Unknown Read Free Page A

of sorts, but through years of disuse it had been overgrown with grasses and ferns—from which the valley had been given its been name—and Taryn had difficulty in finding her way.
    In one particularly steep part she missed her footing altogether and slipped back several yards. The ground was dry, but even so she was horrified to find grass stains on her knees of her once immaculate trousers and a tiny tear in the sleeve of her blouse where it had been caught on a blueberry bush. Her hands too had suffered in the attempt to save herself and by the time she reached the grounds of Dale End she was conscious of looking more than a little dishevelled. She rubbed her hands on the seat of her pants in an endeavour to clean them and searched in her handbag in vain for a comb.
    As she picked her way through the wilderness of garden Taryn looked up at the house. It had been many years since she had seen it at such close quarters. The previous owner had been a recluse who chased off inquisitive children who ventured too near. It was said that he kept a rifle ready for anyone who did not heed his warnings—though Taryn could not recall there ever having been any foundation for this story. Nevertheless it was deterrent enough to keep the villagers away, and even though the house had now stood empty for so long no one ever dared to go near for fear the ghost of old Henry—as he was called—had returned to guard his property.
    No doubt it was this tale of it being haunted that had scared off any prospective purchasers in the past, for there had been much interest shown in the house, but now Taryn looked forward to meeting the man who had scoffed at such stories. She only hoped that he would not hold her appearance against her.
    Built of local grey stone, Dale End stood tall and impressive. It was almost like a castle, thought Taryn, noting the crenellated towers at each corner. A crumbling portico ran the length of the building where wild roses had taken the opportunity of time to build up a dense barrier against the outside world. They had recently been hacked away round the entrance to the front door, and not stopping to stare any longer Taryn mounted the steps and raised the heavy knocker, which was moulded in the shape of a lion’s head. It echoed throughout the empty house before dying away into silence. For a moment she thought there was no one inside until at last she heard footsteps approaching. The door swung noisily open, and Taryn assumed her brightest smile. ‘Good morning, I’m ’ Her words died on her lips. Her face blanched. ‘Oh, no! Not you! ’
    The dark man’s face altered noticeably. His eyes narrowed and hardened. ‘I’m equally surprised, but I hope not as rude. Please come in, Miss—er—Penreath.’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘I didn’t mean to sound offensive.’ Face to face again with the man who looked so like Mark, she clenched her fists in an effort to still her agitation. It was gloomy in the big house. The entrance hall in which she found herself was dank and cold. The one window set high in the wall above the door let in little light and the dark walls did not help. Suddenly she wished she had not come. She knew nothing about this man, apart from his startling resemblance to her one-time fiancé. If he was Mark what had happened to make him like this—and if he wasn’t, who was he?
    ‘I take it you are Miss Penreath?’ he asked, looking quizzically at her tumbled hair and soiled clothing.
    She felt herself grow hot under his gaze and moved uncomfortably. ‘That’s right, Taryn Penreath. I apologise for my appearance. I—I had a slight accident on the way here.’
    His thick brows rose expressively. ‘You’ll do— for now. In actual fact I prefer to see a woman in something a little more feminine.’
    ‘In a skirt, you mean,’ Taryn returned tartly. ‘In that case I won’t waste your time any longer. Living in the country I find it more convenient to wear trousers.