Long wait! Sorry! Don't worry, though, I have a few chapters lined up ready for pictures to be drawn

Previously: Chapter One | Next: Chapter Three

Chapter Two

   When nightfall came on the estate, people usually found themselves a quiet corner to relax or went to the lounge to socialise with the other staff. It was a place where you would never be lonely, but sometimes it was hard to be alone. A lot of the staff retreated to their bedrooms to go on their computers, watch some Netflix, maybe get a little personal with another member of staff. Aisha found Lee in the kitchen tackling the last of a pile of bridles that needed cleaning.

   It was Choccy’s, the blue and silver browband encrusted with diamantes making it quite obvious. Aisha felt a small pang of guilt. She had worked late exercising a few of Firelight’s rising stars and two guest horses that were on the grounds for training. She had intended to spend the evening polishing the tack for the show the next morning, but it appeared he had beaten her to it. The pristine saddle sat on a saddlehorse to the side of the table, gleaming in the late evening light.

   “You didn’t have to,” Aisha said as she sank into a chair beside him.

   “There wasn’t a lot else for me to do. I thought I’d make myself useful,” he muttered quietly. It was a trend with him lately: making himself useful. It was as if he thought he didn’t contribute anything to the Estate. Despite the new vet they had on site to help out with the vast amount of horses, Lee was still important. Aisha could tell him that until she was blue in the face, but she wasn’t sure he would ever listen.

   She took up a cheek piece and a damp sponge and started to rub off some of the dust from the last show. Indoor arenas tended to leave tack a bit grubby after a few rounds of jumping. “How was Boston?” she asked, only glancing up briefly at him, his eyes downcast and focused on the noseband.

   “The usual,” he answered, “stank, full of weirdos, nearly got hit by a bus.” He looked up, a small smile lingering on his lips, and Aisha returned the gesture. “How was Prissy?” It had been a long time since Lee had ridden Prissy. She was his pride and joy, but her nervous temperament had led her to being retired as a broodmare. It was no use having an eventing horse that went crazy at the first sign of thunder.

   “She was good. Almost threw me when she heard the jets, though.” Lincolnshire was known as bomber county, riddled with disused and also in-use RAF bases. Jets often flew over on their way to and from Cranwell, Coningsby, and East Kirkby’s museum, and, while they kept a respectable distance, it didn’t stop Prissy from reacting like the sky was about to fall on top of her.

   Lee smiled and leaned back in his chair, dropping the cheek piece on the table and stretching his arms above his head. “Are you coming along tomorrow?” Aisha asked as she rubbed the sponge into the saddle soap and started to thoroughly clean and polish the noseband.

   “Might as well,” Lee answered. Aisha could feel his eyes on her but kept her own gaze down. “I’m sure Mike can handle the vet duties for a day.” Michael Moore was someone Aisha hadn’t thought Lee would have taken as a friend. The idea of a new vet on site annoyed Lee, but Mike himself was a genuinely nice guy who had made an effort from the start to not encroach on the more senior vet. With the amount of horses on the estate now, it was essential for the pair to work together.

   There were a few beats of comfortable silence before Lee spoke again, drawing her attention away from the leather. “I got you something while I was in town,” he said, voice a soft rumble. A quick frown crossed Aisha’s face before fading. She wasn’t used to getting gifts, wasn’t even used to people thinking about her when they weren’t actually around her. “I’m not sure if you’ll like it, but I thought it could be a start to a new collection.”

   He was pulling a small box from his pocket, wide and rather flat, black with gold edging. Aisha felt her heart pick up its pace, her eyes darting from the box to his face and then back again. He placed the box on the table and she reached out to it, sliding it towards herself before carefully picking it up. It was clearly jewellery, the kind of box that would contain a bracelet or a necklace. She wasn’t quite prepared for the glistening item within.

   The chain was silver, attached to a heart shaped stone that was mounted in more silver. The stone was a deep, rich blue that sparkled gently in the golden light that streamed in through the windows. “I…” she trailed off, unable to really find the words. She was pretty sure the last gift she had received had been a men’s watch from her father, a last subtle attempt to bolster her masculinity.

