Aunt Dimity Goes West Read Online Free Page B

glimmered his relief. I gave his long ears
    a friendly tweak, took the blue journal down from its
    place on the bookshelves, and curled comfortably in
    one of the pair of tall leather armchairs that sat before the hearth.
    “Dimity?” I said, opening the journal. “Got a
    minute?”
    I smiled as the familiar lines of elegant copperplate
    began to flow gracefully across the page.
    I have all the minutes you need, my dear. How are you feeling today?
    “Fine,” I said. Then I recalled to whom I was speak-
    ing and instantly revised my answer. “Okay, so the
    nightmare woke me up again this morning, and I didn’t
    have a moment’s peace all day because of the parade,
    and my shoulder’s a little achy, but other than that I’m doing pretty well.” I glanced at the laptop and thought
    of Bill staying up half the night, planning every detail of the trip. “As a matter of fact, I’m feeling better than I have in a long time.”
    Splendid! To what do you owe your improvement?
    Acupuncture? Meditation? Hydrotherapy? Or have you decided to try something new?
    “Something new,” I replied. “How do you feel
    about log cabins, Dimity?”
    I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever felt anything about log cabins.Why? Are you planning to build one, as a form of work therapy? If so, I’d advise starting on something a bit smaller.
    22
    Nancy Atherton
    A bird table, perhaps, or a simple bookshelf. One can never have too many bookshelves.
    “I’m not going to build a log cabin,” I said. “I’m going to stay in one. In Colorado.”
    You’ve decided to leave England for America? Good heavens. Have you told Bill?
    “It was Bill’s idea,” I told her. “It’s his surefire cure for what ails me. He’s convinced that a radical change
    of scene will exorcise Abaddon, so he’s sending me,
    Annelise, and the twins to stay in a log cabin in
    Colorado, while he stays here to catch up on work.
    Have you ever been to Colorado?”
    Never. It’s mountainous, I believe.
    “So I’ve heard. I’ve never been there, either. The
    thing is,” I added, voicing for the first time a concern that had been troubling me, “I was born and raised in
    Chicago, Dimity. I don’t really see myself as a moun-
    tain woman.”
    I sincerely doubt that you’ll have to chop wood, haul water from a creek, or kill wild animals in order to put food on the table, if that’s what’s worrying you. Bill wouldn’t send you to a place that wasn’t equipped with a full range of modern conveniences.
    “Bill’s never seen the cabin,” I said. “It belongs to
    one of his clients, a guy named Danny Auerbach, who
    never stays there. Danny likes to lend the cabin to
    friends, but not one of his friends has asked to use it
    this summer—not one!” I frowned anxiously. “I have a
    horrible feeling that there’s something wrong with the
    place, something that scares people off.”
    Aunt Dimity Goes West
    23
    Pull yourself together, Lori. Bill’s clients are uniformly wealthy, and the wealthy do not own shabby properties. I’m sure the cabin will be lovely.
    “There must be a crazy neighbor then,” I insisted.
    “An old guy with a shotgun and a grudge against city
    folk.”
    Have you discussed your misgivings with Bill?
    “No, and I’m not going to,” I said quickly. “This is
    just between you and me, Dimity. I don’t care if the
    cabin has a dirt floor and a trigger-happy old coot
    living next door—I’m not going to say a word to Bill.
    He needs a vacation from his lunatic wife, and I’m
    going to give him one.”
    I’m quite sure Bill doesn’t see it that way, Lori.
    “ I see it that way,” I declared. “Bill’s been at my beck and call ever since we got back from Scotland.
    It’s my turn to make a sacrifice, and if that means
    roughing it in the back of beyond for a couple of
    weeks, so be it.”
    Forgive me, Lori, but I was under the impression that you were feeling better. Did I misunderstand you?
    “I do feel better,” I