Saving Nathaniel Read Free Page A

comfort of the room welcomed her home, as did Paul's warm greeting of, 'Hey babe.' She liked Paul and her equally kindly, 'Hi Sweetie,' seemed to please him.
    'Hard day?' he asked.
    She took another drink. 'It was okay, once I got over the shock.'
    Rebecca's attention immediately shifted onto her. 'What shock? What's happened?'
    She peered at the fire through her wineglass. 'Your man Mackie, the one you said would be away for two more days? He came back early apparently and he was there waiting for me. There I was dripping like a mop and cursing like a sailor and he's sitting as calm as you like at the kitchen table and taking it all in. He scared the living be-Jesus out of me and made me look a complete ninny.'
    Rebecca giggled softly and Paul nudged her to be quiet. 'Not a great first impression then?' he said.
    'Not one of my best, no.' She rubbed at her toes and made a mental note to wear more comfortable shoes in future.
    'So what do you think of him?' said Rebecca. 'Miserable old git isn't he?'
    Paul was shocked. 'Becca! That's an awful thing to say!'
    Rebecca huffed. 'You wouldn't say that if you knew him.'
    'I think he's really rather nice,' said Megan affably.
    'Nice?' Rebecca spluttered. 'He's not nice . You can't ever describe him as nice !'
    'Of course I can. He was lovely; very polite. A little reserved maybe, a bit stuffy and up himself, but overall I like him. Why didn't you say he was quite the charmer? Good looking too.'
    'He is not!'
    'Well, I think he is.'
    'Pah! It's all a front. I've warned you already - never judge a book by its cover, especially when that book is called Nathaniel Mackie and all the pages are coming loose.'
    Rebecca had told her some horror stories about Mackie's past, about how, in the four years since his wife's death, his moods had become increasingly unpredictable and he could be erratic and temperamental, and that was on a good day. The depth of his depression in the early days of his mourning had been such that more than once, she feared for him taking his own life.
    The situation had improved, but he was still changeable. One minute he could seem perfectly normal, the next he would fly into a temper for no good reason. He was liable to shut himself away in his study for days at a time during which he wouldn't be seen, wouldn't eat and wouldn't talk to anyone - and when he did surface, he was often drunk.
    Megan had seen no hint of anything wrong at her first meeting with her new employer and wondered if Rebecca could possibly be exaggerating or had maybe misinterpreted the situation?
    She slumped further down in her chair, sipped at her wine and chatted to Paul for a few moments. During a lull in the conversation, she glanced over the rim of her glass at Rebecca, who was regarding her closely whilst idly twisting a lock of hair around her finger, a long-standing nervous habit which always signified she was fretting over something. 'What's the matter, Becks?'
    Rebecca shook her head. 'Nothing,' she said with strained casualness and deliberately turned her eyes towards the TV. She leaned against Paul , her finger continuing to twist compulsively at her hair, unconsciously revealing her second thoughts about sending her sister to stand in for her at Struan. He put his arm tenderly around her, taking care with her injured limb, and kissed her head.
    From the slouched comfort of her armchair, Megan smiled at two people so at ease in love and made her conviction - 'I know you think you've made a big mistake putting me in Struan, Becky, that much is obvious, but what else could we do? You didn't ask to have your arm broken, although it was all your own silly fault. We both know how things have been in the past with me and men and what you said about Nathaniel Mackie being damaged goods, but I'll be careful. I won't let him get under my skin, not this time…I've learned my lesson. I'm strong enough, I can cope. I'm going to be alright this time. I'm going to watch myself and keep my