JL Merrow

Stranded in a remote country village in 1920s England when his car breaks down, shy young Arthur finds himself drawn to the rough mechanic who comes to his aid, Bob Goodman. Forced to stay until the May Day holiday is over, Arthur makes the best of it, enjoying the village procession and fete.<br><br>But the villagers seem to know more about him than they should, and there’s a second, darker, May celebration that starts when the sun’s gone down. In the drunken revelry that follows, Arthur is whisked off in a wild dance by Goodman, who plays the part of Jack in the Green, the spirit of the greenwood.<br><br>Dancing turns to loving, but is everything what it seems? And is one night all Arthur can have?

Jack in the Green

Heart suddenly racing, he untied his pyjama trousers and examined his hips. Yes: finger-shaped bruises patterned them, the firmest evidence yet that the previous night had really happened.


So odd, though, that minor abrasions aside, such a momentous thing should leave no trace upon his features. Arthur felt there ought to be some new maturity in his eyes, his bearing. Something that would announce to the world that yes, he was now a man. Instead, the face that regarded him worriedly from the mirror was much the same as it always had been. Thinner, perhaps, but in all essentials little changed from his chorister days.


He felt exhilarated, anxious, and not a little queasy.


Although food was the last thing he felt ready for, he knew his churning stomach would settle only if he filled it. Arthur dressed himself as though he were an automaton, his fingers fumbling wretchedly as he tried to fasten his tie, and made his way downstairs upon unsteady legs.


Chapter 9