads were clear this early in the morning and they got back to Newmarket in record time. Rafe dropped Sage and Hal off at North Place; he was needed at Touchstone Lodge. Sage opened the back door and Hal let out a squeal of excitement. Beetle the whippet was in the boot room with her puppies. They were everywhere. Having pulled over the wastepaper basket, they were now systematically rifling through the contents and chewing them all up. Beetle’s tail beat a happy staccato when she recognized Sage.She raised her sleek head and looked up guiltily, her large brown eyes shining with apology.It wasn’t me, it was those naughty children, she seemed to say.
‘Which one is ours, Mumma? Which one is Monkey?’ Hal asked, picking up a small, wriggling golden bundle with a white paw, who had a strip of torn-up paper sticking out of her mouth.
‘I think that’s her – aren’t you clever. Come on, let’s go and find Maggie and Gammy, shall we?’ Sage said, swiftly deflecting him as she dropped their bag onto a bench and bent down to pick up some of the debris from the stone floor. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee wafting enticingly towards them. Hal charged along the corridors ahead of her and there soon came the sound of a collectivecooof welcome pouring from the two women. She smiled to herself: she knew he would be in the best hands while she was away; they would be overjoyed to fuss over him.
Betsy appeared at the kitchen door.
‘Darling! Oh, thank goodness you’re home. Have a quick cup of coffee and then get out to the yard, will you? Your grandfather is frantic. He will besorelieved you’re back. He wants Skylark to have a light gallop up the Al Bahathri today but she’s as fresh as a daisy and he’s terrified one of the other lads will come unstuck.’
‘I’ll need some caffeine then! Hi, Gammy.’ She gave her grandmother a kiss, then hugged Maggie. ‘Morning, Maggie.’ She took a slug of steaming coffee from the mug handed to her. After quickly kissing Hal, who was still clutching the squirming fawn puppy, she dashed upstairs to get changed.
Maggie turned to Betsy.
‘Oh, did Miss Sage get her and young Hal’s passports? One of Mr Dunbarton’s lasses came up to get them yesterday. They were sitting on the side up in her room so I gave them to thegirl.’ She began to knead the dough for that day’s bread, pummelling it on the marble top of the kitchen island.
‘I’m not sure, Maggie.’ Betsy was distracted, looking at one of Hal’s new jerseys, in whose sleeve he had managed to put a hole. ‘Do you know where my sewing box is?’
The sun was gently rising and casting a welcome, warm golden light over the stables by the time Sage had tacked up and led Skylark out into the yard. Dennis emerged from his office and when his gaze swept over them, his craggy face broke into an uncharacteristic grin.
‘Good! You’re back.’
‘I said I would be, Bumpa. O ye of little faith!’ Sage teased.
‘Get on her then – and do try tostayon her,’ Dennis said gruffly, turning to talk to a girl leading out a big bay colt. Sage accepted a leg up and sat as lightly as possible while Skylark skittered sideways. Dennis watched his granddaughter sitting easily in the small saddle and giving the fresh filly her head with soft hands. He nodded approvingly.
‘For Christ’s sake, don’t lose your temper with her this morning,’ he muttered as he went to retrieve his car.
The string of four horses made their way along the Bury Road and to the Al Bahathri track without mishap. They then turned and galloped back, one behind the other, with Skylark in second.
Sage could feel a change in Skylark. The horse had matured so much since the first time she had sat on her, seemingly turning overnight from a gangly teenager into a noticeably more focused and powerful animal. The duckling was now a swan. The filly leapt in the air, mid-gallop, shying at a can that had been carelessly dropped on the grass next to the polytrack, but she was so athletic that it hardly affected her pace, and she stayed glued to Dear Morris’s heels in front. As they steadied up at the six-furlong marker, Sage was grinning.
‘She feels incredible!’ she called across to her grandfather, who was contentedly pulling on his pipe.
‘Shut up. There are touts over there,’ he said in a severe hiss, but he could not hide a smile. Sage glanced across to a bunch of men wearing nondescript clothes who were lounging against the rails further up the gallop. They worked for the racing media and betting firms and were on the lookout for any exciting pieces of work.
Sage tucked the filly on the inside of Dear Morris, hiding her from view, and they walked placidly back to the yard, the horses steaming in the morning light. She was glad that her grandfather was smiling when they met him back at the yard, and mentally braced herself to tell him she was going away for a couple of days to sort out her divorce.
Having imparted the news, she was surprised when he said, with a huff of resignation, ‘Fine. I suppose it would be better to get this damned situation resolved. Will you be back in time to ride the horse?’
‘I’ll make sure I’m back by Sunday.’
‘All right, I can manage without you until then. I’ll get the apprentice girl to come and ride her while you’re away.’
‘Thank you, Bumpa,’ Sage said with relief, but Dennis was already heading back into his lair to deal with entries. She hurried off to untack Skylark; she needed to pack.
On the way back to the house she called Casper. If he had finished riding out for the morning then she could beg him for a lift to Gatwick and talk to him in private on the way.