CHAPTER FOURTEEN #2
A couple of hours later, Sage was feeling extremely car sick.
The powerful little Audi was low to the ground and the suspension was hard.
She had the window down, so talking was impossible, and Grouse was leaning around her headrest from the seat behind, his tongue lolling comically as he tried to poke his entire head out into the fresh air.
She had braced herself to turn on her phone again and in return had received a barrage of anxious texts from Casper who had been to North Place that morning.
She thought that she had managed to reassure him but now he was calling her and as a result of looking at the screen for too long she felt even worse.
She would speak to him when they were out of the car.
Tempted to hang out of the window herself, she focused grimly on the horizon.
‘We can stop here at Crockford to swap cars. It does mean lunch with my parents though, is that all right?’ Rafe shouted over the roaring of the engine and howling wind before he came off the motorway.
Sage, desperate to get out, simply nodded.
‘Yes, please,’ she said, taking deep breaths.
Rafe put a reassuring hand on her knee; she looked green.
‘It’s only ten minutes from here – we’re nearly there.’ The car slowed down and cool air flowed in through the open windows. Sage began to feel slightly steadier.
They wound their way through a picture-perfect little village full of Cotswold-stone houses, following the path of a stream, and past a large duck pond surrounded by a circle of dormant beech trees. An old-fashioned red letterbox stood under a gazebo adorned with bunting.
‘It’s like a postcard, a quintessential English village – you expect a Jane Austen protagonist to stroll through it, brandishing her parasol while being pursued by a large white puddle-duck in a blue bonnet!’ Sage was enchanted.
‘This is the village of Chipping Crockford, it’s all owned by the Chipping Crockford estate.’
Rafe cruised through the village and they climbed up the hill on the other side; the road was surrounded by thick woodland, the ancient, leafless trees forming a canopy high above them.
A massive golden dry-stone wall now bordered the quiet road and they followed it along for almost a mile until an imposing gatehouse with a rampant stone monkey holding its pineapple aloft came into view.
Ornate black gates opened as Rafe pressed a button on his key fob.
Stone statues of Greek gods and goddesses lined the drive which lay across the park like a silver ribbon and eventually led up to a large, ravishing Jacobean house that sat looking out over the valley on one side and old turf filled with fallow deer on the other.
‘Oh Christ,’ Sage breathed. ‘Is this your house?’ She was completely overwhelmed.
‘Yup. This is Chipping Crockford House. I know it’s a bit much at first but it’s lovely – you’ll soon get used to it.
Wait until you see the stables, then it’ll all make sense.
’ Rafe smiled at her reassuringly, praying that she would not be put off: the beautiful estate came with great responsibility.
He took her cold hand in his large, warm one.
‘I’ve got a spare jersey in the back, you may need it.
My father is very tight with the central heating. ’
Grouse started to whine with excitement, weaving about from window to window on the back seat; he knew they had arrived and was anxious to get out. Hal woke as Grouse’s pacing grew more exuberant, the dog clambering over his legs. His eyes widened.
‘Are we there? Is this Grandpapa’s castle?’ he asked with childish naivety.
‘No, darling, it’s Rafe’s family’s castle,’ Sage said drily, and looked at Rafe imploringly. ‘This car is fine! Can’t we just carry on to Cornwall?’ She felt her hands getting clammy again.
‘Ha! No such luck, we’ve been seen.’ Rafe parked on the honey-coloured gravel next to the large front door. His mother was waving a welcome, flanked by two Labradors: one yellow and one black.
‘Welcome to Crockford!’ Constance strode over to embrace Sage as she got out of the car, then swept around to the other side in order to liberate Hal from his seat. ‘Oh, hello, Grouse!’ she said, giving the dog a friendly pat as she leant down to undo Hal’s straps.
Grouse leapt out and flew to greet the Labradors, who stepped around him on straight legs, ears rigid with curiosity and tails beating in friendly, enthusiastic double time.
Hal went to Constance without any protest, grateful to be out of the car and submissive in the face of such authority.
She took him by the hand and they clomped purposefully into the house.
‘Hi, Mum!’ Rafe called to his mother’s departing back, now well out of earshot.
He caught Sage’s rabbit-in-the-headlights eyes and laughed out loud.
