Favourite. chapter 7 part three

This novel is fictional, you should not look for intersections with historical events. This is a continuation of Nikita Savelyev’s Racing Action Movie, first published on F1News.ru…

Favourite. chapter 7 part three

A match was lit in the semidarkness, there was a smell of sulfur, and the bright flame of a cigarette lit up Evie’s pretty face from below.

– Do you still smoke? observed Neville. – In bed?

– Don’t grumble. Only when I’m drinking,” Evie replied, puffing skillfully. By the way, where’s the champagne?

Neville turned the bottle upside down and poured the rest into the girl’s glass.

– Everybody!

There’s a bucket of ice on the table, look. You see how resourceful I am.

“Just when they finished the bottle,” Neville said in surprise.

And in fact, as soon as he arrived at a small, tidy house hidden in the shade of cypress trees, Evie jumped out to meet her, and the stormy joy of the meeting and strong hugs quickly forced them to move to the bedroom.

“You know, you don’t have a trace of remorse on your face,” a sly smile appeared on Evie’s lips.

– Why is this? Marcel wondered, struggling with a champagne cork.

– We haven’t seen each other since that memorable meeting in April, and now at the end of September. At least try to find me.

Neville finally succeeded, the naughty plug happily rushed out, Evie gasped obediently, and Neville deftly held the cork, not letting a single drop of fizzy drink disappear, and carefully poured the liquid into the glasses.

“We didn’t agree on anything. I could call, but where to? To your mansion and run into Mr. Carragher? He knows I never call there, that would seem suspicious. Write more letters. And again, what address? When I was in England I carefully asked if you were home a few times, but I got a negative answer, Neville said in detail.

Of course, sometimes he felt a slight pang of conscience when he thought of Evie. And he swore to himself that he would surely find a way to contact her tomorrow, but there he was again swept up in the whirlwind of endless racing days, and he reassured himself – one more race, and there he would be all do to find her. And so all those months.

“By the way, you weren’t at any stage,” Neville said reproachfully.

“And you’re going to be an experienced diplomat, I’m to blame for that too,” Evie smiled.

“You have no idea how terribly busy I’ve been, both in the race and on the road. I have traveled tens of thousands of kilometers on European highways.

– I’m crying right now.

– I was terribly bored.

“You’re lying,” Evie concluded mercilessly.

“Please don’t be angry,” Neville held out his hand to the girl.

– Pathetic attempts to make amends? – Evie deftly dodged. – Will not work!

“And what have you been doing all this time?”

– Traveled.

– And where is?

– Wiesbaden. Marienbad. Alps. More Geneva. You cannot remember everything.

– I wonder with whom?

“Oh, isn’t that jealousy?” It’s strange to hear from someone who hasn’t bothered to ask where I’ve gone.

– You understand how difficult the life of a racer …

– Where can I…

Neville paused, frantically considering how to change the subject of danger, but Evie didn’t seem to want to escalate the conflict herself.

– I hope you don’t jump on a horse again and run off to perform feats? I’m in no rush to go anywhere as a socialite, and you can afford a few weeks off at the end of the season. We’ll have a great time.

‘Only how to explain to Mr. Carragher why I decided to stay in Italy for a long time,’ Marcel thought.

“You are not his son, why explain anything at all?”

He tries to keep his pilots in sight.

“I recognize Dad with his desire to be in control,” Evie sighed. – He’s been like this since childhood. Mom died, I hardly remember her, but my father ran the business and gave me time, and besides, he managed to participate in races. During the war he sent me away from the coast, and although, they say, it was very difficult for the factory then, he still came to me in fits and starts. Even though we didn’t live very well, I still tried to make sure I had the very best. Well, after forty-fifth things went uphill, the father successfully integrated into the new reality.

“Only controlling you is a problem,” Neville pointed out.

“Who do you think I’m so headstrong about?” He gave me character himself. Plus, I rocked his alertness with exercise, and by then it was already too late. He does not have the heart to deprive me of money, after all, the only child has tried to find me a job several times and waved his hand. Or maybe I’m not completely lost? I wish I could find something really interesting. How did you find out you love racing?

– When I first got behind the wheel. I still remember those feelings. I raced in amateur races with the same fools.

Did you get through it quickly? At the age of twenty-two he was already skating among the champions.

– In those hectic post-war years it was not difficult, then they drove everything, if only there were four wheels and a steering wheel. Sometimes they went to the start on such wild constructions. And there who perish happily.

Are you shy again?

– Not at all. In those days you could start almost immediately with the upper class, but now there is more order. I have a feeling that soon, to break through, it will be necessary to go through a lot of junior series.

“Isn’t it too late for me to race?”

– It’s individual. Mater even wins at fifty.

“Daddy will probably strip him of his inheritance immediately,” Evie grinned. – What if I become a timekeeper?! I saw a lot of racer wives with stopwatches.

– Won’t it get boring? Marcel hesitated. – Hang by the side of the road for hours.

“Don’t you believe in me again?” Evey was outraged. – Our meetings will become more frequent: during the races we will secretly exchange loving glances, and at night you will sneak into my bedroom under the cover of night. Romance!

“Just tell your father about us?” Marcel asked. – You have long been an adult and independent, and I am not a beggar. Will he be against it?

– Father is a man of the old formation.

“But doesn’t he think that because you’re away from home for months, you’re not living the most virtuous lifestyle?”

– And where did you get it? Evie frowned. – And if I only splash in mineral springs, inspect the masterpieces of architecture with a breath and disappear in art galleries? What a low opinion you have of me, Mr Reed! They warned me, these racers are solid cynical womanizers. And I did not believe – in vain, by the way.

“Well…” Neville was confused.

“Okay, take it easy,” Evie reassured him. “I am not a blue stocking with an ugly bun on my head and an ugly dress to hide my crooked legs.

The girl immediately put her beautiful long leg out from under the blanket and pulled it up.

“You have absolutely nothing to hide,” Neville hastily assured him.

– Can you imagine if women’s skirts were shorter? Like tennis players. What would I look like?

“All the men turned their necks and looked back at the trail,” Neville assured, admiringly.

– Fire me. And so there is no end to them at the resorts,” Evie complained with feigned indignation. – Or the gentlemen in years decide to practice my former skills on me, then assertive youth wakes up, then some gigolo decides that a huge bouquet is enough, and I will melt. It’s terribly hard for a girl. And with a satellite they do not try to climb, gentlemen are not yet extinct.

“And where do you get . . . satellites?” Neville pursed his lips in displeasure.

– Oh, nevermind. Well, what are you frowning about? Believe me, I do not rush to extremes, and I do not lead a monastic lifestyle, and I do not hang myself by the necks of the firstcomers. Nice girl. Almost,’ Evie concluded lightly.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be hiding after all?” And I will talk to Mr. Carragher like a man, I will say that everything is serious with you.

“Wait a minute,” Evie waved her off. “We don’t really know each other. Yes, and I somehow did not hear any fiery confessions from you.

– I AM…

“No impromptu,” Evie sighed. – I feel incredibly good with you, but I suggest not to rush. And in general, you and I are an atypical couple – no long courtship, walks under the moon, awkward verses of our own composition.

– We can always catch up. Let’s go for a walk? Does a month instead of the moon suit you? suggested Neville.

– We’ll be fine, – mischievous lights began to play in Evie’s eyes. – In the meantime … Don’t you think, Mr. Reid, our stop in the pits has been postponed?

– What else? Neville didn’t realize it right away. – Ah…

“They say riders react quickly,” Evie sighed.

== To be continued…