far better when you smile. Cute, even. I see what my friend meant now. I could fancy you myself. I’m always on the lookout for a sexy guy in wellies!’
She gave a squeal of laughter and threw her head back. Neil laughed too, as she snorted with one hand hiding her mouth and the other brushing hair from her eyes.
Their giggles died and an awkward silence fell, as a sudden gunshot ripped right past them with a terrifying crack, and she screamed.
FOUR
The echo rolled out over the hills and hung in the air. Crows sprang from the trees and the sky filled with their startled cries. A figure stood on the bank, his breath steaming as he laughed.
‘I bet that woke you both up, eh?’
‘You fool!’ Tanya shouted back, her face screwed up with rage.
‘My little joke to keep you on your toes.’
The grinning figure walked towards them.
Neil shouted at him, too. ‘What do you think you’re doing? You could have hit someone, firing like that.’
‘Cool it, mate. I know what I’m doing. I was aiming for that tree, and that’s just what I hit. Bullseye.’
Tanya turned on him, still angry. ‘How did you know I was here? Did you follow me?’
‘Just keeping my eye on you, Tanya,’ he said. ‘After all, the beast could be after you.’
It was Joe Linsey from the kennels.
‘I see you’re having a little chat with my woman. Keep your hands off. We wouldn’t like to fall out, would we? Remember me from school?’
Neil couldn’t forget. People used to leave Joe alone. He would stand in the corner of the yard and preach, often with a crowd round him. He used to say he was some sort of prophet. Most people just said he was mad.
‘How could I forget you?’ Neil said. ‘Still crazy, I see.’
Tanya smiled again. ‘You’re dead right. I can’t think what I see in him. I must have a weakness for sexy wellies!’ She roared laughing again.
Joe looked Neil in the eye. ‘Have you seen this big cat thing? The panther on the loose. The sign of the beast is always with us.’
Tanya rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, here he goes. Preaching again. I tell you, he’s a nutter. He’ll start quoting the Bible now.’
Joe ignored her. ‘Joel chapter one, versesix. “It has the teeth of a lion and the fangs of a lioness.”’
Tanya reached for his hand. ‘He’s mad but he’s good with the hounds, aren’t you, love?’
‘They know I’m boss.’ He stroked the barrel of his gun. Neil couldn’t understand what Tanya saw in Joe.
‘He lets me sketch the hounds. I’m going to the hunt on Saturday. I want to paint a fox.’ Tanya said, as if she’d read his mind.
Joe snorted. ‘You’ll need to use a lot of red when they rip it apart. We don’t bother about the law round here. The ban on fox hunting hasn’t reached us!’
Tanya could see Neil had taken a dislike to Joe. ‘You could come and join us, Neil,’ she said. ‘We meet at The Nelson Inn at eleven o’clock. It’s the first hunt of the season.’
Joe sneered. ‘He’ll be working. He’s got to keep these woods safe from them that trespass. It must be tricky on his own, without his boss. And a tad lonely. When do you get time off?’
Neil didn’t like his questions. Why did he want to know?
High above the tree-tops across the river, the crows swarmed like angry flies. Joe’s eyes scanned the sky.
‘Ah, there it is. Our friend. On wings like eagles.’
A large bird rose above the hills, soaring on the air currents. It circled with outstretched wings as the crows scattered.
‘You could sketch that buzzard. That’s if Neil lets you get close.’
Neil said nothing. He knew Joe was testing him. It was no buzzard. This bird was different, with a forked tail. Neil lovedto watch it wheel above the woods, calling to its mate. But it was a rare sight. And Neil alone knew the exact tree where they nested.
The local pair of red kites brought bird watchers from far and wide. But that wasn’t all. They brought others, looking for ways to make easy money.
She gave a squeal of laughter and threw her head back. Neil laughed too, as she snorted with one hand hiding her mouth and the other brushing hair from her eyes.
Their giggles died and an awkward silence fell, as a sudden gunshot ripped right past them with a terrifying crack, and she screamed.
FOUR
The echo rolled out over the hills and hung in the air. Crows sprang from the trees and the sky filled with their startled cries. A figure stood on the bank, his breath steaming as he laughed.
‘I bet that woke you both up, eh?’
‘You fool!’ Tanya shouted back, her face screwed up with rage.
‘My little joke to keep you on your toes.’
The grinning figure walked towards them.
Neil shouted at him, too. ‘What do you think you’re doing? You could have hit someone, firing like that.’
‘Cool it, mate. I know what I’m doing. I was aiming for that tree, and that’s just what I hit. Bullseye.’
Tanya turned on him, still angry. ‘How did you know I was here? Did you follow me?’
‘Just keeping my eye on you, Tanya,’ he said. ‘After all, the beast could be after you.’
It was Joe Linsey from the kennels.
‘I see you’re having a little chat with my woman. Keep your hands off. We wouldn’t like to fall out, would we? Remember me from school?’
Neil couldn’t forget. People used to leave Joe alone. He would stand in the corner of the yard and preach, often with a crowd round him. He used to say he was some sort of prophet. Most people just said he was mad.
‘How could I forget you?’ Neil said. ‘Still crazy, I see.’
Tanya smiled again. ‘You’re dead right. I can’t think what I see in him. I must have a weakness for sexy wellies!’ She roared laughing again.
Joe looked Neil in the eye. ‘Have you seen this big cat thing? The panther on the loose. The sign of the beast is always with us.’
Tanya rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, here he goes. Preaching again. I tell you, he’s a nutter. He’ll start quoting the Bible now.’
Joe ignored her. ‘Joel chapter one, versesix. “It has the teeth of a lion and the fangs of a lioness.”’
Tanya reached for his hand. ‘He’s mad but he’s good with the hounds, aren’t you, love?’
‘They know I’m boss.’ He stroked the barrel of his gun. Neil couldn’t understand what Tanya saw in Joe.
‘He lets me sketch the hounds. I’m going to the hunt on Saturday. I want to paint a fox.’ Tanya said, as if she’d read his mind.
Joe snorted. ‘You’ll need to use a lot of red when they rip it apart. We don’t bother about the law round here. The ban on fox hunting hasn’t reached us!’
Tanya could see Neil had taken a dislike to Joe. ‘You could come and join us, Neil,’ she said. ‘We meet at The Nelson Inn at eleven o’clock. It’s the first hunt of the season.’
Joe sneered. ‘He’ll be working. He’s got to keep these woods safe from them that trespass. It must be tricky on his own, without his boss. And a tad lonely. When do you get time off?’
Neil didn’t like his questions. Why did he want to know?
High above the tree-tops across the river, the crows swarmed like angry flies. Joe’s eyes scanned the sky.
‘Ah, there it is. Our friend. On wings like eagles.’
A large bird rose above the hills, soaring on the air currents. It circled with outstretched wings as the crows scattered.
‘You could sketch that buzzard. That’s if Neil lets you get close.’
Neil said nothing. He knew Joe was testing him. It was no buzzard. This bird was different, with a forked tail. Neil lovedto watch it wheel above the woods, calling to its mate. But it was a rare sight. And Neil alone knew the exact tree where they nested.
The local pair of red kites brought bird watchers from far and wide. But that wasn’t all. They brought others, looking for ways to make easy money.
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