Supervising? Who did he think she was, one of his pupils?‘No!’ said Lorna. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, as if he could read her mind. ‘I’m actually rather busy, so if you don’t mind—’
‘I’ve just come from the school,’ said James, talking right over her. ‘I had a call from our office manager – you know, Esther. We had a little incident earlier so she had a look at the CCTV footage. Saw something that she needed to tell me about.’
Lorna’s first reaction was one of tentative relief. Thisseemed to be about something else entirely – certainly nothing to do with her.
‘The footage was recorded in the staffroom.’
Lorna shook her head. ‘And? Why are you telling me this?’
‘It wasn’t from tonight.’ James’s gaze turned steely. ‘It was from the day of the second-hand uniform sale.’
The feeling of relief was swiftly replaced by one of ominous dread.
James continued. ‘You, counting the takings.’ He glanced down at her hands again, at what was in them. ‘Putting some of them into a daisy-patterned purse.’
Lorna’s stomach plummeted off the edge of a cliff.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN
Saturday 20 March
The band was closer now, the drums puncturing the growing darkness, sending goosebumps running up Nancy’s skin. The players, resplendent in their uniform, continued their march towards the water and the ancient yew tree. They stopped by the cafe and let the rest of the procession continue ahead of them. Nancy stood on tiptoes to peer over the crowds, her eyes hungry for Lara. She glimpsed Hannah and waved. There were a few of the other mums she recognized too. Then she saw Lara, a vision in nature’s green and yellow, smiling as if she was having the time of her life, looking as if she’d been riding for years. Nancy was suddenly swamped with that most precious of emotions: maternal love.
The crowd lifted phones, flashes went off and the torchbearers’ flaming candles left a path of acrid smoke as they crackled in the dark. Lara and Lupin slowed, caught in the crowd, and Nancy briefly lost sight of them. She looked for the straw bear but couldn’t see him either. Perhaps Dylan was also hidden amongst the horde, although with hisheight, Nancy thought she’d be able to spot him.
It’s said that the one thing the human eye notices most is movement amongst stillness. Nancy was distracted by a sudden motion a short distance away from the festival, where it was empty and dark. Two faces, lower down, among some trees. Children. Hiding. On some subconscious level, she felt a frisson of uneasiness. Unexplainable but distinctly threatening.
She looked over. Then she saw them again, pressed close.
Two girls. One of them, Rosie.
And she was staring gleefully, right into the crowd near the yew tree.
Nancy immediately turned her gaze back to the tree to try and ascertain what Rosie was staring at. But everything seemed to be fine. The throne was in place, waiting. She caught another glimpse of Lara on the horse.
Nancy looked back at the girls.You’re tired, she thought.All those sleepless nights. Maybe you’re imagining things.But it was clear they were beside themselves with anticipation and excitement. But forwhat?It panicked Nancy that she couldn’t work it out.
Suddenly people were around her, blocking her view. She couldn’t see the girls, couldn’t see Lara.
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT
Saturday 20 March
Rebecca had decided to come down to the festival. She thought it was important that teachers were seen by the children to be a part of the community – especially something that brought out the crowds like the solstice celebrations did in Ripton. And the Spring Queen was selected from her class after all. She wasn’t going to stay for long, she would say hello to a few faces and see Lara in her costume and then she had plans to meet friends for a drink.
She’d got a coffee from the cafe and was walking around, trying to find the best spot to get a view of the procession. It was busier than she’d thought and the place was packed. She decided to slip behind the crowd, over to where there was a cluster of trees at the bottom of a small bank. As she made her way, she thought she saw somebody – two children – hiding in the shadows of one of the trees. She narrowed her eyes; Rebecca knew mischief when she saw it. And then she clocked who it was.
‘Girls?’ she said, swooping down, making Rosie and Tilly jump out of their skin. ‘Want to tell me what’s going on?’
They couldn’t have looked more guilty, but Rosie recovered quickly, lifted her chin.
‘Nothing,’ said Rosie.
‘Something tells me that’s not the case,’ said Rebecca. She looked up at where the girls had been staring, over by the yew tree and the crowds. ‘What’s so interesting over there?’
‘Nothing’s interesting, miss,’ said Rosie. ‘We’re just watching the festival.’
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. ‘From back here?’ She looked over again. Then she got it. In amongst the crowd was Lara on the pony.
