Chapter 15

Victoria returned on the dot of twenty to eleven and they drove to the Saddle Club, getting there ten minutes later. They went to sign in and Mark was amused that the secretary himself had turned out to welcome Victoria and also of course invite her to become a member.

"I wish I could," Victoria smiled at him, "but I doubt it's worth it. I'm working in London at the moment and it's not as though I'm down here every weekend by any means. If things change though I'll certainly think about it."

"Well, we'll have to hope for the best," replied the secretary. "Now, Miss Collins, in the normal way we would require you to take a test before going out for the first time but, based on what Mark said earlier, I think we can probably skip that. How long have you been riding?"

"I had my first pony when I was four," replied Victoria and she went on with a disarming smile, "and I rode for my school at Cowdray from the age of fifteen onwards."

"Oh well, you've put me firmly back in my box," said the secretary with a laugh. "Is there anything I can do for you before you go out?"

"Actually there is," chimed in Mark. "Victoria doesn't want to work in London for ever and is keen to find work with a stables down here where they breed mares. Do you know of any?"

"Stacks. Look, Mark, why don't you both go and enjoy your ride and I'll make a list of names addresses and telephone numbers? I'll leave it in Reception for you."

"Jim, thanks. That would be brilliant."

Victoria nodded vehemently and gave him a heart-stopping smile. "Thank you very much. That would be wonderful."

"No trouble at all."

Mark led Victoria to the tack room and they collected their gear. A stable lass went with them to show them their horses. Victoria's was a chestnut gelding with a star on his forehead and standing sixteen hands. They were immediate friends.

"Serena never told me you'd competed in the Schools Championships at Cowdray," Mark said as they rode out onto The Plain.

"It was fun. We won the last two years."

"What about you? Did you win any of the individual prizes?"

Victoria nodded.

"What?"

"The cross-country the same two years."

"Golly!" exclaimed Mark wide-eyed. "That's really something. Can I have lessons?"

Victoria stuck her tongue out at him.

"Did you consider carrying on with it as an adult?"

"Oh yes but it's much too expensive. If we make a success of our stables and I can afford a really good horse I might take it up again in a few years' time."

"Couldn't you get sponsorship? Good publicity would be super for your stables."

"The problem with sponsorship is your amateur status and I wouldn't want to risk that. Anyway, these creatures will have warmed up enough now so let's give them a run. Which way shall we go?"

Mark pointed to a distant clump of trees. "They're about a mile away. Suit you?"

"Fine!" replied Victoria as her horse leapt forward into a gallop. Mark gave chase and was closing at about the six-furlong point when Victoria surged ahead.

She pulled up at the clump and turned to wait for Mark. "I won. I won," she chanted as he pulled up beside her. Mark looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling with joy. He almost choked at her beauty but managed to reclaim his voice.

"You didn't give me a fair start," he retorted.

"No, I didn't," she with a grin, "but it wouldn't have made any difference. This boy goes like the wind. When I pushed him he left you standing."

"He did."

"I wonder how he jumps?"

"You can try him out when we get back."

"I didn't see any jumps."

"Too busy seducing poor old Jim." Victoria stuck her tongue out at him again. "They're behind the loose boxes so you wouldn't have seen them actually."

"Grrr!" growled Victoria. "Where now, Mr Know All?"

"We head straight on for that small wood on the horizon and then turn right up to East Everleigh where there's a nice pub on the edge of the village. We can water the horses there and also get a pint and a sandwich for ourselves. Does that sound good?"

"Very."

They trotted on to the wood then turned north giving their horses a canter before slowing to a walk for the last mile. The pub had a drinking trough for the horses that they used and then turned them loose in a small adjoining field.

"What a wonderful place for horses," commented Victoria as they lugged their saddles and bridles over to the pub garden where they dumped them beside a table.

"Not bad for humans either," responded Mark. "Come in and look at the sandwich menu. It'll make your mouth water."

It did indeed. There were beef with horseradish or mustard, lamb with mint sauce, pork with apple sauce, cheese and chutney, bacon with lettuce and tomato all on white or brown bread.

Victoria chose a bacon one and Mark ordered two sandwiches, one beef and the other cheese. When asked Victoria requested a pint of lager. "I'll probably have to ride side-saddle with my legs crossed," she said. Mark had a pint of bitter. They took their drinks back outside.

"So," said Victoria when they had both taken a hefty pull at their drinks. "Have you got a girlfriend?"

"No," said Mark.

"Oh dear," said Victoria. "Do I sense a tale of heartbreak?"

Mark threw back his head. "No such luck," he laughed. "Eaton Hall and Germany following straight on from a monastic life at public school don't really lend themselves to finding girlfriends."

"But surely you met some girls."

"Yes but not girlfriend material."

"Ho! You're a one night stand man are you?" teased Victoria, her eyes sparkling.

"Victoria!"

She pealed with laughter. "That got you going," she spluttered delightedly. Mark growled at her which caused further mirth.

"You're as bad as Serena," he muttered.

"Oh, much worse."

"Yes," thought Mark as Serena's love for him invaded his mind. "Anyway, what about you?" he asked.

"Same again," she answered soberly and then her sense of fun and the outrageous surfaced again. "Don't worry about the one night stands either," she said before breaking down with laughter and then, still gasping, added, "I'm still a pure, unspotted virgin."

At that moment, much to Mark's relief, the barmaid brought out their sandwiches. "There you are," she said. "I hope you like them."

"I know we will," replied Mark giving her a smile.

Victoria bit into her sandwich with gusto, chewed it briefly and then, in a tone of awe and with her mouth full, said, "This is heavenly and the bread is out of this world too. Fresh and so tasty."

"Told you," replied Mark smugly.

Victoria had taken another mouthful and couldn't reply. She had to make do with wrinkling her nose at him. She finished her mouthful.

"We've got to come again tomorrow," she ordered.

"Can't! Church!"

"Next Saturday."

Mark shook his head dolefully. "It's going to rain."

"How do you know?"

"Feel it in my bones."

"Rubbish!"

"Are you doubting my word as an officer and a gentleman?"

"Yes! On both counts."

They both laughed together.

They saddled their horses and rode back at a leisurely pace.

"Apart from wanting to get into the stables business how do you find being a secretary in a firm of solicitors?" Mark asked.

"Awful!"

"Why?"

"They're conceited, male chauvinist pigs."

"Golly, that's pretty provocative."

"Yes, I know, and I was a bit less," she searched for the right word, "vituperative when I was talking to the parents last night. I'm not a 'burn your bra' women's libber but I do like to be taken on my merits. I chose not to go to university because of my horsy ambitions but I did get two 'A' Levels and one 'S' so I'm not stupid; but those guys treat me just as a 'pretty little thing'. They talk down to me and make 'subtle' sexual suggestions. The young ones are almost worse than the partners. Mark, they revolt me. They look as though they've never been outdoors in their lives. They're pallid, wishy-washy and overweight. Add to that their unctuousness and pomposity. They're straight out of a Dickens novel."

"Are you sure this is not the particular firm you're working for?"

"No. I can't say that in fairness but over lunch I do meet girls from other practices and I haven't been impressed with what they say about their partnerships."