Page 52 of The Black Trilogy

I’d underestimated her.

When I heard a knock on the door at seven, I expected Susie or Hayley, but I got George.

Had he come to fix the shower? A glance at his expression told me the answer was no. He shifted from foot to foot, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Is there a problem?” I asked.

“Um, I don’t really know how to say this.” He refused to look me in the eye—never a good sign. “It’s not something I’ve had to deal with before, and I don’t take it lightly.”

Oh, spit it out, man. “Say what?”

“I’ve had a complaint.”

“About what?”

Me? Was this about the Henry episode?

“One of the owners said she saw you hitting her horse.”

Of all the things someone could accuse me of, that hurt the most. I’d never hit an animal. A person, sure, if they deserved it, but never an innocent animal.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I guess it surprised me too, and Susie and Hayley when I spoke to them just now. They said you were always kind to the horses. But the girl had a witness.”

The purpose behind Tia’s earlier visit suddenly became clear. I knew she wasn’t my biggest fan, but how had I annoyed her enough to want me fired? Because surely that was where we were heading…

“So, you want me to leave?”

“I think that might be best.”

I could try to clear my name, but two witnesses against me made that difficult. Plus George would be left in an awkward position—Tia and Arabella’s horses were worth several thousand pounds to him each month, so he had to keep them happy. Not only that, I needed to maintain a low profile. Singing the injustice from the rooftops would hardly help my cause.

No, the easiest option was to leave. To walk away from Lower Foxford and everyone in it and start over. I’d done it once; I could do it again. Sure, I’d miss Susie and Hayley, but they weren’t close friends. Luke flitted through my mind, the only cause for hesitation before I answered George.

“I’ll go tonight.”

“You don’t have to leave straight away. You’re welcome to stay in the mobile home until you get something else sorted.” The relief that I’d agreed to go quietly was all too evident in his voice.

“I haven’t got much to pack, and I’d prefer to leave as soon as possible.”

Why hang around where I wasn’t wanted? I closed the door, leaving George on the lopsided step. It only took me ten minutes to stuff my belongings into a bag. Where should I go? Far from this village, that was for sure. Thanks to the rumour mill, most people already thought my piano was a few octaves short, and this latest episode wouldn’t help matters.

I glanced at my watch. If I got a bus to the train station, I might be able to catch a sleeper service up north. At least that way, I wouldn’t have to find a hotel room.

But I’d have to hurry. I scribbled a note out for Susie and Hayley, thanking them for everything, and left it propped up on the table. They’d be thrilled when they realised they had to do all the horses between them tomorrow. I needed to let Luke know he’d have to make his own coffee next Saturday too, but I’d call him in the morning. No point in disturbing him when he was probably still at work.

The thought of never seeing him again stung more than it should. Perhaps we could have become friends if we’d met under different circumstances. Like at a point in my life where every other thing that came out of my mouth wasn’t a lie and my head wasn’t in pieces. Those kind of circumstances.

I took one last look around the trailer that I’d called home, however briefly. The end of another chapter in my story, albeit a short and not particularly sweet one. My phone was running low on battery, so I turned it off. Who would I call, anyway? My bag was heavier than when I arrived, thanks to my efforts at shopping, but I slung it over my shoulder and tramped off. The bus stop wasn’t far.

The driver who took my money for the next leg of my journey was the same one who’d dumped me off in Lower Foxford a month ago. I might have considered that poetic if I’d had any light left in my soul.

But only darkness remained.

CHAPTER 18

LUKE’S DAY STARTED at six with a call about a server issue. He’d barely sorted that out before it was time for his conference call, which overran, and no sooner had he hung up from that, a young blonde admin assistant knocked on his office door.

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