Midsummer's Magic

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

They spent an hour digesting lunch and drinking coffee and then Ginny grabbed Beth to find something suitable to wear. 

Sitting in Ginny's bedroom while she rummaged through her wardrobe for clothes, Beth felt relaxed enough to broach the subject of Ginny's feelings for Liam. 

"So, Ginny, you have a thing for Liam then?" 

Ginny turned her head and looked at Beth for a few moments. 

"I used to have a bit of a crush on him, but he made it quite clear that nothing was ever going to happen between us. He has always looked upon me as more of a sister since we basically grew up together." 

Beth wasn't sure what the flutter in her stomach was when she heard this. "Oh, right." she said. 

"So, what did you say to him last night that set him off?" 

Ginny flushed slightly and looked away. "God, this is really embarrassing, and please don't hate me for this," she looked pleadingly at Beth. 

Confused, Beth didn't know what to say. 

"Ok, I better be honest with you. Before you came over to the bar, I noticed Liam standing there, staring at you with a weird far-away look in his eyes. So I thought, maybe, he was starting to come to his senses." 

"No, please tell me you didn't," cried Beth. 

"Um, sorry, yes, I pointed out to him that mooning over you wouldn't help and he would have to actually speak to you. That's when he bit my head off." 

Beth put her head in her hands and groaned. "Ginny, how could you?" 

"Oh, Beth, I am sorry. Mummy's always telling me off for interfering in other people's love lives, but I can't seem to help it." 

Beth fell back onto Ginny's bed and screamed. 

Ginny scrambled up from the wardrobe and sat next to Beth. 

"I am so sorry, Beth. It was just that I saw something in his eyes that I haven't seen since the accident. It was like someone had flicked a switch and the life had come back, even if it was just for a moment." 

Beth looked up at Ginny. She looked genuinely sorry. 

"Look, Ginny, I can understand you trying to help a friend but you don't even know me. I don't do relationships and certainly not with some guy who is emotionally traumatised. Believe me; I have enough of my own problems without taking on anyone else's." 

Ginny's eyes lit up. "So, I was right then. You do have some deep, dark secret that you're hiding from. Do tell, was it a steamy relationship that went horribly wrong?" 

When she saw Beth's face close as if a shutter had fallen, she realised she had been too intrusive and stood the chance of ruining the tentative friendship that had been growing between them. 

"Sorry, sorry, I am being an idiot again and poking my nose into your private business. Please forgive me Beth, but if you ever feel like talking about it, I will be here." She held Beth's hand and smiled tentatively. 

Beth felt tears well in her eyes but shook them off and smiled back. "I know you didn't mean to pry Ginny, but it's not something I am comfortable talking about. And no, it wasn't a man." She squeezed her hand back and sat up. 

Ginny shook herself and stood up. "Well then, let's get you togged up. The others will be getting impatient by now." 

By the time they got to the yard, the others were mounted and waiting for them. 

"Come on, you two," shouted Rory, "The horses are getting antsy waiting." He was riding a beautiful, black horse, whose coat shone in the sunlight. In his hands were the reins of a slightly smaller, palomino mare. 

Beth was a bit nervous, as it had been quite a while since she had last ridden, but Rory smiled at her and asked if she needed a leg up. She grinned back, shook her head, put her leg in the stirrup, and pulled herself up into the saddle. 

"Peaches is pretty calm, but I'll stay beside you just in case," he said. 

"Thanks," she replied. Gathering up the reins, she nudged Peaches forward to follow Ginny and the other three out of the yard. 

They walked at a steady rate along the lanes with Rory keeping up a relaxed conversation about nothing in particular and trying to help Beth build her confidence. 

When they turned down the lane towards her cottage, she looked at Rory with her eyebrows raised. 

"That bridle path is the one that Bunny was going on about. It goes through the field at the end, and will take us down to the beach where we can let the horses' heads go," he answered. 

"Great, I haven't ever ridden on a beach, should be fun." she replied. 

They rode on into the field and followed a path along the side of what Beth presumed was wheat swaying in the breeze. When she saw Ginny stand in her saddle and raise her arm to wave at something over to their left, she looked over to see a tractor at the other side of the field. Liam was standing beside it, watching them. He raised his arm in a brief wave back and then climbed back into the cab. 

Beth was still staring across the field when her right leg bumped Rory's. Turning her attention back to riding, she noticed the path was narrowing in between gorse bushes. "It's single file from now on," he said to her. "Just follow me and take it steady as it gets a bit steep going down to the beach." He kicked his horse on in front of her, and they started to descend along a narrow track heading down towards the beach. She couldn't see much over the gorse bushes until they turned a final corner and the view took her breath away. In front of her was an amazing cove in between steep cliffs of granite. The beach wasn't huge but was long enough for a good gallop and the sand was flat and golden. There were a few dunes near the opening of the track with the odd bit of grass bravely pushing through. The sea was calm and a deep azure blue gently lapping the shoreline, and there was no one else there. It was totally deserted. 

Rory grinned at her, "What do you think of our little bit of Cornish heaven, free from emmits?" 

"Wow, it's amazing," she exclaimed. "But how come it's deserted apart from us?" 

"Ah, well, it's our village's little secret. We don't allow signs to it and only the locals know about it, so it remains unspoilt and private." 

"Well, I know where I will spend a lot of my free time now that I know how close it is to my cottage. That is, if I'm allowed," she smirked at Rory. 

"Of course, you live here now. As long as you keep it quiet, you can use it all you like. In fact, we should come down for a picnic sometime." 

"That sounds like a great idea. Now, let's catch up with the others," she kicked Peaches on with a whoop and started cantering towards the others who had already made their way to one end of the beach. 

Ginny was grinning when they pulled up, "It looks like you have your confidence back. So come on, last one to the other end buys the drinks later." She turned her horse around and leaned forward to kick into a gallop. 

Rory and Beth looked at each other and grinned. They both let out whoops of glee as they urged their horses into a gallop as well. 

Beth had not felt such exhilaration in such a long time. She relished every moment as she flew across the beach, and her horse splashed in the shallows. With spray dampening her jodhpurs, the wind whipped her hair behind her. Ginny and the others were in front, as they had a head start, so Beth urged Peaches on faster with Rory by her side. He was obviously holding his faster horse back as it kept raising its head trying to pull away. "You go on Rory, let him have his head. I'll meet you at the end," she shouted. 

"Ok, see you there," he loosened the reins and shot forward at full gallop. 

Beth watched him go and found herself quite enjoying the view of his firm backside and long, muscular legs as he leaned forward to urge his horse on.