The Accidental Guest by Tilly Tennant Read Free Book Online

up, pretending to be in a hurry to leave.
    *
    Outside, Hannah folded her arms tight across her chest to keep the warmth in. The snow was coming down steadily – huge, fat flakes that seemed to be plumping the snowbanks and drifts by inches even as she watched. It was impossible to see where the roadside ended and the pavement began apart from a few tyre tracks from earlier in the day now filling rapidly. It was no wonder the paramedic crew was struggling to find them – assuming they’d even started out at all. Hannah’s little front garden was barely recognisable, and the road had that eerie smothered stillness that deep snow always brought. Still, the falling flakes against the black trees and peach sky looked postcard pretty, and Hannah half thought about going back into the house to fetch her camera. She had to remind herself that she had a job to do and more important things to worry about. Although… while she was at it she could get a sneaky photo of Tom…
    Stupid cow! I sound like a crazed bunny boiler…
    Then she heard Tom’s voice behind her, and for a moment thought she had imagined it. She span around with a guilty look.
    ‘It looks lovely, doesn’t it?’ he said. ‘I’ve never seen a more Christmassy Christmas Day.’
    ‘Are you sure about that?’ Hannah smiled.
    The smile he returned was a rueful one. ‘I suppose not.’
    ‘You should go in,’ Hannah said. ‘You’ll catch your death.’
    Tom looked as though he might argue, but then he gave a brief nod. ‘You shouldn’t be long. I think dinner is almost ready.’
    ‘I won’t. Gina can get the plates warmed while I’m out here. Are you sure you won’t eat with us?’
    ‘Ordinarily I’d love to, but I just don’t seem to have an appetite.’
    ‘Hmmmm’ Hannah gazed at him thoughtfully. ‘I still don’t like the sound of that.’
    ‘You think it’s down to concussion? Something to do with my head injury?’
    ‘Maybe.’
    ‘Or perhaps I’m not hungry now because I ate before all this happened.’
    ‘Are you picking mystery bits of meat from your teeth and do you have the desperate urge to fall asleep in front of a James Bond film?’
    ‘No,’ he laughed.
    ‘I don’t think you’ve already eaten then.’ She was thoughtful for a moment, and the smile faded from her face. ‘I wonder what did send you out into the snow like that. It’s weird to go out so unprepared and to wander so apparently far from home.’ Hannah felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the snow. Put that simply, it sounded like something very bad had forced him out into the snow. But she didn’t want to say it out loud, knowing that he must be worried and stressed enough already, despite how calm he was trying to stay. She saw it in his face when he thought no one was looking.
    ‘How do we know I’m far from home? I have no idea.’
    ‘You don’t live on Holly Way; I know that much. I’d say anywhere further than here is far enough on foot in this weather to be considered far from home. Can you remember anything of today before you arrived at our house?’
    ‘It’s all a bit of a blur. I remember walking and walking and not really knowing why or where to go. But then I saw the lights on in your house and…’ He shook his head and smiled.
    ‘What?’
    ‘It sounds silly now.’
    ‘Come on, you can tell me.’
    ‘Well… it just seemed like the right place to go. Like something was telling me I ought to head for it.’
    Hannah smiled. ‘I like that idea.’
    ‘Me too. Whatever it was, I’m glad. Chances are I’d never have found anyone half as kind as you anywhere else, even if I’d walked a hundred miles.’
    Hannah waved away the compliment, feeling the heat rush to her face and a flush of pride fill her chest. ‘Anyone would have done the same. So…’ she added, trying to steer theconversation back to its original track, ‘that’s all you know? You don’t have any recollection of events leading up to you being outside? A