Devils And Unicorns

Chapter 6

The announcement came over the loudspeaker through a frenzy of crackles and feedback: '...and the winner is... Jersey DEVIL!'

Was this a dream?

Florence turned to Martha, looking for some sign that it was real. Her friend's expression, wide-eyed with her hand clapped over her gaping mouth as though she had just witnessed some tremendous atrocity rather than a cause for celebration, suggested that it was real.

And then the pats on the back came, accompanied by a torrent of congratulations. Yes, this had to be real. It was far too vivid to be a dream.

"Martha!" Florence exclaimed.

"Florence...." Martha whispered, turning to look at her at last. "WE DID IT!" Her friend jumped up and down and threw her arms around Florence's neck, shaking her violently with joy.

The plan had worked perfectly. Despite Jersey Devil fighting for her head through the first few furlongs, Zac had dropped her in behind and managed to settle her enough to bring her off the boil. Luckily, Tierney's pacemaker set a strong pace, and in the closing stages the filly was set free. She unleashed the devastating turn of foot she had always displayed at home and passed the rest of the field like a dolphin gliding across the waves. She became a little unbalanced as she descended the shallow hill under the cliffs, but Zac straightened her up. In the final two furlongs, only Tierney could go with her, both horses running in parallel along the straight. Tierney drew level, but Jersey Devil's urge to stay in front had been rekindled; with plenty in hand she eyeballed the taller colt and held him back to score by half a length. It looked effortless; it was stunning.

Jersey Devil had won the Northwick Stakes.

Florence and Martha fought their way between well-wishers to the winner's enclosure, where just a few months previously they had celebrated the victory of Ruse in the Ramnock Stakes. The filly came in, covered in sand and sweat as she tossed her head above the crowd of people surrounding her.

Florence stopped as she observed her approach, taking in the ecstasy of the moment: the cheering of the crowd, the flash lights of a dozen cameras, the beauty of Jersey Devil herself. Only Ruse had ever made her feel this way before. She watched Martha run to the filly's head and take hold of the rein, planting a kiss on her nose and patting her liberally across her neck. When Zac jumped off her back, Martha grabbed him and gave him a messy kiss on the cheek as well, much to his chagrin.

Florence felt tears of relief stinging her eyes. This was their first taste of success in the demoralising three months that had passed since Ruse's departure, and she felt like they deserved it. And it was all thanks to Charlie.

No... wait... no it was not. True, he chose the horse. But it was not 'all thanks to Charlie'. It was actually thanks to Zac for getting her home, and to Martha for seeing to her needs and settling her in at Marsh Crossing. And, dare she admit it, Florence had played her part as well.

Where was Charlie, anyway?

Florence congratulated Zac as he passed her on the way to the scales. He graced her with that rare thing he passed off as a smile before he disappeared into the crowds. Martha was offering Jersey Devil a bucket of water as she flashed her perfect teeth at those gathered around, ever content to be the eye-candy in almost any picture.

"Well done, Flo," someone said. Florence uttered some vague words of thanks to the unknown supporter as she scanned the faces in the winner's enclosure for any sign of Charlie. Try as she might, she could not concentrate on celebrating the victory any further until she had ascertained his whereabouts. She did not know him well, but she knew that he was keen on Jersey Devil. Why was he not out here, rejoicing with the rest of them? After all, he owned most of the filly.