‘This is the poshest shop I’ve ever been in,’ said Carmen.
‘I can well believe that,’ said Crawford. Then, slightly more gently: ‘Where did you work before?’
She told him.
‘Ah, a sad day,’ he said. ‘I knew it well. Although rather good for me. The little girls of the west coast have to come get their jodhpurs from me these days.’
‘I like these,’ said Blair, pointing at a large pair of waders hanging up.
‘They’re for fishing,’ said Crawford.
‘Well, surely they’ll work in the snow too?’
Crawford and Carmen shared a look.
‘No’ here,’ said Crawford, bringing up the wellies.
‘They’re £300!’ said Carmen before she could help herself.
‘I’m going to bill the publishers,’ said Blair airily. ‘They’re the ones who left me in this mess.’
‘They sent the thundersnow?’
He tried on a pair with a tartan fold-over at the top, and looked at himself in the mirror, obviously liking what he saw.
Crawford nodded. ‘Although … ’ he said.
‘I know,’ said Blair. And in a twinkling of an eye he was in a changing room, trying on a pair of navy cords with a tweed shirt, a mustard waistcoat and a wildly expensive waxed overcoat. He’d texted the number of the airline to Carmen, but she was studiously ignoring it.
‘Ta-dah!’ he said, emerging as a full country gentleman. Carmen burst out laughing, but the smile faded as she saw the disappointment on his face.
Actually, he looked rather nice, if ready for a costume party. The waistcoat suited him wonderfully, showing off his broad shoulders; the cords balanced his slim bottom half.
‘Do you have a personal trainer?’ said Carmen.
‘Who doesn’t?’
Carmen rolled her eyes.
‘What time are we going to kill some foxes?’
‘Want to try the flat cap, sir?’
‘No,’ said Carmen. ‘I think that’s far enough. You don’t want to go full Nigel Farage.’
‘Idon’t,’ said Blair with a shiver. He looked at himself in the mirror.
‘This isn’t me at all,’ he said. ‘Am I wrong to like it?’
‘I like it,’ said Carmen.
‘Really?’
‘Really.’
‘Well, all right then.’
The bill was absolutely eye-popping, but Blair didn’t bat an eyelid, just tossed a gold credit card over the counter.
