Lovers Meeting by Irene Carr

Author:Irene Carr [Carr, Irene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781444765267
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2012-10-11T00:00:00+00:00

15

November 1908

‘Have you gone mad, woman?’ Tom Collingwood stood in the hall, a towering, black-browed, wrathful figure. His kitbag lay at his sea-booted feet, his cap was gripped tight in one big hand.

Josie had just come out of the kitchen into the passage leading to the hall. She stared at him, trying to collect her wits, and gave thanks that she wore a clean, white blouse and long, dark skirt, and had stripped off her apron before leaving the kitchen. Only three days had passed since she had told Kitty confidently, ‘Captain Collingwood isn’t here.’ He was now, come like a sudden storm.

She said, ‘I had a letter from you, written in Spain.’

Tom answered deliberately, ‘I posted it the day before I learned we had a homeward-bound cargo.’

‘I see. I wasn’t expecting you.’

‘I wasn’t expecting to find this!’ Tom pointed along the hall to the side passage leading to the boarders’ quarters. That was their only entrance to the house next door. ‘I saw three or four men duck into there just a second or two ago. This … lady’ – he gestured with his cap towards Annie, pressed back against the wall, blue eyes wide and hands to her face – ‘who admitted me, tells me they are sailors lodging here.’

Josie swallowed but walked on into the hall to confront him. ‘That is correct.’

Annie sidled along the wall, seeking to hide behind Josie. Tom’s gaze switched to her again and he started, ‘And—’

Josie grasped the nettle. ‘This is Annie. She had to leave home because she was in trouble, but she is a good girl really and a great help to me.’ Tom stared at her, incredulous. Then Josie heard the kitchen door open behind her and she turned her head and saw Kitty Duggan. Josie sought to introduce her: ‘And this is—’

Tom broke in: ‘Kitty Duggan. Yes, I know all about Kitty. Do I understand that she is also a member of this household now?’

‘She is, and—’ But Josie stopped as Tom swung away, found his kitbag at his feet and kicked it aside to slide across the floor, which had been polished by Josie on her knees, and slam into the wall. He yanked open the door of the office, gestured with his cap and said in a low voice that rumbled deep in his chest like distant thunder, ‘Perhaps we can discuss this in private.’

Josie plucked up the front of her skirt with one hand and walked past him into the office with her head held high. From the corner of her eye she glimpsed Annie scuttling away down the passage to the kitchen. She expected Tom to slam the door but he did not. She turned in front of the fire in time to see him shut it firmly but quietly. He pointed to the chair at the fireside, wordlessly, and Josie took it. Then he stood before the desk, half the room between them. Josie had to tilt back her head to look up at him.

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.