The headlights picked her out. Elspeth beneath a tree, her dress muddied, her plait coming undone, arms wrapped around Ben. He sat hunched beside her, one leg stretched awkwardly in front of him, his face pale with pain. She was holding him steady, her slight frame braced under his weight, as if she were the only thing keeping him upright.
Tina’s heart stopped, then kicked hard. Relief flooded her body so fast she felt faint.
The children were safe. Stupid. Beautiful. Reckless. But safe.
And as she held her daughter close, heart still thudding, Tina’s mind flicked to something else. Ernest. The auction. He thought he’d already won. Thought he’d played it beautifully.
But holding Elspeth – fierce, stubborn, brave Elspeth who’d risked her own safety to help a friend – Christina knew she wasn’t the same woman who’d been trembling in Ernest’s shadow a few weeks ago.
He had no idea what he was dealing with now. She was going to destroy his plan, and him.
Thirty-seven
The low-beamed ceiling and mismatched furniture welcomed them home with the lingering scent of the casserole Tina had barely remembered to shove into the simmering oven before racing out. She had never been more grateful for the familiar embrace of the tiny cottage. Hamish’s satchel lay on the kitchen table, and the sight of it – an ordinary domestic detail – made her heart swell with unexpected gratitude.
Elspeth limped slightly as they helped her upstairs, her school uniform torn and grass-stained, mud still clinging to her shoes despite Tina’s attempts to clean her up, first in the Land Rover, then when sitting with her on the back seat of their own car while Hamish drove the family home.
‘Into your pyjamas, sweetheart,’ Tina murmured, pulling Elspeth’s favourite pair from the drawer – soft cotton, printed with tiny horses. The familiar ritual of bedtime felt precious now, almost sacred after the terrifying uncertainty of the evening.
She helped Elspeth change. The child’s face was pale but determined, trying hard to be brave, even as her bottom lip trembled with exhaustion and the slow creep of delayed shock.
Tina kept her voice calm and her smile wide, but inside, her thoughts churned. Relief – that fierce, all-consuming kind that arrived only after the worst had nearly happened – rushed through her. But alongside it came something else: a vow, quietbut iron clad.
This family would not become like Lady Penelope’s. Not cold and polite, each person orbiting the others without ever truly touching. They were going to stay connected – messy, imperfect, but real. She had to make Hamish understand why she had hidden her secret for so long, that it was because she loved him so fiercely and didn’t want to let him down in front of his family.
Hamish perched on the edge of Elspeth’s bed, his historian hands gentle as he tucked the blanket around her legs. Tina noticed the way he brushed a curl from Elspeth’s cheek, then looked across at Tina with eyes full of tenderness. He let out a single soft ‘huh’, then reached across the bed and briefly touched her hand. She squeezed his fingers – a silent thank you and apology, wrapped into one.
‘Tell us what happened, love,’ Hamish said softly. ‘From the beginning.’
Elspeth’s voice was small but clear. ‘We only wanted to see the wood. For the play, you know? Ben said it would be perfect for the Forest of Arden – all mysterious and magical.’ Her eyes brightened briefly at the memory of their excitement. ‘We were going to convince the school to stageAs You Like Itthere instead of in the theatre. It was going to be brilliant.’
Tina smoothed a strand of hair from Elspeth’s forehead.
‘Why did you take Molly?’ she asked.
‘She was following us anyway, and Ben said she’d be good company.’ Her voice caught, she swallowed and carried on. ‘Dogs are lucky, aren’t they?’ Elspeth’s logic was heartbreakingly innocent. Hamish reached for his daughter’s hand, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into her palm. He cleared his throat and asked, ‘what went wrong, sweetheart?’
‘There was this hole – a rabbit hole, we think. Ben stepped right in it and his foot got stuck. When he tried to pull it out, his ankle went all funny.’ Elspeth’s eyes filled with tears at the memory.‘He couldn’t walk properly, and it was getting dark so fast. I was trying to help him lean on me, but I’m not very strong.’
Tina’s heart clenched at the image of her slight daughter trying to shoulder a boy nearly a foot taller than her. She looked over at Hamish again, and this time he reached out for her hand. Elspeth noticed – and smiled.
‘Then what happened?’ Hamish prompted.
‘We were going down this slope, and the leaves were so slippery, all wet and slimy from the rain.’ Elspeth shuddered. ‘Ben was limping, and I was trying to be his crutch, but then my foot just ... went. I slid right into this big fallen tree and then couldn’t catch my breath’
She touched her ribs gingerly, and Tina lifted Elspeth’s top, wincing at the sight of the mushrooming bruise.
‘We were both hurt then, and it was properly dark. And neither of us had our phones.’
Tina frowned, leaning forward in the soft lamplight. ‘Wait ... hold on. Why did you and Ben leave your phones behind?’
Elspeth hesitated, her fingers twisting the duvet cover.
‘Elspeth ... there’s more isn’t there? Come on, please tell me. Secrets always come out in the end.’
Elspeth screwed up her eyes, then finally spoke, her voice barely audible. ‘It wasn’t an accident, I ... I planned it.’
Tina’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Planned it?’ she gasped. ‘What do you mean?’
