Rose McQuinn 7 - Deadly Legacy Read Online Free Page A
Author: Alanna Knight
being pushed - pushed forcibly out of the open door.
Through the smoke, a steep hill, and as the train slowed down to round a corner I was in mid-air - my feet dangling above the rails.
I struggled with Hinton, calling for help.
No one heard me, and suddenly released from her iron grip, I flew through the air and hit the ground, tumbled on to a grassy verge, and began to roll steadily down the hill, my progress accelerated by agonising encounters with small stones, then halted momentarily by a series of tall weeds and shrubs.
In desperation I found one and clung on. Looking up back at the railway track far above me I called again for help. In vain.
The noise and smoke of the train had been replaced by silence as I hung there, trying to sort out my bruises and addled wits.
I was still so tired. There was no sign of the satchel which had contained Mrs Lawers' legacy at the start of our journey. My travelling carrier, however, had accompanied my fall and I saw it lodged some ten feet away.
I wanted to reach it, but discovered I was too weary to make the effort. All I wanted was to close my eyes again, confident that this was just some terrible nightmare.
Soon I would wake up again. I always did.
Suddenly, my face was wet; I struggled to open my eyes. My face was being licked by ... Thane!
No, that wasn't possible, although the grey hairy face at close range might well have been his. A large dog was at my side, and hurrying up the hill, rifle in hand, a middle-aged gentleman dressed like a gamekeeper.
He rushed to my side. 'Pilot spotted you, miss. What the devil has happened? Are you hurt?'
'I don't know. I can't remember - I think I must have fallen off the train.'
He lifted me to my feet, very gently. 'I'm a doctor, miss. Let's make sure you're all right. Let's see, now. Can you walk a few steps?'
I managed, clinging to his arm and stumbling down the hill where he retrieved my carrier and pronounced my progress was excellent.
'Arms and legs not injured. Excellent. A few bruises, I dare say, but they'll soon mend,' he added cheerfully. 'Fortunate that you fell down a grassy slope. Excuse me a moment.' He stopped. 'Would you mind ... er ... breathing on me please.'
I did so and he nodded grimly. 'Just as I thought, miss.'
He said nothing more until we were safely on the footpath below, the deerhound, so like Thane, walking at his side.
Releasing my arm, he asked how I was.
'My shoulder is rather sore and my knee. I think it is bleeding.' I could feel it sticking to my skirt.
We were in a village street and he pointed to a little cottage, some fifty yards distant, almost concealed by trees. 'That is where I live. I have my surgery there, and once we have attended to your cuts and bruises, I'll get the carriage out and take you to the railway station. Where were you heading?'
I told him Perth and he nodded. 'You're nearer Edinburgh than Perth; this is Kingmere.'
A brass plate on the door declared its owner was Dr Hugh Everson. The interior was neat and pretty, suggesting that the kindly doctor was no bachelor, confirmed by family photographs on the sideboard.
'My wife is away visiting a friend in Kirkcaldy, who has been ill,' he explained, his arm supporting me and leading the way into a small but well-equipped surgery. Removing my cloak, he bathed and bandaged my cut knee and gently examined my arms and shoulders.
'All present and correct, madam. May I know your name?'
'Mrs McQuinn,' I said. 'Thanks to you, Doctor, I've survived - I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along.'
He smiled.'Your thanks belong to old Pilot here.'
And before I could tell him the coincidence of Thane he stood up and regarded me sternly. 'One more thing I must ask ...' He hesitated a moment. 'Tell me, Mrs McQuinn, are you on some kind of drugs?'
'Drugs? Of course not.'
'You are absolutely certain. No kind of medication?'
'No. I assure you I am perfectly healthy.'
He nodded but looked rather doubtful. 'Very
Through the smoke, a steep hill, and as the train slowed down to round a corner I was in mid-air - my feet dangling above the rails.
I struggled with Hinton, calling for help.
No one heard me, and suddenly released from her iron grip, I flew through the air and hit the ground, tumbled on to a grassy verge, and began to roll steadily down the hill, my progress accelerated by agonising encounters with small stones, then halted momentarily by a series of tall weeds and shrubs.
In desperation I found one and clung on. Looking up back at the railway track far above me I called again for help. In vain.
The noise and smoke of the train had been replaced by silence as I hung there, trying to sort out my bruises and addled wits.
I was still so tired. There was no sign of the satchel which had contained Mrs Lawers' legacy at the start of our journey. My travelling carrier, however, had accompanied my fall and I saw it lodged some ten feet away.
I wanted to reach it, but discovered I was too weary to make the effort. All I wanted was to close my eyes again, confident that this was just some terrible nightmare.
Soon I would wake up again. I always did.
Suddenly, my face was wet; I struggled to open my eyes. My face was being licked by ... Thane!
No, that wasn't possible, although the grey hairy face at close range might well have been his. A large dog was at my side, and hurrying up the hill, rifle in hand, a middle-aged gentleman dressed like a gamekeeper.
He rushed to my side. 'Pilot spotted you, miss. What the devil has happened? Are you hurt?'
'I don't know. I can't remember - I think I must have fallen off the train.'
He lifted me to my feet, very gently. 'I'm a doctor, miss. Let's make sure you're all right. Let's see, now. Can you walk a few steps?'
I managed, clinging to his arm and stumbling down the hill where he retrieved my carrier and pronounced my progress was excellent.
'Arms and legs not injured. Excellent. A few bruises, I dare say, but they'll soon mend,' he added cheerfully. 'Fortunate that you fell down a grassy slope. Excuse me a moment.' He stopped. 'Would you mind ... er ... breathing on me please.'
I did so and he nodded grimly. 'Just as I thought, miss.'
He said nothing more until we were safely on the footpath below, the deerhound, so like Thane, walking at his side.
Releasing my arm, he asked how I was.
'My shoulder is rather sore and my knee. I think it is bleeding.' I could feel it sticking to my skirt.
We were in a village street and he pointed to a little cottage, some fifty yards distant, almost concealed by trees. 'That is where I live. I have my surgery there, and once we have attended to your cuts and bruises, I'll get the carriage out and take you to the railway station. Where were you heading?'
I told him Perth and he nodded. 'You're nearer Edinburgh than Perth; this is Kingmere.'
A brass plate on the door declared its owner was Dr Hugh Everson. The interior was neat and pretty, suggesting that the kindly doctor was no bachelor, confirmed by family photographs on the sideboard.
'My wife is away visiting a friend in Kirkcaldy, who has been ill,' he explained, his arm supporting me and leading the way into a small but well-equipped surgery. Removing my cloak, he bathed and bandaged my cut knee and gently examined my arms and shoulders.
'All present and correct, madam. May I know your name?'
'Mrs McQuinn,' I said. 'Thanks to you, Doctor, I've survived - I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along.'
He smiled.'Your thanks belong to old Pilot here.'
And before I could tell him the coincidence of Thane he stood up and regarded me sternly. 'One more thing I must ask ...' He hesitated a moment. 'Tell me, Mrs McQuinn, are you on some kind of drugs?'
'Drugs? Of course not.'
'You are absolutely certain. No kind of medication?'
'No. I assure you I am perfectly healthy.'
He nodded but looked rather doubtful. 'Very
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