Shadow of the Mountain Read Online Free PDF Page B

couples. The noise of the band lessened slightly as she led Angus into one of the open sections.
    ‘What was that about?’ he repeated.
    ‘What? Simon?’
    ‘Yeah. Did he …’ He stopped.
    ‘He’s a wanker,’ Geneva said. ‘And being drunk doesn’t add to his dubious charm.’
    Someone spun off the dance floor and crashed into Angus, sending him staggering sideways. Geneva reached out to steady him, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of his sleeve. He looked at her.
    ‘Do you … I mean, are you enjoying this?’
    ‘It’s okay.’ She wondered if it was too early to leave. Simon wasn’t the only partygoer intent on getting drunk and judging by the state of some of the girls she’d seen in the toilet earlier, it wouldn’t be long before things got messy. ‘What time is it?’ she shouted as the music went up a decibel.
    ‘Coming up to eleven.’
    ‘We can go if you want,’ Geneva offered. ‘It’d be good to get away from the noise.’
    Angus nodded and they swerved their way between gyrating bodies towards the door. Outside it was colder than she’d expected. Geneva hunched into her jacket, folding her arms tightly across her chest.
    ‘Sorry,’ Angus muttered as they set off down the street.
    ‘It’s fine. I’d had enough — I mean, I enjoyed going and everything.’
    Angus looked doubtful. ‘Are you warm enough? You’ll freeze if we walk.’
    There was a bus stop ahead. Geneva nodded. ‘Plan B: avoid death by exposure. There’s a bus stop a block from Julia’s — last bus is at eleven-thirty, she said. You can come in for a hot drink to stave off frost bite. She won’t mind.’
    ‘Sounds good to me.’
     
    Julia was watching TV with a glass of wine in one hand and a magazine in the other. ‘Covering all the bases,’ she laughed. ‘I didn’t expect you home so early. God, you look freezing. Go and find Angus a jersey, Genna — one of Dan’s should fit. I’ll put the kettle on.’ She turned to Angus. ‘Coffee or hot chocolate? Come on through.’
    Julia was still talking at full-speed, an open box of cocoa in her hand, when Geneva returned swathed in polar-fleece with a large brown jersey over her arm. She handed it to Angus.
    ‘Right,’ said Julia, returning the box to the pantry and handing Geneva a teaspoon. ‘Inquisition over. I shall go to bed with a clear conscience, having fulfilled my auntly duties.’ She smiled. ‘Genna, lock up when Angus leaves. No hurry: curfew at one, house rules apply.’
    Geneva wasn’t sure what the house rules were exactly, but supposed it was a tactful way of saying ‘behave yourselves’.
    ‘Sure. Night, Julia.’
    Angus looked at her. ‘Genna?’ he asked.
    ‘Strictly family,’ she said, stirring milk into the mugs. ‘Come and sit in the living room. Do you want to listen to music? I’m not sure what they’ve got.’
    Angus flopped onto one end of the sofa as she started rattling through the CDs that were piled in untidy stacks beside the TV. ‘Did you get a grilling from Julia?’ she asked, glancing over her shoulder.
    ‘Half a grilling. Plenty of questions but no time for answers.’
    Geneva laughed. ‘That’s Julia. I’m still getting used to it. My parents aren’t big on talking,’ she said, regretting the disclosureas soon as it was made. Angus didn’t seem to notice.
    ‘Is Dan your uncle?’
    She nodded. ‘They have twin boys, four years old — they’re a bit of a handful. Believe me, I am not looking forward to tomorrow morning,’ she added, steering the conversation towards safe territory.
    ‘Can’t be worse than my little brother,’ Angus answered.
    Geneva selected a CD that she’d at least heard of and curled up in the chair her aunt had vacated, her feet tucked beneath her and her fingers laced around the mug of hot cocoa. By the time she’d sipped her way to the sugary sludge at the bottom, she was properly warm and they’d exhausted the obvious list of topics. Geneva found