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She shone the torch on theas she pressed the glass Each as stone hts appeared to be supported by steel bars behind thee to break the glass Of course she could smash one of her car s but she'd freeze to death in there tonight, and in theshe'd still have the sa in the cottage

'Oh, Harvey' The urge to cry was back This, on top of everything else that had happened lately was tooto pick herself up and sort herself out, was she hampered at every turn? It just wasn't fair She sniffedall was not well, pressed protectively against her legs She pluy neck, tears running down her cheeks And it was like that, huddled into the warhts on the hillside

Soe!

Ju up, she dashed past her car and the sarden and opened the big swing gate, holding Harvey's leather collar as she waited for whoever it was to reach the the vehicle oouldn't just drive straight past It wasn't as if she looked as though she , she reasoned frantically, not in her pyjamas But for that same reason she wanted any potential rescuer to see Harvey and know she had the sort of guard dog it wasn't wise to ignore You heard such horrible things these days about woers for help

It seemed an eternity before the car reached them but it could only have been a hts lit up the darkness, sing the e estate car swept by before Beth could blink For an awfulon the grass verge, but then she heard the screech of brakes after the car had disappeared from view round a bend in the road A few seconds later it reversed and came to a stop at the side of them

The ound down and a deep led amaze out here dressed like that?'

Enjoying ue rule her brain before logic told her she had to get this guy on her side, whoever he was Biting back the caustic retort which had sprung to her lips, she said evenly, "I appear to have lockedI don't suppose you've got anything in the car I could force the door with?' She swung the torch in the di¬rection of his face as she spoke and saw hiht hit his eyes 'Sorry' She lowered it ih to tell her the ish; beyond that she hadn't been able to see

'You're asking ?'

Amusement was definitely paramount now and Beth had to take a deep breath before she could say sweetly, 'I suppose so, yes Can you help?' She was shivering fro to chatter, and this clown found the situation funny The unfeeling so-and-so

'You're cold'

She hoped it was her shaking he had noticed and not the way her nipples were standing out like chapel hat pegs against the thin silk of her pyja about it; she couldn't even cross her ar Harvey's collar and the other clutching the torch 'A bit,' she said steadily 'Which is why I'd like to get back in as soon as possible'

The engine was turned off and the driver's door opened, a big figure uncurling itself from the dark depths of the vehicle The nexthanded a bulky jacket which er seat beside hi down at Harvey who had begun a low rurowl in the back of his throat

Beth didn't try to stop the dog; in fact she ive him an extra handful of his favourite biscuits once they were inside The ly broad-shouldered and ht She didn't like to shine the torch up into his face again to get a good look at hi so scantily clad

The next er crouched down so that his head was in line with Harvey's powerful jaws, his voice relaxed and soothing as he said, 'Steady, boy No one's going to har to sniff

There was a brief pause and then the ruue licked theBeth wondered if Harvey would look quite so pleased with himself if he knew he'd just blown the extra biscuits