   “I can take it back, if you want,” Lee muttered, his cautious voice betraying his seemingly relaxed posture.

   “Don’t be stupid,” she said with a weak laugh, freeing the necklace from the box and letting the stone rest in her hand. “It’s the best gift I’ve ever had.” It was beautiful and feminine, and one of her favourite colours.

   Aisha stood from the chair and moved around to Lee, handing him the necklace before turning and crouching in front of him. He took the cue and reached around to rest the necklace between her collarbones, fastening the chain at the back gently. “I noticed you didn’t really have any jewellery,” he said as he finished clipping the necklace in place and she span on the balls of her feet to face him. Her hands rested on his legs, steadying herself.

   “Just my mother’s necklace,” she muttered, “and those cheap earrings from Primark.” She looked down at the heart, fingers brushing over it gently. “Thank you. It means the world to me.” When her gaze lifted again, Lee was watching her with a small smile on his face. Maybe this could be the start of a few changes in her life, the push she needed to be more confident in who she was. Jewellery, nice dresses, shoes; all the things she had been missing out on.

   “When we get a day off, we could go into town, maybe pick out some more stuff,” Lee said, as if he was reading her mind. She bit her lip and nodded, pushing herself up to lean towards him, meeting him half way in a soft but sure kiss.

   “How about we get this tack cleaned and then… go to bed?” The suggestion was far from sexual and the brief look of worry on Lee’s face told her he understood was she was saying. So far they hadn’t actually fallen asleep in the same bed and woken up together in the morning. Neither of them had felt particularly secure. If this was the new start in her life, however, Aisha wanted to try her best to fight her insecurities.

   “Alright,” he said after a moment, a long breath leaving his lips. “Alright,” he repeated, a little quieter as if to bolster himself as he kissed her once more, briefly, and then turned his attention back to the bridle.

   Aisha grinned and settled back in her seat, the necklace a comfy weight below her throat. At last, she could feel her life starting to come together.

 

~*~

 

   Aithne watched as the last of the cars left for the show. She wasn’t partaking in this one, leaving it to the younger staff to take a select few horses to local Sheepgate. A few in hand shows, some low level dressage, a jumping qualifier. There was a lot for them to keep busy with for the day. That meant it was quiet after the gates automatically closed with a clang at the top of the road. She let out a long sigh and stretched her arms above her head. A day of peace, a chance to take her time and exercise some horses.

   Most of the horses were out in the paddocks already, enjoying the early morning sun. Some were sleeping out full time now the weather was nicer – the hardier breeds who didn’t mind a night chill so much. Those with a more delicate disposition were still kept in at night, snug in their stables. Fool was one who had been in overnight, and he was still in his stable as she ventured into the stallion block with his tack in hand. He hung his head over the door, waiting to escape into the fields and enjoy some freedom.

   He wouldn’t be so lucky today. He needed to be worked. He wasn’t one of her top show horses, competing mostly at low level, but most of that was because he generally refused to listen to anyone. No one had bonded with him, and that meant communication was thin and his Eclectic temperament made it hard to deal with him.

   The stallion whickered to her, his voice a low, rolling rumble. It was a familiar noise by now and Aithne smiled a little to herself as she approached. “Hey there, sparky pants,” she greeted him, lifting up the fold-down saddle rack and placing the tack on it. “You gonna do some work today or are you just gonna electrocute me again?” He never really meant any harm by it, but when he got excited he gave his riders a shock rather like super-charged static.

   Fool bobbed his head as if in response and patiently waited while she put his head collar on before leading him out of the stable. It was just fifteen minutes before she was riding him out of the block and towards the sheltered outdoor ring by the vet clinic. His coat gleamed in the sun and his hooves clanged in a steady, even rhythm against the tarmac pathway.

   Aithne let herself into the school and closed the gate behind her before beginning her warm-up. The stallion behaved, moving smoothly beneath her and listening well to her commands. She could feel his hind-quarters lagging behind and started to perform some collection exercises to make him engage the back legs.

