The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley Read Free Book Online Page B

favour.’
    ‘Well, if you’re sure, that would be great. I really appreciate this.’
    Matt slapped her leg. ‘And I appreciate you being here for me.’
    ‘No problem, Matty,’ Charley smiled at him, ‘no problem at all.’

5
    ‘And where are you off to today?’ Kathleen eyed Grania as she buttoned up her coat. ‘Your hair is washed and you have make-up on.’
    ‘In answer to the your question, I’m going to see Aurora. Is it unusual for a woman to wash her hair and wear mascara around these parts?’ Grania answered defiantly.
    ‘You’re off up to Dunworley House, then?’
    ‘Yes.’
    Kathleen folded her arms. ‘I have warned you, Grania, ’tis not a good idea to get involved in their goings-on.’
    ‘Mam, I’m helping amuse a lonely little girl, not moving in with them! What is the problem?’
    ‘I’ve said to you before and I’ll say it again: that family are trouble to this one. And I’d say you have enough problems of your own, without adding theirs to it.’
    ‘For pity’s sake, Mam! Aurora’s a motherless child who has just moved back here, and knows no one. She’s lonely!’ Grania said in exasperation. ‘I’ll see you later.’
    The door slammed behind Grania and Kathleen sighed. ‘Yes,’ she whispered to herself, ‘and you’re a childless mother.’
    Kathleen went about her morning chores with a heavy heart. She pondered whether to speak to John about Grania and her visits to Dunworley House. For the pastweek, Grania had been going up there every day, and yesterday had not come home until after dark. The look in her daughter’s eyes was enough to tell her mother that something was drawing her there, just like it had drawn others before her …
    ‘Well, my girl,’ Kathleen said to herself as she made Shane’s bed, ‘the sooner you get yourself back to New York and your man, the better. For all of us.’
    Grania knew now that somewhere along her walk up the cliffs towards the house, Aurora would appear and run down the hill to escort her back up to the gate. Grania loved watching her as she did so; she had never encountered such a graceful child. When Aurora walked, she floated, and when she ran, she danced. And here she was now, circling her like a will-o’-the-wisp, an ethereal creature straight out of the story books her mother had once read to her of the legends of old Ireland.
    ‘Hello, Grania.’ Aurora hugged her, then took her hand and led her up the hill. ‘I was watching for you to come from my bedroom window. I think Daddy has something to ask you.’
    ‘Does he?’ Grania had not seen Alexander at all in the past week. Aurora had said he’d been plagued by a bad migraine and was lying down in his room. When Grania had expressed concern as to his health, Aurora had shrugged nonchalantly.
    ‘He gets better quickly, as long as he’s left alone in peace and quiet.’
    Even though she’d berated herself, thoughts of Aurora’s father had filled her head in the quietmoments before she fell asleep. And the fact that Alexander was somewhere upstairs and might appear at any second, created a guilty sense of pleasure inside her. She didn’t understand the effect he’d had on her – all she knew was that she was spending less time thinking of Matt than she had previously. And that had to be positive.
    ‘Why does he want to see me?’ Grania couldn’t help herself asking.
    Aurora giggled. ‘It’s a secret.’ She pirouetted towards the gate and had it open by the time Grania reached it.
    ‘Did you ever take dancing lessons in London, Aurora? I think you might be good at it.’
    ‘No, Mummy wouldn’t let me. She always hated ballet.’ Aurora rubbed her nose as she closed the gate behind them. ‘I’d like to learn though, and I found some old books in the attic, full of pictures of beautiful ladies standing on their toes. If Mummy didn’t hate it so much, I think that’s what I’d like to be.’
    Grania watched as Aurora skipped up the path in front of her,