A Stranger in Wynnedower Read Online Free PDF

bare chest?”
    “No, definitely not.”
    “Not wearing a kilt, is
he?”
    “Not nice, Daisy. Stop
teasing me.”
    “But it’s so much fun,
and I’m not entirely teasing. The whole situation sounds suspicious. If you
need me, let me know. I’ll be there right away.”
    “Daisy, you’re the
best. That’s why I put up with your strange sense of humor. In reality, his
reason for asking me to stay locked in the room is simple. He says looters
break in.”
    “What? Wow. Well, then
stay in the room.”
    “He just wants me out
of the way.”
    “What are these people
after? It’s a big house, right? But lived in, so what’s going on?”
    “He mentioned copper
pipes.” She shrugged. “The man didn’t say this, but Jeremy told he’d heard
rumors about something valuable being hidden here at Wynnedower.”
    “Like what?”
    “He said something
about artwork. Paintings or something. He teased me, saying we could go on a
treasure hunt.”
    Daisy laughed. “That
sounds right up your alley, both the art and the treasure hunt.”
    “Well, that was before
he got angry with me, and apparently, moved without telling me.”
    After a pause, Daisy
changed the subject. “If you only made it as far as Wynnedower, should I ask
about the museum reception?”
    Rachel pulled her legs
up into the chair and sighed. “No, didn’t make the reception. It’s okay.
Tomorrow is another day, per Scarlett.”
    “Don’t let it get you
down. Always remember what’s important. Anything else is nice-to-have. And
Rachel, have some fun.”
    Daisy was always saying
stuff like that. She and Daisy were very different personality types, but
friends. Her best friend. Only real friend.
    “I have fun. Often. And
this is an interesting place. For a night, anyway. After I find Jeremy....”
    “After. Always after .
You’re too much in your own head.”
    “I’m solitary, true,
but in my own head? I’m interested in lots of things.”
    Daisy started laughing.
At first, Rachel was annoyed, uncertain, but then couldn’t help laughing with
her. She didn’t understand the joke, but she trusted Daisy’s heart.
    They said goodnight,
and she laid her phone on the nightstand. Lying there in the dark, suddenly she
felt lost in the near silence. Only cricket noises came through the window.
Country life? It seemed almost too quiet too sleep. In the distance, a train
rumbled past. A long train. As the sound faded away, so did she. She fell off
to sleep without noticing.
    She woke the same way,
with the sudden realization that she was awake. The time on her phone read one
a.m.
    Lying still, listening,
she heard a creak from somewhere outside the room. Creaks were to be expected
in an old house.
    Another sound,
difficult to identify and location hard to pin down.
    Could it be Jeremy?
Suppose he’d returned? He wouldn’t know she was here unless he recognized her
car in the dark.
    It would be fun to
surprise him. He’d say, “Rachel, when did you get here?” and she could tell him
about getting trapped in his room.
    Cautioning herself not
to be disappointed, she felt along the floor with her feet, searching for her
slippers.
    She moved the
furniture, unlocked the bedroom door and peeked out into the empty sitting room.
When she turned the key in the sitting room door, the sound of the mechanism
unlocking sounded like a shot in the silent night. Breath held, she eased the
door open. There was no light peeking from beneath the other doors, including
Jeremy’s.
    He wasn’t there. It was
disappointing, but while she was up she’d retrieve her pantyhose.
    The door was still
unlocked. One quick moment and she had her hose. She shoved them into the
pocket of her robe. As she stepped into the hallway, a faint scent tickled
Rachel’s nose—a tantalizing wisp of flowers that was quickly gone.
    In the far alcove, a
whitish shape moved and vanished. Instinctively, Rachel surged forward, and
then stopped. Was she really going to chase after a blur? It was