   She was just cantering him in a neat circle when she spotted figures approaching. A tall man walked beside a smaller body atop a pony, and Aithne recognised them at a glance. She completed her circle and brought Fool back to a walk as Adam reached the gate with Aiden riding Macht. “He thought maybe he could ride around for a bit,” Adam called. Aithne nodded and grinned, her eyes wandering to her son. He was growing fast, ten years old and rather lanky for his age. He took after his father, right down to the blond mop of hair on top of his head, hidden beneath his riding helmet.

   “Dad said I could put a small cross-pole up,” Aiden said as Adam let him into the ring, Macht walking forwards on command and obeying every little cue from his rider. The pony was a bit of a school master, patient where he needed to be but teaching hard lessons that had to be learned. Aiden had ridden a lot of the smaller horses at Firelight, but Macht was one of his favourites, mostly because he was a keen little jumper.

   Aiden had a body protector on as if he had anticipated there was no way his mother would say no. Aithne’s grin widened and she nodded, letting Fool come to a halt and leaning forwards against his neck. “I see I’m not going to get you into dressage any time soon,” she said. Aiden returned her grin, the way his cheeks tugged into dimples very familiar, and shook his head. He had the jumping bug. Anything fast-paced and dangerous was something he was very quick to get involved with. He didn’t have the patience for dressage, but he certainly had a talent for jumping.

   “You’ll soon be too big for Macht,” Aithne observed as Adam went about setting up two small cross-pole jumps and one very low straight bar. “I might have to upgrade you.” Aiden laughed at that and started walking Macht in a circle around her, the pony carrying his head neatly, mouth pressing gently against the soft contact. All of her lessons with Aiden had paid off well, he was kind and considerate, never applying more pressure than he needed to.

   “I could try riding Prissy,” Aiden said lightly. Aithne snorted.

   “Over my dead body. You can try Mouse, next.”

   Aiden nodded in agreement and then asked Macht to trot, stumbling a little in his rhythm before starting to rise in time with the pony. Aithne started to move too, giving Fool a longer rein and letting him walk around the edge to relax as she kept an eye on Aiden. Adam was stood in the middle of the school, giving the odd suggestion to his son to correct his posture. Hands down, heels down, swing the leg back and slow the rising. Aiden listened well, soon getting into the groove.

   He had been on a horse since before he could walk, sitting with her when she would ride around the yard. Since he had been a toddler, he had ridden Rojuk quite a bit. The large Ryvo had endless patience for him and had repeatedly expressed such to Aithne, being very clear that he was no threat. Aiden’s innocence and gentleness, and his blood ties to Aithne, had meant that Rojuk would actively seek the boy out.

   Aiden would ride the stallion out to the field when someone was leading, or would sit on his back in the stable and braid his hair. Aithne had caught them playing in the field once. It was a friendship, a partnership, and she knew that when he was big enough and strong enough to handle a high-powered stallion by himself, she would be handing the reins over fully to him.

   She came to a halt in the centre as Aiden trotted Macht towards a cross-pole and gave him a big squeeze with his legs to keep the momentum. He rolled with the motions of the jump easily, landing with sureness on the other side that was only solidified more by Macht’s own confidence and guidance. There was no better pony to learn jumping with.

   “He’s coming a long way,” Adam said, coming up beside Aithne and running a hand over Fool’s slightly sweaty shoulder. “One day he’ll be one of our best jumpers.”

   “No kidding,” Aithne said in agreement, watching as Aiden easily took the straight bar. “He’s not scared of anything; I think that’s why he does so good. Even when he falls off he doesn’t cry.”

   Two years ago Aiden broke his arm falling off Tin Can, a New Forest with a rather bad attitude. He had snuffled over the pain, a few tears that he couldn’t have helped, but he had been brave. Eight weeks later he had been back to gentle hacking on a lead rope, and soon after he was on his own in the school with unfaltering confidence.

   “He gets it from his mother,” Adam said with a laugh. Aithne huffed at that, although it was probably true. Adam wasn’t particularly shy of dangers either, however. He had trained some of the most violent and unpredictable youngsters she had ever seen, including Devilishly Glamourous and his high-wired daughter, Beauty.

