Read Online Mystical Circles by S. C. Skillman - Free Book Online Page A

again she looked at Don. At the sight of him, edgy laughter welled up inside her. He took hold of the nearest bottle, and refilled her glass.
    As he did so, Craig continued. “As we all know, only the present moment matters. Not the past.”
    “Yes, yes.”
    “True.”
    “Absolutely.”
    These words skittered up and down the table.
    Then Craig’s expression sharpened. “We create our own reality,” he said. “That’s what I’ve taught you. And what I stand by.”
    “Tough for some,” remarked Don.
    A shaft of enmity passed between father and son. Juliet was on full alert. Then swiftly Craig changed the mood. “Don’t let me keep any of you from your food! Eat and enjoy.”
    The group burst once more into animated chatter, alongside much clattering of cutlery and glasses. But Juliet felt faintly oppressed by her vulnerability. She had no idea what to expect over the coming days. How would she balance her commitment to do interviews with the need to keep track of Zoe?
    One thing was for sure. She certainly wouldn’t be seduced by Craig’s brand of healing and wholeness, if that was what it was.
    She turned to Don. “Have you met Theo?” she asked in a low voice.
    “No. But this lot seem to give him high marks. Doesn’t inspire much confidence, does it?”
    Leaning forward, Rory supplied some new information. “I met Theo at a talk Craig gave in Tetbury last November. Chatted to him for twenty minutes. Wondered what he was doing there. Then I discovered he’d had a wilderness experience. Lasted eighteen months. Crisis of faith. And I understood.”
    “You did?”
    “Yes. Felt I’d met a soul mate.”
    This startled Juliet. “He doesn’t sound like a regular sort of clergyman.”
    “He isn’t,” said Rory. “Though of course my knowledge is limited.” His lip curled. “Haven’t darkened a church door for years.”
    “Theo sounds more than a little unorthodox,” she remarked, “if he’s willing to come here.” She heard Don chuckle.
    “Oh?” Rory queried.
    “Well, for instance,” she said, “it’s clear from the brochure that Craig believes we’re in charge of our own destiny.”
    “Quite right, he does,” agreed Rory. “But Craig welcomes anyone who’s in retreat from the outside world.”
    This intrigued her. “What of you, then, Rory? Are you here to renounce the world?”
    “Sort of.”
    “You do it in style.”
    Before he could reply, Don distracted her, holding out the dish of risotto Beth had passed him.
    “Like some, Juliet?” he asked.
    “Oh, yes please. That smells and looks very good,” she said.
    Rory, she noticed, had handed the serving dish on without helping himself, and his plate remained empty. She wondered whether he knew something about it the rest of them didn’t. He put his water glass down, and continued. “After Theo was ordained he served for a couple of years, then vanished from the face of the earth for several months. When I met him, I understood he’d not long returned.”
    James interjected. “He visited us here in February. Rory missed him that time. You remember that was the week you fell ill, Rory?”
    “Oh yes. Dreadful week.”
    Laura spoke. “We’ll all be delighted to see him again. Such a dear man. Not a spark of hellfire in him. He knows all about me. He’s very forgiving.”
    Rory fiddled with his linen napkin. “I expect you’ll find him interesting, Juliet,” he said. “And you too, Don.”
    “Last person to judge.” Don shrugged. “Count me out.”
    Before Juliet could say more, Don added, “Put it this way. When Theo shows up, he may need protecting. From my influence.”
    She started at this. Rory took upon himself the task of satisfying her curiosity. “Why?” he said. “You’re not tattooed with the number 666, are you?”
    Don nearly choked on something he’d eaten. Juliet found Rory’s remark highly amusing. She struggled to stop herself bursting out into hysterical laughter.
    Rory banged Don on the