Zoe got out her phone. ‘I’ll see if Alex can come.’
‘Don’t bother him on my account—’ Victor began, but Zoe held up a hand.
‘It’s no bother. He’ll be glad to help.’
She glanced at Billie as she waited for Alex to pick up, wishing she hadn’t put so much pressure on her to be out. If they’d let her stay home as she’d wanted to, she wouldn’t havehad to witness the attack on Victor, and she wouldn’t have been standing there now looking as if she was in shock. But what was done couldn’t be undone, and Zoe tried to put regrets to the back of her mind as Alex answered the phone.
She explained, as briefly as she could, what had happened and what she needed from him. He barely had time to acknowledge before she ended the call. Then she went to the stable with Victor to rinse his arm in some cold water, leaving Billie and Georgia in the field with their babies. She could hear the low hum of their conversation from inside the shed as she helped Victor, though she couldn’t tell what they were saying. It sounded as though Georgia was doing most of the talking.
‘How are you doing there?’ she asked him gently. There was no clean towel to hand, so she had to let his arm drip. The wound was still bleeding, the water running pink. Zoe rummaged in her pocket for a pack of paper hankies.
‘A lot of fuss about nothing,’ Victor said faintly. ‘I’ll be all right after a cup of tea.’
‘I know. Alex is on his way, and you’ll be home before you know it.’
Not for the first time, she wished Victor and Corrine had mobile phones. She’d have texted Corrine to warn her what to expect. Georgia had already phoned the house but had got no answer, but that was hardly surprising. Sometimes they were home but didn’t pick up because they were in a different part of the house and couldn’t get to the phone in time. Victor had said Corrine was home, so that had to be the case, and they had no choice but to take Victor home without forewarning her.
Ten minutes later, Alex parked the car on the path. As he got out, Billie rushed to meet him, holding Louisa so tightly, Zoe almost shouted for her to calm down. But as she got there, she burst intotears. He put an arm around her, leading her to the car, while Zoe, Georgia and Victor went to join them.
‘There’s not enough room for everyone,’ he said tersely.
‘I’ll walk over with Georgia,’ Zoe said.
Alex nodded and got Victor into the car. They took a minute to fasten Louisa into the child seat before heading off. It was telling Alex didn’t bring up the attack, though Zoe knew he was dying to. She dreaded the conversation she knew they’d have once this was all over, but she was thankful for him keeping his head for now. Their first and most important priority was Victor, and he saw that clearly.
‘Shit…’ Zoe turned to Georgia. ‘I feel like this is my fault.’
‘How is it your fault?’
‘Because if I’d been firmer with Chantal, or I’d gone to see my dad, or even told Alex or Victor or someone what Lennon had been doing?—’
Zoe’s gaze went towards the hills. Alex had seen something like this coming, and he’d wanted to act. Zoe had persuaded him not to. She expected him to be angry, and she wouldn’t blame him one bit. If she’d listened to him, they could have prevented Victor’s injury.
‘You can’t control his dog. That’s Lennon’s job. And there are signs all over the place to say dogs have to be controlled around the livestock, and it’s not like he hasn’t already been warned when it went for Sam’s sheep…’
‘If I’d done what Alex had wanted, Lennon might not have been here at all. He might have had his bags packed and have been on his way back to Manchester.’
‘He might, but there’s no point in dwelling on what might have been. I didn’t get a good look at Victor’s arm – was it as bad as it seemed?’
‘It’s hard to say. Looked nasty to me.’
They began to follow the path to Daffodil Farm.
‘If you’d rather go home and keep William away from all the trouble, I’d understand. In fact, it might make me feel easier. I don’t want to drag you into all this.’
‘I think I’m already dragged. But I suppose you might have a point about William. He’s almost due for his nap, and the last thing anyone needs is a cranky baby.’
‘Will you be all right going down the hill with him on your own?’
‘Don’t worry about us. I’m becoming an expert in walking around with him strapped to my front.’ Georgia gave an encouraging smile. ‘Things will work out, you know, and there’s a lot of goodwill towards your family here.’
‘Is there?’
‘Well’ – Georgia’s smile grew – ‘most of your family. Perhaps not so much the incidental ones…’
Zoe returned the smile with one of her own, but it was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. ‘Thanks for today.’
‘We didn’t get very far in the end, did we? With Billie, I mean.’
