The First Time We Met: The Oxford Blue Series #1

by Croft, Pippa

  Still laughing at me, he wheels away. The noise of hooves ringing on the ground is almost deafening, and they’re off, trotting up the drive and out of the park, with Valentina’s top hat bobbing at the head of the followers.

  People set off after them on foot and in Land Rovers and Volvos until there’s only the staff left – clearing away the debris of breakfast – and me.

  The baying of the hounds in the distance reminds me of poor Benny and I think I’ll try to find him to see if he’s OK. He’d slunk away from the stables, so that’s where I head now and find Talia walking across the yard. Spotting me, she comes to meet me, a smile on her face.

  ‘Can I help you, Miss Cusack?’

  ‘Oh, for God’s sake call me Lauren!’

  Talia holds up her hands. ‘OK, OK.’

  I groan in embarrassment. Valentina and Rupert have really got to me and that makes me even madder. ‘I’m really sorry, Talia. I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just not used to all the deference and formality around here.’

  She rolls her eyes then laughs. ‘You should try working here. Alexander’s OK, of course, and to be honest I was only winding him up yesterday by calling him “sir”. We’re all on first-name terms when Robert’s not about.’ She bites her lip and her eyes twinkle. ‘Did you enjoy your picnic in the woods by the way?’

  Heat races to my cheeks. ‘Um, yes, it was delicious. Thanks.’

  She laughs. ‘No biggie. I’m glad Alexander’s found someone normal.’

  This is one of the biggest compliments I’ve had since I landed at Heathrow, what seems like an age ago. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘I could be sacked for saying this but I can’t stand Valentina; none of us can apart from Robert, who thinks the sun shines out of her pert arse. Lady Falconbury loved her, but she didn’t live long enough to see what a bitch the woman has turned into. I don’t know what Alexander sees in her.’

  ‘She is stunning,’ I say, unwilling to say anything that might get back to Alexander.

  ‘So is a cattle prod.’

  I can’t help laughing out loud, and joyful barks fill the air as Benny hurtles into the yard. I bend down and bury my face in his silky ears. Talia crouches beside me and tickles his tummy.

  ‘She’s cruel to Benny when she thinks Alexander isn’t looking. I heard him yelping while she sent me to fetch her bloody hat this morning though she denied he’d been here.’

  ‘She hit him with her whip. I was, uh … passing by and saw it happen.’

  ‘Fuck, what? The bitch!’

  ‘I think he spoiled her turn-out by drooling on her jodhpurs.’

  Talia ruffles Benny’s ears. ‘Well done, boy!’ She smiles at me. ‘I’m sorry she left you with Calliope yesterday. I did try to stop her from taking Harvey because Alexander had asked me to tack him up for you, but Valentina turned up at the crack of dawn and demanded to have him. She swore you and Alexander wouldn’t mind and I could hardly tell her to knob off. I hope Calliope didn’t give you any trouble? She can be really skittish, but you seemed confident and Alexander was with you, so I thought it would be OK.’

  ‘She was good as gold,’ I say, too embarrassed to confess the truth, and also not wanting my unscheduled flight to get back to Valentina. ‘But thanks for thinking of me.’

  ‘That is such a relief. Shame she didn’t kick off when Valentina was on her yesterday, and it would have served her bloody right because poor Harvey was traumatized when she brought him back. God knows where she took him. Hey, I’ve got a couple of hours off to follow the hunt – do you want to come along? It would be nice to have the company. I’ve been up since four, and the other grooms are going to hack out the fresh horses to the field later.’

  ‘You mean they have two horses?’

  ‘The general, Alexander and Valentina always do, but I’m done for the day.’

  ‘I don’t want to spoil your day off.’

  ‘You won’t. We can take Benny if we keep him on a lead. I wouldn’t want him to get among the hounds or under anyone’s hooves, if you know what I mean, though I’d love to see Valentina fall flat on her arse.’

  Not smirking at this comment is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I manage. ‘In that case, I’d love to.’

  ‘Great. Let’s get his leash and we’ll take the Land Rover.’

