To Have and Hold

F Carr Margaret

Description

Theasoya Thomson is a woman struggling to hold onto her small business and family against mounting odds. When her small riding stable is attacked by vandals she is grateful for the help of a stranger. When more deadly things begin to happen, Thea searches for a reason. Adam Berrisford and his daughter are searching for a home. His in-laws are suing for the return of their granddaughter. Desperate he offers Thea a marriage proposal to resolve both their problems. Thea is warned to 'look for a stranger nearer to home' when Adam and his daughter move into the farmhouse. Then a neighbour informs her that her troubles can be laid at the door of Adam himself, the stranger she has trusted with her life and that of her business and family.

Informations

• Publié par: eBookPartnership.com
• Date de parution: 06 mai 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783014309
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

TO HAVE AND HOLD
By
MARGARET F CARR
2014 Margaret F. Carr
Margaret F. Carr has asserted her rights in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by eBookPartnership.com
First published in eBook format in 2014
ISBN: 978-1-78301-430-9
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.
All names, characters, places, organisations, businesses and events are either the product of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER ONE
A motorbike back firing woke Thea Thomson from sleep. Engines stuttered and revved as lights crisscrossed the ceiling to the sound of shouting and jeering. Still half asleep she leapt from the bed and ran down the stairs. Plunging her bare feet into cold boots she grabbed a jacket from one of the pegs on the wall and dashed out into the freezing night.
Racing across the yard she dived into the tack room and reached for the switches that would flood Hillhead Stables with light. Four leather clad riders on heavy machines flashed in and out of the surrounding buildings alarming the resting horses. Hooves clattered on stone floors as horses climbed to their feet and came forward to stick their heads over the stable doors.
Four terriers followed her out into the yard, barking as they hurled themselves into the chaos, ignoring Thea s commands to stay clear. Daisy, the elder of the terriers leapt up and sank her teeth into the booted foot of the leader of the bikers. With a roar of rage he shook his leg free of the bike trying to rid himself of his pesky adversary but the terrier clung on tenaciously.
Thea picked up a broom and rushed to the dog s aid. The other three bikers roared around the yards pulling down and knocking over anything they could find.
Barrows, buckets, skips were scattered to the winds. Missiles were thrown into the boxes causing already terrified horses to stamp and lash out.
Thea s screaming was drowned in the din of barking dogs, roaring bikes and frightened horses. Breathless from her efforts to unseat the leader of the bikers she moved swiftly to one side. With one last heave of his booted foot the rider flung the little dog through the air to crash against one of the stable doors. Free at last he throttled the bike and raced off around the stables laughing and howling as he joined up with the others.
Threatening them with everything she could think of Thea flung the broom at them as they swirled by. By chance it struck the front wheel of the second bike sending the rider over the top of the handlebars. There was a scream as he landed but he was unhurt and quickly back onto the undamaged bike.
You ll be sorry for that you old witch, and he brayed donkey fashion as they set off down the lane with a roar of engines.
Seething with fury Thea watched their headlights flashing over the hedgerow as they turned onto the main road and disappeared. She crossed to the little dog that was shaking itself down in the corner of the yard none the worse for its battle. As Thea tidied up and retrieved the missiles thrown into the stables, checked to make sure none had done any damage and that all the horses were settling down again, she promised her self that this had to be stopped.
Back in the hall, that smelt of wet animals and sweat, she kicked off the boots and hanging up her jacket padded bare foot down the stone floor to the warmth of the kitchen. In the kitchen the constantly burning aga offered welcome. Sitting down at the long, bare wood table she dropped her head into her arms. She would like to have cried but all her tears had long since been used up. The stables she had struggled so long to maintain were running down hill fast. Spiralling expenses for fodder, bedding, shoeing, vet s bills and her brother Freddy s growing university expenses, not to mention her step father, Billy s, constant drinking all added up to financially cripple her.
