went on the search and then ... well, my housemate's out, and it just didn't feel like a night for sitting in alone, you know?'
I knew. There was a silence for a while.
'Can I get you a drink?' I asked, just as she said, 'Well, I'll see you later.' We laughed, self-consciously. 'What would you like?'
'No, it's all right, really.'
'I was just going to get myself another.' I realized as I said it that my glass was still half-full. I hoped she wouldn't notice.
'A bottle of Becks, then. Thanks.'
Ben had just finished getting served as I leaned on the bar. 'Changed your mind? Here, let me.' He started putting his hand in his pocket.
'No, it's all right. I'm getting someone else's.'
He glanced behind me. His mouth twisted in a smile. 'Fair enough. See you later.'
I nodded, conscious of my face burning. By the time I was served I'd finished the rest of my beer. I ordered myself another and took the drinks over to where Jenny was standing.
'Cheers.' She raised the bottle in a little toast and took a drink. 'I know the landlord doesn't like you doing it, but it just doesn't taste the same from a glass.'
'And it's less to wash up, so you're actually doing him a favour.'
'I'll remember that next time he tells me off.' She grew more serious. 'I just can't believe what's happened. It's so awful, isn't it? I mean, two of them, from here? I thought places like this were supposed to be safe.'
'Was that why you came?'
I didn't mean it to sound as intrusive as it did. She looked down at the bottle she was holding. 'Let's just say I was tired of living in a city.'
'Where was that?'
'Norwich.'
She had started to peel the label from the bottle. As if realizing what she was doing she suddenly stopped. Her expression cleared as she smiled at me.
'Anyway, how about you? We've already established you're not a local either.'
'Nope. London, originally.'
'So what made you come to Manham? The bright lights and scintillating night-life?'
'Something like that.' I saw that she was expecting more. 'Same as you, I suppose. I wanted a change.'
'Yeah, well, it's that all right.' She smiled. 'Still, I quite like it. I'm getting used to living out in the middle of nowhere. You know, the quiet and everything. No crowds or cars.'
'Or cinema.'
'Or bars.'
'Or shops.'
We grinned at each other. 'So how long have you been here?' she asked.
'Three years.'
'And how long did it take you to be accepted?'
'I'm still working on it. Another decade and I might be thought of as a permanent visitor. By the more progressive elements, obviously.'
'Don't say that. I've only been here six months.'
'Still a tourist, then.'
She laughed, but before she could say anything there was a commotion in the doorway.
'Where's the doctor?' a voice demanded. 'Is he here?'
I pushed my way forward as a man was half-supported, half-carried into the pub. His face was contorted in pain. I recognized him as Scott Brenner, one of a large family who lived in a ramshackle house just outside Manham. A boot and the bottom of one trouser leg were soaked in blood.
'Sit him down. Gently,' I said, as he was lowered into a seat. 'What happened?'
'He stepped in a snare. We were going up to the surgery but we saw your Land Rover outside.'
It was his brother Carl who'd spoken. The Brenners were a clannish lot, ostensibly farm workers but not averse to poaching as well. Carl was the eldest, a wiry, truculent individual, and as I eased back the blood-soaked denim from Scott's leg I entertained the uncharitable thought that this had happened to the wrong brother. Then I saw the damage that had been done.
'Do you have a car?' I asked his brother.
'Don't think we walked here, do you?'
'Good, because he needs to go to hospital.'
Carl swore. 'Can't you just patch him up?'
'I can put a temporary dressing on, but that's all. This needs more than I can do.'
'Am I going to lose my foot?' Scott gasped.
'No, but you're not going to be doing much running for a while.' I wasn't as
I knew. There was a silence for a while.
'Can I get you a drink?' I asked, just as she said, 'Well, I'll see you later.' We laughed, self-consciously. 'What would you like?'
'No, it's all right, really.'
'I was just going to get myself another.' I realized as I said it that my glass was still half-full. I hoped she wouldn't notice.
'A bottle of Becks, then. Thanks.'
Ben had just finished getting served as I leaned on the bar. 'Changed your mind? Here, let me.' He started putting his hand in his pocket.
'No, it's all right. I'm getting someone else's.'
He glanced behind me. His mouth twisted in a smile. 'Fair enough. See you later.'
I nodded, conscious of my face burning. By the time I was served I'd finished the rest of my beer. I ordered myself another and took the drinks over to where Jenny was standing.
'Cheers.' She raised the bottle in a little toast and took a drink. 'I know the landlord doesn't like you doing it, but it just doesn't taste the same from a glass.'
'And it's less to wash up, so you're actually doing him a favour.'
'I'll remember that next time he tells me off.' She grew more serious. 'I just can't believe what's happened. It's so awful, isn't it? I mean, two of them, from here? I thought places like this were supposed to be safe.'
'Was that why you came?'
I didn't mean it to sound as intrusive as it did. She looked down at the bottle she was holding. 'Let's just say I was tired of living in a city.'
'Where was that?'
'Norwich.'
She had started to peel the label from the bottle. As if realizing what she was doing she suddenly stopped. Her expression cleared as she smiled at me.
'Anyway, how about you? We've already established you're not a local either.'
'Nope. London, originally.'
'So what made you come to Manham? The bright lights and scintillating night-life?'
'Something like that.' I saw that she was expecting more. 'Same as you, I suppose. I wanted a change.'
'Yeah, well, it's that all right.' She smiled. 'Still, I quite like it. I'm getting used to living out in the middle of nowhere. You know, the quiet and everything. No crowds or cars.'
'Or cinema.'
'Or bars.'
'Or shops.'
We grinned at each other. 'So how long have you been here?' she asked.
'Three years.'
'And how long did it take you to be accepted?'
'I'm still working on it. Another decade and I might be thought of as a permanent visitor. By the more progressive elements, obviously.'
'Don't say that. I've only been here six months.'
'Still a tourist, then.'
She laughed, but before she could say anything there was a commotion in the doorway.
'Where's the doctor?' a voice demanded. 'Is he here?'
I pushed my way forward as a man was half-supported, half-carried into the pub. His face was contorted in pain. I recognized him as Scott Brenner, one of a large family who lived in a ramshackle house just outside Manham. A boot and the bottom of one trouser leg were soaked in blood.
'Sit him down. Gently,' I said, as he was lowered into a seat. 'What happened?'
'He stepped in a snare. We were going up to the surgery but we saw your Land Rover outside.'
It was his brother Carl who'd spoken. The Brenners were a clannish lot, ostensibly farm workers but not averse to poaching as well. Carl was the eldest, a wiry, truculent individual, and as I eased back the blood-soaked denim from Scott's leg I entertained the uncharitable thought that this had happened to the wrong brother. Then I saw the damage that had been done.
'Do you have a car?' I asked his brother.
'Don't think we walked here, do you?'
'Good, because he needs to go to hospital.'
Carl swore. 'Can't you just patch him up?'
'I can put a temporary dressing on, but that's all. This needs more than I can do.'
'Am I going to lose my foot?' Scott gasped.
'No, but you're not going to be doing much running for a while.' I wasn't as
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