A Strange Affair Read Online Free PDF

expensive, indeed gazing at the reflection of myself in the mirror, the image looking back at me didn’t seem like me at all.
    ‘Here,’ said Justine as she passed me a white beaded reticule, ‘this will finish the whole thing off admirably.’
    ‘As indeed it does,’ I agreed, looking briefly once more at my reflection.
    ‘It is 10.45,’ said Justine with some alarm, ‘we must assemble in the hall, but not before I give you this,’ she said reaching in a hatbox and then coming across to me. I looked with some delight at the beautiful bonnet which she then placed on my head. The wine velvet matched my gown, the wide brim edged with white sable looked perfection as Justine tied the white ribbons around my neck.
    As we walked back along the corridor my sister-in-law in a rose-pink gown and cloak with a matching bonnet on her fair curls, I felt like a queen. As we stepped down the staircase into the hall I felt a different person from the plain, simple, uneasy young woman who had arrived at Rowan Castle only three days ago.
    The other three members of the household were already waiting in the hall, my husband looking as handsome and immaculate as ever in a black frock coat, as was his brother Derrick, who as I watched them talking I could see was a little taller than Kieran. Kerensa was dressed like a bride I thought, in a cream-coloured gown and cloak of shimmering satin, her glorious red wavy hair tied back with a matching ribbon, she looked a picture of perfection I realised, and knew that no matter what I dressed in I could never match her beauty.
    Her green eyes flashed with a look of surprise as she saw me, just at the moment Kieran took notice I was there and a spark of the man I had married showed in his blue eyes, but was as quickly gone to be replaced by a look of indifference towards me.
    ‘Take my arm, wife,’ he said unexpectedly, and I did as I was bid without any conscious thought, and glancing at Kerensa I could see the scowl of her face which for an instant marred her beauty, and I felt pleased with myself, pleased that I was Kieran’s wife and that it was I who held his arm.
    The small building where we were to worship was built of the same large sandy red stone as the castle, set back at the side of it. When we stepped into the interior I had a sudden intake of breath for the chapel wasn’t as austere as I had expected it to be. It was charming in its simplicity, carved wood panelling covered the bottom half of the whitewashed walls, ahead of us over the altar was an exquisite stained-glass window, which held my attention as Kieran and I took our places in the front pew.
    The congregation complete, which included Megan, the housekeeper and her husband, David, the service commenced. Kerensa who sat on a pew on the other side of the aisle kept glancing across to look at Kieran with a distracted expression on her lovely face.
    I felt elated that I was with my husband as we stepped out into the fresh air once Kieran took my arm, and I could see that the lovely Miss Templeton was irate at this. We left her standing there like an abandoned child.
    ‘Walk with me,’ came Derrick’s voice as he took Kerensa’s arm. And as I turned back to look, I could see an unattractive scowl on the young woman’s face; whereas my heart was singing and as I clasped my husband’s arm tighter he looked down at me and smiled.
    Later on in my room, removing the exquisite bonnet and placing it on the bed, something caused me to go over and try the connecting door, some instinct made me do it and as I tried the handle the door flew open to reveal Kieran’s very masculine bedroom, which was decorated in colours of brown and beige.
    Swiftly I closed the door, I was incensed and set off along the corridor and down the staircase in search of Mrs Burnet. I was directed to the housekeeper’s quarters by Ginny, who looked somewhat startled at my sudden overbearing manner, but I gave little thought to this as I walked down a