Read Online Nothing to Lose by Christina Jones - Free Book Online
Authors: Christina Jones
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large, so she presumed she’d manage somehow. If only Andrew was more supportive, he might have come along tonight to help her. She giggled, imagining him in his chinos and immaculate shirts, frantically scribbling on the foolscap sheet at the back of the joint as she doled out tickets and yelled, ‘Eleven pounds to five, twenty three!’
‘Jasmine! Darling!’ Peg Dunstable suddenly powered her way out of the stands. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Nervous,’ Jasmine admitted, ‘but more confident than I was half an hour ago. I was just thinking I could do with someone to do the writing up. I’m scared I’ll make a mess of it.’
‘We’ll try and find someone,’ Peg nodded, her race-night Doris Day wig – one with impossibly bubbly layers and a fringe – dancing in time. ‘Of course Ewan will be able to help you out when he arrives. It’ll do him good to have a little job. Keep him out of mischief.’
Jasmine squeaked and puffed out her cheeks in a gesture of disbelief. Andrew would definitely break off the engagement – if she hadn’t already done it first, of course – if he thought she and Ewan were snuggled up together under Benny’s banner. Not that Ewan would be interested in her that way, she reminded herself quickly. Even if they hadn’t known each other so long that they were like brother and sister, Ewan had always been attracted to such beautiful women – oh, and, of course, he was still married to Katrina -even if he seemed to forget the fact on a regular basis. ‘I thought he’d have arrived by now.’
‘So did I.’ Peg flicked at the Peter Pan collar of her white shirt. It sat neatly over the lapels of a tightly fitting fifties-style black suit. It was definitely a steal from Move Over Darling. ‘I telephoned Katrina to see if they’d had a reconciliation and gathered from the invective that they hadn’t. As far as she knew he was in London – and she was more than happy for him to stay there from what I gathered.’ She sighed. ‘You know, I do think he’s got himself mixed up in something iffy this time.’
‘Of course he hasn’t,’ Jasmine grinned. ‘It’ll just be another married woman or something like that. He’ll be hiding from an irate husband.’
‘I don’t think so, pet, not this time. He told me he was in trouble, some undercover work or something, and Katrina said that he’d got involved with freedom fighters.’
‘Freedom fighters? Ewan?’ Jasmine rocked with laughter. ‘Idealistic he may be, but he’s also bone idle. I’m sure natural sloth and procrastination are not top of a mercenary’s must-have list. Katrina was probably just shit-stirring. And he was far more likely to have said underwear than undercover. Don’t worry, Peg. Ewan will turn up here before long.’
‘I sincerely hope so. I do like to be able to keep an eye on him.’ Peg patted Jasmine’s arm, pausing to peer into the distance as a volley of high-pitched yapping splintered the Tannoy’s version of ‘By the Light of the Silvery Moon’. ‘Damn! It sounds like one of the tourists has interfered with a dog! I’ll have to go and raise Cain. Now, you try your best tonight for Benny’s sake – and to cock a snook at your boring family – and I’ll pop along as often as I can. OK?’
Jasmine nodded as Peg marched away to bring order to the chaos which looked like erupting at the kennel end of the stadium. For Benny’s sake . . . She straightened her shoulders and picked up the chalk. As neither Roger nor Allan had put up their opening prices, she knew she’d just have to wing it. She’d always taken it so much for granted – the names of the dogs for each race just miraculously appeared, the prices beside each runner doing the same. For all her involvement, it had never occurred to her to ask her grandfather how these things actually materialised.
Of course, she knew that at the larger stadiums the bookmakers all had pre-printed disposable sheets to pin up prior to
‘Jasmine! Darling!’ Peg Dunstable suddenly powered her way out of the stands. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Nervous,’ Jasmine admitted, ‘but more confident than I was half an hour ago. I was just thinking I could do with someone to do the writing up. I’m scared I’ll make a mess of it.’
‘We’ll try and find someone,’ Peg nodded, her race-night Doris Day wig – one with impossibly bubbly layers and a fringe – dancing in time. ‘Of course Ewan will be able to help you out when he arrives. It’ll do him good to have a little job. Keep him out of mischief.’
Jasmine squeaked and puffed out her cheeks in a gesture of disbelief. Andrew would definitely break off the engagement – if she hadn’t already done it first, of course – if he thought she and Ewan were snuggled up together under Benny’s banner. Not that Ewan would be interested in her that way, she reminded herself quickly. Even if they hadn’t known each other so long that they were like brother and sister, Ewan had always been attracted to such beautiful women – oh, and, of course, he was still married to Katrina -even if he seemed to forget the fact on a regular basis. ‘I thought he’d have arrived by now.’
‘So did I.’ Peg flicked at the Peter Pan collar of her white shirt. It sat neatly over the lapels of a tightly fitting fifties-style black suit. It was definitely a steal from Move Over Darling. ‘I telephoned Katrina to see if they’d had a reconciliation and gathered from the invective that they hadn’t. As far as she knew he was in London – and she was more than happy for him to stay there from what I gathered.’ She sighed. ‘You know, I do think he’s got himself mixed up in something iffy this time.’
‘Of course he hasn’t,’ Jasmine grinned. ‘It’ll just be another married woman or something like that. He’ll be hiding from an irate husband.’
‘I don’t think so, pet, not this time. He told me he was in trouble, some undercover work or something, and Katrina said that he’d got involved with freedom fighters.’
‘Freedom fighters? Ewan?’ Jasmine rocked with laughter. ‘Idealistic he may be, but he’s also bone idle. I’m sure natural sloth and procrastination are not top of a mercenary’s must-have list. Katrina was probably just shit-stirring. And he was far more likely to have said underwear than undercover. Don’t worry, Peg. Ewan will turn up here before long.’
‘I sincerely hope so. I do like to be able to keep an eye on him.’ Peg patted Jasmine’s arm, pausing to peer into the distance as a volley of high-pitched yapping splintered the Tannoy’s version of ‘By the Light of the Silvery Moon’. ‘Damn! It sounds like one of the tourists has interfered with a dog! I’ll have to go and raise Cain. Now, you try your best tonight for Benny’s sake – and to cock a snook at your boring family – and I’ll pop along as often as I can. OK?’
Jasmine nodded as Peg marched away to bring order to the chaos which looked like erupting at the kennel end of the stadium. For Benny’s sake . . . She straightened her shoulders and picked up the chalk. As neither Roger nor Allan had put up their opening prices, she knew she’d just have to wing it. She’d always taken it so much for granted – the names of the dogs for each race just miraculously appeared, the prices beside each runner doing the same. For all her involvement, it had never occurred to her to ask her grandfather how these things actually materialised.
Of course, she knew that at the larger stadiums the bookmakers all had pre-printed disposable sheets to pin up prior to
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