Alyona's Voice by Joan Shirley-Davies

Author:Joan Shirley-Davies
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published: 2019-08-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Claudia was about to leave the house when her landline rang, it was Eliot.

‘Todd hasn’t turned up this morning,’ he said. ‘If we don’t get the place emptied, before we go to Italy, the decorators can’t move in while we’re away. The whole schedule’s going to hell. We’ve only got a couple of weeks… Did he say anything to you yesterday?’

‘No, but don’t worry, Eliot, I think he’s got an audition. I know he’s been rehearsing a new piece, I’ve heard it so often I’ve learnt it myself.’

Eliot sighed in exasperation. ‘I hope he’s better at acting than he is at this job. Sorry to bother you, Claudia. I’ll get somebody else in.’

Claudia was anxious to leave, she had a very busy day planned. Justin was already with Molly, so she was good to go. As she left the house, Fraser was just pulling up on her drive. He seemed in a hurry as he got out of the car and approached her.

‘Hold on, Claudia, I need to talk to you.’

‘What’s the matter? I wasn’t expecting you back for another couple of days. There was no need to rush, Justin’s fine now.’

‘I came back late last night. I had to see you.’ He seized her and pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms were clamped so tightly around her, she could hardly breathe. ‘I needed to hold you,’ he uttered against her ear. Then he released her.

‘What’s wrong?’ Claudia peered at his pale, tense face, his tired eyes and said, ‘You don’t look so good.’

‘Can we talk?’

‘Now? I need to leave. I have a very tight schedule today.’ She took a small notebook from her bag, flipped the pages and then peered at it. ‘I’m going to a craft supplier in Bowbury, but if they don’t have what I need, I’ll have to go further afield. Then I’m off to meet somebody about some hand-spun yarn. It’s a place called…Roughingmount.’

‘You can’t find anywhere nearer than that?’

‘I don’t know this region, and there’s no time to keep searching. I found this place so I’m going. I haven’t a clue where it is. It could be in Middle Earth for all I know.’

Fraser looked at the notebook. His tension eased as he took control. ‘It’s pronounced Rowmont, and it could well be Middle Earth, quite a long drive from here. You can’t possibly go in your own car, and don’t even think of protesting.’ He wouldn’t hear of Claudia attempting the gradients and the rugged terrain, of Roughingmount, in her small vehicle. ‘You should take this one.’

‘I can’t take your car.’

‘It’s not mine, it’s one of Tony’s pool cars. And if he were here, he would insist too. You can drop me off at Larchwood.’ Claudia began to protest, but he pressed the ignition key into her hand and added, ‘I’ll be here for Justin. Don’t start rushing from place to place, take your time. Just concentrate on what you have to do.’

‘Fraser, I know how to―’

‘You’ve never been there, don’t underestimate the conditions.

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