CHAPTER TWO #2
Casper was back in twenty minutes, accompanied by two shop assistants.
All three of them were laden with bags and Casper carried a child’s car seat.
The two women were giggling and blushing, both clearly very taken with Casper who, when it suited him, could charm the very birds from the trees.
They put the shopping into the boot, finding space amidst the steamer trunk and Casper’s various holdalls, racing saddles, helmets, boots, goggles and whips.
He attempted to instal Hal’s seat, but appeared so comically nonplussed that one of the women, with another giggle, asked if he would like some help.
Casper gladly moved out of the way and the seat was swiftly and competently secured, but when he offered each of them a twenty-pound note as thanks for their help, they both declined, with still more embarrassed laughter, and rushed off.
Casper took a few of the bags from the boot and deposited them in the front of the car while Sage put a flagging Hal into his new seat.
‘There are some woolly jerseys, joggers and thick socks in there for Hal, some shoes, oh and a new blanket – I thought he might like one that wasn’t covered in horsehair!
In the other bag, well … have a look. I’ll pass you Hal’s stuff now and then he can snuggle up before he turns into a tiny, frozen ice sculpture. ’
‘Cas. Thank you so much.’ Sage had to swallow down the burning lump in her throat.
She was so unused to kindness after her stint abroad that her brother’s easy generosity made her want to howl.
She quickly dressed Hal in the warm clothes and gently tucked the soft blanket around him.
He was almost asleep; he stared, unfocused, at the grey day outside, his heavy eyelids drooping with exhaustion.
Sage planted a kiss on his rosy cheek, before climbing back into the front seat to look in one of the bags.
She pulled out a beautiful, dark blue cashmere coat, some soft leather gloves, a cashmere beret and a silk scarf.
‘Oh my goodness, these are gorgeous!’ she exclaimed with wonder.
‘I would have been happy with a pair of Bumpa’s socks and a woolly hat.
’ Sage had given her grandfather the nickname ‘Bumpa’ when she had been unable to say ‘Grandpa’ properly as a small child and it had stuck; they both still called him it.
She laughed. ‘You must be making too much money, dearest! No, honestly – thank you. Thank you for being amazing. I am so relieved to be back.’ Fighting back more tears, she threw her arms around her brother.
Casper patted his twin on the back a few times and waited for her to regain her composure. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’
‘No, not yet. But thank you.’
He did not take it personally, just gave her shoulder a squeeze and passed her a clean handkerchief from his pocket.
He was so thoroughly relieved, himself, to have Sage home.
He had never trusted Santiago. He had been too charming, too eager to please.
Casper had noticed that he had not treated Sage with the same grace though.
Looking at his sister’s damaged face, he now hated him.
He cursed himself for not being able to protect her from harm; he had known things had not been well, she had sounded so demoralized on the telephone.
He blamed himself for not having been more proactive.
He was so focused on his career and trying to prove that he was worth his place in the world that he had kept his eyes firmly trained on the goal of winning every single race he could get a ride in.
His twin meant the world to him and he bitterly reminded himself that she should mean more to him than winning another championship title.
He would try to make up for his absence in her life and support Sage now that she needed him – his success so far would afford him some leeway.
He glanced over and studied her. Sage looked awful.
She was so thin. His feelings were thoroughly mixed.
It was a relief though to have them both safe, if a little fragile, back in England even with guilt churning uncomfortably inside him.
Reminding her to put on her seat belt, he started the car and set off for Newmarket.
‘Gammy and Bumpa are so excited to have you both home. I went over to talk to them yesterday. Your old room is waiting for you, Hal is having mine. They were in a frenzy getting everything ready when I left.’
‘Bliss. But are you sure you’re happy living at William’s yard?’ Sage hoped Casper did not mind Hal having his old room. ‘I can easily share with Hal.’
‘No, it’s much easier living at work. I just have to roll out of bed and climb onto the horses.’ Sage looked across to check he meant it. He glanced back reassuringly. ‘I haven’t used my old room for years.’
‘I sometimes forget that you’re all grown up and successful,’ Sage said wistfully. She was so proud of her brother. He had won the championship title for the past five years and was now retained by William Hampton, a highly successful trainer, to ride his jumps string full-time.
‘I couldn’t live with our grandparents for ever, I’m a big boy now, and I know they don’t look it but they’re getting on.
Bumpa will be seventy next year. Bringing girls back to North Place was just embarrassing.
’ He laughed, overtaking a Mercedes, his old Land Rover rattling slightly.
‘I’m just lucky I managed to find something I’m good at.
’ Casper shrugged his shoulders. ‘Since Dad went AWOL and with Mum gone …’ He trailed off, not wanting to make Sage sad, and attempted to sound upbeat. ‘I had to make my own luck.’
‘I need to get a job,’ Sage said. ‘I don’t want to be a burden to Gammy and Bumpa.’ She looked out of the window, glumly contemplating her lack of qualifications and wondering how she could work and look after Hal.
‘Since Mum died, we’re their children, Sage.
We have been since we were nine. There’s no concept of “burden”.
Seriously.’ Casper meant it, and he had also had the beginnings of an idea.
He knew what Sage could do to help their grandfather and to give her a purpose.
‘Have you been eating?’ he asked, unable to stop himself.
She looked so gaunt, almost frail, much older than her twenty-five years.
‘A bit. It’s been pretty bad, Cas.’ Sage was not ready to talk about Santiago yet, but she wanted to reassure her brother.
‘I’ll be OK. It’s just been really horrible.
Worse than ever these past few days. I can’t wait to get home though.
’ She smiled at him, ‘Honestly, I’ll be fine.
’ She knew that she and Hal would feel better once they had got back to her grandparents at North Place. ‘Have you heard anything from Dad?’
‘He’s still down in Cornwall drinking his sorrows, I guess. It’s weird that you ask, I had a message and an email from him yesterday. Asking how I was, and after you too. First time he’s tried in years.’ Casper sounded almost bored, but Sage could hear the masked hurt in his voice.
‘It does seem out of the blue. Did you reply?’
‘No – I never do. There’s so much to say that I don’t know where to start. I still think that there must be more to Mum’s death than we know. It just doesn’t quite add up. Dickie was such a good dad until he left us. Why the hell would he just abandon us?’
She placed a cold hand on his sleeve. ‘He just couldn’t cope.
Mum’s accident almost killed him too. She was his whole world.
’ Sage tried to be understanding, but it hurt her as well, even after sixteen years.
‘I wish he could have been there for us but … He couldn’t.
Now, I think it’s too hard for him to find his way back, though the fact that he got in touch shows he’s still thinking about us. ’
‘At least we have each other. I mean it. I’m here now. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you more.’
‘Me too, Cas.’ She squeezed his hand back.
Casper reached for her hand, grasping it tightly.