*****
The following day, Anita woke up feeling like a weight had been lifted. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Bas but was glad that he finally knew how she felt. She had also just about survived her grandmother’s questioning about Marcus on the way home, turning the conversation to Bas and how she’d told him that she didn’t want to go to the ball with him instead. Cordelia had been pretty indignant about the whole thing. She thought Anita and Bas were perfect for each other and couldn’t imagine why Anita couldn’t recognise when she was on to a good thing, but she was glad to hear at least some of the details of Anita’s life, which placated her for the moment.
Anita decided today was a good day for a ride, and given her good spirits, for jumping in the woods. She galloped across the open field in the direction of the woods, feeling like she was flying as they easily cleared the ditch in the middle and hurtled towards the trees at breakneck speed. As she was approaching the woods, she felt extraordinary energy coming towards her through the trees. She slowed to a canter just as a colossal black stallion sailed over one of the enormous jumps out of the woods, circled wide into the field and headed back over the next jump, returning to the woods. Given the power of the energy that had come off the rider, along with their dishevelled hair, Anita knew it was Alexander. This was confirmed moments later when a bay stallion, also bearing a rider with powerful energy, but this one with neat, short hair, soared over the fence into view and completed the same wide circle before hurrying back into the woods after Alexander. Without thinking, Anita spurred her grey mare back to a gallop, heading for the corner of the woods, where she hoped she would be able to catch them up and join in with what was obviously a race.
Anita easily cleared the fence into the woods. As she landed, she heard hooves thundering just in front of her and to her right. She manoeuvred her mare, Iona, through the trees and came out just behind Alexander’s black stallion, who was preparing to launch them over the next jump. Anita hurriedly collected her mount and followed Alexander over, urging Iona up beside the stallion when they landed easily the other side. Alexander looked over at her as she came level with him. ‘What are you doing here?’ he shouted angrily.
‘I was out for a ride and saw the fun, so thought I’d join in,’ she replied impishly, flashing him a disarming smile and ducking to avoid a branch.
‘Has spectating ever occurred to you?’
‘Ha,’ she laughed, ‘don’t be ridiculous.’
Alexander pulled in front to clear the next jump, this one taking them back out of the woods into the field. The other side he hurtled towards the hedge between this field and the next and easily cleared it, Anita once again following him over without hesitation. Marcus had followed them out of the woods and was gaining ground, his stallion fast across the flat open field. He recognised Anita on the grey mare and urged his stallion faster still, catching Anita, who had dropped slightly behind Alexander before they reached the woods again.
‘Fancy seeing you here,’ Marcus shouted over to her.
‘Is that the only line you know?’ she quipped back.
‘If you ever agree to spend some time with me, maybe you’ll find out,’ he replied, as Alexander cleared another mammoth fence back into the woods. Anita followed him over, but Marcus clipped the fence as he jumped. His stallion lurched forward as they landed, Marcus thrown clear into the undergrowth, his horse bolting. Alexander and Anita, hearing Marcus’ expletives as he thudded to the ground, reigned in their mounts and turned back to see if he was alright, his stallion galloping past.
Anita leapt off Iona and ran to where Marcus had landed. He was trying to sit up as she got there and smiled when he saw it was her. ‘We meet again, Anita,’ he flirted. He can’t be too badly injured then, Anita thought, as she considered how to reply. However, before she could come up with something good, another voice piped up.
‘How careless of you to lose your steed, Marcus,’ Alexander goaded, as he walked towards them. ‘I do believe that means you owe me your next shipment of chocolate,’ he jeered triumphantly.
Anita felt Marcus’ energy turn. He was exceptionally angry. Alexander’s energy on the other hand brightened as soon as he felt Marcus’ rage. He was enjoying himself, but Anita couldn’t see why. Marcus had lost, Alexander hadn’t won. ‘And to lose in front of your girlfriend, well, I suppose more have to withdraw technically, how embarrassing for you.’ Anita had never felt energy as hostile as Marcus’ was now.
‘She’s not my girlfriend,’ he spat, through gritted teeth.
‘I see,’ said Alexander, lifting an eyebrow, ‘you can’t even get someone like her to go out with you. Interesting.’
Anita reacted badly to this. It was one thing to goad Marcus for loosing, even if he was taking it a bit too far, but it was quite another to insult her to her face like that. Anita’s energy turned hostile towards Alexander with a force that surprised him. ‘I may not be his girlfriend,’ she said easily, ‘but we are going to the ball together.’ She almost laughed when she saw the look on Marcus’ face. ‘It’s funny, I would have thought somebody as high and mighty as you wouldn’t have the time to gloat for so long about winning some poxy jumping game. Shouldn’t you be going?’
Alexander sniggered as he turned and galloped away. He forced his energy to remain light hearted until he was out of range for Anita to be able to read him, then allowed his true feelings to surface. He had been surprised by the venom that Anita had shown towards him, but what was even more surprising was that he felt hurt by it. His plan had sort of worked; he had wanted Anita to be under Marcus’ protection. It was unlikely that Austin would harm Anita whilst Marcus had feelings for her, although he hadn’t quite planned for it to happen like this. He hadn’t wanted to make her hate him in the process; he wanted to help her. He easily cleared the fence out of the woods and galloped towards home, trying to convince himself that he could rectify the situation, he just wasn’t sure how.
Marcus sat gobsmacked, staring up at Anita. ‘You’re coming to the ball with me?’ he asked.
‘It would appear so,’ she said, as surprised as Marcus and feeling the need to escape, to consider what she had just done. ‘Well I hope you have a good walk home,’ she said, mounting her mare.
‘What? You’re just going to leave me here?’ asked Marcus, his indignant, disbelieving tone comical. ‘You tell me you’ll go to the ball with me and then you just leave?’
‘Uh, yes. It would seem so.’
‘But I’ll see you before the ball?’
‘I’ll probably be at the Crownings, so you might see me there.’
‘But where should I pick you up?’
Anita thought briefly about this. ‘At my grandmother’s. Where you dropped me off the other day.’
‘Right, well I’ll let you know what time?’ Marcus stammered.
‘Great. I’ll look forward to it,’ she replied, in an entirely sterile way.
‘Me too,’ said Marcus hesitantly, not really sure what to say as Anita turned and cantered away, feeling a lot like he had just been flattened by an energy train.