you.’
‘No problem.’ He squeezed Ginny’s shoulder. ‘I wish I could’ve given you better news. This isn’t what you need right now, but…’
‘No, it’s fine. We won’t have to put him down, that’s the most important thing. Thank you, thank you,’ she breathed, flopping into the chair. She wasn’t sure if she was thanking Ray or something greater, but whoever it was would know she was thankful.
Chapter Twelve
A few days later, Ginny reached for her mobile phone as the theme tune to Dallas pealed out, and again she mentally vowed to change the ringtone, just so that she wouldn’t attract so much attention. Her heart gave a silly flutter when she saw it was Mark.
‘Hello,’ she said as casually as she could.
‘I think we should celebrate!’ was his opening line.
‘Pardon?’ she laughed.
‘I’ve just read a very interesting article in today’s Racing Post , Miss Virginia Kennedy.’
‘Oh, that,’ Ginny said, blushing. ‘They’ve made it into a bigger deal than it actually was.’
‘I don’t care; I’m taking you out for a bottle of bubbly.’
Ginny was torn. These past few days had been as stressful as she’d seen yet, and as tempting as going out celebrating with the delectable Mark Rushin was, she was absolutely shattered.
‘Why don’t you come over for dinner at my place?’ she said. Oh dear, she panicked, did that sound too much of a come on? ‘I’m really tired, that’s all,’ she added.
‘Sounds great. Are you going to cook?’
Hell, she hadn’t thought this one through very well.
‘Um, yes.’
‘There is no end to your talents. A chef as well as a trainer?’
‘You haven’t tasted my cooking yet,’ Ginny warned.
Mark laughed.
‘Shall we say about eight?’ she suggested.
‘I look forward to it. I’ll bring the champagne as well. See you then.’
‘Yes, see you later.’
Putting down her phone, Ginny picked up today’s Racing Post and turned to Page 2. It was silly really, she told herself. It was only a paragraph long and had a tiny postage stamp photo alongside it, but to Ginny it felt like an OBE invitation from the Queen. For about the twentieth time today she re-read the article.
Ginny Kennedy, in her debut season at father, Jim Kennedy’s Ravenhill Stables, opened a few eyes at Chester by training the winners of the 1.45, 2.20 and 4.05 to land a treble. Most impressive was Sequella, who made all to win the Chester Cup by five lengths. Kennedy told press that Sequella will be prepped for the big stayers races later on in the season, showing particular interest in the Goodwood and Doncaster Cups. Also under her regime, Golden Marble took the first with a convincing performance over odds-on favourite Idyllic Setting, followed by the outside chance, Raccoon scooping the spoils in the next. Ravenhill now has the support of years’ worth of experience, and the freshness of youth to guide it through what looks to be a very interesting season.
Ginny sighed, smiling to herself as she relived yesterday’s unbelievable events. If everyone had been humouring her before, then maybe they would have stopped laughing by now. Julien Larocque was of course the first person she thought of in that respect, and she wondered why his opinion of her mattered so much. It occurred to her that maybe she felt threatened by him. If he was her rival then she wanted to show that she could fight her corner. She frowned. Why didn’t she feel so defensive against the other big trainers like Andrew Pearson and Michael Ramsay then? Shrugging her shoulders, she turned her thoughts to the much more important task of not only thinking up something to serve for dinner, but also of cooking it without giving Mark food poisoning. How could she possibly cook a full meal when she struggled with a boiled egg? Would he mind if she just ordered Chinese? No, she admonished herself, she couldn’t do that. Indian perhaps? Christ, she only had three hours to decide on the
‘No problem.’ He squeezed Ginny’s shoulder. ‘I wish I could’ve given you better news. This isn’t what you need right now, but…’
‘No, it’s fine. We won’t have to put him down, that’s the most important thing. Thank you, thank you,’ she breathed, flopping into the chair. She wasn’t sure if she was thanking Ray or something greater, but whoever it was would know she was thankful.
Chapter Twelve
A few days later, Ginny reached for her mobile phone as the theme tune to Dallas pealed out, and again she mentally vowed to change the ringtone, just so that she wouldn’t attract so much attention. Her heart gave a silly flutter when she saw it was Mark.
‘Hello,’ she said as casually as she could.
‘I think we should celebrate!’ was his opening line.
‘Pardon?’ she laughed.
‘I’ve just read a very interesting article in today’s Racing Post , Miss Virginia Kennedy.’
‘Oh, that,’ Ginny said, blushing. ‘They’ve made it into a bigger deal than it actually was.’
‘I don’t care; I’m taking you out for a bottle of bubbly.’
Ginny was torn. These past few days had been as stressful as she’d seen yet, and as tempting as going out celebrating with the delectable Mark Rushin was, she was absolutely shattered.
‘Why don’t you come over for dinner at my place?’ she said. Oh dear, she panicked, did that sound too much of a come on? ‘I’m really tired, that’s all,’ she added.
‘Sounds great. Are you going to cook?’
Hell, she hadn’t thought this one through very well.
‘Um, yes.’
‘There is no end to your talents. A chef as well as a trainer?’
‘You haven’t tasted my cooking yet,’ Ginny warned.
Mark laughed.
‘Shall we say about eight?’ she suggested.
‘I look forward to it. I’ll bring the champagne as well. See you then.’
‘Yes, see you later.’
Putting down her phone, Ginny picked up today’s Racing Post and turned to Page 2. It was silly really, she told herself. It was only a paragraph long and had a tiny postage stamp photo alongside it, but to Ginny it felt like an OBE invitation from the Queen. For about the twentieth time today she re-read the article.
Ginny Kennedy, in her debut season at father, Jim Kennedy’s Ravenhill Stables, opened a few eyes at Chester by training the winners of the 1.45, 2.20 and 4.05 to land a treble. Most impressive was Sequella, who made all to win the Chester Cup by five lengths. Kennedy told press that Sequella will be prepped for the big stayers races later on in the season, showing particular interest in the Goodwood and Doncaster Cups. Also under her regime, Golden Marble took the first with a convincing performance over odds-on favourite Idyllic Setting, followed by the outside chance, Raccoon scooping the spoils in the next. Ravenhill now has the support of years’ worth of experience, and the freshness of youth to guide it through what looks to be a very interesting season.
Ginny sighed, smiling to herself as she relived yesterday’s unbelievable events. If everyone had been humouring her before, then maybe they would have stopped laughing by now. Julien Larocque was of course the first person she thought of in that respect, and she wondered why his opinion of her mattered so much. It occurred to her that maybe she felt threatened by him. If he was her rival then she wanted to show that she could fight her corner. She frowned. Why didn’t she feel so defensive against the other big trainers like Andrew Pearson and Michael Ramsay then? Shrugging her shoulders, she turned her thoughts to the much more important task of not only thinking up something to serve for dinner, but also of cooking it without giving Mark food poisoning. How could she possibly cook a full meal when she struggled with a boiled egg? Would he mind if she just ordered Chinese? No, she admonished herself, she couldn’t do that. Indian perhaps? Christ, she only had three hours to decide on the
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