Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
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Digging her hands deeper into her jacket pockets, Jan continued resolutely along the track. The air was certainly fresh, fresh enough to get rid of her hangover, she thought. Yet there was also a pungent, damp smell that you didn’t get in Wood Lane, which Jan supposed was caused by the fallen, rotting leaves. Tinder didn’t seem to mind. His short legs were disappearing into the mulch as he sniffed around, and pieces of leaves and twigs stuck to his fur. But although he didn’t mind the litterfall sticking to his coat, Jan noticed he was keeping very close to her. He seemed apprehensive and she supposed it was because he was in unfamiliar territory.
While it was somewhat creepy being all alone, Jan reminded herself that nature wouldn’t harm her. She wasn’t sure how far the track went, nor where the cottage lay in relation to it. She knew it would be on her right, but that was all. A few moments later she made a snap decision to try to find the cottage. Leaving the track, she turned right, further into the forest. Tinder stayed close and their pace slowed as the piles of rotting leaves deepened. In some places there were such small gaps between the trees she had to step around them and part bracken and ivy to forge a path. There was no sign of anyone else having ever been here.
Every so often Jan paused to look behind her to check she was walking in a straight line, so she would know how to get back to the track. It was disorientating being surrounded by so many tall trees. There was no horizon or landmark from which she could take her bearings. But she was as sure as she could be that she was heading in the right direction to where she hoped the cottage lay. The air was still and chilly here.
A few minutes later she was rewarded as the boundary hedge at the bottom of the cottage garden appeared between the trees. She made her way up to it and then found the gap in the hedge with her repair work visible on the other side, the crisscrossing pieces of wood still blocking the hole. It appeared to be standing up well, she thought.
She looked around. This was the spot where whatever it was had been getting in, though there was nothing to be seen now but more leaves and twigs. Nothing to suggest anyone or anything had been here. How brave she was in daylight, she thought, but best not overdo it.
She turned away from the hedge, ready to retrace her steps. She’d accomplished what she’d intended to and her confidence had grown by coming into the deepest part of the forest. She’d also been able to check the boundary fence.