The sun was rising by the time they arrived at Kingfisher Farm. With the adrenaline wearing off, Del’s eyes were involuntarily drifting shut. Nick was driving, but he must have been struggling to stay alert as well. Neither of them had had any sleep.
Tiny and the collies greeted them, all wagging tails and excited whines. Despite their exhaustion, Del and Nick were determined to get the diaries safely stowed away before getting any rest.
Darby emerged from her bedroom in a dressing gown, bleary-eyed and yawning. She stopped short when she encountered Nick in the hallway with an armful of books.
‘What’s going on here?’
‘It’s okay, Mum,’ called Del, who was right behind him. ‘I’ll explain later. But in the meantime, Nick needs to stay here for a day or two. Can he have the spare room?’