Perhaps Kit was right, she thought, and it was time to quit. Kit Mason was a friend and neighbour whose land edged her own. He had several times asked her to sell up and marry him but something had always held her back. What, she wasn t quite sure. She was thirty six years old and had been struggling to keep the business and her little family together for a long time. Perhaps she was just reluctant to hand over the reins. She climbed wearily to her feet promising herself she would phone the police again first thing in the morning.
Could you identify any of them Miss Thomson? the young policeman was new she hadn t seen this one before.
Sorry no.
Anything you noticed about any of the bikes?
It was dark. They always come at night.
The officer looked disappointed. How long have these people been pestering you?
Nine weeks at least once a week.
But you don t think they are local?
Well I haven t seen them around the village if that s what you mean. I suspect they are from the city.
Have any of your other neighbours been bothered in this way?
Not that I know of no.
Why do you think they have singled you out?
Thea shrugged. I have no idea but it s ruining my business.
Well thank you Miss Thomson we ll keep an eye out for them.
Yes, yes, I know and do nothing. Thea turned away with a sigh, she phoned every time it happened to no avail the police simple weren t interested in the destruction of her tatty empire.
Billy, please, not here. She hustled the old man about to urinate in the outside drain back into the house and along to the cloakroom.
Only bloody animals to see, he grumbled, coming back into the kitchen. Don t know what all the fuss is about.
If your brain wasn t so sozzled with drink you would know. You ll end up in jail one of these days if you don t sort yourself out. She felt like throwing his breakfast at him but laid the plate of eggs and toast in front of him. For goodness sake eat it your clothes are hanging on you.
He stared at his breakfast through bloodshot eyes and rubbed a shaky hand over three days of stubble on his chin. I m not hungry, thrusting the plate across the table. You eat it.
Eat it or I m calling the Care People again.
Hum some chance.
Why, what do you mean, she asked, coming to sit down with her own coffee and toast.
Phone s been cut off. He went to drink from the milk jug.
Thea grabbed it off him just in time and proceeded to pour him a glass when his words made the glass in her hand wobble spilling some of the milk onto the table. It can t be its not five minutes since I called the police.
Telling you, he nodded, reaching for the drink. I wanted to ask young Freddy. . .
I have told you repeatedly to leave Freddy alone he is working hard at university and doesn t need you pestering him.
Couldn t anyway, he grumbled into his chest, bloody phone s not working.
Thea rose to her feet and crossing the floor to the dresser picked up the receiver and listened for the dialling tone. He was right it was quite dead. Replacing it she stood for several minutes trying to check the rising panic. She had intended to pay the bill, she must have forgotten to post it, then she remembered, Billy had promised to post it on his way to the Cock and Hen one day last week.
There was nothing left inside her but temper, rage at the unfairness of life. Picking up the phone she hurled it across the room to crash against the cupboard. The picture on top tottered precariously. It was precious to her and she dashed across the room just in time to save it from falling.
What d you do that for? Billy jumped to his feet.
Stroking the image of a beautiful woman laughing into the wind, she whispered, Mum s picture. She heard Billy mumble to himself then the outside door slammed and he was gone.
What am I going to do mum? she whispered to the picture.
Hello, anyone about? Kit s voice echoed down the drafty passage.
Here Kit, she called out and then he was in the room.
I heard about last night and wondered what damage they d done this time? He caught sight of the telephone on the floor. What s been going on here?
A fit of temper, that s all.
His eyebrows rose as he bent to pick up the telephone and replace it on the dresser. Not like you to give way to temper.
He was a big man, over six feet tall and broad with it, though apart from a slight thickening of the waist he carried no excess fat. His presence always seemed to fill a room and Thea found that comforting.
No, well, they have cut the phone off again.
Let me know how much it is and I ll sort it.
No Kit, really we ll manage.
He stepped back a puzzled expression on his ruddy face. He wasn t a handsome man but his features were even if somewhat heavy and the colour of his tawny brown hair echoed in the depth of his eyes.
I believe Whittle has taken his livery away?
She nodded her head.
And the feed merchants are threatening to close your account. For goodness sake girl, give it up. Marry me and come and live at the Hall. You will loose Freddy anyway once he has qualifie