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Daniel’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He looked at Kitty, devastation on his face.

“I don’t know what to say. I love you. I can’t believe I did that. Kitty, please, that’s not who I am.”

She sucked in her lips. “I don’t know who you are, Daniel, but I’d rather not hang around to find out.”

His eyes darted around the garden as people noticed the commotion.

“You stay. I’ll go. Please, believe me, I truly am sorry. I’ll understand if you never want to speak to me again.”

Kitty’s frown eased, and she shook her head.

“Just go.”

Daniel nodded and turned on his heel, heading towards the front of the house and his car.

51

KITTY

As Daniel fled the garden,Kitty spotted Jonty hovering on the edge of the dancefloor, a confused look on his face.

“What was that all about? Who lit a rocket up Cunningham’s arse?”

Kitty shook her head, not wanting to get involved in a post-mortem of the evening’s events.

“At least tell me what was up with Josh,” he said.

Kitty’s stomach dropped, and bile rose in her throat.Josh?Where was he?

“Jonty, where;s Josh?” Kitty asked in a tight voice.

Her cousin shrugged his shoulders.

“I have no idea. He was here a second ago. Then he took off, looking like he’d seen a ghost. Nearly knocked the beer out of my hand.”

Kitty’s heart hammered in her chest as the music pumped up, and revellers again took to the dance floor. Had Josh seen Daniel kiss her? Had Josh seen Kitty push Daniel away? Slap him? Surely if he had, he’d be the first to defend her. But instead, he’d taken off without a word.

“Which way did he go?” she asked, her breath tight in her chest.

“I don’t know. The last time I saw him, he was heading out of the front door.”

Kitty nodded and moved off the dance floor. As she stepped onto the paving, something squelched under her feet and looking down, her heart sank. Laying trampled on the ground was a bunch of wildflowers tied up in a piece of brown string. She recognised the same flowers Wendy had delivered her so long ago. Josh had been here. He must have seen Daniel’s kiss.

Racing through the house as fast as her stilettoed feet would carry her, Kitty headed straight out of the front door, scattering several canoodling couples hanging around the front steps. She noted with satisfaction that Daniel’s car had gone. Providing even more satisfaction, Patricia’s gravel now sported two deep gouges where his tyres had been. There was no sign of Josh, so Kitty headed towards the lane, stopping only when she reached the gate.

Running out onto the smooth tarmac of the road, Kitty checked left and right, desperate for some sight of Josh or at least his truck brake lights. There was nothing, though. She squinted into the darkness in the direction of the village. The tall trees and their spreading canopies hugged the road like an archway.

She saw movement at the end of the tunnel of trees. It had to be Josh. The figure was tall, and its golden hair glowed in the light of the moon. Tearing the shoes from her feet, Kitty threw them down on the grass verge, tucked the sides of her dress into her tiny G-string, and took off down the road.

Muttering curses to the heavens, the stones tore into her feet as she covered the ground soundlessly. For once, she was grateful for her long legs. When she reached him, she shouted, her voice lost in her heaving breath.

“Josh! Wait. Where are you going? Slow down.”

Josh stopped, still as a statue, the back of his shirt illuminated in the moonlight. His large shoulders tapered down to his waist, and Kitty bit on her lower lip. She’d only seen Josh in jeans or shorts and couldn’t help but notice how impressive he looked, polished and dressed smartly.

“What is it, Kitty?” he asked.

Josh’s silky voice had a sharp edge to it. He made no move to turn around, so she stood in front of him. The look of fury on his face filled her with dread.