  Benny barks joyously as he jumps into the rear of the car and we head off out of the yard and up the lane. I can see the pack in the distance, galloping across the fields. Talia steers the Land Rover expertly through a mile or so of narrow lanes till we reach Falconbury village. A cluster of honey-stone cottages, a church and a post office mark the centre. Talia parks the four-wheel drive in the car park of the local pub. As we jump down, the inn sign, with its faded coat of arms, creaks in the wind.

  ‘Not the Falconbury Arms?

  She grins. ‘Of course, what did you expect? They own everything for miles around. In fact there’s no need to even go off their own country to hunt.’

  We climb on a gate and balance on the bars. Horns and high yelps in the distance signal the arrival of the pack and the dull rumble of hooves swells to a thunder. The hounds race past, barking and yelling, and disappear into a wood.

  ‘They’ve gone into the covert. This should be good.’

  In half a minute, the lead horses fly past, Valentina and Alexander at the front. Even from my perch on the gate, I can tell he’s having the time of his life. Valentina’s hair has come loose from its net, and streams back in the wind as she urges Artemis towards a hedge separating the field from the covert.

  ‘Oh God, I hope she’s not going to try and jump that. Artemis isn’t up to it. She’ll refuse.’

  ‘Alexander’s behind her, look.’ I point.

  ‘He’s on Rasputin. He’ll be fine. Jesus!’

  Valentina raises her whip and slaps Artemis’s flank and the horse leaps, scattering loose twigs.

  ‘Poor Artemis!’

  Alexander clears the hedge a second later and is off after Valentina, followed by the rest of the riders. I’m left breathless, both at the spectacle and the sight of the two of them leading the rest of the hunt. As we walk back down the lane, with Benny let off his lead for a sneaky run, we pass a horsebox in a lay-by. The trailer is swaying and I can hear muffled thuds and squeals. Talia pauses and rolls her eyes.

  ‘Is that what I think it is?’ I ask.

  ‘Yup. It’s Binky Peters’s trailer. Jesus, I wonder who she’s with.’

  ‘I could be mistaken because everyone went by so fast, but I didn’t see Rupert in the pack.’

  ‘Neither did I, but Binky wouldn’t … she’s almost old enough to be his mum! Then again, Rupert would shag anything with a pulse and Bink’s husband is away working in Dubai …’

  ‘But in the middle of a hunt?’

  ‘With the adrenaline pumping and the booze they’re necking, almost anyone looks great in hunting clothes. At some meets you can’t pass a trailer for people shagging, and this one’s not called Fucking Falconbury for nothing.’

  There’s a creak and the trailer rocks alarmingly.

  ‘And I thought they came for the sport.’

  ‘Yes, all kind of sport!’ She sees my horrified face. ‘Oh, don’t worry! Valentina wouldn’t try to shag Alexander while they’re in the field. She’s too busy showing off what a great rider she is.’ Talia sighs. ‘She’s like a demon when she gets at the top of the pack and she never gives up until they blow the horn to leave the field. Nothing gets in her way.’

  None of this is reassuring and there’s another shriek from inside the trailer.

  Talia grimaces. ‘Eww. This is too much. Let’s drive to the other side of the river. The pack should be heading that way next, if I know the trail layer.’

  We climb in the Land Rover and rattle off the pub car park. ‘Are you going to the hunt ball tonight?’ I ask, although I think I know the answer.

  ‘Me? You are joking? That’s for the hunt members and the family’s inner circle, bu
t I wouldn’t want to go anyway. I waited on tables once for some extra money and it was an eye-opener. If you think this lot are obnoxious in the field, wait until tonight.’

  She glances over to me, almost swerving off the road. ‘Don’t worry. I’m sure it won’t be that awful, and Alexander will want you to have a good time. He never got me to turn the hut into a shag pad for Valentina, that’s for sure.’

  Chapter Twenty-one

  From below me in the courtyard, the sounds of hooves and laughter has me hastily closing the cover of my sketchbook. Talia had to go home after lunch so I came back to the house. There are about a dozen people staying over at Falconbury, including Rupert. Only a handful are leaving their horses here; Talia says the rest will be taken home in trailers or have been hired from hunt members.

  While the house was empty apart from the staff, I spent an hour checking out some of the works of art, with the help of a catalogue Helen found me from the library. I went to my room, intending to do some research on one of the artists, before washing my hair ready for the ball, but the view from my window was so beautiful I got out my sketchpad and pencils instead.

