Country Affairs. Zara Stoneley
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he’d found a bottle of whiskey to be a better partner than the eagle-eyed Pip, who he knew would spot his agitation and interrogate him.
It wasn’t that it was any of his concern – Lottie was very much Rory’s and in Pip he’d found a woman who was as undemanding emotionally as she was demanding in bed. He’d accepted the way things were, but the appearance of the man he knew had caused the sweet Lottie a great deal of distress bothered him. And he knew it bothered him more than it should. So he’d withdrawn. Which all meant that when he vaulted onto the horse’s back, his mind wasn’t fully on the job. Horses liked Mick, and now this one was confused by the light hands that had suddenly become heavy. It shook its head in warning, expecting reassurance and Mick suddenly realised he couldn’t give it. ‘Sorry old fella.’ The horse, sensing a difference in his rider, decided to step up to the mark. The round was careful, the gelding who was still young enough to be headstrong, ignored the temptation to be flamboyant and strong picking his way around, and coming to a gentle halt at the makeshift bar so that Mick could reach for the champagne. He gave the horse a rueful pat on the neck. ‘I think we’ll skip the bubbly this time, fella.’
On the far side of the marquee, Lottie frowned. Mick might not be a top competition rider like most of the others, but there was something wrong. He could settle and take care of any horse he rode, but this time it had looked as if the horse was taking care of him.
The holler took her attention back to Rory, who was back in the saddle and hanging on to Flash as though he expected the usual fireworks. Which the horse complied with, destroying the flower arrangement on the first table and landing a hoof in the wedding cake as her finale. A shower of icing coated all those standing near as the mare skidded to a marzipan-induced halt in front of Todd.
‘Your turn, mate.’ Rory waved his by-now empty bottle in Todd’s direction. ‘And I’ve lowered the cake jump to give you a chance.’
‘That is so unfair. He’s not going to make it round the course, you know he can’t ride.’ Tab was hanging on to Merlin’s head looking as if she was afraid her sweeties were about to be taken away. Which they probably were. It would be just her luck to find the man of her dreams, only for him to be hospitalised before she even got a snog.
‘Unfair?’ Rory’s eyes narrowed. ‘He’s not some kind of cissy. You’re up for it, aren’t you Todd?’
‘Well it’s not fair on me.’ Tab realised what she’d said too late and turned the colour of her knickers.
‘You?’ Rory looked confused. ‘What’s it got to do with—’
‘Lottie, you don’t want him to do it, do you?’
Lottie, who hadn’t really disapproved of the whole event, just Rory’s involvement in it, hesitated. ‘I don’t mind, honest.’
‘But he’ll fall off, and you don’t want him to get hurt, do you? Please, Lottie.’
‘Well, I, well no.’ Lottie knew as she said it that she didn’t. Todd was the kind of guy you could actually split up with and still like. Once you’d got over his method of splitting up, not to mention his unexpected reappearance. It was the last bit that had shook her up, but it was surprising how much a few drinks could change the way things looked. And in fact she quite liked the new assertive Rory who had emerged. She still thought his apology had been pretty half-hearted, well, pretty much non-existent, in fact, and she would have been quite happy never to see him again. But he obviously hadn’t known what he was agreeing to when he’d cooked up this plan with Rory.
‘Relax, it’s cool.’ Todd grinned, then turned his attentions to the worried Tab. ‘Do I get your pink knickers if I make it round?’ Tab blushed again, but a shade lighter than the lingerie under discussion this time. ‘Can’t be that bloody difficult after all, can it? Bet I can get round in record time and have a drink on the way. Pass us the bubbly, mate.’
He didn’t get a drink on the way, or get round in record time. Tab letting go of the bridle was a mistake. Merlin took one look at the course and his sensible, lazy cob brain decided it all looked too much like hard work. Freed of Tab’s firm hand, he did what all good ponies do – and headed for his hay net. Which unfortunately was half a mile due southeast, back at the equestrian centre stables. ‘Blimey. What the hell do you feed this thing on?’ Todd, who thought he was fit after a lifetime of mornings in the gym and afternoons on the surf, pulled two-handed on one rein to no avail as the horse swerved past official jump number one and headed out of the marquee. Merlin wasn’t a surf board. He kept his course, his neck resolutely set, totally ignoring his riders ineffectual attempts to influence matters. One of the pink balloons that festooned the marquee caught in his tail as he veered to avoid the diving Tab, then he set off at a resolute trot, the balloon bobbing gently behind as they made their way across the lawns along a route he now knew so well.
‘Had I better go and get him?’ Tab looked hopefully from Rory to Lottie.
***
Lottie went barefoot, carrying her high heels in one hand, as she and Rory made their way down the drive towards the equestrian centre, the string of horses ambling behind them. She had been planning on talking to Rory about Tipping House Estate, about their future, about how she thought that one day soon they needed to move into the House. But as she glanced out of the corner of her eye at him she didn’t want to spoil the moment. It was too perfect. He was just so damned handsome, in his sharp white shirt, sleeves rolled up and collar open, his bowtie still somehow dangling untied around his neck. He caught her looking and grinned. Warm, uncomplicated. The only man she’d ever wanted.
On a warm night like tonight all they needed to do was throw new haynets in and check water buckets. As she pushed the last door firmly shut and breathed in the sweet smell of horse, Rory’s warm hands settled on her waist, his breath against her neck.
She shivered.
‘So,’ Rory stroked a finger lazily down her back, taking the zip with it. ‘How did Todd know where to find you?’
Which was a question that had been on Lottie’s lips since he’d careered back into her life several hours earlier, along with the more important question, why?
But as she turned to face Rory her gaze lingered on a copse of moonlit trees that lay to the east. Nestled behind them was Tipping House Estate, where a far more pressing problem than Todd lay.
‘Hey, forget Todd.’ Warm lips traced a path along her jawbone, his teeth teased at her lower lip.
‘I already have.’
And as her dress slipped from her shoulders, pooling at her feet in the deserted stable yard she decided all the questions could wait for another day. She gazed up at the inky-black sky, spattered with diamond studs, the moon casting a ghostly glow over the buildings and finally forgot all about all her worries as Rory eased her thighs apart and headed for his final victory of the day.
‘Morning, babe.’
Lottie, who was concentrating on the mobile phone in her hand as she walked down the stairs, was caught completely unawares by the deep male voice and simultaneously dropped the phone and lost her footing.
The mobile, which luckily was slim and light, shot out of her hands and hit one of the terriers, which was patiently waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, squarely on the rump. With a surprised yelp the dog sprang to its feet, shot up the narrow stairs and completed the job of sending the still half-asleep Charlotte flying.
She landed face first in the crotch of the male in question.
Which was so not where she wanted to be – and opening her mouth to say so could have been seriously misconstrued.
For a moment she froze, not quite sure what to do next. Hoping she hadn’t been noticed was not an option. Nose-deep in a man’s unmentionables was