Dragon's Touch (Book 1 Linty Dragon Series) (17 page)

“Sorry to say, I have. You should get back to bed, I’ll watch over the house and the dragons,” Cullen advised.

My father’s words ran through my head. Before I could stop my train of thought from running off the tracks, the words popped out of my mouth. “Are you a dragon collector?”

His stillness alarmed me, but I refused to allow it to take over. Holding my breath, I stared at him.

“Yes, I am. You have naught to worry about, lass. If I’d wanted your dragons, I’d have had them long ago. They’re not my interest at the moment.”

For a second I wondered if I should ask. Throwing caution to the wind, I asked, “What
is
your interest?”

“You are.” His eyes flashed, reminding me of the way Drake’s did. I glanced past him toward the dragon and found his eyes bright as well.

Wishing I’d avoided shaky ground, I ignored his response, said goodnight, and left him staring after me. I paused on the squeaky step and looked back. The dragons now held Cullen’s attention. What was left of the night would be filled with worry over Cullen’s interests, the idea of intruders, protecting the dragons, and finding the damn book.

Chapter 13

Yard workers arrived at the same time as Mrs. Douglas. Shouts, laughter, and banging pots and pans were the norm for the morning. Limping down the front stairs, I noticed Cullen had taped paper bags over the window to keep the draft to a minimum. Nights in the highlands get cold. I’d been so amped up during the events that had taken place that I failed to notice the temperature.

Cullen sipped coffee, offered me a cup from the steaming pot, and then asked how I’d slept.

“Sleep? Who can sleep with all this nonsense going on?” I wanted to know.

“The dragons and I slept well. The sofa is short, but comfortable,” he said with a grin.

Mrs. Douglas came through the door with a tray of scones and a jar of locally made black current jam. She placed the lot in front of us, told us to dig in, and marched off to begin her daily chores. I sniffed the scones with appreciation and laughed when Cullen said they weren’t for sniffing, but for eating.  

“True enough. Pass the jar,” I said and split the scone in half to slather it with the jam.

We worked our way through the scones and coffee, discussed the security system and how Cullen had insisted the Aberdeen crew push the installation ahead. 

“It’ll be done this afternoon, lass. It took some convincing, but the man was amenable to the change when I told him you’d had an intruder last night that resulted in injury.”

“Thanks for that. I would have made the call today, though.”

“No need, it’s all taken care of. This way, you won’t have to succumb to my many charms if I stay overnight.”

“Mmm, there are so many charms, I can hardly count,” I said with a half-grin and sarcasm.

After Cullen had gone, I got busy and favored my foot when it started to ache.

Evan came through from the kitchen and asked, “Would you like that window replaced, lass?”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.”

“I’ll have Daniel take it to the shop in town and it’ll be ready for ye in no time.” He removed the window and handed it through the open space to Daniel, who peered inside and gave me a smile. “Mornin’ to you, Linty.”

I gave him a wave and thanked him for his help. Two other men were quickly ordered to work in various areas of the grounds and instructed to pay attention to detail. Evan pointed out where he wanted them to go and then turned back to me and said, “We’ll have the grounds set to rights in a jiffy, lass. What happened to your foot?”

“I stepped on a shard of glass from the broken window. I’m fine, though, really.”

He gave a nod and said in a low tone, “Glad to hear it. By the way, your uncle and his wife were in the village going on about the dragons and how you shouldn’t have them. You take care, lass, and don’t let them push you ‘round.” That said, he walked off and got to work.

Gray clouds rolled in with a threat of rain. The men worked, as did I while slowly pouring through Gran’s personal affects. I’d packed up her belongings and separated what to store in the oak room and what to take to the resale shop in town.

With a glance out the window, I noticed it had begun to rain and that the workmen had packed it in for the moment. I couldn’t blame them, no need to work in a downpour. Daniel ran across the yard, joined the crew who stood under the eaves of the garage and then he looked up at the house. He smiled and waved. I returned it and then went to see Mrs. Douglas.

Entering the kitchen, the smell of roasting chicken with veggies and a pot of chicken soup pervaded the room along with a couple of loaves of homemade bread that sat atop the counter. My mouth watered and I asked, “Is that the fare for today?” I licked my lips in anticipation and glanced at the clock, hoping it was time for lunch.

