Snatched by Ashley Hind Read Free Book Online Page A

kissed Leah lightly on the forehead, a simple token of compassion amongst the dread and cruelty of the day that sent Leah’s heart skittering once more.

Three
    ‘Get up!’
    The command came from April as she stripped the blanket away and delivered a little kick to rouse the captive. Leah responded groggily, having only found sleep in the early hours. She raised herself onto her elbows to see her tormentors. They were silhouetted against the early light streaming in behind them and it took some bleary-eyed seconds before she could make out Gwendolen standing next to the elder twin. Her muscles ached and it took her awhile to untangle herself from her sleeping bag and get to her feet. The woman’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Leah’s ripped dress and she stepped forward, inspecting the torn fabric and staring at her accusingly, before turning on her heels.
    ‘Get her cleaned up straight after breakfast.’
    April bent down and released Leah from her ball and chain and then roughly grabbed her by the arm and led her out of the stable and across the courtyard to the house. The kitchen was truly enormous, the ceiling held up by a pair of thick vertical timbers. Wonderful smells were emanating from the huge range cooker, where May was busily watching over a sizzling pan of breakfast ingredients, and disappointingly did not look over in Leah’s direction. A black and white collie eyed her from its basket in front of the large open fireplace but did not get up. The fire was unlit, certainly unnecessary on what was already a warm morning, and the flagstones felt pleasantly cool on Leah’s bare feet.
    Taking up the centre space was a long rectangular table in battered oak where Huw sat digging in to the huge plate of breakfast before him, his cheek bulging as he scanned a newspaper and ignored the new arrivals completely. Leah was led to the table and told to sit down in the chair diagonally opposite Huw. Still he did not look up, but he was far from trying to avert his gaze from her. He was simply as indifferent to her presence as he was to the fact that several pigs had obviously had to be slaughtered to provide him with his morning’s sustenance.
    Leah sat head bowed and silent for several minutes before an arm came over her shoulder and delivered a mug of steaming tea. As she was issuing her thanks, another arm came over and this time a plate of bacon, sausage, fried eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes was put in front of her. Her imprisonment was cruel but this was hardly shades of the Black Hole of Calcutta, and she tucked hungrily into what was one of the tastiest breakfasts she had ever had. The sizzling continued behind her as April sat down opposite with a bowl of muesli, also steadfastly ignoring her. Presently May also joined them, flashing a quick, nervous smile in Leah’s direction as she bit into her small bacon sandwich. It was odd that the twins had relatively scant portions to eat while their prisoner was allowed to gorge. Fatting me up for the kill were the words that went through Leah’s mind.
    The kitchen was obviously the hub of their life and bore the hallmarks of their activities. There were discarded items of clothing draped over chairs, whilst footwear of all varieties sat in piles by the doors. On a smaller square table by the back entrance there lay two wood pigeons and a pheasant, along ominously with the shotgun presumably used to despatch them. There were various pieces of riding equipment and clothing on worktops and sideboards, as was Leah’s own Radley handbag, which looked incongruous amongst the paraphernalia of country living.
    April finished her muesli and started chatting about the horses to her sister, who continued to eat slowly and silently, every now and then casting quick glances towards Leah and her only partially covered chest. Huw cleared his plate and noisily pushed back his chair, telling all who would listen that he was going down to the village now, throwing a brief look at the