The Mill House by Susan Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

were talking to him for a good few minutes.'
    'Think, Shannon,' Josh urged. 'What exactly did he say?'
    With a sigh of impatience she said, 'Well, first he asked if he had the right number .. .'
    'How did he get this number?' Julia said to Josh.
    He cast her a look then told Shannon to go on.
    Then he asked if I was you, Mum, so I told him no, I was your daughter. He asked if my name was Shannon, so I said yes, and then he said he wanted to talk to you. So I asked who was calling, and he said, "I'm your grandfather. Julia's father.'"
    Julia was feeling faintly dizzy. Her eyes were fixed on Josh, as his were on her. 'Has this happened before?' he suddenly demanded.
    'Of course not,' she cried. 'I'd have told you if it had.'
    'Did he ask if I was here?' he said to Shannon.
    'No,' she replied.
    'Josh, you can't seriously think I'd hide it from you,' Julia said.
    'Did he give his name?' he asked Shannon.
    'I just told you what he said.'
    Dan was standing in the doorway listening. Seeing him, Julia felt a sudden, overpowering instinct to hold him, to hold them all, then turning to Shannon she said, 'Did he leave a number?'
    'No, but we could try 1471.'
    Josh was already dialling. 'Nothing,' he said, after listening to the recorded voice.
    'What's the big deal?' Dan asked.
    Julia stared at his look of confusion. 'No big deal,' she told him with a smile, 'just that no-one's heard from him in more than twenty years.'
    Dan's eyes widened. 'Wow! That's a long time. Where's he been?'
    She shook her head.
    'Have you ever met him, Dad?' Shannon asked.
    'No. He disappeared before Mum and I met.'
    'Why?' Dan asked.
    'Nobody knows,' Julia answered.
    'What about Grandma Alice, she must know,' Dan insisted, referring to Julia's mother.
    Julia shook her head again, and felt the cold fingers of dread starting to clamp around her heart. If her mother ever got wind of this ... She shuddered and snapped the thought off before it began dabbling in all the horrible implications of that.
    Seeming to read her mind, Josh said, 'We don't need to mention this to Grandma Alice. She hasn't been too well lately ...'
    'This might make her feel better,' Dan said helpfully
    'It won't,' Julia assured him, relieved that Josh now seemed to be believing her.
    'But she must have been worried, if he's been gone all that time.'
    'Duh. He walked out on her, stupid,' Shannon informed him. 'She probably hopes he's dead. I know I would, if I was her.'
    'Why did he walk out on her?' Dan asked.
    'I expect he found someone else. And who can blame him? Grandma Alice is soo ...'
    'That's enough,' Josh snapped.
    'Well, she is.'
    'What is she?' Dan demanded.
    'You know what she's like,' Shannon responded sneeringly, reminding Julia of herself. 'She hates everyone, even us.'
    'She does not hate you,' Julia said sharply.
    'She hates you,' Shannon retorted.
    'She doesn't hate Uncle George,' Dan piped up. 'He's her brother, so she can't hate him.'
    'Wanna bet?' Shannon challenged. 'You're my brother and I hate you.'
    Dan rushed at her and grabbed her in a headlock. 'No, you don't. You love, love, love me,' he shouted.
    'Yeah, like, please hold the bucket someone while I puke.'
    Josh and Julia looked at each other. 'I have to go,' he said, checking his watch and reaching for his briefcase.
    Julia followed him upstairs to the hall, where he stopped to pick up his keys. 'What shall I do if he calls back?' she said.
    'I guess that depends what he wants.'
    'What do you think he wants?'
    'Who knows.'
    'Josh, I swear, he's never called before,' she cried. 'I wouldn't keep it from you if he had.'
    'Are you sure about that?'
    'Of course I am. Why would I?'
    'You know perfectly well why,' he responded. 'You don't want to face who he was, what he is, so if he's trying to get in touch and you're trying to avoid him ...'
    She was about to cut in when the phone rang again. They waited, listening as Shannon picked up down in the kitchen, then realising it was one of her friends, Josh started for