Finders, Keepers by Quinton Chris

Author:Quinton, Chris [Quinton, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: gay crime erotic romacne
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Published: 2012-08-24T22:00:00+00:00

A winding road between banks and high hedges took them deeper into the countryside. It wound through a shallow valley patched with small fields and groves, over the shoulder of a hill, and down into another valley. It was all smoothly rolling slopes and dips with winding rivers, cattle, sheep, and standing grain.

"Typical chalk downland," Alan said over the Range Rover's growl. Battered and mud-splattered though it was, its engine sounded more than healthy. The summer scents flowed into the car through the wide open windows, and Jeff drew in deep, refreshing breaths. This was nothing like summer in Texas, or Leidenton for that matter. "It's been farmed one way or another for thousands of years. All this used to belong to Saint Editha's. Look to your left and you'll see the ruins over the hedge."

Jeff stared over the bushes at the broken walls and empty arched windows looming against the sky. "Wow," he said. "That's impressive."

"There isn't a lot left standing; the east wall, part of the nave, and a pillar or two. Virtually everything else is only there in outline. What's left of the walls barely clears the grass. English Heritage own it, but it's an open site—twenty-four-seven access and you don't have to pay to go in. The best view of it is from across the river, but it's a bit of a hike." The glance he slanted at Jeff had a mischievous glint to it, and a hint of a promise. "Up for it?"

"Sure."

They crossed a bridge over a wide, shallow river, and Alan turned the Range Rover off the road onto a rutted lane. "We're on Dad's land now," he said. "He rents out these fields to another farmer for his cattle. Where we're going is an island in winter when the river's higher. This time of year you can walk to it, no problem."

A short while later the lane turned sharp right and climbed the side of the valley. Alan parked in a field gateway just past the corner and got out. Jeff followed him over an ivy-covered wooden stile into a field populated with dark chestnut cattle, all grazing quietly.

"Red Devons," Alan said. "One of the best beef cattle, and a native breed."

"Cool," Jeff responded, more interested in the landscape than the livestock. The abbey ruins were half a mile away across the river and a couple of fields, partially screened from view by a layered hedge, willows and tall reeds. So where was the Fletchers' farm in relation to it?

If they were walking a path, Jeff couldn't see it. The only hint it was there had been the stile they'd crossed and the equally overgrown one ahead of them on the far side of the field.

"There used to be a ford along here," Alan was saying, "before they built the bridge. The old road was plowed out years ago, though you can still see it in places up there." He gestured toward the rise of the valley side. "It still exists as farm-tracks on the other side of the hill.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.