Something Spooky Read Free Page A

you were in trouble.’ She was shivering in earnest now. ‘Hadn’t we better get back; I’m worried about leaving Todd by himself. If he wakes he’ll be scared.’
    ‘He usually sleeps right through, but yes, you’re right. Did you say Vera rang from America?’ Patrick gave her an assessing glance before engaging the gear lever.
    ‘That’s what I said.’ Ellie didn’t care whether he believed her or not, didn’t know whether she believed it herself as they sped towards the welcoming lights of the house.
    ‘That figures,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I was thinking of Vera just before the branch brained me.’
    ‘What were you thinking?’
    ‘Nothing that would interest you.’ His voice was curt as they drew up in front of the house. Leaning over he thrust the door open. ‘Off you go, Eloise. Make yourself useful while I put the Rover away. Black coffee with two sugars, please.’
    ‘Perhaps you’d like me to run you a bath as well,’ she snarled, stung by what amounted to little more than an order.
    ‘Thanks.’ His eyes locked into hers when she clambered down from the Rover. ‘You look as though you need one yourself; would you care to join me?’
    ‘I’d rather bathe in acid.’ Slamming the door on his laugh she jumped backwards as the wheels spun in a patch of mud. Too late! Mud arced upwards and splattered her face and hair. Her metamorphosis from beauty to beast in the hands of this man had been expertly completed.
    ‘Mongrel!’ she yelled.
    Something suspiciously like a howl reached her ears as the car sped towards the garage. She swore quietly to herself as she stomped into the house.
    Much to Ellie’s relief Todd was still sound asleep. Tucking his arm under the blanket she leaned forward and kissed his tousled head.
    ‘Sleep well ... ’ she whispered, ‘... because you might find I’ve turned your father into a stone gargoyle when you wake up.’
     

Chapter Two
     
    ‘What the devil was that in the bath?’
    The roar of Patrick’s voice brought Ellie spinning around. The cutlery she’d been about to set on the table slid from her suddenly nerveless fingers and clattered to the floor, while her mouth fell open in awe. What has she done to him?
    Matching the pink trackie pants, the shocking pink raised lumps emblazoned on his arms and chest accused her of her own stupidity.
    ‘Hives,’ she whispered. ‘You must have been allergic to it.’
    ‘Allergic to what?’ Two steps brought him across the kitchen. His eyes impaled her. ‘What did you put in my bath water?’
    ‘A herbal bubble bath,’ she said desperately. It wasn’t really a lie, the potion had been a mixture of herbs and washing up liquid. ‘I made it myself.’
    * * * *
    Twisting his arm up behind him Patrick tried to scratch a spot between his shoulder blades. ‘Out of what, exactly, nettles?’
    ‘Lavender, rosemary and fennel.’ Purity of heart, fidelity and valor, the book had said. Perhaps she should have omitted the fennel. She swallowed as her glance sized up his muscles. He didn’t look as if his strength needed boosting.
    Her eyes widened when another lump appeared on the muscle she’d been assessing. This wasn’t the effect she’d aimed for when she’d put the love potion in his bath. He must be in an agony of itching. Guiltily she avoided his eyes.
    ‘There’s some calamine lotion in the cupboard, and I’ve got some antihistamine tablets in my bag.’
    ‘Then get them.’ Patrick leaned against the cool surface of the fridge and sighed with frustration. ‘This has been a hell of a day. You must carry the same jinx as–’ His eyes delivered a volley of lethal shots at her hovering form. ‘What are you waiting for, Eloise. I’m going to catch fire if you don’t get your act together.’ 
     ‘Sorry.’ 
     So much for the love potion, Ellie mused as she fetched the medications. It seemed to have had the opposite effect on Patrick Morgan. He was obviously incapable of loving a woman.