Tanita meets Hunter (extract from the Centaur)

“Hello Hunter,” she said as her brother made his way towards her, staring. She studied him as he approached, the navy Brooks Brothers suit he was wearing with a pale-blue button-down shirt, and a silk heritage tie with matching handkerchief. She also noticed their father's gold Patek Philippe watch on his wrist. She knew that their father had intended her brother to inherit it, but the sight of it on his wrist somehow drove home the fact that she would never see her father again. She glanced down at her own watch, an inexpensive plastic one Mark had bought for her to replace the first watch he had given her, the one that had not survived a dip in the pond. In an attempt to mask the sadness that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her, she added brightly: “You've certainly cleaned up nicely!”

His attorney tried to hold him back and whispered something in his ear, but Hunter waved him off angrily.

“Who are you?” he demanded, anger in his eyes. He was obviously disconcerted by her height, and paused for a moment. He was forced to look up into her eyes, something he hadn't considered when he approached her, as she had always been somewhat shorter than he. “What are you?” he added with a sniff, sneering contemptuously as he tried to cover up his discomfort.

“I'm your sister,” she responded, wincing at his tone. “...and I'm now a... well, this.”

“My sister wasn't a horse,” he spat at her, “and she died. I have a death certificate.”

She threw him an injured pout. “Well, rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,” she replied, smiling tentatively, her pose submissive, with her shoulders hunched and her head tilted down as if she were looking over a pair of reading glasses. The crowd had begun closing in on them and she twitched her tail nervously, accidentally whipping a man who tried to get too close. She held her brother's gaze, neither saying a word. Jimmy, who had moved in closer to prevent anyone else from approaching her, lightly put his hand on her arm and asked her if she was all right. Suddenly realizing she was in the centre of a sea of people, she shook her head no.

“You won't get away with this!” Hunter Gaines yelled, shaking his fist dramatically as she turned around to follow Jimmy through the crowd. There were too many people and she was getting more uncomfortable by the minute as they shouted questions at her or reached out to touch her flanks.

He forced a path through the crowd, leading her to a side door to which he had moved the blind, but not before several curious hands had stroked her flanks and mane in passing. He'd been in her employment for several months and become attuned to her moods, and he could now sense her distress. He managed to restrain himself and not strike anyone, as he and one of the bailiffs made sure that no one followed them through the door. He then escorted her to a small waiting room that her attorney had requested, away from the public, and offered her a large glass milk-bottle of water.

She took it, drinking from it thirstily until it was drained, and then handed it back to her bodyguard for him to refill from a water cooler. She hung her head and whispered “What have I gotten myself into?” Jimmy, understanding the question to be rhetorical, kept silent.