‘Look,’ said Jack. ‘I meant what I said. You don’t even have to think about fighting anyone. Stay on a while until you feel you’re ready for the next move, whatever that might be. Don’t rush. Things will get clearer and when you’re ready, you’ll know.’

‘Right now I don’t feel like I know a damned thing,’ said Belle.

‘Then stay. For now.’

‘OK,’ she said, and felt relieved. No decisions necessary. No need to examine the feeling she’d had when he’d grinned at her. No need to think about anything. Not even revenge.

125

Days passed. Ignoring Goldie’s loud protests and Jack’s warnings that she might be ‘a bit fresh’, Belle saddled up Lady Marmalade and took her out over the farm fields in the crisp bright sunshine.

I’m still alive, she thought, inhaling the fresh air, enjoying the power of Lady as she trotted and then cantered her briskly and then gave her her head and let her show her phenomenal speed in a full-out gallop over the rain-softened earth.

Later, she brushed the mare down, fed her and Goldie carrots and went to help Jack out by fetching a fresh hay bale. She couldn’t even lift it.

‘Want a hand?’ he said, smiling.

‘Yeah, funny,’ she said, and he cut the string and she fed the horses.

She went back into the house just as Jack was going out again, the towel over his shoulder.

‘See you in a bit,’ he said, and walked off around the back of the garden.

‘OK,’ said Belle.

She waited a few minutes and then, curiosity overcoming her, she followed him, back around the outside of the old house, nearly slipping on the moss-covered flagstones. She paused. There he was – heading along the edge of the overgrown bottom field. She crossed the yard and then followed in his footsteps, keeping her distance. He walked head down, his steps light, springy. He could keep that up for miles, she reckoned. Tough bastard. At the far corner of the field, he vanished from view and Belle hurried on until she saw the slope he’d gone down.

She could hear the rush of the river here, could smell its cool dampness in the air. So this was where he went every day. And then she saw him.

He was down by the edge of the river, facing away from her. The towel was on the ground and he was stripping off his shirt.

I ought to look away, thought Belle.