Page 3 of The Affairs of Ashmore Castle (Ashmore Castle #2)

It was at Lord Shacklock’s place, Ashridge Park, the next estate along.

Here the Ash Valley widened out into lush meadows, so there was plenty of room for a proper lawn meet, unlike at Ashmore Castle, which hadn’t much in the way of adjacent flat land.

Pharaoh was fresh, despite having had a good gallop the day before, and Alice thought wistfully of the hunt she could have had, while absently telling Arthur to sit up straight and keep his knees in.

As soon as they turned in at the park gates, Pharaoh’s head went up, his nostrils flared, and he let out a tremendous long whinny that shook his sides. He knew exactly what was up ahead.

Arabella said, ‘What’s wrong with him? Why is he making that noise?’

‘He’s excited, that’s all. He can smell hounds.’

‘Well, it sounds awfully silly,’ Arabella said. ‘I’m glad my pony’s not doing it.’

‘You attend to your reins,’ Alice said. ‘They’re in loops! If Biscuit were to bolt, you’d have no control at all.’

‘Biscuit would never do that,’ Arabella said. At the same instant, Biscuit caught the exciting flavour on the air and, realising his rider wasn’t paying attention, broke into a brisk trot and carted her up the drive.

It took a moment to bring the indignant Pharaoh under control, and by then Arabella had disappeared round the bend. Alice followed with Arthur at a sedate jog, dreading what she would find.

There was the gravelled forecourt of the handsome old house, glamorously peopled with horses and riders; there was the pack, sterns waving, being held together by the whips; there were servants carrying round trays of hot pasties and glasses of stirrup cup.

And there was Axe Brandom helping Arabella to regain her lost stirrup while Biscuit nuzzled his pockets for titbits.

Axe was the assistant blacksmith in the village, and knew every equine in the district.

‘Now, Miss Arabella,’ he was saying, ‘hold your reins like this – see? Not too tight but not too loose. So he knows you’re in charge.’

‘I’ve been telling her that all the way here,’ Alice said.

Axe let go of Biscuit, swept off his hat, and walked over to Alice.

He laid a hand on Pharaoh’s neck, and the liver-chestnut pushed his nose to Axe’s ear and blew into it, then continued to stare goggle-eyed over his shoulder at the scene.

Axe smiled up at Alice. ‘I heard you coming, right from the gates.’

‘You’d think he’d never seen hounds before. Thank you for catching Biscuit.’

‘Warn’t no catching to it,’ Axe said. ‘He come straight to me.’ He glanced behind Alice. ‘No Josh with you today?’

Josh, groom to Rachel and Alice, was Axe’s brother.

‘He’s got Richard’s second horse,’ she explained. ‘Richard’s taken Rachel’s Daystar, then he’s changing on to Kitty’s Apollo. It’s lucky he’s so light. But Josh will have to walk Daystar home – she’ll never carry him after a run.’

‘Can always leave her somewhere and fetch her later. That’s what I’d do,’ Axe said, fending off Pharaoh gently as the gelding mouthed in a friendly manner at his red-gold hair. ‘So you’ll not get much hunting today, then, taking care of the childer?’

‘No,’ Alice said, with a sigh. ‘And Lord Shacklock’s head man, Aigburth, told our Giddins that it was going to be a spiffing day, with two earths stopped up at High Spinney and Crown Woods.’

Axe nodded. ‘If they run as far as High Spinney, likely they’ll go on and draw Motte Woods. There’s an old fox up there.’ He paused. ‘Have you heard about Aaron Cutmore? You know his cottage is up in Motte Woods?’

‘What about him?’ Alice had always thought he had the perfect name for a woodsman.

‘Had a bit of an accident cutting poles and laid his foot open. He’s thinking about giving up. Getting too old, he says.’

‘I wonder who’ll replace him,’ said Alice.

‘I’ve asked Mr Adeane for the job,’ Axe told her. Adeane was the estate bailiff.

‘Do you think you’ll get it?’

‘Mr Adeane knows what I can do.’ He sounded quietly confident.

Alice was silent, wondering how this would affect her.

She had known Axe as blacksmith ever since she could remember, but lately she had been visiting him at his cottage on his day off – she loved animals, and he always had an orphaned or injured animal or two in his care, as well as Dolly, his terrier.

Axe watched her face as if he could read her thoughts.

‘’f I get the job, I’ll get Cutmore’s cottage.

Motte Woods is a bit far for a walk, but you could ride there easy enough.

And I’d be there all the time, not just on my day off.

’ He saw her working through the implications, and added the clincher.

‘Got a goshawk. Found him caught in a net just after Christmas. Hurt his wing.’

Her face lit. ‘Oh, I’d love to see that.’

‘And Dolly, she misses you. Asks about you all the time.’ He smiled, to show it was a joke.

‘Have you still got your jackdaw?’ she asked.

‘Captain? Yes. But he’s getting old now.

Won’t be with us much longer.’ Now he met her eyes, and she felt a heat run from her face all the way down her neck.

He held her gaze for a moment, then glanced back at Arabella, sitting with such a loose rein that Biscuit had decided it was all right to graze.

‘You don’t want to miss the hunt, my lady.

What say I look after the young ’uns? They’ll only be walking as far as the first draw, I dare say? ’

‘That was the idea. It’s very kind of you to offer,’ Alice said wistfully, ‘but—’

‘I don’t mind walking ’em back to Ashmore after. They’ll be safe with me.’

‘I know they will, but—’

‘Wouldn’t want Pharaoh to miss a good run.’ He glanced back again. ‘Looks as though they’re about to move off. Shall I take the young ’uns for you?’

Bathed in the sort of kindness and attention she never got at home, Alice yielded to temptation.

Linda would have a fit if she ever found out that Alice had abandoned her children to the blacksmith – but why should she ever know?

And he was not any old blacksmith – he was Axe Brandom, Josh’s brother, practically family.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘And I hope you get the job.’

He took the leading-rein from her, put on his hat, clicked to Goosebumps and led him towards Arabella and Biscuit.

Arabella took in the new situation with remarkable quickness.

‘Oh, are you taking us? That’s nice. I don’t think Aunt Alice really wants us.

Look at Biscuit, watching the hounds. Isn’t he funny?

Did you hear Aunt Alice’s horse making that awful noise?

Have you got a horse? I’m going to be nine this year.

Do you think I’m old enough to have a pony of my own?

I asked Daddy last birthday but he said I wasn’t old enough.

But Mummy told me once she had a pony when she was five.

Janet our maid says Daddy only said no because he’s got short arms and long pockets. What does that mean?’

She chattered happily to Axe as he took Biscuit’s redundant rein and led him away, with Goosebumps on his other side, while grateful Alice rode the eager Pharaoh to join the field as it moved off.