The Mercer's House (Northern Gothic Book 1) by Antonia Frost Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Antonia Frost
raising his voice a little. ‘The young lady who came looking for Helen. Zanna, this is my brother, Corbin. We’re twins, but you wouldn’t know it.’
Zanna looked and saw the man she had seen that morning in the wheelchair, sitting at a garden table with Will. There was a walking-frame standing close by. Corbin pushed himself to his feet with a struggle, and held out his right hand, his left one limp at his side. Although the brothers were obviously not identical, there was a clear resemblance between them in their tall, rangy build and fair colouring. But where Alexander gave the impression of constant nervous energy, Corbin was much more still and self-contained—a quality which had presumably been exacerbated by the stroke, as his movements were slow and deliberate. One side of his face drooped slightly, and his speech was a little slurred, although reasonably comprehensible.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. Helen went away many years ago.’
‘Yes,’ said Zanna. ‘But this is such a nice place I don’t feel I’ve wasted my time at all. I had no idea Northumberland was so beautiful.’
‘A lot of people who come here say that,’ said Alexander. ‘It’s quite a little secret among those of us in the know. Now, what would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Something stronger? We have white wine, nice and chilled, or there’s beer if you prefer. That’s what Will’s having. I’m going to put some nibbles out in a minute.’
Zanna met Will’s gaze. He held up his bottle of beer.
‘I know, it’s a bit early,’ he said. ‘But it’s a beautiful day, so I couldn’t resist.’
He smiled unexpectedly, and she couldn’t help smiling back.
‘Wine sounds nice,’ she said to Alexander.
‘Oh, good!’ he said. ‘Someone as decadent as ourselves. Sit down. I’ll be back in a minute.’
He returned shortly with her wine and some snacks he had obviously tipped straight from their packaging onto plates. Zanna took a cocktail stick and stabbed at an olive.
‘I don’t suppose you still have that photo of Helen on you, do you?’ said Alexander. ‘I’d like to look at it again if you wouldn’t mind.’
‘Yes,’ said Zanna, and brought it out. Alexander showed it to Corbin, who looked at it and then at Zanna.
‘There is a definite resemblance, isn’t there?’ said Alexander.
‘Yes,’ said Corbin indistinctly, ‘but only at first glance.’
He seemed to be on the verge of saying something else, but changed his mind. Evidently he was not the talkative type.
‘When are you going back to London?’ said Will to Zanna, after a pause. ‘I sent your link to Lou, my partner, and she wants to meet you, but she can’t come until Friday.’
‘I don’t have to be back on any particular day,’ said Zanna, surprised at the speed of Lou’s response, and wondering, despite herself, what exactly he meant by ‘partner.’ ‘I’m kind of between jobs at the moment.’
Will looked amused at her sheepish expression.
‘You don’t paint full time, then?’ said Alexander.
‘Not if I want to eat. I teach adult art classes usually,’ said Zanna, ‘but they didn’t renew my contract this year.’
‘Then the sooner you meet Lou, the better,’ said Will. ‘I don’t like to say for certain, but from what I’ve seen I think your stuff might be quite saleable.’
‘Do you like it?’ she said before she could stop herself, and then immediately hated herself for sounding needy.
‘Yes, I like it very much,’ he said, looking her straight in the eye. She looked away first.
This is ridiculous, she thought. How old am I? Fourteen?
‘Oh, but you haven’t seen the house,’ said Alexander suddenly. ‘I was going to show you around, wasn’t I?’
‘Didn’t you say it’s meant to be haunted?’ said Zanna.
‘That’s what they say ,’ said Alexander, ‘but it’s not quite accurate, although this is certainly where the
Zanna looked and saw the man she had seen that morning in the wheelchair, sitting at a garden table with Will. There was a walking-frame standing close by. Corbin pushed himself to his feet with a struggle, and held out his right hand, his left one limp at his side. Although the brothers were obviously not identical, there was a clear resemblance between them in their tall, rangy build and fair colouring. But where Alexander gave the impression of constant nervous energy, Corbin was much more still and self-contained—a quality which had presumably been exacerbated by the stroke, as his movements were slow and deliberate. One side of his face drooped slightly, and his speech was a little slurred, although reasonably comprehensible.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. Helen went away many years ago.’
‘Yes,’ said Zanna. ‘But this is such a nice place I don’t feel I’ve wasted my time at all. I had no idea Northumberland was so beautiful.’
‘A lot of people who come here say that,’ said Alexander. ‘It’s quite a little secret among those of us in the know. Now, what would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Something stronger? We have white wine, nice and chilled, or there’s beer if you prefer. That’s what Will’s having. I’m going to put some nibbles out in a minute.’
Zanna met Will’s gaze. He held up his bottle of beer.
‘I know, it’s a bit early,’ he said. ‘But it’s a beautiful day, so I couldn’t resist.’
He smiled unexpectedly, and she couldn’t help smiling back.
‘Wine sounds nice,’ she said to Alexander.
‘Oh, good!’ he said. ‘Someone as decadent as ourselves. Sit down. I’ll be back in a minute.’
He returned shortly with her wine and some snacks he had obviously tipped straight from their packaging onto plates. Zanna took a cocktail stick and stabbed at an olive.
‘I don’t suppose you still have that photo of Helen on you, do you?’ said Alexander. ‘I’d like to look at it again if you wouldn’t mind.’
‘Yes,’ said Zanna, and brought it out. Alexander showed it to Corbin, who looked at it and then at Zanna.
‘There is a definite resemblance, isn’t there?’ said Alexander.
‘Yes,’ said Corbin indistinctly, ‘but only at first glance.’
He seemed to be on the verge of saying something else, but changed his mind. Evidently he was not the talkative type.
‘When are you going back to London?’ said Will to Zanna, after a pause. ‘I sent your link to Lou, my partner, and she wants to meet you, but she can’t come until Friday.’
‘I don’t have to be back on any particular day,’ said Zanna, surprised at the speed of Lou’s response, and wondering, despite herself, what exactly he meant by ‘partner.’ ‘I’m kind of between jobs at the moment.’
Will looked amused at her sheepish expression.
‘You don’t paint full time, then?’ said Alexander.
‘Not if I want to eat. I teach adult art classes usually,’ said Zanna, ‘but they didn’t renew my contract this year.’
‘Then the sooner you meet Lou, the better,’ said Will. ‘I don’t like to say for certain, but from what I’ve seen I think your stuff might be quite saleable.’
‘Do you like it?’ she said before she could stop herself, and then immediately hated herself for sounding needy.
‘Yes, I like it very much,’ he said, looking her straight in the eye. She looked away first.
This is ridiculous, she thought. How old am I? Fourteen?
‘Oh, but you haven’t seen the house,’ said Alexander suddenly. ‘I was going to show you around, wasn’t I?’
‘Didn’t you say it’s meant to be haunted?’ said Zanna.
‘That’s what they say ,’ said Alexander, ‘but it’s not quite accurate, although this is certainly where the