Page 128 of The Mistress of Ashmore Castle

Alice didn’t know how to answer that, and said nothing. She knew what he meant. She had seen the Brinklow children, who had been playmates of her and Rachel, with their parents, and they had all seemed glued together and intertwined. She saw him preparing another question, and prompted him: ‘What is it?’

‘I heard she was going to be living in Germany with this chap, your mother.’

‘Yes. He’s a German prince. He lives near Frankfurt.’

‘Does that mean you’ll be going to live there as well?’

A quiver of pleasure ran through her, because it sounded as though it mattered to him whether she did or not.

‘I don’t know if she’ll send for me,’ she said, ‘but if she does, I’m going to ask Giles to say I have to stay here. He’s the head of the family, so he can insist if he wants to.’

‘So you don’t want to go?’

‘Not at all.’

‘Don’t want to marry a German prince yourself?’

‘I love Ashmore,’ she said, suddenly passionate. ‘I never want to leave.’

‘You will, one day,’ he said, and it sounded sad. They were silent for a moment. Alice drank tea. He cut another slice of bread. Then he said, ‘I got to take a load of logs up to Topheath Farm when I’ve finished luncheon. With Della and the cart. Want to come with me?’ Her expression as she looked at him was his answer. ‘You’re not wanted at home?’

‘Nobody wants me anywhere,’ she said. Then added daringly, ‘Except here.’

‘You’re always welcome here,’ he said. ‘While you want to come. That’ll change. Other things’ll come into your life. Other people. And you won’t want to come here any more. But that’s all right. That’s the way things go. Pass that chutney, will you?’

From life and death to pickles. Too much serious talk wasn’t good for you. He must know as well as she did – better than she did – that she shouldn’t be here at all. Why did he let her come? Because he liked her? Because he felt sorry for her? A mixture of the two, probably, she thought. And it was best they shouldn’t get talking too seriously, or she might say things that were best not said. The things she really longed to say. And whether he welcomed them or rejected them, it would break something.

It all happened surprisingly quickly. Decius heard of a horse and went to see it, liked it, and arranged for Nina, with Bobby accompanying her for the extra support, to go and try it. Nina loved it, the sale was arranged, and within a week everything was in place. A groom was found by recommendation – an odd-looking, short, bow-legged, rubicund man with black hair and a faint Irish accent – and with the help of Deering he cleaned out the stables in readiness. Another horse was found locally. Fodder and straw were delivered from a nearby farm. And Wriothesby House took delivery of Jewel, a six-year-old, fifteen-two thoroughbred gelding, black with one white coronet and a small white star, and Nankin, a sixteen-hand gelding of no particular breeding, brown with four white stockings.

Daughters, the groom, said that Nankin was ‘a dacent steady harse,’ and that Jewel was ‘a little beauty, so he is’.

Mr Cowling said, ‘I’m glad it’s black. A black horse looks very smart, especially with you being so fair.’

‘I love him,’ Nina said. ‘Thank you very much. It’s more than I deserve.’

‘Nonsense. I’d give you the moon if I could get hold of it.’

‘Oh, I’d sooner have Jewel, thank you. The moon would be awfully in the way.’

He chuckled. ‘Ah, you like your little jokes. But, now then,’ his expression changed, ‘I want to be serious for a minute.’ He looked at her, not quite sternly, for there was a hint of apprehension in it. ‘I’m not going to order you to ride sidesaddle, but I am going to ask you to. This other business won’t do, Nina, it really won’t. To please me, will you promise only to ride side-saddle?’

Nina was so delighted with her horse, and touched by his generosity, she hadn’t the heart to argue. Bobby would call her weak and be exasperated with her, but – at least for now – she couldn’t and wouldn’t fight him.

‘I promise,’ she said.

On her first ride out on Jewel, she was accompanied by Bobby, and by Clemmie on a hireling. Bobby’s groom Hoday rode behind with Daughters to take care of all three.

‘And he’s taken out a subscription to the hunt for me,’ Nina said. ‘He’s quite thrilled with the idea. I wouldn’t put it past him to have a photographer waiting at the first meet to capture me in full fig.’

Clemmie smiled. ‘He’s a dear! You’re very lucky, Nina.’

‘But it was rather unscrupulous of him to make you promise not to ride across,’ Bobby said. ‘Catching you at a weak moment when you were soft with gratitude.’

‘You can’t call it unscrupulous,’ Nina protested.

Bobby shook her head. ‘You’ll have to work on him. I was counting on the three of us hunting astride this season. Then, with Mrs Anstruther, we’ll make a real impact. You’re with me, aren’t you, Clemmie?’

‘You can’t ask Nina to defy her husband,’ Clemmie said. ‘It’s all right for me, because I’m not married. Mrs Anstruther is a widow, and your husband is very modern-minded.’