Ticket to Ride by Caroline Akrill

Author:Caroline Akrill [Akrill, Caroline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

“There’s a devastatingly handsome young man asking for you in the yard, Elaine,” Selina beamed round the door of our cell as I brushed my hair and fixed it with a slide. “Have you known him long?” She came in and settled herself on her bed in anticipation of some interesting gossip. For someone who could be incrdibly tart with anyone she suspected of showing an interest in her affairs, she showed an extraordinary curiosity about every last detail of other people’s lives, and never tired of asking questions.

“About eighteen months,” I said. “He works for the Midvale and Westbury Hunt.”

“Does he really,” she said, impressed, “and does he wear scarlet? I should think he would look simply divine in scarlet.”

“Yes, he wears scarlet,” I said, “he’s first whipper-in.”

“Oh, how marvellous!” Selina clasped her hands together and looked beatific. “And is it unbearably romantic?”

I remembered the mud, and the lost shoes, and the rain, and Nelson’s saddle, black, like old washleather. “No,” I said, “not very, it’s a plough country.”

“Not the hunting,” Selina said crossly, “I mean the relationship.”

“Oh,” I said in a shocked voice, “I couldn’t possibly tell you that. I set rather a high value on personal privacy.” I snatched up my good navy guernsey and smiled at her vexed expression as I made for the door.

I walked through the yards, looking for Nick. Everywhere was unusually quiet as Monday was a rest day at the training centre; no horses were exercised, no lessons were given, and only a skeleton staff were retained in order to feed, water, and attend to basic necessary duties. I looked in to see Legend on my way past his box, but he was busy with a hay net and couldn’t be bothered with any acknowledgment other than the cock of an ear in my direction.

Nick was waiting in the car park, leaning with his elbows on the roof of his white sports car, and smoking a cigarette. He was wearing his best Italian suede trousers, an open-necked shirt with a cravat, and a hacking jacket. I could see why Selina had considered him devastating.

“I thought we’d go for a picnic,” he said.

“A picnic?” I looked doubtfiully at the sky which was cloudy and a little threatening. “Is that a good idea?”

He stuck the cigarette in the corner of his mouth and opened the passenger door for me, squinting his dark fringed eyes against the smoke. “As I’ve actually been shopping for the food, it had better be.”

I studied him cautiously as he got into the driving seat and slammed the door. He didn’t seem to be in an awfully good mood and I wondered what had annoyed him. We had had many a bitter battle in the past because of his uncertain temper, but I didn’t feel like an argument today – after my first week at the training centre, I was too tired for one thing.

“What’s the matter?” I asked him. “Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine,” he said shortly. “I just don’t feel like seeking company, that’s all, and anyway, we’ve got to talk.

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