Page 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

Apparently, the only place to dance in the village was at the pub, and the music was from an old jukebox that had been old when Alicia had first moved to Moray Castle. Yet Lily had dutifully trooped upstairs to change into a dress suitable for dancing with her newly minted Bachelor of Engineering in the envelope tucked under her arm.

Alicia had even graciously offered her the use of the castle's collection of cars, so she wouldn't have to walk to the village. Lily had seen all the fancy cars lined up in the old stables, but she wasn't game to drive any of them. Plus the village pub was probably home to a bunch of drunk old men, the sort she didn't want staring at her as she danced. Or worse, joining her. It was like the masquerade ball all over again – she wanted to dance, but she wanted to do it outside, alone, where there was space to move and no one to judge. Somewhere like Moray Castle's ballroom, if the place hadn't been shrouded in dust sheets.

So when she headed out the front door, instead of taking the drive to the garage or the gate, she headed for the woods. All she needed was a small clearing, where she could dance her heart out with no one watching.

As if in answer to her unspoken prayer, a path led from the garden gate, through the trees, to a clearing almost as big as the ballroom in the house. The sort of place where she imagined the castle's medieval residents might have celebrated bonfire night, or some pagan ritual.

She'd brought a tiny portable speaker, but there was no way that would work for such a large space, so Lily slipped on a pair of earbuds instead, cranking up the volume just enough before tucking her phone into her pocket. She wanted to get lost in the music, and with no one around, it would be perfectly safe to not pay any attention to her surroundings. Any sensible wild animal would sense her clumsy stomping a mile away, and head in the opposite direction.

Right. She had the perfect song at the start of her favourite dancing playlist. It was time to celebrate.

"This one's for you, Dad," she whispered as she began to dance.