“It was my idea,” Eleanor said, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. “Everyone has been calling the house and asking to see him. I figured why not just bring the mountain to them? Besides, we’ve barely seen you in days, and my brother misses his girlfriend. So here. We. Are.”

“Eleanor, I stopped by this morning,” Anna said. “When you were at Zumba class.”

“Yes, but Alexander said you stayed for five minutes and then flitted off, like you’ve been doing all week.”

Before Anna could say another word the starting shot sounded, and the race began. Anna peered through her binoculars. There were twenty-five horses participating in the event, staggered in groups of five for five seconds. Anna knew that five seconds was no time at all for a fast horse and soon they were all clumped together in a pack. Her heart started beating as fast as the hooves that thundered through the grass.

“Anna, Anna?” Eleanor whined. “I forgot my binoculars, can I use yours?”

“No,” Anna replied. “You should have brought your own.” She heard Eleanor stomp off in search of someone else to pester.

“Anna?” Alexander said, quietly. “Can I use your binoculars? I had given mine to Eleanor, but I guess she left them in the car.”

Wordlessly Anna handed her binoculars to Alexander but didn’t take her eyes off the horses, which were now rounding the first flagpole and would soon be heading back in front of them. From what she could tell, Vronsky had made the first three jumps easily. Maybe Beatrice was right, and Alexia was a natural. The horse he was riding was an experienced jumper and knew what to do.

Seconds later the first three horses were in front of them, all of them taking the low wooden fence with ease. The crowd cheered, as Anna did, delighted to see that her Alexia was in fourth place and gaining on the horse and rider ahead of him. Anna wished she could scream out Vronsky’s name loud enough for him to hear, but it was impossible. Alexander had grabbed her hand and pulled her close so she was standing right next to his chair.

“Can I have the binoculars back?” she asked, knowing she shouldn’t. “Please.”

“Of course, I’m sorry. You must have so many friends competing.”

Anna was watching the race, but she noted the displeasure in Alexander’s tone.

The crowd gasped as one of the horses knocked down the wooden beam in front of them, but since it was one of the last horses, there was no collision and the rider corrected the horse, able to continue much to everyone’s relief. Anna noticed Murf run out to set the pole back in place. She looked away from the finish line for just a moment, when she heard the screams.