The Warrior’s Princess. Barbara Erskine

      ‘Broke in?’ Dan echoed. ‘What do you mean, broke in?’

      ‘I found the flowers on my coffee table. I suppose I could have left the door open but I don’t think so.’

      ‘You weren’t there?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘And he’d gone when you came back?’

      She nodded. ‘I was only gone about ten minutes, Dan. He must have been watching for me. It scared me.’

      ‘But you’re safe now.’

      She nodded. ‘Do you know what he is going to do this summer while he’s waiting for his results?’

      He shook his head. ‘He’s convinced they will be good. He’s a cocky lad, our Ash. He thinks the drama schools will be queuing up for him.’

      ‘And he doesn’t even need A levels to apply for those.’

      ‘No.’

      They both glanced up as their food arrived. ‘It would be a shame to spoil his chances. It would destroy them if he ended up with a prison record,’ Dan said quietly as he picked up his knife and fork. He looked up at her at last. ‘Don’t think about him, Jess. Or Will, for that matter. Forget about them. Enjoy your summer.’ He took a mouthful of food. ‘So, what are you planning to get up to in that old farmhouse of Steph’s?’

      ‘I’m painting.’ Jess was looking down at her plate.

      ‘On your own?’

      She nodded.

      ‘And you’re happy with that?’

      ‘I’m fine with that, Dan. I like being on my own.’

      ‘With a ghost?’

      She gave an uncomfortable smile. ‘They are not frightening ghosts. Just little girls.’

      There was a pause as he picked up a bread roll and tore it into pieces. ‘I’ve had an idea, Jess. Feel free to say no, but I was going to find a B and B tonight and then go on up to Shrewsbury tomorrow. Why don’t I come back with you? It’s on my way. I passed a super-looking deli as I came here just now. We could pick up something there for supper. We could comb one or two more bookshops to feed my addiction this afternoon, then you can lead the way back to Ty Bran and introduce me to your spectral children. What do you think? There must be plenty of room.’

      ‘I don’t know, Dan –’

      It was tempting. Much as she enjoyed her own company the thought of the dark track towards the woods once the sun had gone down, the empty rooms, the strange noises in the studio were intimidating. Besides it would seem churlish to refuse him.

      It was just after six thirty when she turned into the courtyard at Ty Bran and pulled up by the studio. Dan drew in beside her and switched off his engine.

      For a moment he remained still. ‘Steph was so lucky to find this place! Did you say it’s near where your mother used to live?’ He climbed out and stood looking round. ‘My God, it’s isolated, but it is so pretty.’

      ‘Isn’t it.’ Jess turned back to the car to haul out her purchases. Bread, cold meat, paté, cheeses and salad and an early edition of Omar Khayyám illustrated with Edmund Dulac’s magical colour plates. She went to open the door of the house as Dan unpacked his own trophies: several books, four bottles of wine, a four-pack of lager, some scrumpy and a box of very expensive chocolates. He followed her into the kitchen and dropped the heavy box of drinks onto the table with a groan.

      ‘There, we can see what mood takes us – or drink the lot and fall totally blotto to the floor. Oh, wow, Jess. This is so lovely.’ He wandered through the open door to the dining room and stood staring out across the garden towards the hedge and the view to the north. Then he turned and glanced down at her sketchbooks, laid out on the table. ‘Are these yours? I had no idea you were so good!’ He turned several of the pages.

      ‘Flattery will get you nowhere beyond the right to work the corkscrew,’ she called through the door from the hall. ‘Here. Let’s open the wine.’

      She went back into the kitchen in front of him and stopped dead. The contents of her basket and two of the bottles of wine lay on the floor. The bottles had broken.

      They both stood for a moment looking down at the mess.

      ‘Oh, Dan, no!’ she cried. ‘How did that happen?’

      Dan glanced round. ‘I can’t think. I put the box on the middle of the table. They couldn’t have just fallen out. Bugger! You haven’t got a cat here, have you, by any chance?’

      She shook her head. ‘Since when have cats been able to pick up bottles?’

      He shrugged. ‘In which case, it wasn’t the cat! Not to worry. There are two bottles left and at least the food was wrapped up. Not too much harm done. You wait there, I’ll clear it up.’

      ‘No. No, I’ll do it.’ She went to the sink and fumbled under it for the brush and pan and some dishcloths. ‘What happened, Dan? I don’t understand.’ She was suddenly feeling panicky. ‘It was all there. On the table. It wasn’t on the edge or anything. Oh God!’ She was looking round in sudden panic. ‘Is there someone else here?’

      ‘No, there’s no one here. It’s just one of those things. Wait.’ He grabbed an intact bottle of wine and reached for the corkscrew which she had left lying on the draining board. ‘Let’s have a glass each first. Then we’ll clear up. Then we’ll be ready for something to eat. Don’t worry about it, Jess. No harm done.’

      They had finished their meal and were strolling on the back lawn later, carrying their mugs of coffee when Jess heard the sound of a car engine from the courtyard. ‘Who on earth is that?’ She turned back towards the house.

      Getting no reply when he knocked at the open front door, Rhodri had wandered straight in and seeing them from the window came out. He seemed taken aback to see her with Dan.

      ‘I’m sorry to intrude. My mother hasn’t given me a moment’s peace since she heard you were here on your own. She told me to bring you some food from the freezer.’ He was carrying a basket. ‘If I’d known you were with someone I wouldn’t have bothered you.’ There was irritation in his voice.

      Jess made the introductions reluctantly. His arrival had spoiled the mood of the evening. ‘It’s very kind of your mother, Rhodri. Will you thank her.’ She took the basket from him firmly. ‘Would you like a glass of wine?’

      Somewhat to her surprise he nodded. As Dan went to fetch a glass she smiled at him coldly. ‘Are these homemade things from Megan?’ she said politely. ‘That is so nice of her –’ She broke off as a crash sounded from the kitchen.

      Dan appeared in the doorway, his hand wrapped in a tea towel. ‘Sorry, folks. The glass slipped. We seem to be having a bad time, don’t we!’ He handed Rhodri his drink and strolled over towards the hedge, his hand still wrapped in the towel. The others followed him. ‘Look at that view,’ he said at last. ‘It’s sensational, isn’t it.’ Beyond the hedge the ground dropped away towards the valley bottom. The sun was beginning to set now in a pearly haze which rimmed the northern hills with gold.

      ‘It’ll rain tomorrow.’ Rhodri was staring across the hedge. ‘You’re a painter, Mum tells me.’ He glanced down at Jess.

      ‘Only an amateur.’ She couldn’t keep the frostiness out of her voice. He sounded patronising and bored and even the fact that he was a head taller than her and therefore was looking down on her irritated her hugely.

      ‘But a damn good one,’ Dan put in amiably. ‘This place is inspirational, isn’t it. I reckon if I lived here I would finally write my novel.’

      ‘What novel?’ Jess said, amused. ‘Is that before or after you get your headship?’

      He grinned. ‘After,