In the Shadow of Death Read Online Free Page B

home. Would you like some coffee?”
    She was about to refuse when she saw the effort he’d made to welcome her. Her favourite coffee mugs were waiting on a tray. “Thanks. That would be nice.”
    â€œI still don’t understand about this dude ranch,” Harry said, putting the coffee pot in front of her. “Couldn’t you have found a nice hotel in Victoria, perhaps?”
    â€œI need to get right away somewhere new, Harry.”
    He watched her as she looked around the room. “You know, Margaret, you could have all this back. Your home, your garden—all the things you loved. They’re all waiting for you.”
    As she gazed around, she realized how much of her was in the room. It was still the same, the Wedgewood china she had chosen still in its walnut cabinet, the pictures they had chosen together, the drapes, even the carpet on the dining room floor was the same. Then she looked at Harry and realized that he hadn’t changed either. He would still be as demanding. He would still nag at her to give up the job she loved.
    â€œMother knows how much I want you back,” he continued blithely. “She said she would be willing to forgive and forget.”
    â€œForgive . . . ?” Her mind went back to the last time she had entertained her mother-in-law, Honoria Spencer, in this very dining room. It had not been a crashing success. Honoria had demanded she get rid of Emily or she would not darken their door again. Maggie had chosen Emily. That thought brought her mind back to the present. “I’m sorry, Harry, what did you say?”
    â€œI said,” he replied, “she is willing to forgive your . . . er . . . unkind words to her.”
    â€œThat’s nice of her. But she needn’t worry, I’m not coming back.” Carefully, she put her mug of coffee down on the table. “This was not a good idea, Harry.” She picked up her purse and tried not to run to the front door. “You still can’t understand, can you?”
    â€œNo. I don’t understand,” he shouted. “I gave you everything you could possibly want.”
    â€œExcept the freedom to be myself.”
    She was still shaking when she reached the safety of her own front door. She marched into her bedroom and stuffed the final things into her case. How could I be so stupid? I should have known what would happen. And how the hell do I get Emily back? “Damn! damn! damn!”
    She snapped the suitcase shut. Well, there’s no point in worrying about it now. It’s a problem that I’ll have to face when I return.
    â€œI forgot to ask,” Nat said the next morning, as he stowed her suitcase into the trunk of his car. “Who’s looking after that miserable cat of yours?”
    â€œA friend of the family,” she answered curtly. “We’d better get a move on if I’m to catch that train.”

CHAPTER TWO
    B y the time the train had reached the coastal mountains after stopping at the small stations of Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Maggie thought that the scenery couldn’t possibly get any better. She peered out of the dusty window of the three-coach train, awestruck by the beauty of the mountains, their snow and glacier peaks glinting in the morning sunshine. Then the scene changed to sheer tranquility as the track ran beside Duffy Lake, where the fir forest and mountains were reflected perfectly in the still water. Before reaching Lillooet, the train made a couple of stops to let passengers off. Most of them were met, and she watched as they threw their bags into battered pickup trucks or old cars. Once, the train even stopped to let a passenger off in front of his home. She watched the man throw his bag over the fence before hopping over it himself, then turn and give a cheery wave to the train’s engineer, who gave an answering toot of the whistle before continuing down the track. But the area was so remote, the