Follow your HEART
THE STORY SO FAR: Sarah Morton, back at her parents’ small hill farm between jobs in domestic service, was dazzled on meeting Guy, the visiting nephew of the wealthy, childless widow Mrs Bradshaw of Hollybank House. When his dog, Caspar, is accused of sheep-worrying by Davey Stokes, Sarah’s former sweetheart, Guy denies it and Sarah defends him. But she is aghast when Guy attempts to kiss her, and worries he may expect more of the same in return for previously paying for her family’s horse to be reshod. With Guy away for the day, Sarah finds Caspar locked in a stable at Hollybank House, which seems proof that Guy himself thinks Caspar is the culprit. Sarah releases Caspar, aided by Ted, who works in the gardens. Both agree that, in such cases, it’s not the dog but the owner who is to blame, when Mrs Bradshaw herself appears and asks what they are doing.
Ted looked at Sarah, and Sarah looked at Ted, both of them dumbstruck.
‘Well?’ rapped Mrs Bradshaw.
She had seated herself on a wooden bench in the yard, a small but commanding figure in a black bombazine dress and coat trimmed with velvet and a feathered hat.
Ted cleared his throat, but Sarah spoke first.
‘I don’t know if you’ve heard, ma’am, about the ewe that was found dead this morning?’
Mrs Bradshaw shook her head, and
