Unknown Read Online Free Page B

face, taunting him. ‘I’m delighted you had such a bad day.’ She twisted her wrist trying to make him release the grip of his strong brown hand. ‘Let me go!’
    'Not likely. You knew I had to speak to you. I told you, when I was speaking to you on the phone in Edinburgh, that it was important. You could have given me five minutes of your precious time instead of haring away up here to this godforsaken island where most of the inhabitants can’t speak English.’
    Katriona laughed nastily. ‘Huh! That was only for your benefit. They’re friends of mine. They can all speak and understand English perfectly well. In fact they speak it beautifully, far better than a Colonial like you.’
    ‘I suspected as much.’ The flashing grey eyes lost none of their fury. ‘Well, you can stand shouting here at me till the cows come home for all I care. Or you can get a little sense and take me back up to the house, where I’ll speak my piece. Then I’ll be only too happy to let you go your way and I’ll go mine.’
    'I have nothing to say to you,’ Katriona spat the words out. ‘How did you find me?’
    ‘I purchased a map of the island before I came, and marked the roads Alex took me, and each time I suggested this area he came all over coy and pretended he had definite ... or almost definite ... news of your visiting a home in the opposite direction. As the afternoon wore on and he partook more and more freely of the grand hospitality which we were offered, he became a trifle careless. If you want to see him he’s over next door, feeling considerably chastened at his failure to complete the job.’ Morgan Grant jerked her arm. ‘Now come along up to the house.’
    ‘It’s not your house! ’ Katriona’s eyes flashed.
    ‘No, it’s not my house. And it’s not your house ... yet. But we’re going-to use it. Move!’
    ‘No!’ Katriona planted her two feet firmly apart and scowled ferociously up at her captor. ‘You may be able to intimidate an old man, but you can’t frighten me.’
    1 wouldn’t count on it. My name is Morgan Grant. I’ve had a very long and tiring day. I’m very nearly at the end of my patience. I’ve wasted more than enough time on you already, but come hell or high water I will deliver a message I brought from Ian Carmichael, and I will do it in a civilised fashion up there in that house. Now, you may not know me very well, but folks back home could tell you I’m not a man to be scared by an ill-tempered, ill-mannered, pint-sized redhead. So either get walking or on the count of three I’ll pick you up and sling you over my shoulder, and ... One ... two ..
    Katriona started for the croft, her soft young mouth set in a grim straight line. She would not admit she was scared, but the way his voice had got quieter and quieter as he was speaking made her more nervous than if he had yelled at her. She opened the door and said through gritted teeth, ‘Do come in.’
    ‘Thank you very much.’ Morgan Grant released her wrist and walked over and sat down in Donald’s comfortable chair by the fireplace. ‘Sit down, this won’t take long.’
    'I prefer to stand,’ Katriona returned icily. His confidence and easy air of assurance as he walked in and took over Donald’s house and Donald’s chair infuriated her.
    ‘Sit down!' Morgan Grant thundered, and made to rise from his chair.
    Katriona hastily chose a nearby chair. 'Don’t get too comfortable. Donald will be back soon and he’ll throw you off his land when I tell him how outrageously you’ve behaved towards me.’
    Morgan Grant laughed sarcastically. ‘Oh, yes, he’s the poor chap who wants to marry you—I picked up an endless amount of useless information as I visited around today. Do I offer him my congratulations or my condolences when we meet?’
    Katriona wanted to scream and hit out at him, even throw Jeannie’s favourite vase at him. She could not ever remember being so angry or so humiliated. ‘And Elspeth said you had