Free The Madness by Alison Rattle

Smoaker shouted, as his ladder shook.
    Marnie steadied herself and gulped down a lungful of air.
    ‘Prince!’
    Marnie turned. Noah de Clevedon was running towards her. She took another gulp of air as her heart jumped into her throat. Noah ran past her to the beach, where his wolfhound was cocking its leg at the base of a pile of ironwork. He slipped a leash around the dog’s throat. ‘Sorry!’ he shouted back at Marnie. ‘Are you hurt?’
    Marnie shook her head. ‘I’m well enough.’
    The hound galloped towards the sound of Marnie’s voice, dragging Noah behind. Noah’s feet skidded through the shingle as he pulled on the leash with both hands and his straw hat fell from his head. ‘Beastly hound!’ he shouted.
    A laugh slipped unbidden from Marnie’s lips. Her hand flew to her mouth, but it was too late. Noah stopped in front of her and smiled widely. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was damp and fine wisps of it, the colour of toast, were stuck to his cheeks. He was flushed a deep pink and Marnie felt something inside of her soften.
    ‘I see you have full charge of your animal,’ she said lightly.
    ‘He has not been out for days,’ said Noah. ‘I think the freedom has gone to his head. Still now, boy. Still.’ The dog sniffed at Marnie’s ankles and out of habit she tried to hide her bad leg behind her good one. ‘He’s as gentle as they come,’ said Noah. ‘I’m sorry he knocked you.’
    Marnie shrugged. ‘I’m still standing, aren’t I?’ Then, fearing she had been too sharp, she held out her hand and the dog licked at it eagerly with a tongue that was as hot and rough as sun-baked sand. They stood in silence for a moment, watching the hound. Then Noah, having got his breath back, looked around as though seeing where he was for the first time.
    ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Of course. I didn’t think.’
    ‘Didn’t think what?’ said Marnie.
    ‘Your business,’ said Noah. ‘You cannot trade while the pier is being built.’
    Marnie snorted. ‘Did you think it would be otherwise?’
    ‘I  …  I didn’t think at all,’ said Noah. ‘Is it so very bad? What will you do?’
    ‘Oh, don’t worry your head,’ said Marnie, feeling the hairs along her arms bristle. ‘It’s all arranged.’
    ‘But how? Where are your bathing machines?’ Noah’s face was so full of concern that although Marnie wanted to throw all her anger at him, she found that it had fizzled out.
    ‘They are up at Eccles Farm. In the big barn,’ she said.
    ‘So you will go back to the business when the pier is finished?’
    Marnie nodded. ‘I expect so. We are to take in a lodger in the meantime, and Smoaker  …  ’ Marnie tilted her head towards Smoaker at the top of the ladder, ‘  …  will labour on the pier.’
    ‘I am glad,’ said Noah. He looked up at Smoaker and lowered his voice. ‘He is your father, I presume?’
    Marnie felt her face flush. ‘No! He  …  he’s just a friend of Ma’s.’
    ‘Oh, I see.’ Noah looked at her.
    ‘Me  …  me pa is a fisherman,’ said Marnie quickly. ‘He  …  he’s away fishing now. Gone for months at a time, he is. But he’ll be back any time soon.’ She licked her lips and looked Noah in the eye.
    He smiled at her. ‘He sounds like my own father. He is always away on business. I never know when I might see him next.’
    The hound had lost interest in Marnie’s hand and began to tug at its leash and pull Noah back up the slipway, away from the beach. ‘Whoa, boy!’ said Noah. ‘I am sorry,’ he said to Marnie. ‘I had better take him back to the manor before he gets me into any more trouble. I hope everything turns out well for you and your family. The pier will be the making of this place in time! You’ll see!’
    Marnie didn’t know why she said what she did next. It came out of her mouth before the words had entered her head. Perhaps she just liked the way Noah talked to her. Like she was the same as him somehow. Or maybe it was