The Whisper Of Wings Read Online Free PDF

father hated any sort of argument. There was nothing for it except to do as his father had requested. Perhaps later he could pick all the details from Mrs. Avery.
    Christopher watched his son leave. He didn't like dismissing him like that. But the girl's privacy was at stake, a very delicate matter, to be sure.
    He turned to the doctor. "Perhaps you would like to discuss this in the sitting room."
    "Yes. Yes, that will do nicely," Dr. Martin agreed, already following him the short distance down the hall.
    Christopher closed the door behind them and then turned questioning eyes on the doctor.
    The doctor stared at the tips of his shoes as he spoke. "I suspect the young lady has been...er...."
    The man seemed to have some difficulty articulating, as if he didn't quite know how to broach the subject. His fumbling attempt only served to heighten Christopher's impatience.
    "Go on," he urged, feeling just as eager as his son now.
    "Well, that is to say, I believe she has been...." Dr. Martin took a deep breath, then glanced away before finishing. "Violated."
    Christopher's eyes narrowed, and a sudden surge of anger burned its way into his chest. "You can't mean...."
    "Yes, that's precisely what I mean."
    "Are you certain?"
    "Well, not entirely. She wouldn't allow me to...er...fully examine her. But there are signs of struggle, violence."
    "The scratch on her shoulder?"
    Dr. Martin nodded. "Most certainly not inflicted on herself. There are also some bruises on her arms, her thighs. Without actually examining her fully, I'm as certain as I can be that she was...."
    Christopher frowned all the more as he turned to stare out the window, deep in thought. His gaze automatically went to the gate were the young woman had collapsed. Strange, how life had this tendency toward the unforeseeable. Just seconds before he'd heard the knocker clacking against the front door, he'd been wondering if his existence hadn't become just a little too narrow. And suddenly she had appeared, as if in answer to his musings.
    "She's suffering a bit of shock. Nothing she can't recover from. She should pull out of it in a matter of days. The malnutrition, however, is another matter. That will take some time," Dr. Martin continued.
    Christopher digested this for a moment, then turned from the window and crossed the room to give the bell-pull a decisive tug.
    Dr. Martin watched him with open interest. Mr. Standeven seemed to have forgotten that he was even there. Odd, how relaxed he felt when he wasn't the focal point of the other man.
    Mrs. Avery popped into the sitting room a moment later. "Yes, Mr. Standeven?"
    "Prepare a room for our guest and see to it that Mrs. LeFonde makes a nice, hearty soup for her. Dr. Martin suggests that she be given plenty of liquids, and she'll need as much rest as possible." He paused momentarily to study the round, eager face before him, then fixed his scowl even more deeply into his own face before continuing. "I will leave you with the task of finding the girl more suitable attire so that she might rest more comfortably."
    Agnes stared at her employer in amazement. Opening a guest room implied that the young woman would be staying with them for some time. Not that she minded in the least. She had simply expected the girl to go to the hospital. But if Mr. Standeven didn't mind, then who was she to interfere. After all, she did feel rather sorry for the poor girl. Hospitals could be so cold, so unfriendly. The girl was beside herself with fright as it was. It would be a shame to thrust her into a situation that could only frighten her more.
    "Well?" he prompted when she only stood there staring.
    She answered his frown with a radiant smile and then hurried off to do his bidding. She was actually eager to help in any way she could. The entire house was abuzz with the news, and everyone wanted to make sure the girl was all right.
    "With your approval, of course, Dr. Martin," Christopher murmured as he watched the door close behind