hadn't worked out like that she had a choice of ringing Ann to ask her to come and pick her up, get a taxi or walk back on her own.
After a moment's thought she decided that the walk would be pleasant after an evening spent inside and set off with a purposeful stride.
When Will arrived home some time later Max was in the shower, and when he came out his brother said, 'I've been in the pub with Fenella. She's great!'
'Yes, she is,' he agreed dryly. 'What time did she leave?'
'Elevenish. Why?'
'Did her mother come for her? Or did she get a taxi?'
'I don't think she did either,' Will told him. 'She set off in the direction of the hill road.'
Max was out of the shower room like a rocket. 'You mean she was walking home along that lonely road in the dark?'
'There is a full moon,' Will said awkwardly.
'Full moon be blowed!' he cried. 'Someone may have been murdered up on the hillside tonight.'
He should have gone into The Moorhen instead of driving off in stupid pride, he was thinking. Then he would have been there to take her home. If anything happened to Fenella it would be his fault and his alone. He was the one who'd persuaded her to go to the meeting.
The first time he rang the weaver's cottage on the road that led to the moors there was no answer and Max's anxiety increased. Where was she for heaven's sake? he wondered grimly. He would get the car out and go and look for her, he decided, if she still hadn't arrived home in the next few minutes.
As Fenella walked home along the quiet road in the moonlight she wondered what Max was doing. She admired the zeal with which he carried out his police surgeon's duties even more than most people would, as she'd been at the receiving end of it herself. But it had been a disappointing evening and she hoped that whatever he had been called out to it hadn't been too dreadful.
When she got in the answering-machine was flashing, and there was a message to say that her mother would be late. After visiting Simon in hospital she'd gone round to his house to make preparations for his homecoming and would ring her when she was on her way home.
Fenella was in the kitchen, filling the kettle to make a drink, when the phone rang. When she picked it up she was expecting it to be her mother ringing as promised, but instead the voice speaking in her ear belonged to Max. Without any form of greeting he was enquiring urgently, 'Where have you been?'
'What do you mean?' she asked, taken aback. 'You know where I've been. I went to the meeting and you weren't there. Afterwards I waited in The Moorhen for a while and then gave up and came home.'
'I'm not talking about what you did earlier. You've walked home on your own, haven't you?'
'Er...yes.'
'Are you crazy? Why didn't you get your mother to come for you?'
'She's been out all evening and isn't back yet.'
'You could have got a taxi.'
'What is all this about?' she cried. 'I'm quite old enough to look after myself. I carry an alarm in my bag.'
'It doesn't alter the fact that you walked home alone along a lonely road at past midnight.'
'I'm sorry if I've caused you any anxiety,' she said stiffly, 'but since when have I been answerable to you regarding my movements? I toe the line at the practice, but you don't own me, Max. And now, if it's all right with you, I'm going to bed!' And before he could chastise her further she put the phone down.
It rang again immediately.
'Are all the doors and windows locked?' he wanted to know.
'Er...yes. I think so.'
'Go and make sure.'
'All right,' she told him wearily, and when she reported that they were it was his turn to ring off.
He would have been concerned about anyone on the lonely hill road in the dark after what he'd been called out to earlier, Max thought when he'd replaced the receiver, but the possibility of Fenella being in danger had brought him out in a cold sweat of fear.
Will had been listening to what he'd had to say and when Max came off the phone he said, 'Fenella
After a moment's thought she decided that the walk would be pleasant after an evening spent inside and set off with a purposeful stride.
When Will arrived home some time later Max was in the shower, and when he came out his brother said, 'I've been in the pub with Fenella. She's great!'
'Yes, she is,' he agreed dryly. 'What time did she leave?'
'Elevenish. Why?'
'Did her mother come for her? Or did she get a taxi?'
'I don't think she did either,' Will told him. 'She set off in the direction of the hill road.'
Max was out of the shower room like a rocket. 'You mean she was walking home along that lonely road in the dark?'
'There is a full moon,' Will said awkwardly.
'Full moon be blowed!' he cried. 'Someone may have been murdered up on the hillside tonight.'
He should have gone into The Moorhen instead of driving off in stupid pride, he was thinking. Then he would have been there to take her home. If anything happened to Fenella it would be his fault and his alone. He was the one who'd persuaded her to go to the meeting.
The first time he rang the weaver's cottage on the road that led to the moors there was no answer and Max's anxiety increased. Where was she for heaven's sake? he wondered grimly. He would get the car out and go and look for her, he decided, if she still hadn't arrived home in the next few minutes.
As Fenella walked home along the quiet road in the moonlight she wondered what Max was doing. She admired the zeal with which he carried out his police surgeon's duties even more than most people would, as she'd been at the receiving end of it herself. But it had been a disappointing evening and she hoped that whatever he had been called out to it hadn't been too dreadful.
When she got in the answering-machine was flashing, and there was a message to say that her mother would be late. After visiting Simon in hospital she'd gone round to his house to make preparations for his homecoming and would ring her when she was on her way home.
Fenella was in the kitchen, filling the kettle to make a drink, when the phone rang. When she picked it up she was expecting it to be her mother ringing as promised, but instead the voice speaking in her ear belonged to Max. Without any form of greeting he was enquiring urgently, 'Where have you been?'
'What do you mean?' she asked, taken aback. 'You know where I've been. I went to the meeting and you weren't there. Afterwards I waited in The Moorhen for a while and then gave up and came home.'
'I'm not talking about what you did earlier. You've walked home on your own, haven't you?'
'Er...yes.'
'Are you crazy? Why didn't you get your mother to come for you?'
'She's been out all evening and isn't back yet.'
'You could have got a taxi.'
'What is all this about?' she cried. 'I'm quite old enough to look after myself. I carry an alarm in my bag.'
'It doesn't alter the fact that you walked home alone along a lonely road at past midnight.'
'I'm sorry if I've caused you any anxiety,' she said stiffly, 'but since when have I been answerable to you regarding my movements? I toe the line at the practice, but you don't own me, Max. And now, if it's all right with you, I'm going to bed!' And before he could chastise her further she put the phone down.
It rang again immediately.
'Are all the doors and windows locked?' he wanted to know.
'Er...yes. I think so.'
'Go and make sure.'
'All right,' she told him wearily, and when she reported that they were it was his turn to ring off.
He would have been concerned about anyone on the lonely hill road in the dark after what he'd been called out to earlier, Max thought when he'd replaced the receiver, but the possibility of Fenella being in danger had brought him out in a cold sweat of fear.
Will had been listening to what he'd had to say and when Max came off the phone he said, 'Fenella
Similar Books
