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Saturday, around 4 pm.
After a friendly greeting with Andrea Barbara met Tommy in the yard in front of the stables. In the entrance hall he had not been able anymore to take his happy mother and the two lovestruck couples, beaming happiness and adoration, while he was the lonely boy, always stiff, the head of the family, the bloody eighth Earl - ugh! He was so disgusted with himself and the whole situation that he had had to leave before Barbara had joined them.
Maybe, he hoped, Barbara would unbend with the horses around. He was not sure anymore what he should think about his feelings for Sergeant Havers. She was his sergeant, for heaven's sake. She was his closest friend, one should not destroy something like what they had. Frustrated he almost banged his head against the wall. He felt more than 'friendly' when she was around. This was not good! Eventually he would frighten her away with his ridiculous feelings.
But then again nothing happened at the stables anyway. Although Barbara was as relaxed as she could have been nothing happened but Tommy putting his arm around her shoulder for about ten seconds. Then a group of young men who had been exercising the horses had come out of the riding hall and then filled the alley and the horseboxes so Tommy retreated. When the stable master additionally had to have a brief word with his Lordship every slightest romantical mood was washed away.
It was a nice afternoon nonetheless for Barbara. She savoured the warmth and the smell of horses, hay and leather. She playfully flirted with the young men who obviously thought her to be one of Lynley's lot. Before she had come to the Spa in Cornwall she had bought a new country style coat of high quality - and of a high price, so she thought she never ever again had to buy a new one - plus the way the stable master treated her - he had given her a kiss on the hand and Barbara had to suppress a chuckle because he really had meant it serious - plus the familiar way she acted with the Earl may have given this wrong impression to the boys. Barbara enjoyed herself, loved to be playfully courted and answered the flirtings lightheartedly and with pure joy but without recognising that Tommy was inwardly fuming. On the other hand Tommy in his bad mood missed how she flourished, how she had her fun, how she loved how she was treated and that the whole banter with those boys only was a funny game that simply boosted her self esteem. His dislike of the flirt with the boys was purely selfish of course.
He suddenly found out that he was seriously jealous.
His mood though lightened up a bit when the boys, after a sharp word from the stable master, turned busy with their horses again and Tommy had some private time with Barbara and his beloved gelding. His radiating enthusiasm when they met the horse was infectious. Barbara only could listen to his stories from colt time on and watched happily how he told them. He was so at ease when he was with horses and the dog that seldomly left his side when he was at Howenstow. Tommy should come down here more often and not only to functions or duties or when his siblings were around, she thought. He could refuel his inner peace in the stables and on horseback. She smiled at Tommy without really having heard what he had said and without realising that she inwardly called him by his given name.
"Maybe tomorrow morning we'll find some spare time to ride?" Tommy then asked. "I'd love to see you in a saddle."
This prospect brought her out of her reveries.
"Bollocks, Sir, I should not mount one of those hugest horses in England. I'd better start with a pony. Or a donkey." she added laughing.
They stood close, next to the horse's head, feeding it with old bread rolls, caressing its nostrils. By the mentioning of donkeys and Barbara's happy laughter something inside of him snapped into place so Tommy finally stepped even closer and was about to kiss her without warning. Unfortunately his bloody horse stepped forward and between them. The moment was gone immediately and Tommy was none the wiser how Barbara would react. Deep inside he cursed the horse and nearly wished for a butcher.
Since the horse was just an innocent animal Tommy only bumped his head onto its neck and silently moaned in frustration.
Barbara had been totally unaware of what had (or had not) happened and continued to caress the horse's head talking about her donkey rides on the beach during holiday with her parents.
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