Clare stood ankle deep in snow in a field to the south of St Andrews, her collar turned up against a biting north-easterly wind. The snow had finally stopped the previous afternoon and, as the skies cleared, the mercury had dropped, giving the white blanket a crisp coating that crunched satisfyingly underfoot. Although it was now almost nine thirty, a watery sun was still struggling to peep over the horizon. Out to the east the grey North Sea merged with the sky making it difficult to see where the sea ended and the sky began. The fields around her were plump with their wintry coating and the trees hung with snow, softening the bare branches. Overhead a lone buzzard was circling, its eagle eye alert for any small movement on the ground. It was an idyllic view – redolent of the Christmas cards Clare had hurriedly stuck onto the door frames on Christmas Eve. And yet, as she looked without enthusiasm at her companions on this wintry morning, she thought, if this wasn’t hell, she could probably see it from here.
Benjy strained on his lead as a middle-aged woman in a Barbour jacket and Hunter wellies went past, picking her way carefully through the snow. A handsome German pointer trotted obediently beside her paying Benjy no heed. They took up their place, a few yards from Clare, and stood waiting for the class to begin.
Clare’s feet were starting to feel cold and she flexed them inside her boots, thinking longingly of the cosy cottage she had just left. It was the first proper snow of the winter, and she cursed herself for not digging out her thermal socks. There was snow in Boston, too. She knew that now, thanks to the new year text message from Geoffrey Dark, her on-off partner (boyfriend seemed too juvenile a word). The new year message that hadn’t actually arrived until late last night. It had been full of news – the parties, fireworks over the harbour, skating in the park… Oh yes, Clare thought. Lots of news. But very little else. Very little about us, she thought.
Her own new year had been tame, by comparison: a glass or three of red in front of the Hootenanny with only Benjy for company, and bed by one o’clock.
Two more women arrived with a pair of German Shepherds. Clare recognised the dogs as Zander and Leila, although she’d no idea what the women’s names were. To her relief, she saw the familiar figure of Ralph, the exuberant and completely wild Border collie, coming through the gate into the field. Clare was always pleased to see Ralph at the classes. Not only could he be relied on to be far more disruptive than Benjy, but his owner – one of the few men who attended the dog training – was particularly easy on the eye, as far as she could tell from the other side of the training field. He had a new hat today, Clare noticed. A soft grey beanie with a Nordic pattern. A Christmas present, she assumed. On some men it might have seemed girlish and wrong. But, with his swarthy complexion and stylish clothes, he somehow carried it off. Clare studied the other dog owners. Mostly swathed in long padded Puffa coats and ski jackets. Ralph’s owner, by contrast, cut a striking figure against the grey sea in a dark brown pea coat, a scarf with a fine stripe knotted casually at his neck. Clare noticed most of the other women glanced across at him, although that could have been due to Ralph’s boisterous attempts to round up their own dogs.
‘A happy new year to you all,’ boomed Isobel, the dog trainer. ‘I’m glad to see so many of you back here, despite the weather. So… let’s begin with a clockwise circuit please.’
The owners began moving round in a well-practised routine. Most of the dogs walked obediently, paying heed to their owners’ instructions while Benjy and Ralph, distracted by the presence of so many other dogs, barked, tugged and jumped around, to Isobel’s obvious impatience.
‘Benjy’s mummy,’ she bellowed across the field, as Benjy made to run across to greet Ralph.
Clare thought she saw Ralph’s owner laugh and she could only hope Isobel would refer to him as Ralph’s daddy before the morning was out. He really was very good-looking but he probably had an equally attractive wife or girlfriend. All the good ones did. But you never could tell…
As she led Benjy round the perimeter of the training area she thought again about Geoff.
Admittedly he had come for Christmas. Joined Clare and her family on Christmas Day at her parents’ house in Glasgow. Then he’d driven back with her to Daisy Cottage for a few days. And it had been fun. He was fun. Full of life and vigour.
And then, two days before new year, he had breezed out of her life again – places to go and people to see. Back into a taxi – no need to drive me, Clare – then onto a plane and back to his job in Boston. The job that was supposed to have been a secondment but that was feeling increasingly permanent as time went on. He had repeated his offer for her to join him, as he did now and then. But they both knew she wouldn’t go and the offers were becoming more casual and less frequent.
As she came to a halt with the rest of the group to await the next instruction, Clare wondered if this would be the year she finally found someone to settle down with. She had thought Geoffrey was that person. But that was before he’d decided to move to Boston.
And then there was her fling with her boss, DCI Alastair Gibson. They had been rubbing along quite well together and then Clare had ended up in hospital and Geoff had flown back to be at her side. Al Gibson had melted into the background and they had never really given their relationship a proper chance.
Isobel barked the next instruction and half of the owners turned to begin walking their dogs in the opposite direction, while Benjy, Ralph and a few others were instructed to stand still. This sent Benjy into transports of delight as he tugged and strained towards each dog that passed. Clare stood watching him and quite suddenly she came to a decision. It was time to stop messing about. She would end things once and for all with Geoffrey and take it from there. ‘Before I’m too old to care,’ she said aloud. At the sound of her voice Benjy looked up and sniffed at the pocket where she kept the dog treats and she bent to ruffle his neck, suddenly grateful for his unconditional love and affection.