The Witch's Stone by Dawn Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

everything?"
    "Didnae you?"
    "No."
    "Forgive me if I find yer apology suspect, when no’ three hours ago you were telling me to piss off."
    "You can take my apology and stick it--"
    "My goodness, and here I thought you were an academic, intellectually superior to the rest of us and above using such common language."
    "You have issues," she said, and turned away, shaking her head.
    "Are you trying to tell me you hadnae heard about my sudden change in fortune?"
    Hillary stepped into her room. "I don't care what you think." She slammed the door with a resounding whack.
    Caid sagged against the doorframe. "Shite."
    Surely, she'd been trying to manipulate her way to the journals. So why then did he feel like such an ass?
    "Will either of you be eating this evening?" Joan asked. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands on her narrow hips, her lips turned down in a genuine scowl that made him want to bow his head and scuff his feet like a lad.
    He escaped the urge. Barely.
    “ I'm eating," he told her.
    "Off you go, then. I'll speak to Hillary."
    Joan started up the stairs and he down. They met in the middle. She glared at him, but he continued on, pretending not to notice.
    In the dining room, Joan had set the old cherry wood table with pale pink china edged in gold scroll on a crisp white lace tablecloth. Fragrant steam wafted from the rich food in the serving dishes.  
    "Well," Joan said from behind him. "It would seem it's just the two of us for dinner this evening."
    "Sulking, is she?" He sat down and spread the white lacy napkin over his lap.
    "You dinnae want my opinion on the matter." Joan served him beef tenderloin from the silver dish. The meat landed on his plate with a plop. A few stray drops of juice dotted his T-shirt.
    “Hey.”
    “Oops. Terribly sorry.” But Joan’s tight expression belied her words. “Potatoes?”
    Before he could reply, she slopped a steaming mound onto his plate. A clump missed the china and landed on his knuckle, burning his skin.
    "Damn it." He lifted his hand to his mouth and sucked the potato off. When he took his hand away, there was an angry red mark where the food had been. "I'll serve myself, if you dinnae mind?"
    Joan nodded as he spooned vegetables onto his plate.
    "Gravy?" she asked sweetly.
    "Aye, so long as it goes on my food, and no’ in my lap."
    Her scowl deepened.
    "I'll pour it myself."
    The meal continued in silence. The food tasted like sawdust in his mouth and stuck in his dry throat. The more he thought about Glendon House, the tighter the strangling sensation gripping him. He had to be rid of it.
    Perhaps once his father's initial anger passed, he'd make Caid an offer. Oh, who was he fooling? His father's mind, once set, never changed. This was a matter of principle, after all. James would never pay for something he believed was rightfully his.
    Caid had been tempted to just give the house to his father. No doubt after a few blustering refusals, the old man would have eventually accepted the manor. James had coveted the place for so long, Caid doubted having to accept it from the bad son would be enough to keep his father from it. But Alex had been furious when Caid had suggested the idea as they drove back to the inn.
    “Have you completely lost yer mind?” Alex had demanded. “You owe a tidy sum to the bank. Money you wouldnae owe if you hadnae been so stubborn.”
    After his accident, Alex had taken on all of Caid’s financial concerns. For the clinic, the damages from the accident, and the fines for drinking and driving. Alex had even loaned Caid money to help him get settled once he'd left the center. As soon as Caid had been able to, he’d borrowed from the bank to pay Alex back.
    “I’ll no’ have this discussion again. It was good of you to cover my expenses, but it wasnae charity. I told you I’d pay you back, and I did.”
    "You owed me nothing," Alex said. "I didnae care about the money. Ye're my brother, and I'd pay it again if I had