Read Online Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil (Aunt Dimity Mystery) by Nancy Atherton - Free Book Online
Authors: Nancy Atherton
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laughter and glowing eyes, Adam would whisk me off to the hospital to have my head examined. “Why are you here, anyway? And why are you so wet?”
Instead of answering directly, Adam reached over the arm of the sofa to retrieve a bicycle helmet from the end table nearest the fire. He cradled the sleek plastic dome against his chest, waggled his eyebrows, and raised his free hand with a flourish, asking, “Do you believe in magic?”
I laughed, taken by surprise. “Sure,” I said.
“Abracadabra,” he intoned, and pulled a rabbit from his helmet.
“Reginald!” I seized my pink flannel bunny and hugged him to me. “Oh, Adam, you
are
a magician. What on earth have you been up to?”
“You sounded so desolate when you mentioned the little fellow that I simply had to rescue him.” Adam tossed his helmet aside. “Your cell phone was smashed to bits, I’m afraid, but your suitcase and shoulder bag should be in your room by now.”
“How did you get them?” I eyed his bicycle helmet. “And how did you get them here?”
“I cycled to Mr. Garnett’s garage to pick up my car, chucked the bike in the back, did a bit of reconnoitering, spotted the Rover, and retrieved those items I thought you might find useful.”
His nonchalance was utterly disarming. I reached up to brush the raindrops from his curls.
“Climbed up and down the mountain just like that, huh?” I wagged a dampened finger at him. “Captain Manning won’t be pleased with you.”
“So long as you are.” Adam turned to stretch his hands out to the fire.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” While Adam’s back was turned, I subjected Reginald to a careful inspection and found, to my great relief, that he’d escaped the wreck unscathed. “Oh, Reg,” I murmured, “you just wait till you meet Teddy.”
Adam stiffened, his hands still reaching toward theflames, but when he swung around to face me, he was smiling. “Teddy?” he said. “Do I have a rival?”
I grinned. “No, but Reginald might. Teddy’s proper name is Major Ted, and he’s a very dashing, military sort of teddy bear. I’ve nearly lost my heart to him.”
“How did you meet?” Adam inquired.
“Nicole left him in my room to keep me company,” I replied. “He’s right up your alley, Adam. His uniform is vintage World War I.”
“I hope you’ll introduce him to me.” Adam leaned back against the sofa’s arm and favored me with a speculative gaze, turning his head this way and that before reaching out to wipe a dusty smudge from my chin. “Please forgive me for saying so, Lori, but you look terrible. Why are you down here, working, when you should be in bed?”
I grimaced. “Because I’d rather sleep in the fishing hut than in the room Josiah’s given me. It’s absolutely—”
“Josiah?” Adam interrupted. “Surely you mean Jared.”
“Slip of the tongue,” I said.
“Fatigue,” Adam shot back. He got to his feet. “I prescribe an ample dose of bed rest, to be taken immediately. I really should be going anyway.”
“Please don’t go yet.” Almost without thinking, I reached for his hand and gripped it tightly.
“No need to panic, Lori. I won’t go if you don’t want me to.” He sandwiched my hand between both of his and sat again, much closer than before.
His gentle touch seemed to thaw the wintry chill I’d brought with me from the darkness on the hidden stairs. I lowered my eyes but didn’t slip my hand from his.
“I’ve been feeling a little off-kilter all day,” I confessed. “I guess the accident did shake me up a bit.”
The study doors creaked open and Mrs. Hatch entered, with Nicole close behind. Mrs. Hatch carried a silver tray set with a cocoa pot and a pair of dainty, pansy-covered cups and saucers. She placed the tray on the coffee table while Nicole deposited an armload of cashmere blankets on a nearby chair.
“Should you be sitting up?” Nicole inquired worriedly. “I’ve rung Dr. MacEwan, but he’s
Instead of answering directly, Adam reached over the arm of the sofa to retrieve a bicycle helmet from the end table nearest the fire. He cradled the sleek plastic dome against his chest, waggled his eyebrows, and raised his free hand with a flourish, asking, “Do you believe in magic?”
I laughed, taken by surprise. “Sure,” I said.
“Abracadabra,” he intoned, and pulled a rabbit from his helmet.
“Reginald!” I seized my pink flannel bunny and hugged him to me. “Oh, Adam, you
are
a magician. What on earth have you been up to?”
“You sounded so desolate when you mentioned the little fellow that I simply had to rescue him.” Adam tossed his helmet aside. “Your cell phone was smashed to bits, I’m afraid, but your suitcase and shoulder bag should be in your room by now.”
“How did you get them?” I eyed his bicycle helmet. “And how did you get them here?”
“I cycled to Mr. Garnett’s garage to pick up my car, chucked the bike in the back, did a bit of reconnoitering, spotted the Rover, and retrieved those items I thought you might find useful.”
His nonchalance was utterly disarming. I reached up to brush the raindrops from his curls.
“Climbed up and down the mountain just like that, huh?” I wagged a dampened finger at him. “Captain Manning won’t be pleased with you.”
“So long as you are.” Adam turned to stretch his hands out to the fire.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” While Adam’s back was turned, I subjected Reginald to a careful inspection and found, to my great relief, that he’d escaped the wreck unscathed. “Oh, Reg,” I murmured, “you just wait till you meet Teddy.”
Adam stiffened, his hands still reaching toward theflames, but when he swung around to face me, he was smiling. “Teddy?” he said. “Do I have a rival?”
I grinned. “No, but Reginald might. Teddy’s proper name is Major Ted, and he’s a very dashing, military sort of teddy bear. I’ve nearly lost my heart to him.”
“How did you meet?” Adam inquired.
“Nicole left him in my room to keep me company,” I replied. “He’s right up your alley, Adam. His uniform is vintage World War I.”
“I hope you’ll introduce him to me.” Adam leaned back against the sofa’s arm and favored me with a speculative gaze, turning his head this way and that before reaching out to wipe a dusty smudge from my chin. “Please forgive me for saying so, Lori, but you look terrible. Why are you down here, working, when you should be in bed?”
I grimaced. “Because I’d rather sleep in the fishing hut than in the room Josiah’s given me. It’s absolutely—”
“Josiah?” Adam interrupted. “Surely you mean Jared.”
“Slip of the tongue,” I said.
“Fatigue,” Adam shot back. He got to his feet. “I prescribe an ample dose of bed rest, to be taken immediately. I really should be going anyway.”
“Please don’t go yet.” Almost without thinking, I reached for his hand and gripped it tightly.
“No need to panic, Lori. I won’t go if you don’t want me to.” He sandwiched my hand between both of his and sat again, much closer than before.
His gentle touch seemed to thaw the wintry chill I’d brought with me from the darkness on the hidden stairs. I lowered my eyes but didn’t slip my hand from his.
“I’ve been feeling a little off-kilter all day,” I confessed. “I guess the accident did shake me up a bit.”
The study doors creaked open and Mrs. Hatch entered, with Nicole close behind. Mrs. Hatch carried a silver tray set with a cocoa pot and a pair of dainty, pansy-covered cups and saucers. She placed the tray on the coffee table while Nicole deposited an armload of cashmere blankets on a nearby chair.
“Should you be sitting up?” Nicole inquired worriedly. “I’ve rung Dr. MacEwan, but he’s
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