Two Land Rovers clattered over the rise and down to meet them. Douglas, the head gamekeeper, climbed out of one and Isaac the other. Nory’s stomach gave a clench of excitement at the sight of him that even her stupid brother’s veto couldn’t quash. Dev might be a vision of perfection, but there was something about Isaac’s wiry frame and intense expression that made Nory’s limbs go bendy. He smiled when he saw her and pushed his dark hair out of his eyes. Nory resisted the urge to flick her hair and giggle.

She was stuck somewhere between being annoyed that Isaac put his friendship with Thomas over her and being impressed that he was such an honorable friend. She was also more than a little thrilled at the idea of a clandestine affair behind her brother’s back. Was that weird? Why was this so complicated? Perhaps she should follow Ameerah’s lead and commit to man-Barbies only.

A cheer went up from Charles and Guy, with shouts of “Come on!” and “Get in there, my son!” as they punched the air, when Douglas showed them the guns they’d be using.

“God, it’s like being with football hooligans,” said Pippa.

“Do you think they’ll be as competitive at shooting as they were at everything at school?” asked Ameerah.

“Shit, I hope not,” said Jenna. “One of them will end up dead.”

“Were they competitive with each other as well? I’d always thought it was just Guy being ambitious,” Camille piped up.

“They were hideous,” Pippa replied bluntly. “Those two could turn anything into a competition.”

“They once held a contest to see who could hold the most popping candy in their mouths,” Nory added.

“Remember that time they tried to see who could get the most detentions in a week?” said Pippa.

“Guy was almost expelled after that,” Nory told Camille.

“I wonder what his father would have said about that,” Camille pondered.

It was common knowledge that Guy’s father, a military man, expected great things from his children. Nothing could be worse in his eyes than a member of his family bringing embarrassment upon the family name. Guy and his father had the kind of relationship where Guy fought against his father while constantly seeking his approval. For his father’s part—at least, this was how it appeared to Guy’s friends—he wanted his son to be subservient, dominating, and respectable. And by respectable it was generally understood that this meant “behave appallingly, just don’t get caught.”

Three underkeepers had already left with a pack of short-haired pointers trotting at their heels. The pickers—the people who help with the retrieval of the shot birds—were already at the site.

Ameerah sidled up to Nory and maneuvered her away from the others.

“So, how did it go with the gardener? Did you get to play with his big hard telescope?”