Chapter 3

The following morning she woke up feeling slightly depressed, now remembering the events with her husband last night. She put on her warm robe and walked into the kitchen to find a note left for her on the table.

"My dearest love,

Hope you are feeling better about things this morning. And I hope you have a nice day. I've put the bike in the shed for now until I can return it to the bicycle shop. With the money we get back, I'll take you out and buy you a new summer outfit. Maybe that blue gown you've wanted, the one that was in that shop window, remember love?

Hope all is forgiven.

Your ever loving husband.

"Well, he's managed to do it again!" she thought angrily to herself. "Well, it's not going to work this time!"

She made herself a pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table near the open window and poured herself a cup. The birds were all chirping and the sun was shining into the small room. A beautiful day again and she didn't plan on spending it all day cooped up inside this house, she thought. She'd defy his orders and take the bike out for another spin. This time she wouldn't tell him and would be home before he arrived.

She quickly got dressed into her riding outfit. She combed her long hair and dusted her face with some rose powder and dabbed a little rouge onto her lips. Spritzed herself with a little lavender water and she was off. She packed a simple lunch, a cold beef sandwich, an apple and some biscuits and poured some hot tea into her little silver flask. She'd skip the wine today. All was set and out the door she went.

She grabbed her straw hat on her way out and tied the dark green ribbons under her chin. She walked to the shed and was stunned to see the lock bolted onto the door handles. "That bastard!"

She was so angry now, she walked about the place looking for a hammer, an axe, anything! She couldn't find anything of course since they were all locked up inside the shed as well. In desperation, she walked to the old stone wall abutting their property and picked up a huge rock. She bashed it against the lock with all her strength and on the third try, she heard a click and the lock fell open!

She took her bike out and closed the door. Then she rode off with a smile on her face", triumphant against the enemy!" she thought.

"Off to Diana's Pool we go!" and she peddled with her dainty feet. The wind blowing on her face. How good it felt as she rode downhill and uphill along the winding bumpy roads. The countryside was burst with color and the sweet myriad scents of the flowers dotting the sides of the road. She wouldn't dwell on last night and the anger she felt toward him. She would put it out of her mind and enjoy this day as if it were her last.

She was deep in thought as she peddled along faster now, she didn't even see the large stone ahead of her in the road that caught her front wheel. The bike jumped to a stop, the front wheel all twisted, the back spinning around out of control throwing her right over the handlebars! With sheer horror she went flying thru the air and landed with a hard thump onto the ground. It all happened so fast and then it all went blank.