Tangled Threads by Margaret Dickinson Read Free Book Online Page A

long to put you on my horse and ride off into the night with you, my lovely Eveleen,’ he murmured against her hair.
    She shivered and though it was more with excitement than cold, Stephen wrapped his arms around her.
    ‘The beck was icy cold,’ she said. ‘It was snowing today. Did you see it? There were snowflakes floating on the breeze. They melted as soon as they touched the ground, but who
would have thought it? Snow, in the middle of May.’
    He was kissing her again and she forgot the cold. She forgot everything except his lips against hers and the feel of his arms around her.
    ‘Oh, Stephen,’ she breathed. ‘I do love you so.’
    ‘My lovely Eveleen,’ he whispered, his words a caress.
    ‘I must go,’ she said at last, pushing against him, but he held her fast and buried his face in her neck.
    ‘No, no, just a little longer,’ he pleaded. ‘Make up some excuse. Say you were at the Mortons’ place.’ His grip tightened on her. ‘I’m sure your dear
mama wouldn’t object to you being in young Morton’s company.’
    Eveleen gasped at his glib invention and her tone was sharper than she meant it to be as she said, ‘I’m deceiving them enough without telling more lies.’
    ‘Don’t be such a prude, Eveleen. I thought you had more daring than that.’
    ‘Daring’s got nothing to do with it. I don’t like deceiving my parents at all and lying to them only makes it worse.’
    He released her. ‘Then you’d better go,’ he drawled. ‘I don’t want to be guilty of your consigning your soul to eternal damnation.’
    She began to tremble and now it had nothing to do with the cold. Was he telling her it was over? Was it to finish so soon? All through some silly quarrel?
    She put her arms around his waist and snuggled her head to his chest. ‘Please don’t let’s quarrel. We have such a short time together. It’s so precious.’
    He seemed to hesitate for a moment, to hold back, but then, as he groaned deep in his throat and his arms came about her again, she knew that he could not resist her nearness. It was heady to
think she had such power over him.
    ‘I do love you so,’ she murmured again, ‘but where is it all going to end?’
    He did not answer but his eager mouth was searching for hers. The present was enough, she supposed, as she surrendered to the passion of his kiss. The future would take care of itself.
    A while later, as she emerged from the woods, Eveleen heard her father’s voice calling her name in the distance.
    ‘Oh no,’ she breathed. Picking up her skirts, she began to run.
    At the beck she pulled off her footwear again and stepped into the water, gasping at the cold. Scrambling up the bank, she called out, ‘I’m here, Dad. Over here.’
    As she paused to pull on her boots, his shape loomed up in the darkness. ‘Eveleen, whatever are you doing?’
    The words were slipping off her tongue before she could stop them. ‘Looking for Buttercup. She strayed across the beck.’
    ‘Buttercup did? You do surprise me. She’s never done that before. I didn’t think she liked water. Where is she now?’
    ‘Back with the others, I think.’ Eveleen gestured vaguely in the direction she thought the cows would be.
    ‘Come along, then. Let’s get you home and into the warm. It’s no weather for going paddling, even if it is the middle of May. I don’t want you taking cold, love. Here,
have my jacket.’
    His consideration was almost her undoing. In that moment she hated herself for deceiving him.
    As they entered the house with Walter still fussing over her, Eveleen was aware of her mother’s suspicious glance. Mary was not so easily fooled.

 
Eight
    The long, hot days of summer blurred into each other as Eveleen sped through her chores, living only for the blissful moments she spent in Stephen’s arms.
    But, of course, it could not last.
    ‘What’s all this?’ Walter, weary from a long day’s harvesting, pointed to the supper table where only three places were