Destroying Angel by Alanna Knight Read Free Book Online Page A

‘They seem to trust him.’
    ‘Whether they will continue to do so when I steal their calves is a different matter,’ said Wolf. ‘The cow I am watching now is unusually large. In sheep we might expect twin lambs, and if the mother is unable to feed both, she might abandon the weaker. Unfortunately twin births are not frequent in the white cattle.’
    As our empty plates were removed and there was, regrettably from my point of view, no offer of dessert, I decided to excuse myself.
    Thane was waiting patiently in the hall and we slipped into the garden, my intention to go downhill and investigate the village. At the Saxon church, now an abandoned ruin, Rider caught up with us, his approach greeted with Thane’s usual delight.
    ‘I have to collect from the post office in Alnwick some of the more unusual herbs not readily available in this part of thecountry. Expensive too, but Hubert buys from a well-known and trustworthy firm in the south of England.’
    I looked around. Apart from grass and stately trees, there might have been an occasional mushroom born to blush unseen, unless one was out sharp enough in the morning dew, but nothing that I would recognise immediately as a herb like basil or thyme or wild garlic.
    As our ways parted, Wolf said, ‘I can recommend the teashop. They serve excellent cream cakes,’ he added with a grin.
    I looked at him sharply. Had he read my mind again and recognised my disappointment at the lack of a pudding after an otherwise substantial lunch?
    Suddenly he turned back and said: ‘I go to Holy Island – over there off the coast,’ he pointed to the horizon, ‘to collect sea herbs. Perhaps you would like to come with me sometime. It’s a place well worth a visit.’
    I thought I would, and said so.
    Climbing back up the hill, I found an ancient and dilapidated rustic seat, no longer very secure and doubtless installed by a late Staines overlord to keep an eye on his village far below. I sat down, acutely aware that I needed time to think, for, unless I was grievously mistaken, I had been brought here with Thane under false pretences regarding Kate’s tenuous grasp on life.
    If that was the case, then I needed most urgently to discover the truth, to return to Edinburgh, and safely return Thane to Arthur’s Seat.
    The facts made no sense. A child who was a beautiful young woman. And Thane, whom her stepfather claimed she needed to comfort her in her last earthly days, had shown as little interest in her, his former beloved owner, as she did in him.
    So what was behind it all?
    Suddenly the peaceful scene before me erupted into activity as two black Labradors rushed down the path, followed by Hubert, who greeted my appearance with the warmth and cordiality of one discovering a long-lost friend. Meanwhile his dogs seemed unaware of this other canine presence as Thane remained stolidly at my side.
    ‘Ah, here you are, my dear Mrs McQuinn. My dogs flushed you out, did they? Do you mind if I join you?’
    Even if I had objected, it would have been too late, and I made room for him on the seat never meant to accommodate two persons who were not on very cosy terms, especially when one was of Staines’ girth.
    He stretched out a hand, patted my arm, and smiled into my face, just inches away from his own.
    ‘Ah, my dear, how I wish that we had met when I was in Edinburgh three years ago. The day I lost Roswal.’
    Pausing to sigh deeply, he went on: ‘Just imagine, all these wasted years when we might have become—’ and, searching for a word, ‘friends.’ That choice did not please him. His hesitation, the shake of his head as he gazed deep into my eyes would have hinted even to a woman of little perception that he had more than friends in mind.
    ‘You are a truly remarkable and a very lovely woman, Mrs McQuinn.’ Suddenly he laughed. ‘Mrs McQuinn – Rose, the most beautiful of flowers. Might I call you Rose?’
    Even had I wished to do so, I could hardly say ‘no’. I