Read Secret Of The Manor for Free Online Page A

distracting him again and almost lulling him to sleep. Thoughts of work, his revelations to Carl, and Little Walmsley vacated his head in favour of serenity. Argo never let him lose concentration altogether, though, and tested his awareness with a snort on several occasions.
    The extra time in the saddle was just what Warren needed to clear his head of the cobwebs formed by his earlier conversation with Carl. He could always think straighter after a ride. All was calm and peaceful as he turned towards the stables. He was partway down the dale before he remembered the swan gauntlet he’d committed himself and Argo to by taking the valley path. It wasn’t the only way to the stables, and often he and Carl avoided the confrontation by using a different route, especially as it was late spring, when Salem was reportedly at his most grumpy.
    Warren patted his pockets, hoping to find some leftover stones from the last time he used the route. All he had was a tube of mints, which were better than nothing. He unravelled the packet and let the freed items fall into his pocket.
    As they approached, Warren saw Salem gliding over his pond like he was lord of all. The animal was beautiful. It was evident when the swan noticed intruders to his territory. Salem changed his direction towards Warren and Argo, then hissed and flapped his wings with more ferocity. The challenging actions initially spooked Argo, but before Salem could make further moves, Argo turned towards the bird and snorted like a bull about to face its matador. The challenge was met: Argo wasn’t backing off. He pranced and made low, thunderous noises while pawing the ground with his hoof. Warren had to forget about throwing mints at Salem in favour of keeping control of Argo. Argo was acting as though he was going to attack Salem, not the other way around.
    Warren didn’t tighten his hold on Argo’s head, but he ensured the animal felt the unerring contact between his hand and Argo’s mouth. With Argo secure between hand and leg, Warren kept an eye on Salem while urging Argo down the path. Argo continued to grumble all the while, and where possible he stamped the ground between extra pushes from his master’s legs. At least Salem didn’t execute his aerial attack. Instead, the bird landed gracefully on the water and continued his hiss-and-flap routine from a distance. When horse and rider made it to the exit path, the swan settled back into his puffed-up display of lordship. Warren praised Argo, and the duo made their way home, at which point Argo divested his master of the mints in his pocket.

C hapter F ive
    AS THE summer drew on, the alterations to Warren’s barn and the addition of a paddock were quickly completed. Sunday afternoons remained the time for Warren and Carl to chill out over the countryside, but, since the revelations earlier in the year, Warren had grown closer to Carl and his wife, Eileen, to the point where Carl somewhat fathered him. It was a weird sensation for Warren, as he hadn’t been parented since leaving university. Yet, for the most part, he welcomed it. He wasn’t even given a choice as to whom he was spending Christmas with that year.
    Warren was used to being a loner. So not being the life and soul of the village didn’t bother him. Still, he, like anyone else, was uncomfortable with being gossip fodder as Carl had intimated. Given that he’d taken up permanent residency in the area, he’d deliberated for days over his possible courses of action.
    Whenever Warren entered the small post office, conversation between the gossips at the counter came to a halt. However, the minute Warren offered greetings with a smile, the people smiled back and dealt with his needs in a friendly and courteous manner. Given his situation and the nature of the rumours, he thought anything he said would serve to confirm their suspicions. Even if he were seen in an amorous clinch with a woman, a few would suggest he was covering up his real self. When