Read Online Winter at Cray by Lucy Gillen - Free Book Online

drifted into every nook and cranny o f the old house like a snug blanket tucked in around it.
    ‘ It gives me the creeps, ’ Diamond declared with a shudder. ‘ It makes me feel as if we ’ re cut off from civilisation completely. ’
    ‘ I suppose we are to all intents, ’ Colin told her, unusually lacking in sympathy, and Diamond pouted her dislike.
    ‘ It may not last much longer, Diamond, ’ Louise told her, ‘ and you ’ ve no need to worry that we shall go hungry, for we ’ ve plenty of supplies in, we have to allow for this kind of thing here, you know. ’
    ‘ I hate it, ’ Diamond wailed, inconsolable. ‘ I like to be in a town and close to help if I need it. ’
    ‘ Help? ’ Colin frowned curiously. ‘ What sort of help ?’
    ‘ Well—a doctor or anything like that, ’ Diamond explained. ‘ You know what I mean. Suppose we needed one here, we ’ d be helpless. ’
    ‘ Not quite helpless, ’ Colin denied. ‘ Louise is pretty adept at basic nursing after being here with Great - gran and Aunt Charlotte for so long, and I don ’ t quite see why you ’ re worrying anyway, darling, there ’ s not likely to be a life and death struggle here, because everyone ’ s fighting fit, including Great-gran. ’
    It must have been Diamond ’ s pessimism, Louise thought, that inspired the shiver of anticipation that trickled along her spine, but the feeling persisted and she found herself becoming more and more uneasy as the day wore on, until by evening she was alert to every sound of movement.
    She told herself she was being fanciful and that it was merely being cooped up in the house with so many people that had made her edgy, but she felt so sure, deep inside her, that it was more than that. It was as if she knew something was going to happen — something unpleasant and frightening.
    The feeling was still with her next day and as she sat in the big sitting-room the following evening waiting for dinner-time, even the warm, familiar atmosphere of the room could not banish the chill entirely.
    It was while she sat there, silently thoughtful, that Jonathan Darrell, early for dinner as she was herself, came and found her. His eyes were curious as he looked at her. ‘ Is something bothering you? ’ he asked, and she started almost guiltily, staring at him for a moment, her eyes wide.
    ‘ No—no, of course not, ’ she denied. ‘ Why do you ask? ’
    ‘ I don ’ t quite know, ’ he admitted frankly, sitting beside her on the settee. “I’ve thought you looked a bit—preoccupied all day, not your usual self. ’ He held her gaze for a moment and grinned. ‘ And you haven ’ t once put me in my place today, that ’ s definitely not usual. ’
    Louise set her mouth firmly, refusing to be drawn on that point. ‘ You ’ re imagining things, Mr. Darrell. I ’ m perfectly all right, thank you. ’
    He shrugged, making a face. ‘ All right, Miss Kincaid, tell me to mind my own business. I ’ m sorry I asked, but you looked worried. ’
    ‘ Oh, please don ’ t apologise, ’ she told him hastily. ‘ And I didn ’ t tell you to mind your own business, as usual you jumped to the wrong conclusion. ’
    ‘ Inevitably, ’ he agreed with evident regret. ‘ Tell me, Miss Kincaid, what do I have to do to get into your good books? ’
    The false humility of it aroused her temper again and she turned angry eyes to glare at him. How could she confide in him, of all people, that she had some vague, baseless fear that something was going to happen, but she had no idea what. He would inevitably laugh her to scorn.
    ‘ You ’ re surely not so concerned to get into my good books, are you? ’ she asked, and he nodded slowly.
    ‘ Oh, but I am, ’ he assured her solemnly. ‘ It seems to me you ’ re the boss lady around here and you may have me cast out into the cold, cold snow if I can ’ t win you over. ’
    ‘ Oh, don ’ t be so idiotic! ’ she retorted, wishing he would not sit so intimately