A Family For Christmas Read Online Free Page A

Lie down and get some more sleep. It’s the
most restorative thing for you now.’
    ‘I can’t spend all my time
sleeping,’ Eliza protested. ‘I need to find somewhere to shelter, get a job and
…’ She slumped back against the sheepskins, drained of energy. In truth she had no
idea where she could go.
    ‘You must rest. It’s Mother
Nature’s way of helping you recover. Besides, the sooner you’re better the sooner
you can be on your way to wherever it was you were going.’
Sensing Fay’s animosity, Eliza turned over and eased herself
further down the cover. The woman obviously resented her presence so the best thing she could do
was get well and leave. Although where she was going to, goodness only knew.
    She must have drifted off again for it was dark
when she woke. The only light was coming from the fire, which cast flickering shadows across the
walls, scenting the room with the sweet smell of applewood. She heard soft snoring and saw Fay
asleep in the chair, covered by an old greatcoat. Despite her gruff manner, the woman was still
keeping a watch over her and Eliza felt guilty for putting her to so much trouble. Even thinking
made her head hurt. She closed her eyes and it wasn’t long before sleep claimed her once
more.
    When next she woke, soft grey light of morning
was filtering through the window. The room was quiet and she saw the chair was empty. Feeling
stronger, she eased herself into a sitting position. Holding the cover around her, she struggled
to her feet but the room started spinning. Eliza reached for the chair, collapsing onto it just
as the door clattered open. Fay stood there, wearing the greatcoat that had been keeping her
warm the night before, a length of string tied around her middle. She was laden with sticks and
logs, but as soon as she saw Eliza she tossed them in the direction of the fireplace where they
landed on the stone hearth with a clatter. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she eased Eliza
back down onto the mattress.
    ‘You’re going to have to take it
easy, my girl,’ she chided, piling the fleecy sheepskins over Eliza’s shivering
body.
    ‘But I felt so much better,’ Eliza protested
weakly.
    ‘No arguing. That fever’s knocked the
stuffing out of you and it’s going to take time to regain your strength. Now, for
heaven’s sake do as you’re told and rest. I’ll bank up the fire and make
breakfast. Nourishing food and rest, that’s what you need, my girl.’
    Weakly, Eliza nodded then watched through
half-closed eyes as the woman threw off her coat and kneeled beside the fire. Once she’d
riddled the embers, she added sticks and logs until the grate was a fiery blaze. Then she poured
water from a hide pitcher into an old kettle and stood it on the fender to boil. With the
dripping in a battered old pan sizzling, she tossed in huge lumps of black-red meat. Hearing
Eliza gasp, Fay turned and stared down at her.
    ‘Breakfast’s the most important meal
of the day, girl. Nobody can function on an empty stomach,’ she said, deftly flipping the
steaks onto a plate and setting them on the hearth to keep warm. Finally she chucked vegetables
into a pot, then sat back in the chair. ‘Of course, your weak system won’t be able
to digest a rich venison steak, so I’ll cut yours up finely and add it to the
broth.’
    So that’s what the dark meat was. Eliza had
never even seen deer flesh, let alone tasted it. She stared around the room, taking in the
blackened timbers of the low roof, the inglenook fireplace and a mounted antlered head on the
wall. Animal skins covered the floor, sheathed knives hung from hooks, and a gun was slung on
the back of the door. She shuddered. Had Fay shot the deer, then? And if she had, was it safe to
remain here? She only had the woman’s word that she’d fainted, hadn’t she?
Feeling queasy, she swallowed hard and closed her eyes.
    A
sudden knocking made her jump, then a gust of wind tore through the room, sending smoke from the
fire