A smile and a wave of her hand was enough for me to limp toward the table. “Sit yourself down and I’ll serve you some soup. You’ve had a busy morning upstairs, what have you been up to?”

“Packing up Gran’s clothes and personal items. I’d like to take a ride into the village after lunch to bring the clothes to the resale shop. Will you stay here while I do that? The security people will arrive soon to install an alarm system today. I’m not sure what time this afternoon so I won’t dilly dally.”

“I’ll be here, then. You take as long as you like, Linty. I’m sure you could use a change of scenery after being here for this long without a break. I often did that for your Gran, before she became fearful of thieves, that is.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Douglas, that would be great.” I slurped soup loaded with chunks of veggies and chicken, and dipped hunks of bread into the broth. Yum. Finishing up, I asked if she’d give each of the men a bowl, as they’d been stuck under the eaves of the garage during the rain and could probably use a taste of her hearty soup. She smiled, nodded, and beckoned them to come indoors.

Four hungry men trampled into the kitchen, wiped their muddy feet on the rug as they entered, and grinned over the offer of lunch.

“There’s no need to feed us, Linty, but thanks for it,” Evan said and pointed to seats at the table. The man controlled his crew, no doubt about it.

I gave him a smile, said they were more than welcome to enjoy a hot meal on this chilly day, and left them to it. A while later, their echoes of thanks came through to the living room, where I stood staring out the front windows. The rain had lessened by this time.

The two huge living rooms opened off either side of the foyer. I knew there was a formal name for them, but couldn’t remember and figured it wasn’t important anyway. Spacious, they were separated by the foyer at the front door. With a southern exposure, bright sunlight usually shone in most of the day. Today, dark clouds scudded across the sky, and the wind blew hard enough to make treetops sway.

I considered what to do with Gran’s belongings and personal items. Her personal things could be stored, while the clothing would need to be brought downstairs and disposed of, possibly at the shop in the village. I hobbled upstairs, noticed how the creaky stair gave a bit as I stepped on it and worried that I’d fall through it, further injuring myself. The tread took precedence and was a job I’d take care of later in the day.

Now orderly, the oak room had space for Gran’s things. With care, I placed the jewelry in the jewelry armoire and locked it. Hat boxes, photo albums, and such were packed into a special section of the room. Her books and journals would be added to Gran’s private library on the first floor.

Noise from the backyard filtered upward. I turned the key in the door lock and pocketed it. The rain had ceased and Evan’s crewmen were back to doing what they could without damaging the grounds that were sodden and difficult to deal with. Happy to think he cared enough to bring needed changes to the landscape, I went to my room, grabbed a jacket and began to drag boxes and bags of Gran’s clothing toward the stairs.

The piles at the head of the steps grew tall as I stacked one box on top of another, while thoughts of how much we accumulate over a lifetime occurred to me. I tossed tied plastic bags down the flight of steps, watching them land. Cumbersome and heavy, the boxes would be another matter. I couldn’t very well throw them down the stairs.

Taking one box after another to the first floor, I saved the heaviest for last. Out of breath, I climbed to the second floor one last time and slid the box into my arms off the top step. I hefted it to get a good grip and slowly descended to the first floor. I’d reached the fifth stair from the bottom, it creaked and groaned as usual, then caved in the middle, breaking apart, and hurtling me and the box over the last few stairs with a thump, bump, and oomph as I landed on the pile of bags. Good Christmas.

Sprawled out on the bags, I flailed my arms and legs to catch my balance. Finally, I rolled sideways onto the floor and got up. I smoothed my hair, wiped sweat from my forehead and moved my limbs to make certain I hadn’t broken any bones. The box and its contents lay in a willy-nilly heap that sprawled across the floor. I sighed, berated myself for not requesting help and brushed my hair from my brow, then packed the clothes once again. This time around, I was less careful and tidy about folding the items.

The job finished, I heard Mrs. Douglas rush into the room. “Goodness, what was that racket? I had my hands full or I’d have come in straightaway.

“Just me being clumsy,” I assured her.

