My brain froze as he kissed me in little waves. Some of them very soft and some a bit harder. He pressed his hands all up my spine as he kissed me. And I just completely lost myself in it. Every bit of me felt connected to the kiss. He put the tip of his tongue between my lips and softly stroked it across the inside of my upper lip and then my lower lip. I could have stayed there kissing him forever.

Charlie smiled down at me and ran his hands through my hair, then said, “Well, that was good for a start, wasn’t it, miss?”

I couldn’t speak I was so happy. He put his arms round me.

He said, “So is it me or the shrew murderer?”

I said, “It’s you.”

He nodded. “Very wise.”

And he bent down and kissed me again on the mouth. Then he said to me, “Wow, this is going to be good.”

And kissed me again.

So all’s well that ends well. And I do mean that.

When we got back to the bonfire everyone was still dancing and laughing.

Seth put Flossie over his shoulder and danced about with her and then Flossie put Seth over her shoulder.

Vaisey and Jack did a drum duet.

Jo and Phil were taking turns to hit each other with the rubber dumbbells.

And whilst The Biancas (Lav, Dav, and Noos) were singing “Isn’t She Lovely,” Dil Bottomly had Ben pinned against a tree.

And Hoppy?

Hoppy was showing Blaise his hopping.

But, best of all, a flaming sausage had ignited Dr. Lightowler’s cloak and Bob had to wrestle her to the ground and beat it out with his special fire blanket.

After we said good-bye to our boyfriends, the Tree Sisters and I walked back to Dother Hall, arm in arm. Flossie said, “Girls, I am so goddammed pooped. I got up to Number Six on the Lululuuuve List with an animal in trousers.”

Vaisey said, “Ooooh, well, Jack had to play the drums all night, so mostly we, well, mostly we did Number Two.”

We all hugged her and said, “Aw, that’s a shame.” But Vaisey hadn’t finished.

She said, “But when everyone was eating their sausages we got to Number Six.”

Jo punched Vaisey on the arm and said, “Rock on, sister! Phil and I never stopped doing Number Six all night!”

There was a little silence, then Vaisey squeezed my arm and said, “Did you . . . ? Did Charlie . . . ? Erm . . . did you get on the Lululuuuve List?”

I took a deep breath, then said, “What comes after five?”

And me and my Tree Sisters danced all the way back to our theater of dreams.

Later, in my squirrel bed, I heard a scrabbling at the window. When I looked out, the owlets were there. Looking at me.

I can’t help loving them. And I know they love me in their own wild way.