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“Okay, old wo with the words

She stuck her nose in the air andnoise

“I declared war,” she said primly

Lake let the curtain fall

“No I declared war”

“That you did, and it was such a piss-poor job I had to do it again You don’t want a war All you want is to ht Youryour hands on Kirsty You were teaching her to fight What the heck is that about? You clearly have no idea what a real war is So I started one If you want soet a woman”

Lake ran a hand over his head He couldn’t argue His decision to teach Kirsty how to fight was spontaneous It had less to do with their war andhis hands on her That and the fact he’d rather see the passionate Kirsty from the paper than the scared one that didn’t knohat to do with herself Unfortunately, Betty was right It was no way to run a war

“How exactly did you declare war?” Lake demanded

He suspected he’d have been a lotlared at Betty It would have been more effective if there weren’t tears in her eyes

“When I was getting the pies,” Betty said tightly, “IMcKay that Kirsty had started selling edible knickers and sex toys”

Rainne shot to her feet

“She has not!”

“I know that,” Betty said “But Morag has been itching for a reason to stage a protest There hasn’t been anything to colass in her bathroolass she had was supposed to be frosted, but on a dark night you could see Agnes clear as day when she got out of the shower The Boy Scout hut is over the road; they were charging a pound a tireat fundraiser until the vicar shut it down”

Lake pinched the bridge of his nose

“She’s protesting?” he said