Chester's attack

It turned out that everyone except for Josephine and Linda wanted to go for a walk. Linda planned to rest and Josephine needed to do her nails so the rest headed towards the woods. We fell into a loose pack formation, the other couples instinctively walking behind Killian.

I was one step back and to the right of him. Romeo came along next, followed by Christine, then Lucius and Michael, while Natalie and Elias brought up the rear.

The arrangement effectively cancelled my hopes of having a private conversation with Natalia but I still hoped to deal with the matter before the night was over.

As we entered the tree line, a sound came from the left and in a blur of movement, Killian and Romeo positioned themselves protectively in front of the others, muscles tense and senses alert.

It took less than a second for them to identify the source and realize there was no danger. As the two men visibly relaxed their stance, Julie and Chester emerged from the brush.

“Hi there!” Julie called o