time with me, she didn't show it. We retreated to the massive living room. She put the glasses down, switched on a lamp on the wal and lit several candles on a nearby table. Sinking into the soft cushions on the sofa, she patted the space next to her. "I assume you've heard theories about what's going on in the woods," Clare started.
"People claim to have seen strange lights—"
"You mean like UFOs and aliens?" I interrupted, smiling. There it was, the woods topic again. I couldn't quite shake off the feeling they kept something from me.
"No." Clare shook her head, playing with the hem of her sleeve. "More like stories of legends and supernatural stuff. Anyway, people have been disappearing for a while. Mostly visitors, because the locals know to stay away after dark."
I'd known something was going on. The weird blue light, the strange sounds, the man fol owing me, his threat. People went hiking al the time and nothing happened. Trust my brother to find the one forest that came with a deadly warning sign. Suppressing a shudder, I forced my attention back to the conversation. "I'l keep that in mind, thanks."
"It's not just that," Clare said. "Other things have happened, people coming back and suddenly seeing things."
She certainly had my attention now. "I don't understand. What things?"
Clare inched closer and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ghosts, souls, or whatever you want to cal them."
I nodded, a cold shiver running down my back. Like the woman with the buggy crossing the street. Harry never saw her, but I knew she was there. Everything snapped into place. Back in London I'd have laughed at such superstition, but I was in Scotland, the land of mystery. Here anything seemed possible.
"Did anything strange happen in the woods?" Clare regarded me intently, her long fingers with black-painted nails curling around my wrist.
"Because we can help you. You can trust me. It's not too late."
Hadn't Aidan said something similar last night? I thought of the blue, flashing light, and then of the man, too dark to see, his deep voice too low to distinguish. Nothing had happened, but it could have. I shook my head. "Nope."
Clare peered at me, doubtful, but didn't persevere for which I was thankful. I didn't want to keep lying. "How do you like your new job?" Clare asked.
"It's different, but I like it." I said. Another lie.
Clare smiled. "I remember your application. You were Aidan's choice straight away. Wil you be staying in Scotland after summer?"
My heartbeat sped up. He wanted me straight away when I didn't even have any experience. Whatever Dal as put on that application helped me beat the competition. Or Aidan liked me, even if only on a subconscious level. Somehow, I wanted him to like me. "I'l be going back to London, I think. My boyfriend, wel , sort of has plans to move in together once I start col ege."
"The one in the picture on your dresser?"
"That'd be Cameron." I narrowed my gaze. Was she spying on me?
Laughing, Clare raised her hands. "It's not what you think. I smel ed smoke and had to investigate. Wouldn't want to burn the house down, would we? Anyway, I cal ed Harry and he said it was the heating system. You know these old houses."
"It's okay." I smiled, realising I was overreacting again.
Clare brushed an imagined stray hair out of her face. "So, it's serious between Cameron and you?"
"I think so." I blushed, wondering why Clare seemed so interested in my private life. But then I remembered I was in Scotland. If I were to live in a house in the middle of the Highlands, where nothing ever happened, I'd probably be pursuing any piece of gossip I could get my hands on.
"Lucky you." Clare sighed. "That makes one of us."
"I thought you and Aidan—" I trailed off, embarrassed.
"What?" Clare laughed, eyes glinting with something I couldn't place. "Aidan's like family to me."
"You're not dating?" I felt stupid for asking and even more so for feeling relieved. With beautiful Clare no longer my
"People claim to have seen strange lights—"
"You mean like UFOs and aliens?" I interrupted, smiling. There it was, the woods topic again. I couldn't quite shake off the feeling they kept something from me.
"No." Clare shook her head, playing with the hem of her sleeve. "More like stories of legends and supernatural stuff. Anyway, people have been disappearing for a while. Mostly visitors, because the locals know to stay away after dark."
I'd known something was going on. The weird blue light, the strange sounds, the man fol owing me, his threat. People went hiking al the time and nothing happened. Trust my brother to find the one forest that came with a deadly warning sign. Suppressing a shudder, I forced my attention back to the conversation. "I'l keep that in mind, thanks."
"It's not just that," Clare said. "Other things have happened, people coming back and suddenly seeing things."
She certainly had my attention now. "I don't understand. What things?"
Clare inched closer and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ghosts, souls, or whatever you want to cal them."
I nodded, a cold shiver running down my back. Like the woman with the buggy crossing the street. Harry never saw her, but I knew she was there. Everything snapped into place. Back in London I'd have laughed at such superstition, but I was in Scotland, the land of mystery. Here anything seemed possible.
"Did anything strange happen in the woods?" Clare regarded me intently, her long fingers with black-painted nails curling around my wrist.
"Because we can help you. You can trust me. It's not too late."
Hadn't Aidan said something similar last night? I thought of the blue, flashing light, and then of the man, too dark to see, his deep voice too low to distinguish. Nothing had happened, but it could have. I shook my head. "Nope."
Clare peered at me, doubtful, but didn't persevere for which I was thankful. I didn't want to keep lying. "How do you like your new job?" Clare asked.
"It's different, but I like it." I said. Another lie.
Clare smiled. "I remember your application. You were Aidan's choice straight away. Wil you be staying in Scotland after summer?"
My heartbeat sped up. He wanted me straight away when I didn't even have any experience. Whatever Dal as put on that application helped me beat the competition. Or Aidan liked me, even if only on a subconscious level. Somehow, I wanted him to like me. "I'l be going back to London, I think. My boyfriend, wel , sort of has plans to move in together once I start col ege."
"The one in the picture on your dresser?"
"That'd be Cameron." I narrowed my gaze. Was she spying on me?
Laughing, Clare raised her hands. "It's not what you think. I smel ed smoke and had to investigate. Wouldn't want to burn the house down, would we? Anyway, I cal ed Harry and he said it was the heating system. You know these old houses."
"It's okay." I smiled, realising I was overreacting again.
Clare brushed an imagined stray hair out of her face. "So, it's serious between Cameron and you?"
"I think so." I blushed, wondering why Clare seemed so interested in my private life. But then I remembered I was in Scotland. If I were to live in a house in the middle of the Highlands, where nothing ever happened, I'd probably be pursuing any piece of gossip I could get my hands on.
"Lucky you." Clare sighed. "That makes one of us."
"I thought you and Aidan—" I trailed off, embarrassed.
"What?" Clare laughed, eyes glinting with something I couldn't place. "Aidan's like family to me."
"You're not dating?" I felt stupid for asking and even more so for feeling relieved. With beautiful Clare no longer my
Similar Books
