Winter at Cray Read Free Page A

of uneasiness behind his air of self-confidence. ‘ I hope we ’ re not intrudi n g, Miss Kincaid? ’ He made no hesitation before her name this time and she shook her head in hasty denial.
    ‘ Of course not, please come in. ’ She smiled at Esther Nostrum, neat and trim in a wool suit, and her mind flew, unbidden, again to Diamond ’ s cryptic comment earlier and her own suspicions.
    It was her job, she assumed, to take them round and introduce them to the family, but for some reason she was hesitant about it, not least because she was aware of Diamond ’ s avid blue gaze fixed on J onathan Darrell.
    ‘ I expect you ’ d like to meet the rest of the family, ’ she said, attempting a smile. ‘ They ’ re most of them here, though I believe Stephen is still out making the most of the weather before we ’ re snowed in, as we may well be if that snow arrives. ’ She was aware as she spoke of Jonathan Darrell ’ s grimace of dismay and she looked at the dark, expressive face with a trace of exasperation. ‘ You need not worry, Mr. Darrell, you ’ ll be quite comfortable here even if we are snowed in, the house is quite warm. ’
    She did not wait for an answer, but led the way, rather stiff-backed, across the room to where Aunt Charlotte sat in her usual corner , her thin mouth set into a thin line of disapproval of everything around her.
    Charlotte Kincaid was eighty years old, short and stockily built, with a pile of snow-white hair above a broad brow and sharp dark eyes that watched their approach with no enthusiasm. ‘ Aunt Charlotte! ’ Louise raised her voice and bent closer to the old lady. ‘ This is Mr. Darrell and Miss Nostrum, they ’ ve come to see Great-gran. ’
    She turned to the visitors, her eyes asking for understanding, for not everyone took to Aunt Charlotte and she would hate to see her hurt by a careless word.
    ‘ Mrs. Emma Kincaid ’ s only daughter, ’ Jonathan Darrell, said, discreetly soft-voiced, and Louise nodded, wondering at his knowledge until she realised v that he would have researched the family history before setting out. It was a thought that gave her a momentary feeling of panic, but she swallowed hard and dismissed it impatiently.
    Sharp old eyes looked at the stranger steadily for a moment before Charlotte accepted and shook his hand. ‘ Who ’ d you say he was? ’ she asked, and Louise bent closer.
    ‘ Mr. Darrell, Aunt Charlotte, he ’ s a writer. ’
    ‘ Nonsense, ’ Charlotte told her sharply, ‘ he ’ s a Kincaid, anyone can see that. Looks like Father. ’
    It was as if Louise had had her own puzzle solved by the brusque announcement and she stared for a moment at Jonathan Darrell, surprising a flicker of uneasiness in his eyes when she glanced hastily at him to see his reaction to the statement.
    A moment later, however, he bent closer to the irascible old lady and smiled. ‘ I ’ m a Darrell, Miss Kincaid, not one of your family, ’ he told her with infinite patience, it seemed, ‘ and I ’ m very pleased to meet you. ’
    Aunt Charlotte ’ s gaze left him reluctantly and picked out his companion. ‘ Who ’ s the gal? ’ she demanded.
    ‘ Miss Nostrum, Esther Nostrum, ’ Louise supplied hastily, fearing further indiscretions. ‘ Miss Nostrum ’ s a photographer, Aunt Charlotte. ’
    ‘ Odd name ,’ Charlotte announced, and Louise flushed her embarrassment.
    ‘ Aunt Charlotte! ’
    Jonathan Darrell appeared to find the opinion amusing, for he was laughing softly and Louise saw the wink he exchanged with Esther Nostrum as he answered. ‘ Essie ’ s used to cracks about her name, ’ he informed her, ‘ but she refuses to change it to anything else. ’ What he implied by the remark, Louise had no way of knowing, but she remembered, uncomfortably, her own and Diamond ’ s suspicions and flushed as if they had been voiced again, indiscreetly.
    Charlotte was studying Jonathan Darrell again and Louise held her breath for fear of what she