In A Dark Dark Wood

The group arrives at the shooting range, and the instructor notices the absence of one expected member. Flo tensely says, “No prizes for guessing who I’ll be imagining when I open fire” (138). The instructor goes over safety precautions and explains the basics about how to load and fire the shotguns. Nora welcomes the distraction from her thoughts about James and Clare. The shooting instructor walks them out to the range and shows them the cartridges they will be using. He sets up a paper target and loads the gun. The instructor shows Flo how to hold the shotgun and how to shoot the target at close range, to demonstrate how much damage the gun can do, saying, “So the moral of this is, ladies and gentlemen, respect your weapon” (143). Nina looks grim, and Nora remembers that her friend had volunteered in Columbia with Médecins Sans Frontières and undoubtedly saw many gunshot wounds. The group silently follows the instructor to the shooting trap.

The group returns to the house after the clay pigeon shooting. Nina jokes with Tom in her sarcastic fashion, causing Flo to scold them. Nora observes Clare watching the squabble and thinks how Clare has always enjoyed stirring the pot.