She gazed at the multitude of bags and boxes and shook her head. “You should have asked for help, Linty. This was a big job, too big for one person.”

I chuckled and said, “I had the same thought, after the fact. Not to worry, it’s done now, I just need a hand getting all this packed into the car.”

“Evan has sent the men home, but Daniel is still here. I’ll fetch him for you,” she said and hurried off, calling for Daniel and Evan to come indoors.

I glanced at the step, saw the damage, and then picked up a small scatter rug to cover the hole. I’d deal with the stair later.

“You’ve made a right mess, haven’t you, lass? Evan snickered and took the boxes away from me and handed them to Daniel when he entered the room. “Put these in the car, the lass is taking them to the village.”

Daniel nodded and did as instructed, but not before giving me a wink.

I chuckled, let them do the heavy lifting and followed behind grasping bundles of bags tightly in my hands.

Evan returned and remarked, “Daniel will go with you to help empty the car at the shop. You shouldn’t be doing this all alone, Linty. We’re here for you whenever there’s a need.”

“I know, thank you all. Mrs. Douglas will remain here at the house while I’m out, would you mind staying, too?” I asked.

“Most certainly, lass. Take your time.” He glanced at the rug draped over the stair and lifting his chin toward it he asked, “What’s that all about?”

“The tread gave in and that’s how the box and I went head-over-heels. I’ll deal with it later, please don’t bother with it.” Why I insisted on his not touching the step was a mystery to me, I only knew I didn’t want anyone to do so.

“If you’re sure. It won’t take a minute to figure out what I’d need to fix it, you know.”

I raised a hand and said, “No, no, there’s no need. I want to take care of it myself. If I find I can’t, then you can give it a go.”

Evan nodded, glanced at Mrs. Douglas and told me to go on my merry way and not to hurry, that he had enough work to keep him busy. As he and I neared the back entry, Evan looked over and asked, “What are your plans for the cottage? I see you’ve been cleaning in there. The windows sparkle.”

“My workshop will be in there. I didn’t want to stuff all of it into this house, because there’s too much equipment. The cottage will do nicely.”

“Great, I’ll trim the hedges around the sides, and take care of the perennials as well.” He tipped his head, and bid me goodbye as I walked toward the car and Daniel, who waited in the passenger seat.

“My father instructed me to take good care of you, Linty,” Daniel said with a wide smile.

“He’s a good man, your dad.”

“Aye, he is that.” Daniel grinned and fastened his seatbelt.

With a chuckle, I drove toward the village and asked him for directions to the shop. It had been years since I’d taken in the sights of Mevie. Mainly, I’d stayed with Gran when I visited and only walked the estate.

The instructions were simple enough and I drew to a stop outside the shop. We made quick work of bringing in Gran’s things, and I noticed the tall woman standing behind the counter, pricing tickets in her hand. She eyed me as though she had a bad taste in her mouth. I smiled, introduced myself and watched Daniel charm the daylights out of her.

Daniel greeted her. “Good afternoon, Miss Graham.”

She grinned at him, said she was happy to take the goods and asked if this was a donation or had I expected to be paid for the lot.

I shook my head and said, “Do as you see fit with all this. My grandmother would be happy to know her things will have a new home. I need no recompense. Thank you for taking them off my hands.”

“You must be Taryn’s daughter, then?”

“I am,” I said.

“You look like your mother,” she remarked and raised a brow as she inspected me from head to toe.

I’m not as tall as my mother, but not short either. At five-foot-seven, and with a  decent figure, I held my own in the looks department. Whether I passed her muster or not, I didn’t know or care, but was curious over her interest.

“You knew my mother, then?”

“We attended the same university. Not close friends, more like acquaintances. Taryn and I grew up together here in Mevie. He’s a good man.”

“Does that mean my mother wasn’t a good woman?” I asked.

“Not at all, she was pleasant and very pretty. It was a shame she died so young, Taryn was quite bereft over her loss.”

“Mm, I’m sure.” I murmured and watched her eyes narrow a tad.

“I take it you two are at odds, then?”

“Not at all, he’s due back in town any day now. I’ll tell him you asked for him. Thanks again,” I said and walked away before she could say another word.