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She peeled off her pumps outside the door, saying a silent prayer of mourning to Saint Crispin, the patron saint of shoemakers, as she popped them into the bin.If I part with my shoes, please protect me from harm at the hands of anything four-legged.Their loss was the first sacrifice to the gods of the countryside.Kitty hoped it would be the last.

Looking down at her feet, mud from the puddle had pooled between her toes, staining them a dingy beige.Delightful.

“There’s a hose over there.” Jonty pointed to the corner of the house. “Looks like you might need it.”

With a grimace, Kitty hobbled down the path, cursing the pebbles digging into her skin. It was a far cry from the plush carpet of her apartment or the smooth streets of the city. But what had she expected? She’d signed up for this. Coming to the country was her own choice.

* * *

Followinga dinner full of laughter and reminiscing, Julia went to bed. Kitty offered to wash up, and after shutting the chicken coop, Jonty poured them both a glass of wine. They sat on the patio in the still evening air as crickets strummed in the fields. Kitty’s gaze was caught by the emerging stars reflected in the violet sky.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it is here,” she said.

“I can’t seem to leave,” said Jonty. “This village is like the Hotel California. I hope you don’t think me rude, but I have to ask. What happened at Fenwick? You were working with Stefan Watts?”

“You know Stefan?”

Jonty nodded. “We worked together when I’d just finished my law degree. He was an ambitious bastard as far as I can remember.”

Kitty gave a wry smile. The legal world was incestuous. Everybody knew everybody else’s business.

“Ambitious is his middle name. That’s what I used to like about him. He was inspiring. He could be brutal, but he brought me in on some great deals.”

“How long was he your boss?”

Kitty fingered the outside of her glass, swallowing down bitter words. “Too long. He got his pound of flesh, though. I don’t think I saw blue sky for months at a time.”

“So, what happened?”

Kitty sighed. Talking about it still twisted a knife in her gut. “He found a way to remove me from a client I’d just landed. He wanted the glory and the billable hours. Unfortunately, the new role he found for me was way below my pay grade.”

“That’s not right,” said Jonty, scowling.

Kitty shrugged, tucking her newly cleaned feet underneath herself on the bench. “I made a complaint the next day. But he got in first. The old boys' network ground into gear. To them, I was a fly in the ointment, and at the end of the day, one of us had to go. Fenwick decided that would be me.”

“That’s terrible,” said Jonty, rubbing his forehead.

“I know, right? I dread to think what he said about me, but they offered me an ‘honourable’ exit. The chance to resign, references and recommendations, etcetera. I can’t work for another law firm for three months.”

“Meaning you’re at a loose end, and that’s why you agreed to look after Mum’s brood.”

“Meaning I have three months to find a shit-hot job and get back in the game. I don’t like to sit around. I need to keep moving.” In fact, she hadn’t stopped moving since she’d qualified. Without the ability to quell the insatiable burn of ambition inside her, she’d likely go mad in Tottenbridge.

“Do you want to go back to the lion’s den?” asked Jonty, his voice hushed.

“What else am I going to do? I can’t abandon all I’ve worked for. My entire career, my reputation, my contacts? I’m not cut out for anything else.”

Jonty smiled. “I don’t believe that. But I get where you’re coming from. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t? Look, get a good night’s sleep. I’m working tomorrow, but I was hoping you would help me in the evening?”

“On a case?” Family law was Jonty's specialisation.

Jonty sucked a breath in through his teeth. “Not exactly. You see, I’m still a bit of a geek. It’s trivia night at the pub tomorrow, and my team,The Con-quiz-tadors,could do with some help.”

Kitty giggled. “You need me for trivia?”

“You’re incredibly clever, and it’ll be a perfect opportunity to meet the crew. Besides, Holly would love another woman on board. She feels the pressure in the makeup and fashion rounds.”

Open-mouthed, Kitty threw a cushion at his chest. Thank goodness he was only joking.She had no idea about makeup and fashion. She hadn’t read a magazine that wasn’t a legal publication for years.