Read Online A Witch Alone (The Winter Witch Trilogy #3) by Ruth Warburton - Free Book Online
Authors: Ruth Warburton
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him and a glass of water for me, and then added, ‘It’s a tea room now, that one up past the library, on the cliffs.’
‘So – that was why you came here, when it all fell apart in London?’ I asked. Dad rubbed the side of his nose.
‘Well, if you put it like that, I suppose perhaps yes. It was one of the last places I’d been completely happy with Isla, before – you know.’
I nodded. I knew. Before she got pregnant with me, and the paranoid delusions started, and they had her sectioned and drugged.
‘Because it wasn’t long after that – well …’ He laughed and picked up his pint. ‘Let’s just say, there’s a strong chance that you were conceived in Winter. In fact, pretty much a certainty. Isla gave me the news virtually the day we got back to London.’
‘Ew, Dad!’ I groaned. It wasn’t like I could have got here without Dad having had sex. But I didn’t really want to hear about it. I was very used to Dad being comfortably single and that suited me fine.
‘Sorry, sweetie.’ He raised his glass, drinking to hide his smile. ‘Let’s change the subject to something more suited to your delicate sensibilities. Oh hello, Elaine.’ Elaine bore down on us with two plates of roast lamb. ‘You’re just in time to save Anna’s blushes.’
‘Anna’s blushing?’ Elaine put the plates down. ‘Something I should know?’
‘No, no.’ Dad grinned. ‘Just me trying to embarrass her. Have you got time to sit down for a drink?’
‘Well …’ Elaine looked at the bar, ‘Not really. But I haven’t had a break this morning. Ange!’ she yelled across the bar. ‘Can you manage for a tick? I’m just going to have a quick sit down.’
‘Yup,’ Angelica called back. ‘No probs.’
‘OK, I’m officially on a break.’ Elaine sat gratefully on a bar stool at our table and kicked off her shoes. ‘How are you two?’
‘Oh fine,’ Dad answered for both of us. ‘Anna’s supposed to be home doing her revision, of course. But aside from that … How are you, Elaine? Any news on Bran?’
‘News?’ I looked from one to the other. Elaine sighed and ran her hand through her hair, in an echo of Seth’s characteristic gesture that tugged at my heart.
‘Dad’s not so good. I was telling your dad yesterday. He’s in Brighthaven Infirmary. They don’t think he’ll be coming out. And he’s asking and asking …’
‘For … Seth?’ I concentrated on chopping up a roast potato to avoid her gaze.
‘Yes. But Seth’s in the middle of nowhere on some boat. What can he do? He’s turned back, but I really doubt he’ll be in time.’
The meaning of her words hit me suddenly. Bran was so ill that he was probably going to die before Seth made it back to Winter.
‘What’s funny,’ Elaine went on, ‘well, you’ll laugh …’ She looked like laughter was the last thing on her mind. ‘He – he asked for …’ She looked down at her hands and then took a breath. ‘He asked for you.’
My fork fell from my fingers.
‘ Me? ’
‘Yes. Funny, isn’t it?’ Elaine said in a flat, hollow voice.
‘But – why would he ask for Anna?’ Dad said confusedly. ‘He always seemed quite … um … resistant.’
Resistant was the understatement of the year. Full of bitter hate , was the phrase I’d have chosen. Elaine spread her hands.
‘I know. What can I say. I was surprised too. But don’t worry, Anna – I’m not telling you this to make you feel that you have to go. I wouldn’t put you through it – it’s not like he’s ever done anything to deserve your compassion now. And I don’t think he’s entirely lucid anyway, to be honest. He’s asking for all sorts of people – people from the past. People I’ve never heard of. Last night he was raving about someone called Isla. God knows who that could be – I’ve never even met an Isla.’
‘Isla?’ I choked. I could see from Dad’s face that he was as shocked as me.
‘Yes,’ Elaine looked from me to
‘So – that was why you came here, when it all fell apart in London?’ I asked. Dad rubbed the side of his nose.
‘Well, if you put it like that, I suppose perhaps yes. It was one of the last places I’d been completely happy with Isla, before – you know.’
I nodded. I knew. Before she got pregnant with me, and the paranoid delusions started, and they had her sectioned and drugged.
‘Because it wasn’t long after that – well …’ He laughed and picked up his pint. ‘Let’s just say, there’s a strong chance that you were conceived in Winter. In fact, pretty much a certainty. Isla gave me the news virtually the day we got back to London.’
‘Ew, Dad!’ I groaned. It wasn’t like I could have got here without Dad having had sex. But I didn’t really want to hear about it. I was very used to Dad being comfortably single and that suited me fine.
‘Sorry, sweetie.’ He raised his glass, drinking to hide his smile. ‘Let’s change the subject to something more suited to your delicate sensibilities. Oh hello, Elaine.’ Elaine bore down on us with two plates of roast lamb. ‘You’re just in time to save Anna’s blushes.’
‘Anna’s blushing?’ Elaine put the plates down. ‘Something I should know?’
‘No, no.’ Dad grinned. ‘Just me trying to embarrass her. Have you got time to sit down for a drink?’
‘Well …’ Elaine looked at the bar, ‘Not really. But I haven’t had a break this morning. Ange!’ she yelled across the bar. ‘Can you manage for a tick? I’m just going to have a quick sit down.’
‘Yup,’ Angelica called back. ‘No probs.’
‘OK, I’m officially on a break.’ Elaine sat gratefully on a bar stool at our table and kicked off her shoes. ‘How are you two?’
‘Oh fine,’ Dad answered for both of us. ‘Anna’s supposed to be home doing her revision, of course. But aside from that … How are you, Elaine? Any news on Bran?’
‘News?’ I looked from one to the other. Elaine sighed and ran her hand through her hair, in an echo of Seth’s characteristic gesture that tugged at my heart.
‘Dad’s not so good. I was telling your dad yesterday. He’s in Brighthaven Infirmary. They don’t think he’ll be coming out. And he’s asking and asking …’
‘For … Seth?’ I concentrated on chopping up a roast potato to avoid her gaze.
‘Yes. But Seth’s in the middle of nowhere on some boat. What can he do? He’s turned back, but I really doubt he’ll be in time.’
The meaning of her words hit me suddenly. Bran was so ill that he was probably going to die before Seth made it back to Winter.
‘What’s funny,’ Elaine went on, ‘well, you’ll laugh …’ She looked like laughter was the last thing on her mind. ‘He – he asked for …’ She looked down at her hands and then took a breath. ‘He asked for you.’
My fork fell from my fingers.
‘ Me? ’
‘Yes. Funny, isn’t it?’ Elaine said in a flat, hollow voice.
‘But – why would he ask for Anna?’ Dad said confusedly. ‘He always seemed quite … um … resistant.’
Resistant was the understatement of the year. Full of bitter hate , was the phrase I’d have chosen. Elaine spread her hands.
‘I know. What can I say. I was surprised too. But don’t worry, Anna – I’m not telling you this to make you feel that you have to go. I wouldn’t put you through it – it’s not like he’s ever done anything to deserve your compassion now. And I don’t think he’s entirely lucid anyway, to be honest. He’s asking for all sorts of people – people from the past. People I’ve never heard of. Last night he was raving about someone called Isla. God knows who that could be – I’ve never even met an Isla.’
‘Isla?’ I choked. I could see from Dad’s face that he was as shocked as me.
‘Yes,’ Elaine looked from me to
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