Chapter 21

Victoria knocked on Mark's door promptly at ten o'clock on a beautiful sunny, summer morning.

"Good morning, Victoria," he said. "Thank you for being so punctual."

"I didn't want to waste a minute of this glorious day," she replied soberly and then grinned. "Are your bones feeling apologetic?"

Mark laughed. "Yes," he said. "Very! I'm sorry, Victoria, but your father and I couldn't resist it."

She smiled back. "Typical Daddy and, if I'd thought, I would have expected it from you too. Beasts, both of you."

"But not snarly, unfriendly ones."

"No, but like any other beast ones that need bringing to heel."

"Yes, ma'am." Mark hung his head and then exploded with laughter. "I can foresee a battle of attrition."

"Quite right. Whatever attrition means."

"Wearing one's opponent down."

Victoria was about to riposte but something held her back. "I hope not," she said. "A truce and reconciliation might be a better answer."

Mark looked at her and saw no teasing. "I'd much prefer that," he said softly.

She nodded. "Did you manage to get Patch for me?"

"I did."

"Oh thank you!"

They made their way to Mark's car.

"I thought we'd go somewhere different today if that's all right with you. That's why I asked you to be a bit earlier today."

"Fine. I'm all for learning new rides. I suspect I'm going to get to learn the Everleigh area quite well."

"I reckon. No, I thought we might go in the opposite direction today to Kimpton. The pub is minute and we'll have to get bowls of water for the horses but the landlord and his wife are sweeties. Does that sound all right?"

"Do they do lager?"

"I don't know but I expect so. I'm sure they'll have cider if not."

"Heaven forbid. It's lethal."

"Not all of them and certainly not the bottled ones."

"Hmm!"

The start of the ride was on roads but soon they were able to canter and have a race which, inevitably, Victoria won. In between they walked side- by-side, their knees occasionally touching. They chatted happily and easily about their childhood and Serena. The subject of Nicholas Richardson cropped up which inevitably led to Victoria's mother's first marriage. Both of them found it almost inconceivable that two such young and gifted people should die so young. Their youth and zest for life fought it. Victoria became lost in thought. Finally she snapped out of it.

"If one's life expectancy is so haphazard," she said, "don't you think one should leap at opportunities for happiness when they crop up rather than say 'better safe than sorry' and hold out for something less risky?"

"Ooof!" said Mark. "I'm not sure." He was silent for several minutes and Victoria was patient realising she had bowled him a fast ball. She had no answer herself either.

"I'm still not sure," said Mark. "As young people we can be very arrogant and think that the world is our oyster and owes us a happy life. Equally we can be selfish wanting to grab what's on offer before we might miss it and that's where, to an extent, what you're suggesting fits in. I see a lot of sense in it. On the other hand, our arrogance covers a lot of naivety because we lack experience. It accounts for people wanting to make a quick fortune who then come a cropper. It accounts for the increasing divorce rate. I think that if an opportunity presents itself you need to assess it pretty carefully before leaping in but, if you're going to get anywhere or achieve anything, you've got to be prepared to take risks." He chuckled. "I've said a lot to say virtually nothing haven't I?"

"No, I don't think so. You advocate taking a long, hard look before leaping but not so long that you miss the opportunity. You're still prepared to take a risk. That makes utter sense. My trouble is that I tend to be impulsive."

"Really?" He smiled disarmingly at her. "A bit quick tempered possibly, remembering last night, but last weekend you looked to me for agreement before taking up the Whitty job. What if I'd shaken my head instead?"

"I'd have prevaricated, saying I had other places to look at and be back to them."

"That's hardly impulsive. I'd have called it hedging your bets."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Mark. And thank you again for rooting for me when I became all tongue tied."

She patted his knee and his hand covered hers. "It was nothing," he said softly, "but I wasn't going to let you undersell yourself."

They rode like that for a couple of minutes until Mark could bear it no longer. "Come on," he said. "Race you to the pylon line. Ready, steady, go!"

Victoria stayed with him and then over the last hundred yards left him standing. She patted Patch's neck in congratulation. "You are a superb horse," she said to him, "and one of these days you're going to be mine." Patch tossed his head and snorted.

They rode down into Kimpton. As Mark had warned there were no special facilities for horses but they exchanged bridles for halters and took off their saddles. Mark went into the pub and came out with two bowls of water. They lugged their tack into the pub and put it in a back corner.