Read The House of the Laird for Free Online Page A
Authors: Susan Barrie
cooped up together for weeks?
CHAPTER FIVE
It was once more a m orning when the sky was blue and the sun shone, but the atmosphere was no longer freezingly cold, and there was even, a certain softness—like a far-away breath of spring—in the air.
Most of the snow had vanished, save where the drifts had been tremendously deep, and where it still clung to the roofs of outhouses and stable buildings, and lay powdered and unbroken in the deep shade of the woods. But the roads were free and open once more, and Craigie House was no longer an entity entirely separate and cut off from the village of Craigie.
In the drawing-room of Craigie House Karen watched from the window a robin adventuring along the window sill outside, and she was certain the starry cluster of aconites in the bed outside the window had not been lifting up their faces to the friendly kiss of the sunshine the day before. There were some snowdrops in a vase near to her, too, which gave off a delicate fragrance, and these had been brought in from the shrubbery by Mrs. Burns, who had declared that they were actually forcing their way through what remained of the snow.
Karen lifted the window and scattered a few crumbs on the ledge for the robin, who had the courage to remain where he was and not to fly off while operation was in progress, and then as she cl osed the window again she heard the door behind her open.
It was her host who had come into the room, and as always he seemed to bring a breath of the out-of - doors with him. Karen, as she turned back to the fire and met his eyes, had the feeling she so often had nowadays, and against which she was beginning to rebel, that she had become a kind of hot-house plant ridiculously guarded against the rigors of the outer air, and as she met those cool, alert eyes of Iain Mackenzie ’ s, and saw the healthy glow which exercise had brought to his bronzed skin, a faint feeling of envy stirred in her, and the rebellion grew.
He had been walking down beside the lake, which he said was now free from ice, and he went to a cabinet, brought out a decanter and glasses and poured her a glass of sherry which he handed to her.
“ Your very good health! ” he said, a trifle mockingly she thought, as he raised his own glass. “ If this weather continues you should be able to put your nose out of doors before very long, and then no doubt we shall see you begin to look positively robust. At the moment you certainly haven ’ t enough color! ”
She moved nearer to the fireplace and stood looking down into the glowing coals. She looked very slender as she stood there in her dress of fine grey wool, with a neat white collar and cuffs which lent it rather a Puritan touch. Her fair hair had grown a little longer, and was turning softly upwards on her neck like the petals of a flower, and her skin looked peculiarly flawless. Her mouth drooped a little despondently, but it was a very lovely mouth, especially as it was lightly lipsticked. She had a faint upward tilt to her small nose, too, which was also flower-like, and her long eyelashes fluttered noticeably as she stared at the fire.
“ You know, ” she said suddenly, her untouched glass of sherry gripped tightly in one hand, “ this is all quite ridiculous! ”
“ Oh! ” Iain exclaimed. He flung himself comfortably into his favorite ch a ir, and started to feel in all his pockets for his always elusive pipe and box of matches. “ What is quite ridiculous? ”
“ Keeping me shut up like this, as if I were a—a precious plant, or something! ” She flung back her head and looked at him, and her eyes were both hostile and accusing. “ You know very well that it ’ s got to end sometime and as I ’ ve already been here several weeks the sooner it ends the better! I can ’ t go on living like this—accepting your charity—your—your goodness! You ’ ve been very kind, but —”
“ Doctor ’ s orders, ” he murmured imperturbably, as he started to
CHAPTER FIVE
It was once more a m orning when the sky was blue and the sun shone, but the atmosphere was no longer freezingly cold, and there was even, a certain softness—like a far-away breath of spring—in the air.
Most of the snow had vanished, save where the drifts had been tremendously deep, and where it still clung to the roofs of outhouses and stable buildings, and lay powdered and unbroken in the deep shade of the woods. But the roads were free and open once more, and Craigie House was no longer an entity entirely separate and cut off from the village of Craigie.
In the drawing-room of Craigie House Karen watched from the window a robin adventuring along the window sill outside, and she was certain the starry cluster of aconites in the bed outside the window had not been lifting up their faces to the friendly kiss of the sunshine the day before. There were some snowdrops in a vase near to her, too, which gave off a delicate fragrance, and these had been brought in from the shrubbery by Mrs. Burns, who had declared that they were actually forcing their way through what remained of the snow.
Karen lifted the window and scattered a few crumbs on the ledge for the robin, who had the courage to remain where he was and not to fly off while operation was in progress, and then as she cl osed the window again she heard the door behind her open.
It was her host who had come into the room, and as always he seemed to bring a breath of the out-of - doors with him. Karen, as she turned back to the fire and met his eyes, had the feeling she so often had nowadays, and against which she was beginning to rebel, that she had become a kind of hot-house plant ridiculously guarded against the rigors of the outer air, and as she met those cool, alert eyes of Iain Mackenzie ’ s, and saw the healthy glow which exercise had brought to his bronzed skin, a faint feeling of envy stirred in her, and the rebellion grew.
He had been walking down beside the lake, which he said was now free from ice, and he went to a cabinet, brought out a decanter and glasses and poured her a glass of sherry which he handed to her.
“ Your very good health! ” he said, a trifle mockingly she thought, as he raised his own glass. “ If this weather continues you should be able to put your nose out of doors before very long, and then no doubt we shall see you begin to look positively robust. At the moment you certainly haven ’ t enough color! ”
She moved nearer to the fireplace and stood looking down into the glowing coals. She looked very slender as she stood there in her dress of fine grey wool, with a neat white collar and cuffs which lent it rather a Puritan touch. Her fair hair had grown a little longer, and was turning softly upwards on her neck like the petals of a flower, and her skin looked peculiarly flawless. Her mouth drooped a little despondently, but it was a very lovely mouth, especially as it was lightly lipsticked. She had a faint upward tilt to her small nose, too, which was also flower-like, and her long eyelashes fluttered noticeably as she stared at the fire.
“ You know, ” she said suddenly, her untouched glass of sherry gripped tightly in one hand, “ this is all quite ridiculous! ”
“ Oh! ” Iain exclaimed. He flung himself comfortably into his favorite ch a ir, and started to feel in all his pockets for his always elusive pipe and box of matches. “ What is quite ridiculous? ”
“ Keeping me shut up like this, as if I were a—a precious plant, or something! ” She flung back her head and looked at him, and her eyes were both hostile and accusing. “ You know very well that it ’ s got to end sometime and as I ’ ve already been here several weeks the sooner it ends the better! I can ’ t go on living like this—accepting your charity—your—your goodness! You ’ ve been very kind, but —”
“ Doctor ’ s orders, ” he murmured imperturbably, as he started to