Read Online The Stranger Next Door by Miranda Barnes - Free Book Online
Authors: Miranda Barnes
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added, beginning to cough.
She went to the kitchen and brought him a glass of water. He took it and nodded his thanks. He drank deeply. It seemed to help.
'I'll be all right,' he repeated. 'Don't worry about me. It's the smoke. That's all.'
'Is it bad?'
He shrugged. 'Not as bad as last time,' he said, touching his face with that reflex gesture she was coming to know so well.
She realised then, knowing something of what had happened to him not so very long ago, what an extraordinary thing it had been for him to enter her kitchen.
'You were very brave,' she said quietly, 'and very resourceful. If you hadn't flooded the kitchen, the whole house would have gone up in smoke.'
'Probably.' He nodded. 'How is it now?'
'The kitchen's a ruin, but only the kitchen. The rest of the house is OK, thanks to you. I'll get it fixed. Meanwhile, we're staying in the village with friends. Pippa and Derek.'
'Friends,' he said, nodding again. 'You need them. I lost mine, you know.'
He looked at her so sadly that she almost reached out to hug him.
'I didn't know,' she said softly.
'Oh, yes. I lost them. All of them. There's only me left now.'
Again his fingers traced the pattern of sorrow on his face.
Chapter Thirteen
'Anna!'
She turned and smiled. 'Hello, Daniel! Good to see you up and about.'
He was at the fence. He must have heard her. Now he climbed over and came towards her. 'Any progress?'
'We're getting there. The builder from the village is going to start work tomorrow. I came to have a last look at the old kitchen. What's left of it.'
'Is it all coming down?'
She nodded. 'They said it would be best. Easier to clear the site and start again. I don't mind. It was just an added-on extension anyway.'
'So how are you?' she asked, turning to look at him with some anxiety. 'Any better?'
'I'm fine. No worse, anyway,' he said with a grin that seemed to crack his face open. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?'
The question was a surprise, a shock even. She wasn't sure if it really was an invitation.
'I can't …. They're not going to turn the water on till tomorrow.'
'In my house,' he said firmly. 'I've done enough damage in yours. I don't want to see yours again till it's all fixed up.'
She laughed and nodded. 'Thank you. I'd love a cup of coffee.'
'Instant?'
'Is there any other kind?'
'Not in my kitchen, there isn't. Come on!'
It was as if a door had been opened, a curtain drawn back. Suddenly she could talk to her next-door neighbour normally, the way good neighbours do. Their difficult past was behind them.
'The children still at your friends'?' Daniel asked.
'They are, yes. We're still staying with Derek and Pippa. Tomorrow, though, once the water's turned back on we're coming home, I hope. We can do without a kitchen for a week or two, but we all want to come home.'
'Good.'
'Good?'
'Yes. I prefer it when there are people next door.'
She wondered if he meant them specifically, or people in general. Regardless, she was glad to hear it.
'And you're really all right now?'
He nodded. 'Pretty well.'
He turned away from the kettle, shrugged and added, 'Smoke isn't good for you. I've been reminded.'
'Did you need reminding?'
'No, not really. Not at all, in fact. I've been living with the knowledge for some time.'
He fingered his face. 'There's always this to remind me,' he said bitterly, 'if ever I'm in danger of forgetting.'
He swung back round and spooned coffee into two mugs. She watched in silence. It was an awkward moment. She didn't know what to say, but she also knew she couldn't leave it there. They needed to get past this very awkward obstacle.
'You've been in a fire before?' she said in a level tone, as he placed the mugs on the table. 'That's what you're telling me?'
'Yes, I suppose it is. I don't need to, though, do I? It's there for all to see.'
'It's not that bad,' she said softly. 'You really don't need to worry about it so much.'
He gave a derisive snort and shook his head. 'Not
She went to the kitchen and brought him a glass of water. He took it and nodded his thanks. He drank deeply. It seemed to help.
'I'll be all right,' he repeated. 'Don't worry about me. It's the smoke. That's all.'
'Is it bad?'
He shrugged. 'Not as bad as last time,' he said, touching his face with that reflex gesture she was coming to know so well.
She realised then, knowing something of what had happened to him not so very long ago, what an extraordinary thing it had been for him to enter her kitchen.
'You were very brave,' she said quietly, 'and very resourceful. If you hadn't flooded the kitchen, the whole house would have gone up in smoke.'
'Probably.' He nodded. 'How is it now?'
'The kitchen's a ruin, but only the kitchen. The rest of the house is OK, thanks to you. I'll get it fixed. Meanwhile, we're staying in the village with friends. Pippa and Derek.'
'Friends,' he said, nodding again. 'You need them. I lost mine, you know.'
He looked at her so sadly that she almost reached out to hug him.
'I didn't know,' she said softly.
'Oh, yes. I lost them. All of them. There's only me left now.'
Again his fingers traced the pattern of sorrow on his face.
Chapter Thirteen
'Anna!'
She turned and smiled. 'Hello, Daniel! Good to see you up and about.'
He was at the fence. He must have heard her. Now he climbed over and came towards her. 'Any progress?'
'We're getting there. The builder from the village is going to start work tomorrow. I came to have a last look at the old kitchen. What's left of it.'
'Is it all coming down?'
She nodded. 'They said it would be best. Easier to clear the site and start again. I don't mind. It was just an added-on extension anyway.'
'So how are you?' she asked, turning to look at him with some anxiety. 'Any better?'
'I'm fine. No worse, anyway,' he said with a grin that seemed to crack his face open. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?'
The question was a surprise, a shock even. She wasn't sure if it really was an invitation.
'I can't …. They're not going to turn the water on till tomorrow.'
'In my house,' he said firmly. 'I've done enough damage in yours. I don't want to see yours again till it's all fixed up.'
She laughed and nodded. 'Thank you. I'd love a cup of coffee.'
'Instant?'
'Is there any other kind?'
'Not in my kitchen, there isn't. Come on!'
It was as if a door had been opened, a curtain drawn back. Suddenly she could talk to her next-door neighbour normally, the way good neighbours do. Their difficult past was behind them.
'The children still at your friends'?' Daniel asked.
'They are, yes. We're still staying with Derek and Pippa. Tomorrow, though, once the water's turned back on we're coming home, I hope. We can do without a kitchen for a week or two, but we all want to come home.'
'Good.'
'Good?'
'Yes. I prefer it when there are people next door.'
She wondered if he meant them specifically, or people in general. Regardless, she was glad to hear it.
'And you're really all right now?'
He nodded. 'Pretty well.'
He turned away from the kettle, shrugged and added, 'Smoke isn't good for you. I've been reminded.'
'Did you need reminding?'
'No, not really. Not at all, in fact. I've been living with the knowledge for some time.'
He fingered his face. 'There's always this to remind me,' he said bitterly, 'if ever I'm in danger of forgetting.'
He swung back round and spooned coffee into two mugs. She watched in silence. It was an awkward moment. She didn't know what to say, but she also knew she couldn't leave it there. They needed to get past this very awkward obstacle.
'You've been in a fire before?' she said in a level tone, as he placed the mugs on the table. 'That's what you're telling me?'
'Yes, I suppose it is. I don't need to, though, do I? It's there for all to see.'
'It's not that bad,' she said softly. 'You really don't need to worry about it so much.'
He gave a derisive snort and shook his head. 'Not
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