men’s teams were annihilated. It was indecently easy. Four girls versus all of them, but they were rubbish, every last one of them. The trouble was they were all so preoccupied with the matter of the speeding ratrunners that they couldn’t focus on anything else.
‘What’s with them?’ asked an astonished Katie afterwards. ‘Or are they always like that?’
‘Mostly yes,’ said Antonia dismissively. ‘Unless you’re talking about tractors, sheep or series 2 land rovers, you can’t get any sense out of any of them.’ A couple of heads turned her way at the mention of land rovers. ‘There! What did I tell you! Ah. This is more like it - Timmy darling! Cooeee! Over here…’
A large, brown haired man in jeans wandered over and kissed Antonia on the cheek, before grinning round at the rest of them.
‘Hello all. Tilly, just the girl! Think you could fit me in over the weekend? I’ll buy you a pint?’
‘Of course Tim, you know me. I’ll be chained to that bar as usual.’
‘Darling,’ interrupted Antonia. ‘You must meet Lizzie , who’s marooned while Dave fixes her car.’
‘Dave? Up the road here? Oh bad luck,’ he said sympathetically , a twinkle in his blue eyes. ‘You’ll probably still be here at Christmas.’
‘And darling, this is her friend, Katie.’
If Tim had been a stockbroker rather than a village vet in the back of beyond, Lizzie would have got it - that flicker of something , before Katie’s lashes blinked and broke the moment.
‘Lovely t o meet you,’ she said softly, holding out a manicured, lily-white hand towards his large, somewhat weathered one, her eyes holding his a little longer than necessary.
Much later, as the four girls and Tim trooped up the road to Antonia’s, Lizzie discovered that he had the dubious pleasure of ministering to Antonia’s equines. Antonia simply adored him - strictly on a platonic level, her strongest feelings being reserved for her horses, he assured her.
‘Lovely girl,’ he said with a grin. ‘Don’t get me wrong. Nice horses too!’
‘Have you lived here long?’ asked Lizzie , relieved to talk to someone other than a leering barman or useless mechanic.
‘ Funny you should ask! Now don’t take this the wrong way, but I came here as a locum for a two week stint – and that was, let me see, about eight years ago…’
Lizzie felt a stab of alarm. There was a pattern here, with people passing through though not quite managing to leave. First Antonia, then Tim and now her – so far, at least. Were there others? Was Littleton bewitched? Maybe Lizzie was being bewitched too…
Back at the cottage, Antonia ushered them into the sitting room where Cassie was spread along one of the battered leather sofas with three dogs on her lap, feeding crisps to the small sheep Lizzie had met before.
‘Cassie ! I’ve told you before. I don’t want that animal in here,’ said Antonia crossly as Tilly went skipping over.
‘Oh Antonia, you can’t mean that. He’s such a sweet little baby, aren’t you?’ Sitting down next to it, she tickled him between his ears and bent to kiss the little muzzle.
‘It’s not sweet, it’s evil. And i t craps. Everywhere. Get rid of it, Cassie. Now!’
Cassie rolled her eyes, looking scarily like a red-haired version of her mother for a moment, before dragging herself off the sofa. ‘You’re so mean, mother. Phil and Kirsty do what they like and they’re disgusting little animals.’
Full and Bursting , whispered Tim to Lizzie, who snorted with laughter.
‘But he’s not a dog!’ yelled Antonia.
‘Well, he doesn’t know that,’ said Cassie, stalking out.
Dave paused for a moment by Tim, who bent and rubbed the little head.
‘Hello mate, you’re a fine chap.’ Dave waved his budding horns impressively.
‘ He’d be a fine Sunday lunch,’ muttered Antonia under her breath, opening the wine. ‘It’s high
‘What’s with them?’ asked an astonished Katie afterwards. ‘Or are they always like that?’
‘Mostly yes,’ said Antonia dismissively. ‘Unless you’re talking about tractors, sheep or series 2 land rovers, you can’t get any sense out of any of them.’ A couple of heads turned her way at the mention of land rovers. ‘There! What did I tell you! Ah. This is more like it - Timmy darling! Cooeee! Over here…’
A large, brown haired man in jeans wandered over and kissed Antonia on the cheek, before grinning round at the rest of them.
‘Hello all. Tilly, just the girl! Think you could fit me in over the weekend? I’ll buy you a pint?’
‘Of course Tim, you know me. I’ll be chained to that bar as usual.’
‘Darling,’ interrupted Antonia. ‘You must meet Lizzie , who’s marooned while Dave fixes her car.’
‘Dave? Up the road here? Oh bad luck,’ he said sympathetically , a twinkle in his blue eyes. ‘You’ll probably still be here at Christmas.’
‘And darling, this is her friend, Katie.’
If Tim had been a stockbroker rather than a village vet in the back of beyond, Lizzie would have got it - that flicker of something , before Katie’s lashes blinked and broke the moment.
‘Lovely t o meet you,’ she said softly, holding out a manicured, lily-white hand towards his large, somewhat weathered one, her eyes holding his a little longer than necessary.
Much later, as the four girls and Tim trooped up the road to Antonia’s, Lizzie discovered that he had the dubious pleasure of ministering to Antonia’s equines. Antonia simply adored him - strictly on a platonic level, her strongest feelings being reserved for her horses, he assured her.
‘Lovely girl,’ he said with a grin. ‘Don’t get me wrong. Nice horses too!’
‘Have you lived here long?’ asked Lizzie , relieved to talk to someone other than a leering barman or useless mechanic.
‘ Funny you should ask! Now don’t take this the wrong way, but I came here as a locum for a two week stint – and that was, let me see, about eight years ago…’
Lizzie felt a stab of alarm. There was a pattern here, with people passing through though not quite managing to leave. First Antonia, then Tim and now her – so far, at least. Were there others? Was Littleton bewitched? Maybe Lizzie was being bewitched too…
Back at the cottage, Antonia ushered them into the sitting room where Cassie was spread along one of the battered leather sofas with three dogs on her lap, feeding crisps to the small sheep Lizzie had met before.
‘Cassie ! I’ve told you before. I don’t want that animal in here,’ said Antonia crossly as Tilly went skipping over.
‘Oh Antonia, you can’t mean that. He’s such a sweet little baby, aren’t you?’ Sitting down next to it, she tickled him between his ears and bent to kiss the little muzzle.
‘It’s not sweet, it’s evil. And i t craps. Everywhere. Get rid of it, Cassie. Now!’
Cassie rolled her eyes, looking scarily like a red-haired version of her mother for a moment, before dragging herself off the sofa. ‘You’re so mean, mother. Phil and Kirsty do what they like and they’re disgusting little animals.’
Full and Bursting , whispered Tim to Lizzie, who snorted with laughter.
‘But he’s not a dog!’ yelled Antonia.
‘Well, he doesn’t know that,’ said Cassie, stalking out.
Dave paused for a moment by Tim, who bent and rubbed the little head.
‘Hello mate, you’re a fine chap.’ Dave waved his budding horns impressively.
‘ He’d be a fine Sunday lunch,’ muttered Antonia under her breath, opening the wine. ‘It’s high
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