The 'Cousins'

Chapter 103 (Alpha)

A/N: This chapter is in three parts. It winds up the day for Friday 20th April 2007 and introduces two important characters that have been mentioned a number of times, but have not yet appeared in the story. Ross Noble, owner of most of Cripps County and grandee of Bamptonville has a hankering to go into politics and is spending the week with Senator Sep Fields - learning how to become and act as a Senator . Enjoy

Chapter103(Alpha)Introducing Ross Noble and Senator Sep Fields

"Time now for the highlight of the evening Ross, you ready for this?" A short, corpulent man wearing a white tuxedo rubbed his hands together with childish glee.

His companion, a tall, upright person carrying an air of authority loosened the jacket buttons on his midnight blue tuxedo and replied with exaggerated interest. "I guess so Sep, let's see what that horse of yours did for you today."

The smaller man made regular appearances on TV news programs, where he became famous for his customary uniform of a white suit, black bootlace tie and white, Panama fedora hat: instantly identifying him to most citizens of the USA as Sep Fields, the veteran senior senator for Nebraska.

To most people, Fields' silver haired, distinguished looking companion was one of those persons who appear familiar to them, but for whom they were unable to put a name; Ross Noble's commanding presence had that effect on people.

"Let's get at it," Fields grinned broadly, pushing open the double doors to a masculine den furnished in heavy American Empire style - rosewood, bird's eye maple, ormolu, books, photographs and red leather.

The two men walked into the den pulling their ties loose from around their throats and closing the doors behind them.

Noble spoke. "I wish to thank you kindly for yet another great day and another magnificent dinner Sep. Sybil certainly knows how to set a table fit for a king. I can feel these pants tightening up on me, good job I'm going home at the weekend."

Fields chuckled, inserting a memory stick into a wide screen TV on the wall. "Sybil's cooking was one of the many good reasons I married her all them years ago Ross. Now you pour us some drinks if you will, while I get the show set up."

Noble moved across to an adjacent wall and a sideboard laid with a decanter of Hennessy XO brandy on a silver tray with two large goblets. He poured the drinks and carried them across the room, placing them on the coffee table set in front of the Chesterfield sofa facing the TV.

Fields hurried over to seat himself on the sofa carrying a remote control in one hand and a stopwatch in the other. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"I'm ready." Noble sat down at one end of the Chesterfield, crossing his legs to watch the after dinner ritual he had witnessed on the last five evenings on retiring to the private den in Fields' palatial mansion and stud farm north of Omaha where he was spending the week as a guest.

A flicker of a smile crossed Noble's lips on observing the intense concentration with which Fields studied the screen as he simultaneously worked the remote control buttons and the stopwatch.

Ross Noble knew better than to speak or distract his host during the run of the video and sat in silence, watching the same horse run the same distance as it had on the previous five evenings. Field's top hand filmed the stallion, Harlequin, running the mile distance at the same time in the afternoon each day for his boss's after dinner delight.

Fields pressed the stopwatch the instant the horse passed the finish. "Yeeees," he cried out in joy, jumping on the spot without his feet leaving the floor. "One fifty-four, he's getting better everyday and I reckon he'll do one fifty one on a sulky before the Little Brown Jug."