Winter at Cray by Lucy Gillen Read Free Book Online

deterred from early rising by the snow still falling outside.
    Colin and Diamond sat side by side and facing Essie and Jonathan Darrell, while at the opposite end of the table to Louise, Stephen eyed the two strangers with evident disfavour. Robert, next to his mother, chattered with unaccustomed garrulity to Jonathan Darrell and Louise gave them an occasional uneasy glance.
    She had seldom seen her son take so easily to anyone and it gave her a strange feeling of being left out in the cold. Also there was the additional fear that probably the man ’ s inevitably short stay would prove upsetting to the boy. He would not want to see him go when he liked him so much, no matter how thankful she would be herself.
    Her own relief, she admitted, would be because his association with Robert must, inevitably, involve herself too and she had no desire to become involved with anyone at present, especially anyone like Jonathan Darrell.
    As if he sensed he was the subject of her heart - searching, the brown eyes sought and held hers until she hastily lowered her gaze. The slow smile crinkled them at their corner s in a way that was most disconcerting.
    ‘ I was wondering if it was safe to brave the blizzard, he told her. ‘ I ’ m not a countryman myself, but Robert seems to think it mi g ht be fun. ’
    Louise saw Stephen ’ s head come up sharply at the suggestion and she felt him watching her, waiting to see if she would agree or not. She shook her head, making a grimace of discouragement at Robert. ‘ I wouldn ’ t advise it really, Mr. Darrell. If you ’ re not familiar with the island it could be dangerous under all that snow, and I don ’ t want anything to happen to Robert. ’
    He took the answer with no more than a faint smile, bobbing his head in acknowledgment arid pulling a face at Robert. ‘ Sorry, old son, ’ he told the boy, ‘ but we ’ d better do as the boss says and stay in, I think, don ’ t you? You ’ re the expert, ’ he added, smiling at Louise.
    She flushed with resentment at his tone and the choice of words. He was, it seemed, determined to be as offensive as possible. ‘ I don ’ t claim to be an expert on anything, Mr. Darrell, ’ she told him, with what she hoped was crushing dignity. ‘ It ’ s only common sense, I would have thought, with the weather the way it is when you don ’ t know your way around. ’
    He arched his brows at her, a smile hovering round his mouth as he regarded her over the top of Robert ’ s head. ‘ I ’ ve yielded to superior wisdom and knowledge, ’ he pointed out. ‘I’m not arguing the point. ’
    He spoke the truth, she realised, but she bit on her lip not to retort as instinct prompted her to. It was ridiculous to allow him to shake her composure like this, she should merely treat him as she would any other visitor who was also a stranger—with formal politeness.
    The matter would probably have been dropped at that point, but Robert was in no mood to be frustrated so easily and his eyes turned reproachfully to Louise. ‘ I would like to have gone out, ’ he told her soulfully. T would really, Mummy. ’
    Surprisingly support for his plea came from Stephen who had apparently followed the conversation despite a seeming preoccupation with his breakfast. ‘ If Robert really wants to go for a walk, Louise, ’ he told her, ‘ I ’ m quite willing to take him. I know the ground rather better than Dar—Mr. Darrell does and I ’ d be very careful, of course. ’
    Louise looked at him for a moment, unable to disguise her surprise at the offer. Stephen was no lover of the outdoors at any time and in the face of such discouraging weather it was doubly surprising that he should make the offer. It took her only a moment to realise the reason for it. Stephen was apparently prepared to go to almost any lengths to put Jonathan Darrell in his place and, judging by the smile on his face, the other man realised it.
    She hesitated whether to risk an outright