Riders by Jilly Cooper

Author:Jilly Cooper
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Horsemanship, Equestrian, Romance: Modern, Show jumping, Contemporary, Sports & Recreation, Fiction, Fiction - General, General, Romance - General, Romance - Contemporary, English Light Romantic Fiction, Love stories
ISBN: 9780743297004
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2007-07-03T07:00:00+00:00

Janey proceeded to plead with him not to ring her until he got home.

“I hate to hear you so down. It really upsets me, puts me off work. I know you’ll get in the money soon.”

Feeling faintly guilty, Janey then left Mavis with Mrs. Bodkin and flew off to Spain with Kev. Billy was due back on Sunday. She’d be home by Saturday lunchtime. She spent a fortune on clothes and having her hair streaked beforehand. She felt, subconsciously, that if she made the financial situation worse, some kind of confrontation would be triggered off. Kev had never mentioned any permanentrelationship he was too fly for that. But the affair was certainly hotting up.

Billy got home at midday on Saturday, his heart like lead. There was no barking. Janey must have taken Mavis for a walk. He had difficulty opening the front door for letters on the doormat. He was so tired, it took him a little while to realize that among them were his own letters and postcards from Aachen. And there was the telegram he’d sent yesterday saying he was coming home early, unopened. The house was very tidy. Harold Evans weaved furrily round his legs. But there was no sign of Janey anywhere. He felt faint with horror. Perhaps she’d been murdered or kidnapped. He poured himself a large whisky and telephoned Mrs. Bodkin.

“She’s gone away, researching for her book in Norfolk, she said, ‘and staying with her mother. She’s coming home today. I’ve got Mavis. She’s been as good as gold. D’you want to come and pick her up?”

Relief gave way to a dull anger. Mrs. Bodkin looked secretive and over-excited when he arrived, her mouth disappearing in disapproval. She loved Billy; he was as nice a gentleman as you could find, and so thoughtful. But he should never have married that trollop.

After two more drinks back at the cottage, he heard a car draw up. There was Janey running up the drive in a faded purple T-shirt and sawn-off pink trousers. Her tortoiseshell hair was incredibly bleached by the sun (Billy didn’t recognize streaking) and she was browner and thinner than ever. His stomach twisted with desire and the pain of his ulcer. All he could think of was how much he’d like to fuck her.

“Darling, how lovely! You said you weren’t coming back until tomorrow,” cried Janey.

“Must have a pee.”

She didn’t look as though she’d been staying with her mother, thought Billy. She never bothered to wear make-up or scent when she went down there.

“I bought you some Norfolk strawberries, darling,” she lied. Actually, she’d bought them in Cheltenham on theway from the airport, in case she needed an alibi. They went back into the house.

“Sweetheart, you look awfully pale,” said Janey, suddenly noticing.

“What’s happened?”

“I sent you this telegram. You haven’t read it.”

He turned away, fighting a terrible desire to break down and cry. Janey opened it with shaking hands. Had he heard something about her and Kev? Smoothing out the paper, she read: “Mandryka broke leg.

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