After she had made the bonfire of Steve's bedding - and almost extinguished it by crying - Dora walked back to the stables. If anything could cheer her up it would be a ride on Copper. She saddled him and set off down the hill to the lake. Here everything was beautiful and just as it always had been. She could imagine the raft floating on the lake and Ron opening her birthday champagne as if it had only been yesterday.
After a short stop by the lake, Dora remounted and continued to the hill on the opposite side. But here she saw something strange. The approach to the large field opposite, where a few straggling bushes were all that remained of a former hawthorn hedge, was blocked by a new barbed-wire fence. It must have been put there yesterday, while they had all been away from the farm. Puzzled, Dora followed the edge of the fence on Copper. There was a single gate, but it was tall, strong, padlocked and festooned with barbed wire. A large notice read 'Private Property - Tresspassers will be Prosecuted'. What on earth could be happening? She'd always ridden over those fields as if they were part of Follyfoot. Perhaps old Ned Micklethwaite, the farmer, and his wife Cathy, had been having problems with thieves or vandals. But it seemed strange that they hadn't discussed building the fence with Dora first.
There was no alternative but to follow the bridleway to the left-hand side of the copse and then join the main road through Wike back to the village, but Dora hated taking the horses this way. She arrived back at the farm exhausted and angry. Slugger was in the kitchen when she returned.
"Hey, Slugs!" she started, "Do you know what's happening at Gallows Farm? There's a big new fence all around it!"
"I don't know nuffin' 'bout that, Miss. Why don't you give old Ned a ring?"
"Good idea, Slugs!"
As Dora made her way to the Colonel's study, where the telephone was situated, she fervently hoped that there was a simple reason behind the new fence. Perhaps the elderly couple just wanted to feel a little more secure in their old age. She had to admit that Follyfoot occasionally attracted the wrong sort of visitors - thinking especially of the time the Nightriders had attacked the farm and set loose all the horses.
She picked up the phone and dialled the number. A woman's voice answered.
"Hello, is that Cathy? It's Dora from Follyfoot here."
"Yes, love, it's me. What can I do for you?"
"Well - it's that awful new fence you've put around your land. Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Oh - that. I'm sorry, lass, but it was almost as big a shock to me as well. You see, we don't own the land, we're just tenant farmers. And Ned's getting on a bit - it's time we started drawing our pensions. Our daughter, Mary, she's married to an estate agent in Otley and they've got three bairns now. And our son Roger - he never wanted to carry on with the farm. He's working in London with the Civil Service."
Dora wished Cathy would get to the point. "But what about the fence?"
"I was just comin' to that, love. Well, my Ned and I went to see the landlord t'other day. He's that Councillor Earnshaw. Not as nice as his Dad what used to own the land, if you ask me. Anyhow, when we told him we wanted to quit at the end of the year, he couldn't have been nicer. He said that if we got out within two weeks he'd give us £200. Now, that's real generosity. So we're off at the end of next week. The cows have all gone to market, and we're having a sale at the weekend to get rid of all the bits and pieces - you might like to come along!"
"And what's Councillor Earnshaw going to do with the land?"
"I dunno, but he sent his men over today and they put up this big new fence. But it doesn't bother me. Our Mary's found us a nice little bungalow in Otley, and I can look after the bairns while she goes out to work. I'll miss you and the Colonel though. And Ron, Slugger and that nice dark-haired young man - now, what's his name?"
"S-steve" stammered Dora.
"That's right. Well, lass, you give them all my best wishes for the future. Now I've got to get on with my packing and sorting out the things to take to Otley!"