The thought came into his head and he knew now with strange clarity what needed to be done.

Next time he would teach it a lesson.

A flutter of excitement began to build from somewhere within and he leaned back, his face breaking into a satisfied smile.

For he knew without a doubt that there would be a next time.

CHAPTER 1

2012

Our move to the sleepy backwater of Avoncote seemed to have been written in the stars. After four years of unwedded bliss with my partner, Jack, I had been shocked, although delighted, to discover that I was pregnant. I was apprehensive about telling Jack, since it wasn’t something we had planned – at least, not at that point in time. After my initial burst of euphoria, I began to worry that he might not share my enthusiasm, or worse still, he might actually hate the idea. What if it spelled the beginning of the end of our relationship? I remember sitting in the tiny kitchen in our flat that afternoon, clutching the fateful plastic wand in my hand as my coffee turned cold, a thousand scenarios playing out in my mind. My – our – whole world had suddenly been turned on its head.

Hearing the door slam as Jack walked in after work, my stomach clenched. Staring at the evidence in my hand, a lump rose in my throat.

He stuck his head round the door, his hair tousled, a smile lighting his whole face.

‘Hey, you. Good day?’ Miserably I lifted my eyes to meet his gaze. His brow creased into a frown.

‘What’s up?’

Tentatively I handed over the pregnancy test, its tell-tale blue line facing upwards.

He looked, open-mouthed, from me to the wand and back again. His blue eyes were wide and unreadable. I felt sick. My hands were bunched into fists, nails digging into my clammy palms.

The wind was knocked from me as, without warning, he lifted me off the stool suddenly, swinging me round until I was giddy. I’d never seen him so excited. I hadn’t anticipated that the prospect of bringing a child into the world would mean so much to him. That I had been worried about nothing.

Two days after I had broken the news, Jack arrived home with an enormous bouquet of roses. I peeled off the cellophane and a small cardboard box fell to the floor. My stomach turned over.

‘What’s this?’ I looked up to see him grinning broadly, his head cocked to one side, watching for my reaction.

‘I’ve no idea. Open it and find out.’

With trembling fingers, I lifted the lid to find an unusual ring, gold, with a large diamond flanked either side by topaz. I gasped. I hadn’t expected this at all.

‘To match your bewitching eyes.’ He smiled, a little uncertain. ‘Well, what d’you reckon, Stina? Will I do?’

I was stunned. ‘Is this … a proposal?’