Winter's End Read Online Free PDF Page B

you know, being loyal staff and all. I had
more than enough, so I thought to bring you along some,”
    “That’s um… really
kind of you, Lisa,” said Emma. She placed the basket on the little round table
by one of the many windows in the cosy conservatory.
    “As a matter of fact,”
Lisa continued. “I saw builders five months ago drop into the property. Round
about the time the Fletchers sold the house. Didn’t know they were putting up
this gorgeous conservatory. I simply thought they were doing some maintenance
to the house.”
    “Would you like some
tea, Lisa?” Emma asked, trying to stray away from the
subject of her house. “This is the first time you’ve come to visit. Maybe you
want to stay awhile?” She bit her tongue as she let the words slip out of her
mouth. She crossed her fingers behind her.
    “No, that’s awfully kind
of you,” Lisa said, rushing towards the door. “I just came to drop those fruit
for you. Big Jim is going for a football practise in an hour.”
    “Big Jim?”
    “My thirteen year old
boy,” Lisa replied, proudly. “He plays right-back. And a very good one at that
if I can say so.”
    “I’m sure he is,”
Emma said giving a small smile.
    “Emma,” Lisa’s voice
took a sudden surprising serious turn. “Have you met Mrs. Kinnaird?”
    Emma rose an eyebrow.
“Yes. A couple of days ago.”
    “Well,” said Lisa,
looking anxiously at the door. “I should go now before I get any more late.”
    Emma stepped into her
way before she could make an exit. “Why do you ask?”
    “No reason in
particular,” Lisa answered somewhat unsurely. “Seeing that she’s your closest
neighbour that’s all.”
    “Lisa, do you think
I’m stupid?” Emma said sternly.
    “No, of course not,”
Lisa said, flustering. “I merely asked because…”
    “Because, she’s my
closest neighbour?” Emma asked with a hint of sarcasm. “Oh come on, Lisa. Give
me the decency to not play me the fool.
    “I’m sorry, Emma,”
she answered, licking her lips nervously. “But really, it’s just that Mrs.
Kinnaird is… um… rather strange.”
    “What do you mean
‘strange’?”
    “Strange. She’s
different,” Lisa replied. “Listen, I wish I could tell you more. And I will, I
promise you. But I really need to go now. Big Jim’s practise, remember?”
    “Oh, of course,” Emma
said, stepping out of her way. As much as she would have liked to have shaken
the story out of the woman, she knew she couldn’t.
    Lisa bade her
farewell as she stepped out of the doors of the conservatory.
    Emma watched the
woman disappear down her driveway, her curiosity further increased about the
neighbour everyone refused to talk about- Mrs. Kinnaird.

 
    *****

 
    “How is the weather
outside, Theodore?” said Mrs. Kinnaird. She put down her newspaper to look at
her butler   standing before the long
floor length windows.
    “The usual January
closing   winter, Mrs. Kinnaird,” he
answered, refilling her cup with tea. “A little cold but tolerant enough to
take a walk.” He gave a small glance at the older woman.
    Mrs. Kinnaird let out
a thoughtful grunt. She accepted the cup and took a slight sip. “Has the young
lady taken a walk yet through the land?”
    “I can’t say that I
have seen her, my lady,” said Theodore, stepping back from the table.
    “Mrs. Kinnaird
drummed her small, frailed fingers on the table. “Why
do you think that is, Theodore?”
    “I’m sure she will in
her own good time.”
    She didn’t like it.
She didn’t want her young neighbour to take up her offer “in her own good
time”. She was too old to wait for her to take a walk through her property “in
her own good time”. She wanted ‘now’. She needed ‘now’.
    Her eyes fell on the vintage
vase in the centre of her small round table. She trailed the exquisitely
detailed golden rimmed base of the vase with her eyes. She remembered the
numerable times she had silently counted the small hand-painted pink