Now she hoisted Charlotte from the chair and placed her on the floor and the infant immediately took two or three tentative steps before dropping to her knees and chasing Socks across the floor. She and the little dog were inseparable and Amber loved her almost as much as Charlotte did.
At eleven o’clock Charlotte went to bed for a short nap before lunch and Amber hastily did her outside work, feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs.
It was almost three o’clock that afternoon before all her chores were done and she took Charlotte and Socks down to the beach for an hour as she had promised. They were quite happy scampering about after each other, crawling into rock pools and generally getting into mischief, so Amber lay back on the sand, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on her face.
As she was lying there she happened to glance up towards the cliff top behind her and just for a moment she could have sworn she saw the outline of a man standing there, but by the time she blinked and sat up, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, he had gone. Even so, for no reason she could explain, she felt strangely unnerved so she quickly lifted a loudly protesting Charlotte, and with Socks trotting at her heels she climbed back up the steep path.
Once at the top she stopped to catch her breath, glancing first one way then another. There was no one in sight, so still being watchful she hurried back to the house.
The second she entered the kitchen she knew that someone had been in there because the two freshly baked loaves she had left on racks to cool were missing. Her heart started to pound as she gently placed Charlotte on the floor and lifted the poker from the hearth.
‘I-is anyone here?’ she shouted nervously, but only silence greeted her.
Carefully she went from room to room wielding the poker in case she should come upon the intruder. Her search proved fruitless and she sighed with relief as she realised that whoever had been there had gone. Thankfully there was no damage done either so she supposed they had been lucky, although for the rest of the day her nerves were so taut that she jumped at every shadow.
It was almost seven o’clock that evening before Amber heard the welcome sound of Barnaby’s horses’ hooves in the stable yard and she was so relieved that he was home that she hovered in the kitchen doorway waiting for him to come across the stable yard.
‘Oh, I don’t usually get a greeting like this,’ he said with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye.
‘Someone was in the house while I was down on the beach with Charlotte this afternoon,’ she gushed. ‘And whoever it was took the two loaves I’d baked this morning.’
‘I see. And did they take anything else that you know of?’
She shook her head but he could see it had shaken her. ‘No, I don’t think so. I went from room to room to check there was no one still in there but they must have scarpered soon as they took the food.’
‘In that case it was probably just a passing tramp who took advantage of the fact that you weren’t about.’
Feeling calmer now that he was there and also slightly foolish, she nodded. ‘Yes, you’re probably right. And I suppose it was my fault for leaving the door open. But it was so stifling and we so rarely see anyone up here that I thought it would be safe to.’
He followed her inside asking, ‘Has Charlotte gone to bed already?’
‘I’m afraid so. She wore ’erself out down on the beach an’ she was grumpy so I had to let her go early.’
‘It’s all right. But I am starving.’
She hurried to fetch him his meal, which she had been keeping warm over a pan of water on the top of the range, and they chatted about his day while he ate.
Just before they retired to bed, Amber said, ‘If you don’t mind listening for Charlotte, I think I’ll just go for a short stroll before I turn in. It’s been so hot today I’ve felt at times like I was goin’ to melt.’
Amber slipped outside into the warm balmy evening. She was still feeling slightly nervous about the intruder who had entered the house earlier so decided not to venture too far and wandered across the grass to the top of the cliff and the path that led down to the beach where the cool sea breeze was like a balm on her hot skin. She was standing there staring out to sea and enjoying the peace and quiet when she suddenly sensed someone watching her and whirling about, she narrowed her eyes and gasped with fear as in the gloom she saw Bertie Preston standing behind her. The smell of stale sweat issuing from him was appalling and he now sported a straggly beard and his clothes were crumpled and stained.
‘What’s wrong? Ain’t you pleased to see me?’ he taunted her.
‘I-I think you should leave, Bertie.’ Her voice was more of a squeak. ‘The police are out lookin’ for you an’ I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes when they find you!’ Her heart was thumping so loudly that she was sure he would hear it.
He grinned. ‘Oh, I’m goin’ never you fear,’ he rasped. ‘But not afore I take what’s rightly mine!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean you livin’ wi’ your fancy ’usband an’ your bastard. It should ’ave beenmethat put a ring on yer finger an’ a bairn in your stomach. I still might after what I ’ave in mind for you!’
Now she was really scared and took a tentative step back from him, very aware that they were perilously close to the edge of the cliff. ‘Don’t be so stupid, Bertie,’ she snapped harshly. ‘Just do yourself a favour an’ get away before you land yourself in evenmoretrouble an’ I’ll forget I ever saw you.’
He was coming closer and the ripe smell of him grew even stronger but she was too afraid to move any further back.
‘I’m goin’ to ’ave you right now an’ then I’m goin’ to leave your pretty face lookin’ so ugly your old man won’t want to come near you ever again,’ he ground out and in that moment, as a weak moon sailed from behind a cloud, she saw the glint of a knife in his hand.
For a moment she stood rooted with fear but then she hastily stepped to one side hoping to be able to rush past him, but it was no good, because he grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip and threw her to the ground. For a second, she was so winded that she couldn’t breathe, then with a superhuman effort she managed to roll away from him and crawl across the grass. She hadn’t got far when she felt him tug on her skirt and before she knew it, he had flipped her over onto her back as if she weighed nothing, and as she stared up at him, she saw the hatred gleaming in his eyes. The knife slashed downwards, and though she turned her head, it wasn’t quick enough and the blade slashed across her cheek and she felt something warm dripping down her face.