‘You honestly have nothing to worry about. I reckon Mum will dote on Hal enough to keep you off the firing line. She is always loudly despairing that Louis and I haven’t provided her with any grandchildren.
Hal’s problem will be escaping her clutches!
’ Holding out his hand, he continued, ‘Would you like a tour? I’m sure you could do with some fresh air after that drive, you still look a bit green about the gills. ’
Sage held his hand tightly. ‘Do you mind if I quickly call my brother? He’s a bit worried about us. I won’t be long.’
‘Of course. Do you want to use the house phone?’
Sage waggled her mobile at him, ‘No, it’s got some charge, for once!’ There had been no more messages from Santiago, at least. ‘I’ll be quick.’
‘No rush at all. I’ll go and say hi to my parents while you talk to Casper.’ He smiled at her, relieved to see that colour was returning to her face. He stepped through the heavy front door and left her alone in the gentle morning sunlight. Sage dialled Casper who answered immediately.
‘Are you really going to see our father? Is Hal OK? Are you OK? Are you with Rafe?’
Sage let out a long breath. ‘Hi, Cas.’ She was quiet for a moment, wondering which question to address first.
‘Hi. Sorry. I’m bombarding you.’ He was smiling down the phone – she could hear it in the soft timbre of his voice.
‘That’s OK. I know, it’s a lot.’ She paused again. ‘I’m fine. So is Hal. We are at Rafe’s parents’ at the moment, so I can’t be too long. We’ve only just arrived.’
‘You’re going to see Dad?’
‘Yes, Rafe is taking us down to Cornwall today.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I need to, Cas. I think he’s trying to come back to us. If there’s a way, I want to find it. You know he went to Panama to confront Santiago? That’s got to mean something.’ Sage waited, willing Casper not to be angry. There was so much pain and resentment in the past.
‘I think you’re right. It’s time.’ Casper trailed off, then he said gently, his voice still full of concern, ‘Do you want me to come with you? I can ditch racing if you need me.’
Sage could hear how heartfelt her brother was and she would have dearly loved him to go with her, but it would mean letting his owners or trainers down. He couldn’t miss a race meeting, but the offer to go with her meant a great deal.
‘No, but I do truly appreciate it, Cas. I will be fine. If it goes well, then we can see him together another time. I’ll come with you whenever you want.’ She was surprised to hear that her voice was steady and hoped that she sounded convincingly positive.
‘OK. I’ve been to North Place. Everything was quiet this morning, no sign of Santiago. I’ll go back after racing though. I’m going to stay the night there, just in case.’
‘Oh, Cas. Thank you.’ Sage felt a rush of affection for him. She had really hated leaving her grandparents with the looming threat of Santiago, despite all the lads in the yard.
‘I’ll stay for as long as I’m needed.’
‘Thank you. I love you.’
‘Love you too.’
Sage ended the call, feeling a bit more upbeat. She sat on a bench under a cedar tree and while she waited, another message bleeped at her:
I know what you’re up to.
Then immediately came another:
Hal is my son. I will find him.
Suppressing the urge to hurl the phone at a tree, she put it down carefully on the bench next to her and dug the new SIM card out of her handbag to swap it in.
Would he ever leave her alone? She doubted Santiago knew where she was – how could he?
But she could not be entirely certain. She could still feel the terrible sensation that she was being watched.
She shook herself, she was being silly. Wanting to check on Hal, she walked towards the imposing front door.
As she was about to enter, Rafe came out, the Labradors and Grouse at his heels.
‘All OK?’ he asked, not prying but checking; her face was drawn and he was worried.
‘All OK,’ she nodded, taking his outstretched hand. ‘Is Hal all right?’
‘He’s with Mum in the library. They’ve found the atlas. I’m not sure who’s talking more but they’re deliriously happy – they’ve gone to Peru, I think.’
‘Should we go in? Since we’ve imposed ourselves terribly.’
‘You haven’t at all. If you’re happy, I’d leave them to it. I want to give you a quick tour.’
‘I’m happy.’ Sage discreetly switched her phone off again and then put it back in her pocket, brushing away her outlandish thoughts. No one was watching them. There were high walls surrounding the park and sturdy, ornate gates to keep intruders out.
They walked around the side of the house, through a doorway cut out in a high yew hedge and across a cobbled square where a beautiful golden stone stable yard rested indolently in the pale February sunshine.
‘Let’s start with the stables.’