Saving Nathaniel Read Online Free PDF

the bubbles.'
    She chuckled at his witticism. 'You might be right,' she said and handed him his mug. They both stood and admired his massive vehicle.
    OVERFINCH - With her finger, she traced each of the silver letters attached to the shimmering green bonnet. 'What does that mean?' she asked.
    'That it has special added extras,' he said. 'What they call a bespoke vehicle.'
    'Like what?' She caressed the front grille.
    'Whatever I wanted - enhanced fixtures and fittings, wood fascias, fancy wheels…'
    'Hmm…a car with wheels,' she murmured. 'Who'd have thought?' She moved around to the side of the vehicle. 'You haven't told me what it is you do that allows you to buy a fine motor like this.'
    'I buy and sell land.' He quickly stepped up and swept his polishing cloth over where she had touched, wiping away any stray fingerprints.
    'For what purpose?' She began to slowly circle the car, deliberately draping her hand on the bodywork. He followed her closely.
    'For building on usually. It might be for a hotel or golf course, or even a shopping centre…'
    She touched each of the letters on the personalised plate, NAT 50. He wiped it vigorously. '…sometimes it's just for investment. I own quite a bit myself. When the right buyer comes along I'll sell it on and make myself a nice fat profit.'
    'A country landowner,' she said. 'You must be loaded.'
    'I get by.'
    She shielded her eyes and peered in through the driver's window at the plush leather and wood interior and the vast array of knobs and buttons. She could see his reflection in the glass as he hovered fretfully behind her, cloth at the ready.
    'So there's plenty of money to be had in land then?' she said.
    'More than plenty.' He polished her handprint off the glass. 'Don't you know the old saying about land, 'they don't make it any more' ? Someone always wants to buy land. I find what they want and negotiate the best deal and get a commission. I can almost print my own cash.'
    She ran her fingers over the swell of the wing mirror. 'So…what you're saying is…you're a glorified estate agent?'
    He muttered under his breath as he buffed the paintwork. 'I hadn't thought of it that way, but I suppose you could say so.'
    'I see.' She crunched her way over the gravel to the low garden wall, sat primly on it and sipped from her mug.
    Satisfied she wasn't going to suddenly spring up and touch the car again, he gave the bonnet a final wipe over, pocketed the cloth and sat beside her. 'What's wrong with being an estate agent?' he asked. 'Didn't you bring any biscuits?'
    'No, you already ate them all. And I'm sure being an estate agent is a perfectly decent occupation. I just imagined you might do something a bit more high-powered, that's all.'
    'Like what?'
    She shrugged. 'I don't know…banker, lawyer, something in oil. An international man of mystery maybe?'
    He laughed. 'I'm not interesting enough to be mysterious and I'm certainly not international.'
    She smiled. 'I don't know you well enough to know how interesting you are yet, so I can't judge. You know all about me, but you've told me next to nothing about yourself.'
    'What you see is what you get. I have nothing to declare. Mr Ordinary.'
    'Aw, come on, I don't believe that for a second. You must have plenty to tell. You have a whole lifetime of experience to choose from…tell me something shocking…something from your hidden depths…a secret from your past…'
    His back stiffened and he sat upright, his entire demeanour suddenly changed. His grey eyes fixed her with a hard, cold stare and his mouth had drawn into a tight line. He leaned toward her and his sudden close proximity forced her to lean away and widen the gap again.
    'Now you listen to me, woman and listen good, because I don't want to have to repeat myself,' he said, his voice low and tight with anger. 'As far as you're concerned, my private life is just that…private. It is absolutely none of your, or anyone else's damned concern so keep your nose out. It's