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I was up before dawn on the morrow and found a strangled vixen outside my door, the poor wee lass was intended to teach me a lesson.  I knew they wouldn’t stop killing whatever I did so, for the sake of their future victims, I still had to try to save those I could.  Leaving Donnan at home to protect the others, I made my way to the Viscount’s estate and tried to scare as many grouse away as I could, before the “sport” began.  I saw his guests arriving and said a prayer for the innocents who would cross their paths.  I stayed out of sight and got ahead of them to the woods.

Such brave and noble men who would, five of them, gang up to slaughter a little bird.

I tried to stay out of sight whilst rushing to pick up the injured before their dogs got to them, but I’m sure it was inevitable that someone would see me.

“Miss Allaway, I thought my man had spoken to you about this.  Ah well, I suppose if you want something done right you have to do it yourself – isn’t that what they say?” The Viscount himself stood over me but I didn’t look up.  I couldn’t take my eyes off the bird whose tail had been clipped by a shot which almost missed him.  He was flapping and gasping and panicking.  I reached out to him as the Viscount spoke again.

“Miss Allaway, I see you cannot be reasoned with.”  I heard a click and that was it.  That was the end of me.

To be continued …