Winter at Cray by Lucy Gillen Read Free Book Online Page B

smiled briefly at him, almost by way of apology for her lack of support. ‘ Confidentially, ’ she added, ‘ she ’ s rather enjoying it all. ’
    ‘ I have a feeling, ’ Jonathan Darrell interposed before Stephen could speak, ‘ that Mrs. Emma Kincaid has more stamina than the rest of us put together. She really is a very remarkable old lady, I can scarcely believe she ’ s really lived the kind of life she ’ s reported to have done. It sounds too incredible to be true. ’
    Louise looked at him for a moment, a fierce pride lending fire to her eyes, as if she suspected him of doubt. ‘ It ’ s all perfectly true, Mr. Darrell, and we ’ re all very proud of her. Also don ’ t be misled into thinking she doesn ’ t know what ’ s going on around her, she does. ’
    ‘ I believe it, ’ he allowed, ‘ and I wouldn ’ t dare doubt her authenticity for one moment. ’
    He was, Louise decided, laughing at her again, and she clenched her hands tightly on the table top, a sparkle of anger making her eyes a deep, dark blue. ‘ I ’ ll arrange for you to talk to her privately in the small sitting-room, ’ she told him. ‘ It will be a little while yet before she ’ s ready to see anyone, but I ’ ll let you know. ’
    ‘ It occurs to me, ’ Stephen declared loudly, as if afraid the subject might be dropped, ‘ that it would be a good idea if one of us sat in on the interview. ’
    Louise stared at him, as much at a loss as the man he was addressing. ‘ Old ladies can be indiscreet, ’ Stephen went on, ‘ and you are a journalist after all, Darrell. ’ Louise waited with lips slightly parted for the reaction and was not altogether surprised to detect a faint glimmer of anger deep down in the brown eyes when he looked across at Stephen, but his voice was quiet and quite controlled when he answered.
    ‘ I ’ ve never claimed to be other than a journalist, Mr. Kincaid, ’ he said, ‘ but it you prefer, by all means have someone sit in on the ‘ interview, anyone you like. ’ His gaze turned on Louise again. ‘ But may I suggest Miss Kincaid, since your great-grandmother ’ s used to her company? I ’ m quite sure you need have no fear of my being allowed to get away with anything in the circumstances. ’
    It was with reluctance that Louise invited Jonathan Darrell to the small cosy room next to the dining room some time later, and with even, more reluctance that she faced her duty as guardian of the family secrets. The look he gave her as he passed her in the doorway was both speculative and amused and she tried not to meet his eyes.
    The old lady turned her bright enquiring gaze on him and smiled. ‘ You can go now, ’ she told Louise, ‘we can talk better on our own. ’
    Louise hesitated indecisively. She knew how Stephen would react if she failed to sit in on the interview as she had promised, but she disliked the amusement it caused Jonathan Darrell, an amusement she suspected her great-grandmother would probably share.
    ‘ We—we thought it might be better if I—if someone stayed with you, ’ she ventured, seeing the old lady ’ s eyes narrow sharply at the information.
    ‘ Oh, ’ she said, ‘ why? ’
    Louise shook her head. ‘ Certain members of your family thought it better if someone stayed during the interview, Mrs. Kincaid. ’ The answer came before she could find words to explain and the brown eyes mocked her reticence. ‘ I thought Louise would be less of a disruption to the proceedings than anyone else. ’
    His use of her Christian name was as typical of him as the admission to his reason for choosing her, Louise thought wildly, hating the flush that coloured her face and betrayed her feelings so plainly. ‘ We thought— ’ she began, but the old lady ’ s dry chuckle interrupted her.
    ‘ They don ’ t trust me, ’ old Emma declared with evident delight at the idea. ‘ They don ’ t trust me with a good-looking young man, even at my age! ’
    ‘ And quite