   As she watched Aiden canter a rather messy circle, she found herself meeting the same recurring thought that had been going through her head for a few weeks now. She looked down at Adam briefly before lifting her gaze and then speaking. “What do you think about another kid?” she asked quietly.

   Adam stilled at that, but not in a shocked, uncomfortable way. His hand merely stopped stroking Fool’s neck, a look of pensiveness crossing onto his face. “We’ve done so well with Aiden,” she continued, “I’m so proud of him. Despite everything that happened at the beginning, I know we’ve done well and… I want to do it again, I think.”

   “Me too,” he said softly after a few moments of thought. Aithne let out a long breath of relief. They hadn’t really brought up the subject of more kids since they had had Aiden. Everything had been so busy, so chaotic, that it had been at the back of their minds. “It’s a good time to do it,” Adam said, as if completing her thoughts. “We’ve got the staff back-up, we’re in a good place, we’re married.” He laughed a bit at that and looked up at her. She met those bright blue eyes with her own gaze and couldn’t help the grin that spread onto her face.

   They were always on the same page. She couldn’t remember the last time they had honestly argued about something. It wasn’t always perfectly harmonious, but they understood each other enough to avoid major conflict. “You don’t think Aiden’s too old for it?” she asked, turning her gaze to the boy as he took a cross-pole at a canter, almost losing his balance on the other side but putting his trust in Macht to continue smoothly while he got his balance.

   “I don’t think so. He has a lot to keep himself busy, and we have more than enough love to go around. I’m sure it’d be just fine. Maybe ask him, though?” Adam said. Aithne hummed in agreement before patting Fool on the neck and straightening up.

   “I’ll talk to him later, see what he thinks. If he’s okay with it… we can start trying soon.” It would be nice to plan something for once. Aiden had been a rather pleasant surprise in the end, but Aithne did like to feel as if she were in control of her life.

   They wrapped up their training session after a while. Aiden managed to beg his parents to let him put the poles a couple of notches higher and he managed to clear them without unseating himself. Fool had remained on his best behaviour and Aithne had even managed to get him to complete a rather composed piaffe without any electrocutions of frustration.

   Aiden helped to muck out the stallion block as the day wore on towards the afternoon. It started to get hot and they called an early lunch break to get some rest, some shade, and some cold drinks. Aithne sat with her son next to her on the front steps of the house, in the shade of the porch awning, as they watched other members of staff lead and ride horses around, iced lemonades in their hands.

   “If I start riding Mouse, can I have the jumps higher?” Aiden asked around the straw that sat between his lips.

   “I think we can look at it. She’s very different to ride, though. She won’t be as forgiving as Macht.” Mouse was known to have a hot temper at times. She had been Zoe’s horse to begin with and had almost been a professional jumper, but a few injuries and Zoe’s death had meant her career had been put aside. She still competed at low levels, but her scope over jumps and her attitude in the ring remained at a championship quality.

   There were a few minutes of silence as they happily sat in the shade. Mike rode Ace alongside Ryan and Usa as they headed out for a hack in the afternoon sunshine. Aithne could make out Michelle in the round pen with Cosmic Candy, free lunging the young mare hard and fast, the only way to keep her attention.

   “Me and your dad wanted to ask you something,” Aithne said, deciding there was no time like the present to breach the subject. Aiden looked at her curiously, his freckled brow and nose tugging into a few small creases. “We were thinking of having another baby, a new brother or sister for you. But we didn’t want to think any more on it without asking you first.”

   Aiden remained quiet, his pale eyes wandering back out over the estate as he pondered it for a minute or two. “Sure,” he said after a while, “I could teach them to ride, go out on hacks with them. It’d be pretty cool.” If she was honest, it wasn’t quite the reaction she had expected. Maybe some caution, a wary ‘ok’, but not positivity. It was as if the boy had weighed up the pros and cons in his head in those few short minutes and come out with the best case scenario. A sibling to share his passion.

   “Well, hopefully soon you’ll have that chance,” Aithne said with a soft smile. Aiden nodded quickly and sipped on his lemonade. Her baby had grown up so fast and continued to mature rapidly. She reached out to put an arm around his shoulders and give him a squeeze, Aiden squishing himself into the gesture briefly before they parted again.