Keeping the Peace by Hooton Hannah

Author:Hooton, Hannah [Hooton, Hannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: B002FXCSNQ
Published: 2012-04-09T22:00:00+00:00

Once the jockeys had mounted and were filing out of the ring towards the track, Pippa and Ollie followed the others towards the packed stands. With Lady Pennington clearing their path like a bulldozer, sending spectators sprawling, they climbed the steps of the Club Stand opposite the winning post. There wasn’t room for all five of them and Pippa had to settle for the row beneath the others. She shuffled along with Ollie on her left until they were directly in front of Jack and the Penningtons.

For the first time, Pippa looked out over the course, catching her breath as she did so. The sunshine, which had prevailed for the last few days, bathed the track’s inner golf course in a fresh emerald glow, the sand bunkers peeping out like pockets of gold. Behind the backstretch, the Somerset countryside rose up in a patchwork quilt of farmland to the pale blue sky. The huge screen opposite the stands showed the ten horses cantering down to the Start with their betting odds moving across the bottom.

‘Isn’t it beautiful,’ Pippa breathed.

‘Bloody cold,’ Ollie replied as a gust of wintery wind buffered the grandstands. ‘A pity we didn’t have time to put any bets on. Looks like Peace Offering is third favourite. He must have a chance.’

‘I hope so, although with no rain lately, Jack says the ground might ride a bit quick for him. I think the odds have been swayed since Finn opted to ride Peace Offering rather than Smoking Ace.’

‘Well, that’s a good sign. He must have reason for wanting to ride our horse.’

Pippa refrained from telling him Finn’s excuse. Ollie might not appreciate it as much as she had. Instead, she watched the horses circling at the Start, loosening their muscles, their opaque breaths accumulating in a thin cloud around them. She glimpsed the starter climbing his rostrum.

The jockeys gathered up their reins, jogging towards the tape in readiness for the off.

Pippa took a deep gulping breath as they set off towards the first, Peace Offering’s white blaze bobbing in and out of sight in midfield. The first three jumps down the homestretch came in quick succession, the thunderous rumble of hooves being drowned out by the cheering crowd. The horse in the lead, which Pippa quickly identified through her racecard as Town Crier, swung the chasing field away from the enclosures at a brisk gallop towards the water jump. Peace Offering, with Finn aboard, was being niggled along as he struggled to keep up with the pace.

‘Come on, Peace Offering,’ she whispered, scrunching her racecard in her clenched fist. The bay horse pricked his ears approaching the water and lengthened his stride, soaring over while Finn sat motionless on his back. She beamed with pride as the commentator mentioned his impressive jump.

‘He’s a bit far back, isn’t he?’ Ollie shouted above the roar of the crowd.

‘I don’t know,’ Pippa shrugged in reply. ‘There’s still another two circuits to go.’

She chewed her bottom lip as Ollie’s observation became more apparent when the field of horses raced along the back straight.

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