  Although it’s barely past three, the sun is going down, turning the sky pink and orange. I really need to capture it in watercolours when I get back home, but I tried to portray the stark beauty of the deer park, the meadow and the copse beyond. I was sketching in the church spire when I heard the horses returning.

  Despite Talia’s company, it’s been a long day and a strange one. Alexander’s face as he thundered past with Valentina was joyous. This weekend might have been a ‘duty’ for him, but today he was definitely in his element.

  Now I can see him, trotting up the drive, with Valentina and Rupert by his side and a dozen or so other people following. Abandoning my sketchpad, I pull on my coat and run downstairs.

  The riders are dismounting on the drive, where a small army of grooms is waiting to lead them back to the stables. Alexander’s fawn breeches are spattered with mud, his face glowing. As I walk down the steps, he takes off his riding hat and ruffles his hair. Valentina says something and both Alexander and Rupert roar with laughter. To my shock, Alexander taps her behind with his riding crop. It’s only a playful swat, but she shrieks with delight.

  ‘Hello.’

  Alexander’s still laughing as he turns round. Valentina looks at me like I’m a beetle she found in her soup. Rupert smirks as he watches us. I refuse to be wound up by any of this, but it’s not easy.

  Smiling, Alexander strides forward and kisses me briefly on the lips. ‘Hello. Had a good day?’

  ‘Good, thanks. You?’

  ‘Fucking amazing.’ His eyes shine.

  ‘Magnifico! The best day ever, wasn’t it, amore?’

  ‘Anything had to be better than last season. The weather was an absolute bastard,’ Rupert cuts in.

  ‘Oddio, yes, it was terrible, but we still managed a few good meets, didn’t we?’ She slips her arm through Alexander’s. ‘What a shame you couldn’t join us today, Lauren. I hope you enjoyed your little hack on Calliope yesterday?’

  Alexander stiffens a little, but he doesn’t remove her arm.

  ‘Thanks, I did. In fact, Calliope was magnificent; it’s such a pity that you didn’t feel confident enough to take her out – I’m sure you would have been fine.’ Valentina’s mouth gapes open as I push breezily on. ‘Talia and I were talking about it this morning when we followed in the Land Rover. In fact, we saw you ride past the village.’

  Her dark eyes flash with fury. ‘Then you must have seen me clear that hedge? No thanks to my horse, but I suppose it was the best I could expect from the stables here. I have my own thoroughbred at home, of course.’

  ‘Artemis is a good mare.’ Alexander withdraws his arm.

  Ignoring Valentina, I speak directly to Alexander. ‘Is there another Falconbury meet?’

  ‘There’s a smaller lawn meet here in February, but the local hunt meets three or four days a week in the season.’

  Valentina snorts in derision. ‘The Falconbury meet should be held on a week day. There are far too many people who are too slow and boring here on Saturdays, and far too many farmers.’

  Alexander tears off his gloves impatiently. ‘Farmers are the lifeblood of the hunt, Valentina.’

  She curls her lip. ‘A pity.’

  Rupert interrupts with his lazy drawl. ‘Last season was shit. The one before was the best ever. I managed twenty-two days on twelve horses with nine different packs. Not as many as I had wanted, of course, because I had to bloody work most of the week.’

  ‘Only twenty-two? You lightweight, de Courcey! I did twice that many a few years back.’

  Rupert rounds on a blond guy I don’t know. ‘Bullshit!’

  Alexander roars with laughter again. Everyone’s pumped up, laughing and telling stories about people and events that I don’t have a clue about. I’m glad to see Alexander so happy and relaxed, but I also can’t miss the puzzled, and occasionally pitying, glances aimed in my direction, presumably because I’ve missed out on the fun. Hey, I have my pride and there’s no way I’m going to hang about like a spare part again. With Alexander and Valentina the centre of a laughing knot of people, I slip quietly back up to my room. We’re all meeting in the drawing room for drinks before the ball at seven and I need to shower and do my hair.

  A short while later, darkness descends and the drive is once again empty; the house guests have retreated inside to get ready for the ball. A rap on my door heralds the arrival of Alexander, who walks in before I can answer.

