Pennington. Peace Offering’s one asset is his stamina, not his turn of foot so I don’t expect him to blaze the trail.’
‘Okay,’ Pippa said, nodding. ‘Is that them at the bottom of the hill there?’ She held her glasses up to her eyes for a closer look. ‘Yes! There’s Peace Offering! Are we going to get out and watch?’ She turned to Jack, her eyes pleading.
He craned his head to look at the sky and grimaced.
‘If you really want to.’
‘Yes, please,’ Pippa said, already halfway out the door.
With their collars turned up against the elements, they stood by the bonnet of the Land Rover, their binoculars both trained on the approaching horses. Pippa forgot how to breathe as the muffled drum of hooves drifted across the dank haze to them. Silver Dollar’s grey face spearheaded the quartet and with a hop and a squeak of excitement, Pippa identified Peace Offering galloping hard about four lengths behind. The thunder of hooves grew steadily louder and Pippa lowered her binos as the horses neared them. The ground began to reverberate beneath them. In a heartbeat they had galloped past, the murk punctuated by their abrupt dragon-breaths with Silver Dollar still held up in front and Peace Offering pushed along in third.
Pippa gasped and jumped up and down, succeeding in planting her heels into the sodden ground and splashing mud on her legs. Overcome, she clapped her hands. Looking at Jack, she tried to rein in the wide smile that lit up her face. Jack’s attention was still held by the horses and as they galloped on, he picked up his glasses again.
By the time the horses had reached the top of the Gallops, Peace Offering had narrowed Silver Dollar’s lead to just a length.
‘Oh, my God,’ Pippa cried. ‘Did you see how fast they were going?’
Jack nodded.
‘I saw. I’m more interested in how they pull up though. Come on. Let’s get back in before we’re both soaked.’
‘Was that Emmie riding Peace Offering?’ she asked as they got back into the vehicle.
‘Yes. She usually rides out on him. She – and the others – can give us a better account of that workout when we’re back at the yard.’ Jack put his arm round the back of Pippa’s seat and looked over his shoulder to reverse the Land Rover. Pippa felt the damp material of his sleeve brush the back of her neck and she looked across at him.
‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice soft with sincerity. ‘I’ve really enjoyed this.’
Jack paused in manoeuvring the car to look at her.
Pippa was struck by the crystalline blue of his irises, encircled by a much darker shade. The colour wheel inside her head spun as she tried to pinpoint what paints she would need to nix to capture the distinct shades.
He averted his gaze first and removed his arm from behind her to change into first gear.
‘It was just a gallop,’ he replied. ‘Lots of owners want to watch their horses do fast work.’
‘And I can see why,’ Pippa grinned. ‘I can’t wait to go racing.’
Jack’s lips tightened into a grim line and he stared at the bumpy track leading down the hill.
‘Let’s hear what Emmie and the others have to say first.’
Chapter Eleven
P ippa stood up straight, one hand holding a black bin bag, the other massaging the small of her back. She grimaced as her muscles took exception. With a weary sigh, she looked from the four bulging bin bags already lined up against the lounge wall to the detritus of old magazines and chipped bric-a-brac still littering the Welsh dresser. With a shake of her head, she picked one item up off the unit – what appeared to be a dirty rock about the size of her fist, and wondered what exactly it was that had made Dave want to keep it. She dropped it in the bag and picked up a crumpled piece of paper which had been flattened out again, a coffee stain ringing the upper right.
Chepstow 1.15 – trifecta – Deuteronomy, Venetian Prize, White Fawn
Haydock 3.00 – Papago Prince
‘Okay,’ Pippa said, nodding. ‘Is that them at the bottom of the hill there?’ She held her glasses up to her eyes for a closer look. ‘Yes! There’s Peace Offering! Are we going to get out and watch?’ She turned to Jack, her eyes pleading.
He craned his head to look at the sky and grimaced.
‘If you really want to.’
‘Yes, please,’ Pippa said, already halfway out the door.
With their collars turned up against the elements, they stood by the bonnet of the Land Rover, their binoculars both trained on the approaching horses. Pippa forgot how to breathe as the muffled drum of hooves drifted across the dank haze to them. Silver Dollar’s grey face spearheaded the quartet and with a hop and a squeak of excitement, Pippa identified Peace Offering galloping hard about four lengths behind. The thunder of hooves grew steadily louder and Pippa lowered her binos as the horses neared them. The ground began to reverberate beneath them. In a heartbeat they had galloped past, the murk punctuated by their abrupt dragon-breaths with Silver Dollar still held up in front and Peace Offering pushed along in third.
Pippa gasped and jumped up and down, succeeding in planting her heels into the sodden ground and splashing mud on her legs. Overcome, she clapped her hands. Looking at Jack, she tried to rein in the wide smile that lit up her face. Jack’s attention was still held by the horses and as they galloped on, he picked up his glasses again.
By the time the horses had reached the top of the Gallops, Peace Offering had narrowed Silver Dollar’s lead to just a length.
‘Oh, my God,’ Pippa cried. ‘Did you see how fast they were going?’
Jack nodded.
‘I saw. I’m more interested in how they pull up though. Come on. Let’s get back in before we’re both soaked.’
‘Was that Emmie riding Peace Offering?’ she asked as they got back into the vehicle.
‘Yes. She usually rides out on him. She – and the others – can give us a better account of that workout when we’re back at the yard.’ Jack put his arm round the back of Pippa’s seat and looked over his shoulder to reverse the Land Rover. Pippa felt the damp material of his sleeve brush the back of her neck and she looked across at him.
‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice soft with sincerity. ‘I’ve really enjoyed this.’
Jack paused in manoeuvring the car to look at her.
Pippa was struck by the crystalline blue of his irises, encircled by a much darker shade. The colour wheel inside her head spun as she tried to pinpoint what paints she would need to nix to capture the distinct shades.
He averted his gaze first and removed his arm from behind her to change into first gear.
‘It was just a gallop,’ he replied. ‘Lots of owners want to watch their horses do fast work.’
‘And I can see why,’ Pippa grinned. ‘I can’t wait to go racing.’
Jack’s lips tightened into a grim line and he stared at the bumpy track leading down the hill.
‘Let’s hear what Emmie and the others have to say first.’
Chapter Eleven
P ippa stood up straight, one hand holding a black bin bag, the other massaging the small of her back. She grimaced as her muscles took exception. With a weary sigh, she looked from the four bulging bin bags already lined up against the lounge wall to the detritus of old magazines and chipped bric-a-brac still littering the Welsh dresser. With a shake of her head, she picked one item up off the unit – what appeared to be a dirty rock about the size of her fist, and wondered what exactly it was that had made Dave want to keep it. She dropped it in the bag and picked up a crumpled piece of paper which had been flattened out again, a coffee stain ringing the upper right.
Chepstow 1.15 – trifecta – Deuteronomy, Venetian Prize, White Fawn
Haydock 3.00 – Papago Prince
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