Even then she would have reached The Castle sooner had she not found on arrival at Pendle that it was almost impossible to hire a carriage. The local Races were taking place that day, she was informed, and every possible vehicle in the whole town had been hired, borrowed or lent to take spectators to the Racecourse.
There was nothing Nerina could do but wait until the afternoon’s sport was over and she was forced to amuse herself as best she could in the dingy sitting room of The Black Boar Hotel.
When at last a conveyance was procured for her, Nerina had sighed in relief, feeling that the last lap of her journey was nearly done. But she had reckoned without the Hackney carriage.
It was old and creaking and drawn by a tired underfed horse that had already exhausted its strength in carry
