couple.’
‘Both bloody ruthless, if ya ask me,’ he said.
‘So you don’t know how they met then?’
‘I didn’t say dat.’ He smiled again. ‘Rumour has it that Peter Enstone knew Lochs first and introduced him to his father. I don’t know how Peter met him.’
‘Oh, interesting.’ I made it sound as though it wasn’t that interesting. I finished my drink. ‘Thanks, Paddy. See you at Aintree?’
‘Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss the National.’
‘See you there, then. Bye.’ I turned to go.
‘Is dat all ya want?’ he said. ‘Was dat really worth a couple of Guinnesses?’
‘Not everyone measures things so precisely,’ I said. ‘Maybe I just wanted to buy a mate a couple of drinks. For old time’s sake.’
‘Don’t be bloody daft,’ he said and laughed.
I hung around for the rest of the afternoon managing not to run into Andrew Woodward. I saw in the racecard that he had a runner in the last so I decided to leave immediately after the race to avoid meeting him again in the car park. I hoped that he would still be busy unsaddling his horse.
Roadtrain, the mount of Peter Enstone, the no-hoper, the waste of space, won by ten lengths at a canter. I glanced at the Tote payout information. Roadtrain had started at odds of 10 to 1 in a five-horse race. If that didn’t ring some alarm bells in the Stewards’ room nothing would.
I decided not to wait around to find out and made my way with the throng to the exits, coming up behind an unsteady Paddy O’Fitch.
‘Hello again, Paddy,’ I said. ‘Are you all right?’
‘To be sure I am,’ he said with a slur. ‘But I tink I’ve had a bit too much. All your bloody fault, forcing drink down me throat.’
He wobbled and grabbed hold of an iron fence.
‘Are you sure you’ll be OK?’ I asked again.
‘I’ll be fine just as soon as me bloody lift arrives.’ He peered into the faces of those behind me making their way to the car park.
‘Who’s giving you a lift?’ I asked.
‘Chris Beecher. We’re neighbours.’
Are you indeed? I thought.
‘I’ll leave you here, then.’ I had no wish to see Chris Beecher today, or any other day.
‘Right.’ He sagged against the fence. I left him there, still scanning approaching faces with unfocussed eyes. He’d be fine.
Marina was feeling much better when I returned to Aynsford, although the bruising around her eyes looked even worse than it had that morning. She and Charles were in the little sitting room and had already started drinking.
‘Sun’s over the yardarm, I see,’ I said, giving Marina a kiss.
‘Just a small sharpener before I change for dinner,’ said Charles. He waved at the drinks cupboard. ‘Help yourself.’
I poured myself a small Scotch with plenty of water. I was determined to take it easier that evening.
‘Have you had a good day?’ Marina asked.
‘No, not really,’ I said. ‘I had a row with a trainer who I should have kept as a friend, and I was cold and miserable all afternoon. Did you?’
‘Yes, as a matter of fact we did.’ She smiled across at Charles, who smiled back at her.
‘You two look as thick as thieves,’ I said.
‘We’ve been talking about last night,’ said Charles.
‘About the attack?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ said Marina, ‘and also about your fears for me.’
I glared at Charles but he didn’t seem to notice.
‘Your Marina, here,’ he said, ‘is a truly lovely girl. I think I’m falling in love again.’
‘You’re too old,’ I said.
‘Sid!’ said Marina. ‘That’s not very nice. I do believe you’re jealous.’
‘Nonsense.’ But I was. However, not in the way she thought. I wasn’t so jealous of Charles liking Marina, more the other way round. Charles was
I shook my head and thought that I was being silly. These two people were, to me, the most precious things in the world. Why should I not want them to love each other? So why did I feel so resentful that they had been talking together without me there to act as the intermediary? I told myself to stop being such a fool, but I wouldn’t listen.
‘So what have you two decided?’ I asked rather haughtily. I heard the tone of my own voice and I didn’t like it. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘I didn’t mean it to sound like that.’
Marina looked at me. I could feel her stare. She could usually read me like a book and I was sure that all my inner thoughts were, even now, passing through the ether between us.
‘We’ve decided nothing,’ she said. ‘That’s for you to do.’
She spoke softly and comfortingly and I knew that she knew what had just happened. It didn’t faze her one bit. She smiled at me and I felt like an idiot.
‘It’s all right,’ she said.
‘What’s all right?’ asked Charles.
‘Everything,’ I said standing up. ‘Do you want a refill?’
‘Oh, yes, thank you.’
I poured a generous whisky and a splash of Malvern Water into his glass and he leaned back contentedly in his chair.
‘More for you, my darling?’ I asked Marina.
‘Just a little.’
I looked deeply into her eyes. ‘I do so love you,’ I said.
‘I love you more,’ she replied.
Everything was indeed all right.
Mrs Cross had left us smoked salmon and cream cheese cornets as a starter and a beef casserole in the Aga for our main course. The cornets were small and one-mouthful size so they didn’t need cutting. I silently thanked dear, thoughtful Mrs Cross. She always took the one-handed embarrassment out of eating. Marina cooked some rice and we ate in the dining room, formally at the table with silver cutlery and cut-glass crystal. I had never once known Charles to have a meal on his lap.
‘So what did you two discuss today?’ I asked while we ate the casserole.
‘I’m sorry if I broke a confidence between us but I told Marina of our little discussion last night about what it takes to stop you investigating someone.’ I realised that Charles had been more astute than I had given him credit for. I should have known better than to think he hadn’t understood what had been going on over drinks. One doesn’t rise to the rank of Admiral without being susceptible to vibes.
‘As I understand things,’ said Marina, ‘you have a reputation. Villains know that beating you up won’t stop you investigating them. In fact, quite the reverse. The more they hurt you, the more determined you become to continue.’
‘Something like that.’ It sounded rather implausible but I knew it was true.
‘So the only way you protect yourself from violence is by not giving up even if you are assaulted. Any potential attacker now doesn’t even bother trying because it won’t stop you anyway, and will make things worse for
