Shadow of the Mountain Read Online Free PDF

there.’ She glanced sideways, noticing the spread of red on his cheeks. ‘I’m not saying no,’ she added. ‘I’d like to go.’ She would? And that had sounded too keen. Her own cheeks began to heat.
    ‘I can ask my mother if I can borrow the car,’ he said, doubt surfacing on his face. ‘Can’t promise anything though — she tends towards the paranoid when it comes to cars and parties.’
    ‘I’ll work something out,’ Geneva offered, wondering whether her parents would let her stay the night with her father’s sister — or whether they’d even care. Pushing the latter thought away, she tried to remember exactly where the hall was in relation to Julia’s house.
    When she phoned later, Julia was enthusiastic. ‘Sweetie, of course you can! That would be lovely. I can drop you at the hall and you can taxi back — the buses stop running at eleven-thirty: pumpkin territory after that. Of course, you do realise the twins will pounce on you at some unseemly hour on Sunday morning? I’ll threaten them with every heinous punishment I can think of but it won’t make any difference: they’ll be dying to see you. We all are! It’s been far too long…’
    Her aunt talked for twenty minutes with barely a pause, barraging her with questions and leaping off in a new direction with every answer. Geneva felt as if she’d forgotten what real conversation was like. By contrast, when she laid the idea in front of her parents, her mother didn’t turn her eyes from the TV while her father murmured: ‘Julia? Our Julia?’
    After glancing futilely at his wife for guidance, her father nodded. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘When did you say?’ Geneva repeated the details, wondering just what it would take to get a proper reaction.

7.
    ‘W ell, well. What a pleasant surprise.’ Simon slipped an arm around Geneva’s shoulders, his fingers caressing the bare skin of her upper arm. ‘Our little Jenny.’
    Geneva dodged sideways but he followed, hemming her in. ‘You look delicious, babe. Didn’t know you knew old Slater.’
    His words were slightly slurred she thought, glancing around for Angus. He’d said he’d only be a minute but there was no sign of him in the press of people. ‘Known him for yonks,’ she lied.
    ‘Shame we haven’t bumped into each other sooner. Come and meet some people.’ The arm slid back around her shoulders.
    ‘No, Simon, I’m fine.’ She sidestepped. ‘You go on. I need the loo.’
    He leered. ‘I’ll show you the way.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Now, don’t be like that.’ He was drunk. He reached for her again and she backed away, coming up with a thud against a solid surface. Simon bent towards her, one hand holding a beer bottle against the wall near her head.
    ‘You look great in that.’ The fingers of his free hand trailed from her shoulder around the curving neckline of her top.Geneva whacked his hand away.
    ‘Hey!’ He frowned, beer sloshing from the bottle onto her arm as he stepped back in surprise.
    ‘Everything all right?’ Angus stood behind Simon, a plastic cup in one hand.
    ‘Hey, Gusto!’ Simon turned. ‘Look who’s here. Who’d have thought such a classy piece would know the Slater.’
    Stretching past Simon, Angus passed Geneva the cup. ‘Actually, she’s with me.’
    Simon raised his eyebrows. ‘Fast work, Gusto.’ He scowled as Geneva sipped the punch. ‘So how come you didn’t mention that, Jenny?’
    ‘None of your business,’ she said, moving away from the fumes of alcohol on his breath. ‘Here.’ She handed him the cup. ‘You should swap to punch. Do you want to dance?’ she asked Angus.
    Leaving Simon standing by the wall, they threaded a path between the crowded bodies. The music was way too loud. She could feel the bass notes pounding in her gut. Angus leant close and mouthed something. She mimed her inability to hear.
    Along the far side of the hall there was a covered portico, its shadowed corners already filled with