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“Don’t worry, I’m sure Hector has one for you.”
“Who the hell is Hector?”
“The groom, silly. Now come on.”
Tom was grinning openly now. He raised a hand. “Happy Christmas, Jesse. See you tomorrow.”
“Wait…”
“Come on, Uncle Jesse,” Dimity said, grabbing his hand. “I want to be back when Daddy gets up.”
Jesse fought nervousness as Dimity led him to the stables.
“I don’t really do horses,” he said.
“Don’t worry. Thor’s gentle. And Ruby’ll lead the way.”
“It’s calledThor?”
“Good evening, Miss Dimity.” A round man in a flat cap and worn overcoat stepped out of a door at the end of the stable block. He was leading a caramel-colored pony. “Ruby is ready and waiting for you. Just go slow with her. You’re both new to these grounds.”
“I will, Hector. Is Thor ready, too?”
“He is, miss. Here…” He made a stirrup with his gloved hands and boosted Dimity up onto the pony then disappeared back inside the stable. Jesse stood, stiff and awkward, as Dimity’s pony nuzzled his coat. The groom reappeared leading a beast that, to Jesse, looked the size of an elephant.
“You know what, mate,” Jesse said, raising his hands. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Oh, Thor’s a softy,” the groom said, stroking the horse’s glossy neck. “All you gotta do is sit on him.”
Jesse winced, the burn in his arse from the night before still pulsing when he moved. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“Oh,please,Uncle Jesse,” Dimity pleaded. “I haven’t seen Ruby in so, so long. And if you’re not riding, you won’t keep up.”
Jesse let out a sigh. “Fine. Got a helmet, mate?”
Soon Jesse was helmeted and flushing furiously as the groom assisted him, flailing, onto the back of the animal.
“Jesus, fuck,” he muttered, looking down at the ground seeming all too far away.
Dimity giggled, and the groom gave him an exasperated look.
“Sorry,” Jesse muttered, grabbing the reins tight. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Dimity kicked her pony on and, thankfully, Jesse’s beast seemed happy to plod along in her wake. He clung on grimly but then as they left the stable yard and stepped out onto the lawns, he began to get a feel for the rhythm and relaxed a little.
“So no one can get in, right, Uncle Jesse?” Dimity said as they turned toward the boundary wall.
“That’s right,” Jesse said, nodding toward the motion sensors, the cameras and the security man doing a patrol. “We’ve got it all set up here. You’re safe, see?”
“And Daddy’s safe, too?” Her face was grave. “In Vienna, people tried to break in a few times. Daddy said they wanted pictures.” She shook her head. “Why are people so weird?”
“No one’s getting in, love,” he said, because he couldn’t for the life of him think of how to answer that question. “I’ve made sure of that.”
They crested a rise, and the delivery entrance came in sight. A police car was visible through the iron bars. Jesse jerked the bridle of his horse.
“Let’s head back toward the gardens,” he said but Dimity stopped to look. Jesse heard the distant sounds of car doors opening then uniformed figures appeared at the gate. “Dimity. The other way.”
Dimity obeyed, steering her pony around and kicking it into a trot. Jesse swore, clinging to Thor’s mane and cursing with every jerk until Dimity slowed to a walk again.
