His smile; his gentle demeanor; his impeccable manners – They had all swept her off her feet. She had felt then that it was the end of her search; that she had found happiness finally. Little was she to know…
It had been a pleasant summer evening. He had politely asked her mother if he could escort her to the nearby fair. Her mother had agreed. She liked the young man. What was there to dislike about him? The fair had been a gala affair. The entire village had seemed to be there.
Her friends had taken her aside & had complimented her on her good fortune. She had blushed. A little later, he had asked. Oh! Her heart had skipped a beat. She had been overcome with emotion and had barely mumbled a yes. He had taken her in his arms and had sealed it with a kiss.
Hand in hand, they walked back to her mother’s house. Just why was everything so quiet? Why did the dogs not bark on hearing their footsteps? Why was the neighing of the horses missing? For the second time in the day, her heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong. Then she saw the pistol in his hand. Why had he gone to the fair with a pistol?
And then she saw her mother lying immobile – her head smashed in. She let out a scream. He tried to hush her, but it was too late. The sharp edge of the butcher’s knife had already slit his neck. She watched his head roll away; her eyes wide with fear. She was trembling. What next?
Then she smiled. She must buy more of the butcher’s knives – they were quite useful…
