Read Online Abbeyford Remembered by Margaret Dickinson - Free Book Online Page B

cupped her face in his hands and looked deep into her violet eyes. “Oh, my darling – what should I do without you now? You are the only one who brings me happiness.”
    His mouth was upon hers, their bodies entwined and for the moment all other thoughts were driven from their minds save the sweet passion flaring between them.
    When they parted some two hours later, Jamie to return to the Manor and Carrie to run, skipping and jumping with light-hearted happiness, she had almost forgotten his mood of anger and even Jamie was smiling once more as he waved farewell.
    â€œI won’t, I won’t – I won’t !” Carrie shouted and stamped her foot.
    Only moments before she had been dancing over the fields from her tryst with Jamie, giddy with happiness and her love for him. And now she stood in the centre of the rough shack facing her father, her violet eyes flashing with rage, her hands clenched so that the nails dug into her palms.
    â€œYou’ll do as you’re told, my girl,” Evan spat, grasping her long black hair and wrenching her head back, whilst he raised his other hand to deal her a stinging blow.
    â€œWhatever you do to me,” Carrie said through her teeth, “ you can’t make me marry Lloyd Foster.”
    â€œYou’ll obey your pa, my girl,” Evan bellowed again giving her hair a vicious tug, “or …”
    â€œNever – never,” Carrie screamed and twisting sideways, she sank her white teeth into his arm. His hold on her slackened. “You little she-cat! Why, I’ll kill you …”
    But Carrie did not wait to hear any more threats. She flung herself against the door of the shack, wrenching it open with such force that the rotten woodwork trembled and splintered. But as she hurled herself through the doorway, she came up against something solid – something, or rather someone, tall and broad and strong, whose arms were about her lifting her off her feet and swinging her round.
    â€œAh, an’ if it isn’t me darling running to meet me with a welcome I didn’t expect.”
    Then, as Carrie realised it was Lloyd Foster holding her fast, she began to beat down upon his shoulders and kick at his legs.
    â€œNow, now, this was not the welcome I had in mind.” Still holding her, he glanced towards Evan, who had appeared in the doorway of the shack, holding his arm.
    Then behind Foster there came the sound of horse’s hooves and all at once Carrie’s flailing arms and kicking legs were stilled and Foster felt her body go rigid in his arms. He looked into her face and saw her violet eyes widen with fear. Huskily she whispered a name.
    â€œJamie! Oh, no !”
    Lloyd Foster lowered her slowly to the ground and turned to follow the line of her horrified gaze. He saw a young man, tall and broad-shouldered, his skin tanned, his handsome face contorted with anger, leaping down from his horse.
    Then Foster saw, as the young man caught sight of Carrie, the rage soften momentarily in his eyes, heard him speak her name in surprise.
    â€œCarrie? What on earth …?” An expression of bewilderment flickered over the young fellow’s face as he glanced away from her, towards Evan Smithson still standing in the doorway of the rough shack, briefly took in Lloyd Foster and then returned to Carrie’s face.
    Carrie, breaking free of the paralysing shock, ran towards the young man, the tears running down her face.
    Never, Lloyd Foster thought dully, in all the time he had known her – through all the misery of her hard life and her father’s brutality – never had he seen her weep. And now the girl whom, in his own boisterous way, he loved, was running towards another man, her arms outstretched, crying out to him with an impassioned plea. “Jamie, Jamie – you must take me away with you. You must save me. He’s trying to make me marry Lloyd Foster. Tell him …” She flung