‘I’ve got you,’ he was saying. ‘Everything will be all right.’
He always used to say that when there had been an upset. And it had been all right as long as he was there. And he was here now, catching her as he always had done. Except he hadn’t quite got hold of her properly and Hercules was barking. She must not land on him, must not hurt him. She twisted in the air and landed face down on the barn floor. For a moment she felt nothing and then Hercules nuzzled the side of her face. There was something wet on the hem of her dress and then a searing pain from her knee which travelled up her leg and through her whole body.
‘Oh, Hercules,’ she murmured, ‘that’s not good.’
And then everything went black.
Jules heard a car screech to a stop outside the cottage and before she’d even reached the window to pull back the curtains there was a hammering on the door.
‘Stay there,’ she instructed Tasha.
There was an old wooden truncheon hanging on the wall next to the front door. She unhooked it and held it behind her back.
‘Alastair,’ she said, relaxing a little once she saw who it was. ‘What’s the matter? If you’re worried about Tasha, she’s…’
‘It’s not Tasha, it’s Mum, Rita. She’s had a fall. Can you come?’
‘Of course. Give me a minute to get some shoes.’
‘Dad.’ Tasha was at her side.
‘Tasha thank goodness you’re here. We’ve been searching everywhere for you.’
‘What’s the matter with Granny?’
He rubbed his forehead as if trying to erase what had happened.
‘She’s fallen from the ladder in the barn and she’s unconscious. Mum’s called an ambulance, but we don’t know how long that will take and I don’t know what to do.’
Tasha started to shake and Jules put an arm around her.
‘I’m going to go and help. Do you want to stay here?’
She shook her head.
‘I want to come with you.’
‘Over here,’ Alastair said, almost running from the car across the yard towards a large redbrick building.
Jules stopped just outside and turned to put her hands on Tasha’s shoulders.
‘Just wait here for a moment, will you?’
‘But…’
‘You can come in shortly. I promise.’
Tasha nodded and pulled on the sweatshirt Jules had lent her before sinking on to the edge of the stone water trough. Inside the barn Christabel was pacing up and down while Will sat on the floor next to Rita’s inert form and Hercules lay by her side, one paw in contact with her outstretched arm. Jules felt for a pulse and knelt down, putting her face close to Rita’s.
‘Rita, can you hear me? It’s Jules.’
She turned to Alastair.
‘Can you get some blankets so we can try to keep her comfortable and a bowl of warm water and some cotton wool so that I can wipe some of the blood off her face?’
He nodded as if grateful for something to do.
‘And can you take Will with you?’ she added. ‘Will, can you make some tea, please? Plenty of sugar and if you’ve got any brandy that would be good.’
