Lady Tor heard shots and felt the sky darken; crossing to the window, she saw the air full of birds, wheeling in a great mass above the house. And then, they were gone – and with them a pressure that, having lived with it so long, she only now recognized by its absence. Clouds broke and light spilled forth; the very fabric of the house seemed to sigh relief.

“Goodbye, my dear,” she whispered.

Goodnight, sweet Percy.

~

Lord Tor awoke and found his shotgun close by, both barrels discharged, and ragged, black things scattered all around: crows, in their dozens – and all quite dead.

The rage had fled, leaving him empty. He rested his head on his knee and there among the bracken, feeling very small and alone, he began to weep.

~

Lady Tor heard the car and her heart fluttered. Like a silly schoolgirl, she thought, and did not care one jot. Leaving the house, she saw the Captain and flung herself into his arms, barely noticing the portly clergyman standing close by and watching the scene with interest.