  The sharp kick of lust deep in my stomach overrides my disappointment at being sidelined earlier. His breeches mud-spattered and the once-shiny boots have left a trail of earth on the carpet. He’s also radiating pure sex.

  He strides straight over, takes me in his arms and claims a fierce kiss.

  ‘So it was as good as it sounded?’ I ask, when I finally have the breath.

  ‘Awesome.’

  ‘That still doesn’t sound like me, but I have to admit you do look happy. Almost as happy as when you’ve just come, although I don’t think I can live up to a climax that’s lasted all day.’

  ‘Now that would be worth trying.’

  ‘I think I’d be saddle-sore.’

  He raises an eyebrow and murmurs, ‘I’d hope so. So … how’s your day been? I do hope you haven’t been too bored.’

  ‘Not at all. Talia and I followed you for a while … we took Benny.’

  He squeezes me to him and I can tell he’s happy to hear it. ‘I hope he behaved.’

  ‘He did.’ A tiny emphasis on the ‘he’ is as close as I dare come to telling him that Valentina hit his dog. We’ve talked about her enough and I won’t say anything this time, but if I see her hurt Benny again I won’t be responsible for what I do with my riding crop.

  He leans back and searches my face. ‘Lauren, you have that look on your face; you’re upset about something but too cool to tell me what it is.’

  ‘I do not!’

  ‘I’d show you a mirror if I could. What’s happened?’

  ‘Nothing. Really, I had a great day. I enjoyed Talia’s company, and in my opinion you should make sure she gets a raise.’

  He laughs. ‘Believe me, I would do it instantly if I was in charge here, but failing that I’ll drop a big hint to Robert. Now, let’s hear the “but” that was coming after you said you had a nice day.’

  ‘No “but”. I came back here and took a look at some of the art collection and I’m seriously impressed.’ I toy with one of the brass buttons on his coat. ‘I visited the orangery and the library, I did some sketches –’

  ‘Sketches? You?’

  ‘Is it that surprising?’

  ‘Not at all. Let me take a look.’

  Shit. I walked into that one. ‘No way!’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because they’re not great.’

  He gives me the laser-stare treatment. ‘I don’t believe that.
What did you draw?’

  ‘Only the view from the window. Nothing worth seeing, honestly.’

  Twisting out of my arms, he scans the room, looking for my sketchpad.

  ‘Alexander, no. You can’t!’

  ‘Oh, I think I can.’

  It takes seconds for him to spot the pad on the window seat. Though I dash forward, he whips ahead of me and snatches up the book.

  ‘Hey!’

  It’s too late. He flips back the cover and I see his lips part in surprise. All I can do is hang back, my hand over my mouth.

  ‘So this is the view from your window, is it?’

  My cheeks are burning with shame. ‘I asked you not to look at them. I never meant for anyone to see them.’

  ‘I’m glad about that.’

  ‘Oh God. They’re not that awful, are they?’ I peer through my fingers as he turns the pages slowly, frowning with concentration.

  ‘Well, they’re not da Vinci …’

  He may be right, but I have my pride. ‘They aren’t meant to be. They’re purely for my own pleasure.’

  ‘Your pleasure? I’m very relieved to hear that.’

  I feel his hand prise my fingers from my eyes but I can’t look at him.

  ‘Lauren. They’re not bad at all; in fact, they’re pretty good and you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. My only objection is that I’m in far too many of them.’

  I open my eyes. ‘Oh, fuck.’

  He picks up the sketch pad, flicking to a charcoal study of him standing above me in the punt, staring into the distance as he steers us down the river. His face is serious as he studies the picture. ‘I had no idea,’ he says.

  ‘You were concentrating.’

  His brows knit together in the exact expression I tried to capture. ‘Clearly. Is this really how I look?’

  ‘No. It’s just my very badly executed impression of you.’

  He turns the page again and I want to melt right through the rug.

  ‘From memory, I’m guessing?’

  Nodding my head, my heart sinks as he holds out my sketch of him lying naked in my bed.

  ‘I must say, that sheet is strategically placed.’

  My toes curl with embarrassment. ‘I … um … couldn’t bring myself to draw that part of you.’