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Back The Library Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

His expression changed and the belly laughs started. To be fair he did have the belly for it. He kept pointing at me and then Maggie and hooting with laughter. He handed Maggie a wrench, which she shoved into her pocket. ‘That the size you needed?’

‘Yes, thank you.’ Her words were very precise. Savage carried on laughing as he meandered up the track. I’d have quite liked to make him eat grass.

36

MAGGIE

Maggie wasn’t expecting to get a reply to the letter for ages yet so when she walked down to the front gate to collect the post she was bowled over to find a tell-tale brown envelope there. The sudden rush of excitement was short-lived as trepidation took over. She grasped the letter and stared at it. Was a quick reply good news or bad? She didn’t know. She felt hot and cold like she was coming down with flu and her pulse had quickened. This was ridiculous.

A car turned into the driveway behind her. She folded the envelope carefully and popped it in her pocket.

‘Maggie. How’re the martial arts lessons going?’ said Savage with a chuckle.

Maggie halted. ‘Fraser, I’m busy. I’m sure you are too. Is there anything you want other than to make feeble jokes?’

He cleared his throat, suitably scolded. His face returned to its usual dour pose. ‘How are the dogs doing?’ he asked, leaning out of his mud-splattered Land Rover.

‘They’re all fine. Rusty’s a good mother.’ She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket to touch the envelope.

‘Grand. The last of the cades will be out in the field any day so I can have the dogs back whenever. Your call.’

‘Right. I’ll keep hold of them for a few more days if that’s okay. The pups are a bit more interesting now they’ve opened their eyes. And me laddo is rather fond.’

‘Fine by me,’ said Savage and his vehicle lurched off across the potholes.

A lift would have been nice, thought Maggie as she set off back to the house. It was going to be a wrench for Tom to let the puppies go. It was a shame Savage was by nature offhand or she’d have suggested Tom could occasionally go up to his farm to see them, but she knew the gruff farmer wouldn’t be keen on that. The dogs had a purpose like everything on his farm – they either worked or made him money.

*

She put the kettle on and sat down at the kitchen table. Rusty came to check who it was, had a bit of a fuss and went back to the puppies. Maggie pulled the envelope out of her pocket and placed it reverently on the table. She wasn’t sure how long she sat and stared at it. Myriad thoughts tumbled over in her mind. Spikes of panic littered her worried brain.