Read Online Night Angel (Angel Haven) by Annette Miller - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Annette Miller
Ads: Link
me, one guy who makes me think indecent things, and a voice that belongs to a gargoyle and gives me goose bumps.” Her grip on her emotions was slipping more and more the longer she was here. She put a pillow over her face and screamed.
Chapter Six
“I believe I promised you a tour of the gardens,” Bradford said at breakfast.
Karen nodded. “Yes, you did. I can’t wait to see them.” She cringed inwardly as she covered his hand with hers. After finding out Bradford had kidnapped children and was planning on hurting them or worse, she wanted no contact with him at all. But she had to keep up appearances so he wouldn’t suspect what she knew. “Is it a four season garden?”
“I think so. I’m not good with flowers. All I know is my gardener keeps them full and eye-catching all year long,” he said. “I never see any blossoms in the winter, but I believe he put in some type of fancy grasses to keep it looking fresh even when it snows.”
“I can’t wait to see them.” At least that much is true , she thought. She loved gardens and all kinds of flowers even though she personally never had any luck with them. Her father tended the gardens at Angel Haven. He always said she didn’t need luck with flowers, just patience, tenderness, and a whole lot of knowledge.
They left through the same french doors they had before, heading off to their right. Karen gasped when she saw the gardens. A low brick wall surrounded the flowers that waved merrily in the bright sunshine. Red, gold, pink, purple, and blue all meshed together, their colors planted in harmony to each other and the area around them.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Karen said. “Your gardener does good work. Everything blends so well, it’s hard to tell where one section ends and another begins.” She leaned down to smell some of the blooms they were passing.
A narrow, gray flagstone path wound its way through the bright blossoms. Bradford put his arm around her waist when they’d entered, stopping here and there so she could see everything, finally pausing to sit on a white stone bench, near a gurgling fountain. He scowled when he saw Cray approaching them.
“Morning, Ms. Spraiker,” he said with a nod in Karen’s direction. “Mr. Troyington, we have a problem at the stables. Harmon says he needs you down there immediately.”
“You have stables?” Karen asked. “I’d love to see them.”
Cray gave a slight shake of his head.
“Maybe you should stay here,” Bradford said, never taking his eyes from Cray. “I’m not sure what’s going on, and it might not be pretty.”
“Maybe I can help.” Karen didn’t want to be left behind. Going with Bradford might help her understand what was going on at the mansion.
“This isn’t a good time, ma’am,” Cray said.
Bradford turned to her, concern in his eyes as he took her hand. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” She smiled at Bradford, trying to convince him to take her. She wasn’t going to get any answers if she couldn’t find out anything from the rest of his people.
He nodded at her and squeezed her hand. “All right. Let’s go see what the trouble is.”
The three of them strode down a slight hill to the stables. Harmon had Randall’s arm twisted behind his back, his thick arm wrapped around Randall’s neck. Randall was covered with dust, and the stable master was sporting a bleeding lip and a black eye.
“Harmon,” Bradford barked. “What’re you doing?”
“I’ve told this freak to stay away from my animals,” Harmon ground out. “Now he’s going to learn the hard way I mean what I say.”
“Let him go.” Bradford demanded. “ Now .”
Harmon shoved Randall away from him. “Stay out of my stables or the next time you won’t walk away. Understood?”
Randall glared at him, the tenseness in his arms belying the calm posture he adopted. He stepped toward Harmon, his right arm lifting a little as his hand balled.
Bradford shoved Randall
Chapter Six
“I believe I promised you a tour of the gardens,” Bradford said at breakfast.
Karen nodded. “Yes, you did. I can’t wait to see them.” She cringed inwardly as she covered his hand with hers. After finding out Bradford had kidnapped children and was planning on hurting them or worse, she wanted no contact with him at all. But she had to keep up appearances so he wouldn’t suspect what she knew. “Is it a four season garden?”
“I think so. I’m not good with flowers. All I know is my gardener keeps them full and eye-catching all year long,” he said. “I never see any blossoms in the winter, but I believe he put in some type of fancy grasses to keep it looking fresh even when it snows.”
“I can’t wait to see them.” At least that much is true , she thought. She loved gardens and all kinds of flowers even though she personally never had any luck with them. Her father tended the gardens at Angel Haven. He always said she didn’t need luck with flowers, just patience, tenderness, and a whole lot of knowledge.
They left through the same french doors they had before, heading off to their right. Karen gasped when she saw the gardens. A low brick wall surrounded the flowers that waved merrily in the bright sunshine. Red, gold, pink, purple, and blue all meshed together, their colors planted in harmony to each other and the area around them.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Karen said. “Your gardener does good work. Everything blends so well, it’s hard to tell where one section ends and another begins.” She leaned down to smell some of the blooms they were passing.
A narrow, gray flagstone path wound its way through the bright blossoms. Bradford put his arm around her waist when they’d entered, stopping here and there so she could see everything, finally pausing to sit on a white stone bench, near a gurgling fountain. He scowled when he saw Cray approaching them.
“Morning, Ms. Spraiker,” he said with a nod in Karen’s direction. “Mr. Troyington, we have a problem at the stables. Harmon says he needs you down there immediately.”
“You have stables?” Karen asked. “I’d love to see them.”
Cray gave a slight shake of his head.
“Maybe you should stay here,” Bradford said, never taking his eyes from Cray. “I’m not sure what’s going on, and it might not be pretty.”
“Maybe I can help.” Karen didn’t want to be left behind. Going with Bradford might help her understand what was going on at the mansion.
“This isn’t a good time, ma’am,” Cray said.
Bradford turned to her, concern in his eyes as he took her hand. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” She smiled at Bradford, trying to convince him to take her. She wasn’t going to get any answers if she couldn’t find out anything from the rest of his people.
He nodded at her and squeezed her hand. “All right. Let’s go see what the trouble is.”
The three of them strode down a slight hill to the stables. Harmon had Randall’s arm twisted behind his back, his thick arm wrapped around Randall’s neck. Randall was covered with dust, and the stable master was sporting a bleeding lip and a black eye.
“Harmon,” Bradford barked. “What’re you doing?”
“I’ve told this freak to stay away from my animals,” Harmon ground out. “Now he’s going to learn the hard way I mean what I say.”
“Let him go.” Bradford demanded. “ Now .”
Harmon shoved Randall away from him. “Stay out of my stables or the next time you won’t walk away. Understood?”
Randall glared at him, the tenseness in his arms belying the calm posture he adopted. He stepped toward Harmon, his right arm lifting a little as his hand balled.
Bradford shoved Randall
Similar Books
