Above Rubies Read Free Page B

man, beautifully groomed in spite of being slightly windblown. Beside him sat a beautiful girl, so like him that she could be his twin sister. Her elaborately-styled hair was protected by a silk scarf, but her vivid blue eyes, set in near-perfect features, regarded Merry coolly as the driver came round to talk to her.
    “It’s a girl!” he said, steadying her with a strong delicate hand. “I thought I’d run over a wood nymph.”
    “I ... I thought this was a private road,” she said shakily.
    “It is,” drawled the girl. “If you’re going to take all day, Nigel, I want a word with Benjamin.”
    “Go ahead, Stephanie. I suspect this is Miss Saunders, our new neighbour, and I want to get acquainted. I’m Nigel Kilpatrick, and this is my sister Stephanie.”
    “H ... How do you do,” said Merry shakily, while Stephanie acknowledged her with a cool nod, and strolled up to the front door of the Cot House, which opened suddenly.
    “Well,” said Benjamin, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he looked at all three, “it took less time than I thought, Merry.” His eyes sobered as they rested on the lovely girl on the doorstep. “Hello, Stephanie. Am I being honoured with a visit?”
    “Of course, darling,” she said, smiling sweetly. “I expect Nigel will want to take Miss ... er ... home after nearly knocking her down. He can pick me up on the way past.”
    Again Benjamin’s eyes glinted with amusement as he watched Nigel ceremoniously help Merry into the car.
    “Come in, then, do,” he said, opening the door wide. “Two charming visitors in one day. Truly more than one could hope for.”
    “Sorry about that, Miss Saunders,” said Nigel, as the car swung out again into the main road.
    “How did you know about me?” asked Merry, curiously.
    “Local grapevine, of course,” said Nigel. “Our cleaning woman is related to the worthy Mrs. Cameron.”
    “Of course,” said Merry, chuckling a little. “Jeanie Lumsden. Hi, Mr. Kilpatrick, you’ve passed Beau Ness.”
    “I know. I thought we’d just go for a quick spin up round the loch to give Stephanie time to talk to Benjamin. And please call me Nigel, and I shall call you Merry.”
    He turned to grin at her, and Merry found her heart beating more quickly than usual, and bit her lip to control her quick breathing. She was behaving like a schoolgirl, even failing to protest when this young man, a complete stranger, was high-handedly taking her for a spin in his car, beautiful though it was, entirely without her permission.
    “You go too fast for me, Mr. .Kilpatrick,” she said coolly. “Please take me back home. Mrs. Cameron will wonder where I am.”
    Immediately he was contrite.
    “I’m sorry, my dear. I was carried away, I ’ m afraid. It’s very seldom that we have new ... and beautiful ... young ladies coming to stay at Kilbraggan. I suppose I just wanted to get acquainted as quickly as possible. Sorry I can ’ t turn the car just yet ... the road’s too narrow. ”
    She was silent for a moment.
    “We shan’t be long, I promise you,” he told her briskly, without the teasing note of laughter in his voice. “And please don’t let’s get off on the wrong foot. I shall call you Miss Saunders if you’d prefer it ... but Merry is so much nicer. ”
    “All right,” she laughed, “and I’d love a spin round the loch, if you’re sure it won’t take too long.”
    “Not long enough for me,” said Nigel gaily, then turned to her more seriously as he saw her eyes cool again. “You must be a witch, Merry. I don’t know what’s happening to me today. I don’t behave like this every time I meet an attractive girl, believe me. In fact, I’m quite a sobersides of a business man.”
    “Oh, look! Isn’t it all beautiful?” breathed Merry, as the car rounded a corner and Loch Braggan shimmered in pale sunshine through trees which were breathtaking in their variety of autumn shades. “I could swear some of those leaves were bright