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‘Get out of the way, suckers!’

Holly recognised the voice before she saw the face driving. It was the same man from the restaurant – the one who had caused a complete scene. They were currently performing loops around various sculptures, scattering people, who ran screaming. Behind them, another golf buggy was in pursuit.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ a man was calling from the back of the second buggy. ‘We are sorry about the disturbance. The police have been called. Please go inside until the situation is under control.’

The first golf buggy was veering away from them now, towards the edge of the manor. Holly couldn’t move as she watched it. What the hell was wrong with people? They could kill someone in that thing. Somebody’s life could be entirely ruined because of some idiot deciding to do something reckless. It wasn’t only their own life they were playing with. It was innocent people’s lives too. And these weren’t children messing around. These were adults.

‘Holly? Holly, we need to go inside,’ Giles said. ‘Actually, maybe we should use this as a sign to get going. We don’t want to get caught up in the police turning up and everything. At that rate, we’ll never get home.’

Holly nodded; that made sense. There were plenty of witnesses around. She was sure she and Giles wouldn’t be able to add anything more to the situation and this was not something he could talk down. The police were needed.

‘Okay,’ she said, only to hesitate. ‘Can we just get a selfie with that polar bear first?’

Giles looked in the direction the buggy had gone. There didn’t seem to be any sign of it coming back.

‘Sure, come on.’

Together, they quickly darted over towards the giant polar bear, and Holly grabbed her phone out of her pocket.

‘My arms are longer – give it to me,’ Giles said. ‘Besides, you know I take better pictures.’

‘You don’t,’ Holly said, ‘but you do have longer arms, so I’ll give you that.’

He stretched his arm out, then pointed the camera towards them and angled it so that the polar bear – or as much of it as they could fit – was in the shot too.

‘Okay, we’re going to need to get closer to get the whole thing in.’

In what seemed like the most normal, natural motion, Giles placed his arm around Holly’s waist and pulled her into his side. But her body’s reaction was anything but normal. It felt like every fibre of her being had been set alight with static shocks. Tingles spread out from where he touched her, all the way to her chest, causing her pulse to rocket. And when she lifted her head up, she found she wasn’t facing the camera any more. In fact, Giles was no longer holding the camera up; it was down by his side. Both their bodies had somehow twisted around, so their chests were pressing together and her eyes were looking up into his. She didn’t know how it had happened. It was like her body simplyneededto be in this position. And maybe his did too.

‘Holly,’ Giles whispered. ‘I don’t know…’

He couldn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t need to. Holly understood everything he was trying to say. Everything he felt – or at least she thought she did. This was it. This was the moment she had been waiting for. The moment she had to put it all on the line.

‘Giles, what I wrote… We need to?—’

A sudden crashing sound stole the words from her mouth and sent every nearby bird into the air.

‘What the hell was that?’ she said instead.

57

Holly didn’t move. She wasn’t sure if she could. Her entire chest was continuing to pound, although she didn’t know whether that was to do with the closeness she and Giles had just shared, or the loud bang that had sent every bird fleeing. Either way, her hands were trembling.

‘Giles, what do you think that was?’

His face had darkened. ‘Honestly? I think they crashed the golf buggy.’

‘What?’ Holly looked in the direction she had seen the buggies disappear. ‘Do you think they’re okay? We need to go check.’

She moved to follow the rest of the crowd, who had now changed direction and, rather than heading back into the building as they had been requested to do, were scurrying around the side of it. But as she took a step, Giles grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

‘Holly, I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

‘They might be hurt. They might need help.’

‘I know, which is?—’

‘Then they might need someone with first-aid training,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t matter how horrible they are – I can’t not help. And I might not be a doctor, but I’ve still done a lot of training. What was the point of all of that if I’m not going to help someone when they actually need it? Now, are you coming or not?’