On Saturday Jack rose early to a beautiful sunny morning, the nicest morning they had seen for several weeks.
Katie also woke early and prompted by the certain knowledge that her future didn’t hold many such glorious mornings she arose as well.
It pained him greatly on such a morning that he had to chastise her for attempting the stairs unaided.
“I came down on my bum” she said, “It was quite safe”
As a result of her solo ascent she was seated on her throne in the kitchen when the nurse arrived, a pretty thirty something with strawberry coloured hair, called Sandra, barely five feet tall, slender and pale skinned and a nature to match her countenance.
It had been a few days since George Dallas finally plucked up courage to call Lily Soames and enquired when it would be convenient for him to come over and ride Trojan.
“Anytime” she said “Just ring first”
“But…”
“But?” she repeated
“I was just wondering if I could do it when you would be riding” he said “So we could…”
“Ride out together?” Lily said finishing his sentence or at least hoping that was the sentence he had in mind
“Yes” he said with relief
“How about Saturday, after I’ve mucked out” Lily suggested
“Great I’ll see you then”
On Saturday he had risen early and decided to go to the stables and rather than wait until after mucking out he would go early and surprise her as she was bound to be up early to muck out.
He walked across the yard and spotted a girl in her mid to late twenties walking a horse out of the stable, she was a petite slim and attractive girl with hair the colour of pure honey and the girls name was Lily.
“Blimey you’re keen” she said, when she saw the tall thin man thirty something man with pale skin and strawberry blonde hair, and she was hoping it was her he was keen on and not just the horse.
“I thought I would come and give you a hand with the mucking out and then we would be finished earlier and get a longer ride” he said
“Really?” she asked
“Yes” he said “I thought it would be nice and weather is set to be lovely”
“Great” she said “Grab a shovel”
It was nine o’clock when they finished cleaning the stables and feeding the horses and by the time they had changed and then saddled the horses, it was an hour later when they rode out of the yard in bright sunshine and under a clear blue sky.
They didn’t talk much on the ride as Lily was out in front on her chestnut mare, Hazel, and he had been quite preoccupied with looking at Lily pert bottom rising and falling in the saddle, to think of anything to say anyway.
It had been such a beautiful morning that they rode considerably further and longer than Lily had originally intended so on the way back to the stables they decided to walk the horse’s part of the way to rest them a little.
They were up in the hills overlooking Hawthorne and Lily suggested they walk up to Albaspina praesidio, the site of a roman garrison, which was a bit of a tourist attraction, but more importantly than that they had a coffee shop.
George readily agreed as it wasn’t particularly out of their way.
“I haven’t been there for years” Lily said “not since junior school”
“Nor me” George agreed
“Yes but they were still building it when you were at school”
Lily said and laughed raucously
“Cheeky” George said but laughed as well.
After a very welcome coffee and an even more welcome bacon roll they decided not to take in the ruins, but agreed they would do that another day after which they headed towards home, though they took the scenic route and talked all the way.
So as they were walking down the Mornington road, both spattered in mud, Lily said.
“So have you enjoyed riding Trojan?”
“Oh yes he’s a joy to ride” he replied and then added “But it’s the company that makes it more special”
Lily smiled as George had to look away to hide his embarrassment
“Well in that case we had better do it again” she said “But it won’t be for a few weeks, I’m booked solid”
George was elated at her first statement but was crestfallen at the second but found himself saying.
“What about dinner?”
“Oh yes, dinner I can do anytime” she replied and smiled broadly
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