ditches.
John had sent word last night that he would meet the foot party and bring the ten couples of hounds of the Ballybucklebo Hunt. The marquisâs widowed sister, Lady Myrna Ferguson, was here too, and like her brother sat her black mount as if to the manner born. She must have had no classes scheduled at Queenâs University today, where she was a lecturer in inorganic chemistry.
OâReilly knew this might be her and the marquisâs last chance to ride to the hounds. âJohn told me last autumn when he and I were snipe shooting that he was being forced to sell his thoroughbred hunters. The family will keep on a couple of hacks like Larsâs mount. Johnâll continue to provide kennels for the hounds because itâs the annual subscriptions of the members of the hunt that pay for them and the hunt servants. Itâs sad,â OâReilly said. âThey both love hunting, but itâs a huge expense running the estate.â
âI didnât know about the horses,â Kitty said. âIt is a pity, but I suppose the days of keeping a stableful of hunters is over for the MacNeills. Life is changing for the aristocracy.â
The three equestrians were surrounded by the pack of liver, white, and black hounds that milled round the horsesâ legs, barking and baying, legs stiff, tails erect.
âThe dogs are raring to go. Iâd better get things moving,â OâReilly said. He raised his voice and called, âRight. Letâs get ourselves organised. You all know the hills, and we donât want to be tripping over each other. We need to cover as much ground as possible.â He turned to the marquis. âSo I propose, my lord, that you, Lady Myrna, and Mister OâReilly take the centre section, which is about a quarter of a mile wide and mostly heather and bracken. Better going for the horses. But please hang on here until the rest of the search partyâs in place.â
âWeâll do that,â the marquis said. âLet the hounds quarter it. If the dogâs there theyâll find him and they wonât hurt him. They like other dogs.â
âThank you, sir.â OâReilly turned back to the others. âI need you folks to space out at equal intervals from both sides of the area the hunt will be covering to the far edges of the woods and thickets.â The group were all experienced outdoorsmen and needed no further instructions from him. Surely if poor old Jasper were out here heâd be found? He might even remember the culvert heâd taken cover in as a puppy where Sonny had found Jasper sixteen years ago.
âNow,â said OâReilly, âthis morning weâll be climbing up to the crest, where Mister Bishop will have lunch laid on beside the old watchtower. Letâs hope weâve found Jasper by then. If not, weâll take a break and then cover the other side of the hills as far as the Comber Road in the afternoon. At least it will be easier going downhill.â
A piped series of pee-wit, pee-wit came from overhead and he looked up. âGreen plover, also called lapwing,â he said to Kitty, who had been a city girl until sheâd married him. The birds, with their green-tinted backs, white bellies, and black breasts, throats, crowns, and crests, tumbled across the cold, eggshell-blue sky.
âThey really are pretty,â she said. âIâve never seen them before. I remember how much your father loved birds. How you and Lars set up a feeding table right outside his window in Dublin.â
OâReilly smiled. âFather did love his birds,â he said. âBless him. So does Lars.â
Larsâs mare whinnied loudly. OâReilly looked over to see her tossing her head and mane, Lars with eyes wide, clenching his teeth, his hands clutching the reins, and Myrna sidling her horse over and calming the animal.
âI think,â OâReilly called, âitâs time
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