“I’m sorry,” Gwen said again. “That lawyer was here too, and he wasn’t helpful at all, he kept asking me—”
“Wait, what lawyer?” Anika asked.
“The one Marco sent. I thought he was going to help me with Margaret Givens, but he didn’t answer any of her questions or help with any of the paperwork, he just sat there listening the whole time, and then afterwards he wanted me to give him all the documentation as well—”
“Gwen,” Anika interrupted, “what are you talking about? There was a lawyer here? From Bennet Knight?”
“Yeah.”
“Marco sent him?”
“That’s right.”
“And he wanted copies of what?”
“Everything. Not just the application, but a bunch of other stuff too—sales reports, employee records…I gave him some of the stuff, but for the rest of it I said he needed to talk to you. Did he talk to you?”
Anika shook her head, utterly confused.
“Nobody talked to me,” she said.
She didn’t know why Marco had sent a lawyer over without telling her. Maybe he thought it would be helpful, since she wouldn’t be there with Gwen? But it sounded like he hadn’t been helpful at all.
She shook her head. She didn’t have time to stress over it at the moment. She had to catch up on what she’d missed and get hold of Aunt Molly.
Anika called her aunt repeatedly while answering emails, until Molly finally picked up.
“Yes?” Aunt Molly said sleepily.
Anika had forgotten it was five hours later in Portugal, and Aunt Molly went to bed early.
“I’m sorry Aunt Molly,” she said. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“It’s fine, I wasn’t even sleeping,” Molly lied kindly.
“I need to bring some paperwork over this weekend. Will you be back by then?”
“I fly home tomorrow. Why don’t you come Saturday, to Liam’s place? Your place I mean,” she amended hastily. “We’re having lunch together. If you come early, you can go for a ride first.”
“Sure,” Anika agreed. She was more concerned with the paperwork than the horses at the moment, but she remembered guiltily that it had been a long while since she’d been out to see them.
* * *
Anika tookthe train out early Saturday morning.
As she summoned an Uber at the station, she looked up at the sky, which was gray and heavily clouded. The air was warm but thick with humidity. She didn’t mind if it rained a little while she was riding, but she hoped it wouldn’t pour.
As the Uber pulled up the long drive to the estate, she was pleased to see Aunt Molly already out by the stables in riding kit. Molly looked very tan from the Portuguese sun. She waved happily when saw Anika drive up.
“Do you want company?” she asked. “I brought my boots.”
She lifted one foot to show Anika that she was wearing her favorite riding boots which, in contrast to her crisp, clean blouse and breeches, were old and worn beneath layers of polish. Anika knew they had been made to measure by Jock, the stable master before Tom. Anika’s mother had owned an identical pair.
“Of course I’d love company,” Anika said. “I want to hear all about your trip.”
Tom brought out two of the horses, Domino and Goliath. He didn’t have to be told their preferences. Aunt Molly always liked Domino, who was gentle and responsive, while Goliath had been Anika’s favorite from the time he was their strongest and brightest—though very ill-behaved—foal.
“Where’s Liam?” Anika asked, as she helped Tom to saddle the horses.