The Sea Between by Carol Thomas Page B

to—to own my own vessel.’
    They rode on in silence for a while, winding their way up the valley, picking their way around the squelchy patches of ground,which were plentiful after two days of heavy rain. Eventually, Richard picked up the conversation again, on a different topic altogether.
    ‘Did you really kill that boar with a spade?’
    She nodded. She wasn’t in the least surprised that he was asking her about it. Isobel had well and truly let the cat out of the bag about how the boar had died, but John had made quick work of closing the bag again. He’d simply changed the subject, leaving the Steeles in something of a vacuum regarding the finer details.
    ‘Where was your brother? Why didn’t he kill it? Had he passed out?’
    She shook her head. ‘Edwin was higher up the hill. He was in an outcrop of flax bushes. The boar had slashed his leg, and he was trying to make his way down to me.’
    Richard’s eyes widened visibly. ‘You mean you were alone when the boar attacked you?’
    ‘Yes.’
    He stared at her, looking quite stunned, then said hesitantly, ‘I know it’s none of my business, but when you and your brother rode into the yard I couldn’t help noticing that you appeared to have argued. Your brother looked furious with you and you looked furious with him.’
    ‘He thought I’d been reckless.’ She turned to meet his eyes, interested to see his reaction to the rest of her account. ‘The boar didn’t attack me, you see. It attacked Edwin’s dog, Duke. Duke had gone for the boar, trying to save my life, but the boar savaged him. He was badly injured and I knew that the boar would attack him again and finish him off unless I did something. So I picked up the spade and…well, the rest you know.’
    Richard stared at her again, at a complete loss for words.
    Eventually, it was she who broke the silence. ‘Tell me, do you think I was reckless?’ It was hard to tell from his face what he thought.
    He nodded. ‘Yes, I think you were very reckless. And also very plucky.’
    She gave a short laugh. ‘I wish my father shared your opinion. He thinks I was just reckless. He’s banned me from riding alone for a month, as a punishment.’
    ‘Is that why you jumped at the chance to come riding with me today?’
    ‘No, of course not,’ she said. ‘I came because…well, because you invited me.’ And because Aunt Isobel had been driving her absolutely mad.
    ‘How far to Shelf Rock?’ Richard asked with a smile.
    Fifteen minutes later they were standing on top of it.
    Jutting out of the hillside, Shelf Rock was quite spectacular in its own right. It was a huge pancake-shaped rock, measuring about thirty feet across, russet brown in colour, almost red in some lights. But it was the view, not the rock, that made it worth the long ride. On a clear day like this, you could see a long way.
    Shading her eyes from the sun, Charlotte gazed down the valley, beyond which were more valleys, their sides a mass of deep undulations, magnificently cast in light and shade. The Malvern Hills were lovely at this time of year. ‘Well, was it worth the ride?’ she asked. ‘Isn’t it a beautiful view?’
    ‘Very beautiful,’ Richard agreed.
    Pleased that it met with his approval, she turned towards him and smiled.
    ‘Very beautiful,’ he said again, but it wasn’t the view that he was looking at—it was her.
    Leaning forward, Richard kissed her on the lips then straightened again and waited, his eyes fixed on hers. He was waiting to see what she would do, waiting to see if she would move away, signalling that he had too much wind in his sails, or stay and run with the tide. Shedidn’t move away, but smiled and stayed right where she was. Well, Charlotte mused as Richard drew her into his arms, this is certainly better than spending the day holed up with Isobel and two young nephews. As for what Isobel would say if she could see the two of them kissing like this when they barely knew each