Page 50 of Watch For Me By Candlelight

‘It’ll be fine.’ He watched her climb onto the bicycle and get her balance. ‘Sure you don’t need a tow?’

‘Positive.’ She pushed off, very carefully. The trouser legs flapped a little, but thanks to a weird bow-legged pedalling movement, she wobbled away, her knees stuck out practically at right angles.

‘Oh, and I know you’ll get there first,’ she called back over her shoulder. ‘There’s no need for you to remind me.’

‘Spoilsport!’ he shouted with a laugh, and watched her disappear behind the buildings.

* * *

Despite Kate’s warning, Theo Kent trailed her along the track, his music playing loudly and his arm dangling out of the window. He also tried to sustain a nonsensical conversation, which Kate was certain was designed purely to annoy her.

She was annoyed enough as it was, because her cycling work-around was no longer working and she was getting very irritated with the fact those stupid trousers kept getting tangled in the bloody spokes.

Eventually, Kate stopped and dismounted. ‘Just drive on, will you?’ she shouted at him crossly. ‘I’m pushing it from here.’

He stopped the van just in front of her and opened the door. ‘Swap places,’ he said. ‘You drive this; I’ll take your bicycle in.’

Kate halted and stared at him. ‘Excuse me? You want to ride my bicycle?’

‘You want to drive my van?’

She lowered her eyes. ‘Well I suppose yes, considering you’ve just suggested it.’

‘Exactly. Come on — we don’t want to be late.’

She hesitated another moment or two and looked at the road stretching ahead of her. A breeze blew up from the stream. It rustled the long grass and flapped her trouser legs against her calves, reminding her how impractical the suit was for pedalling.

‘Okay.’ Kate relinquished the bicycle. ‘Only please don’t be angry if I accidentally mow Lady Cassandra Aldrich down whilst I’m driving. I seriously need to kill her for making me wear this outfit.’

Theo laughed. He took hold of the handlebars and mounted the bicycle. ‘The keys are in the ignition.’ He pushed off. ‘Race you!’ And he was off.

Kate climbed into the cab of the van and adjusted the seat; he was, after all, quite a bit taller than her. She could see he also had a penchant for chocolate bars, crisps and carrots. Okay, the carrots may have been for the horses, but there was definitely a massive netted bag three quarters full in the passenger foot well, with a hole ripped in the top of it and a handful of stray, bright orange vegetables on the passenger seat. The crisp packets and chocolate, however, were most probably Theo’s. Cheese and onion flavour crisps, she noted with approval, and a wide and varied selection of chocolate bars. Excellent.

She switched the engine on and crunched the vehicle into first gear. She kangaroo-hopped along the lane until she got the hang of the clutch, then she was off after him. He was a little way in front, and Kate didn’t know which was the best sight — her bright and shiny ice-cream bicycle, or Theo Kent’s strong, tanned legs pumping away at the pedals as he reached a small incline. Regardless, she hung back and kept the van in a low gear so she could take it all in at her leisure.

She couldn’t resist it though. As soon as they got close enough to the gates of the Hall, she accelerated smoothly and overtook him. Kate looked in the wing-mirror and saw him grinning as he bumped along the final couple of ruts and followed her into the estate grounds.

Cassie was already there, hopping from foot to foot and chewing her fingernails. She looked stunning, all dressed in black and silver and looking every inch the Flapper. It was jolly good the Between the Wars era the weekend encompassed had incorporated the Roaring Twenties. Cassie had fallen in love with that style way back when she was still in the planning stages.

Cassie hurried over to the van. ‘Theo, I’m going to need you to — Kate!’ Her eyes widened as Kate climbed out of the van and grinned at her.

‘I’m being a farrier today,’ she told her. ‘I changed my mind.’

It took a second or two for Cassie to process that information, then her face cleared and she grinned back, thumping Kate on the arm with her fist. It hurt. Cassie had very bony fists.

‘Ouch!’ Kate frowned as she rubbed at the patch Cassie had injured.

‘Kate!’ Cassie didn’t apologise. ‘You’re playing games with me. Where’s — oh! There he is!’ She looked over Kate’s shoulder and waved at, Kate presumed, Theo. She hadn’t heard the bicycle pull up. She was pleased with how nicely the chain was running. It clearly didn’t squeak.

‘Yes.’ She turned to face him and watched him dismount. ‘We swapped. I couldn’t cycle far in these. Now, if you tell me where you want me, I’ll set up.’

‘Just by the pool, sweetheart, like we said,’ replied Cassie. ‘And you, Theo, I need you at the stables. Hughie is very excited.’

‘Good old Hughie.’ Theo smiled.

‘We’ve got the Gypsy Caravan ready. We need to bring Hughie down and get him attached to it and—’

‘Leave it with me.’ Theo interrupted Cassie smoothly; her voice was beginning to rise. ‘I’ll head up there now, and deal with Hughie. Is the caravan in its usual spot?’