weren’t
warm or friendly, they were hard and dark and silver-lit. He wasn’t very tall, he was spare and lightly-built, but he was all rangy muscle. And he couldn’t be as young as he looked, not
with a son Rory’s age. I could see where Rory got his looks, but not his personality, or the kind light in his eyes.
Now that I couldn’t see the man’s scarred back, I had space to notice the black dog that lay close to his feet in the shadow by the wall, a huge maned thing. Its yellow eyes were
fixed on me and I didn’t like the look in them any more than I liked the look in its owner’s. Rory’s father leaned back on the low wall of the reservoir and folded his arms across
his chest.
‘I, uh... I couldn’t leave without Hannah.’ Rory shot me a pleading look. ‘She was in, uh... trouble. I promised I’d–’
‘This close.’ A muscle moved in his father’s throat as he held up finger and thumb. ‘You and a slap.’
They watched each other for about a century and a half, the whole place eerily silent, till the man unfolded his arms and beckoned Rory.
Rory approached to well within slapping distance. His eyes were on his father’s, big and round and grey, but the spaniel look he used on Sionnach wasn’t there. Clearly he
didn’t think it even worth trying on this one.
I held my breath and shut one eye, expecting the thump of a fist on flesh, but all the man did was take Rory’s head gently in one hand, pulling him into a fierce embrace. Pressing his
cheek to Rory’s wind-tousled hair, he took a breath that sounded equal parts anger, fear and pure relief.
The father’s eyes opened once and looked at me, expressionless, then he closed them again as if he couldn’t bear the intrusion of another human being. Blowing out a sigh, I shifted
from foot to foot. It was an awkward moment and I was glad when the man kissed Rory’s head and pushed him roughly away.
‘And who’s she?’
Rory’s whole face had brightened, as if the humiliation of his return and the stares of his neighbours had never happened. He said – or I thought he said – ‘
She
is right!’
His father scowled. ‘What?’
‘Seriously. Dad, look at her eyes. Really look. She’s one of us!’
The man stepped closer to me, staring so hard into my eyes my own vision blurred. ‘So she is. Halfbreed, I’m thinking.’ He sounded less than impressed. ‘What am I
supposed to do with her, Rory? You going to bring back every mongrel runt you find?’
I gasped, balling my fists. ‘Who you calling a runt?’
‘Runt my arse,’ said Rory proudly, earning a light clip on the ear. ‘She’s Hannah. This is my dad, Hannah.’
‘Hello, Rory’s dad,’ I said. ‘You know smacking’s child abuse?’
‘My name’s Seth, if you want to use it.’
‘I’ll think about it.’ Perhaps, on balance, I wouldn’t risk the smacking remark again. Just as I decided that, a grin lit his face, then was gone.
‘I’m sorry my son nearly killed you.’
‘It was only a fuc…’ One look at his face stopped me short, and I sighed. ‘It was only a
horse.’
‘It was my horse. Rory, go and see Jed, he’s worried about you. I’ll take the girl home.’ Seth began to turn, then hesitated. He frowned at me.
I wanted to run; it was just that I couldn’t. A vision of Marty flashed through my brain and froze me with humiliating terror. I think I shut my eyes.
When I opened them again Rory’s father was standing close enough to touch me, but he didn’t. His eyebrows drew together in puzzlement and his teeth bit into his lower lip.
‘That man,’ he said. ‘He’s not your father.’
I shook my head violently. ‘Stop that. Get out.’ I jumped back, and that’s when I spotted the woman behind him.
She’d approached in silence and now she stood there watching me, her arms folded. Short-cropped dark red hair, golden brown eyes, the most extraordinarily beautiful face I’d ever
seen. Seth must have seen my eyes widen, because
warm or friendly, they were hard and dark and silver-lit. He wasn’t very tall, he was spare and lightly-built, but he was all rangy muscle. And he couldn’t be as young as he looked, not
with a son Rory’s age. I could see where Rory got his looks, but not his personality, or the kind light in his eyes.
Now that I couldn’t see the man’s scarred back, I had space to notice the black dog that lay close to his feet in the shadow by the wall, a huge maned thing. Its yellow eyes were
fixed on me and I didn’t like the look in them any more than I liked the look in its owner’s. Rory’s father leaned back on the low wall of the reservoir and folded his arms across
his chest.
‘I, uh... I couldn’t leave without Hannah.’ Rory shot me a pleading look. ‘She was in, uh... trouble. I promised I’d–’
‘This close.’ A muscle moved in his father’s throat as he held up finger and thumb. ‘You and a slap.’
They watched each other for about a century and a half, the whole place eerily silent, till the man unfolded his arms and beckoned Rory.
Rory approached to well within slapping distance. His eyes were on his father’s, big and round and grey, but the spaniel look he used on Sionnach wasn’t there. Clearly he
didn’t think it even worth trying on this one.
I held my breath and shut one eye, expecting the thump of a fist on flesh, but all the man did was take Rory’s head gently in one hand, pulling him into a fierce embrace. Pressing his
cheek to Rory’s wind-tousled hair, he took a breath that sounded equal parts anger, fear and pure relief.
The father’s eyes opened once and looked at me, expressionless, then he closed them again as if he couldn’t bear the intrusion of another human being. Blowing out a sigh, I shifted
from foot to foot. It was an awkward moment and I was glad when the man kissed Rory’s head and pushed him roughly away.
‘And who’s she?’
Rory’s whole face had brightened, as if the humiliation of his return and the stares of his neighbours had never happened. He said – or I thought he said – ‘
She
is right!’
His father scowled. ‘What?’
‘Seriously. Dad, look at her eyes. Really look. She’s one of us!’
The man stepped closer to me, staring so hard into my eyes my own vision blurred. ‘So she is. Halfbreed, I’m thinking.’ He sounded less than impressed. ‘What am I
supposed to do with her, Rory? You going to bring back every mongrel runt you find?’
I gasped, balling my fists. ‘Who you calling a runt?’
‘Runt my arse,’ said Rory proudly, earning a light clip on the ear. ‘She’s Hannah. This is my dad, Hannah.’
‘Hello, Rory’s dad,’ I said. ‘You know smacking’s child abuse?’
‘My name’s Seth, if you want to use it.’
‘I’ll think about it.’ Perhaps, on balance, I wouldn’t risk the smacking remark again. Just as I decided that, a grin lit his face, then was gone.
‘I’m sorry my son nearly killed you.’
‘It was only a fuc…’ One look at his face stopped me short, and I sighed. ‘It was only a
horse.’
‘It was my horse. Rory, go and see Jed, he’s worried about you. I’ll take the girl home.’ Seth began to turn, then hesitated. He frowned at me.
I wanted to run; it was just that I couldn’t. A vision of Marty flashed through my brain and froze me with humiliating terror. I think I shut my eyes.
When I opened them again Rory’s father was standing close enough to touch me, but he didn’t. His eyebrows drew together in puzzlement and his teeth bit into his lower lip.
‘That man,’ he said. ‘He’s not your father.’
I shook my head violently. ‘Stop that. Get out.’ I jumped back, and that’s when I spotted the woman behind him.
She’d approached in silence and now she stood there watching me, her arms folded. Short-cropped dark red hair, golden brown eyes, the most extraordinarily beautiful face I’d ever
seen. Seth must have seen my eyes widen, because
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