enough to stagger her way down Stonegate. With reason and direction long since lost, instinct drove her to Harry’s pub where, finally, overcome with exhaustion, she collapsed heavily in the deserted courtyard.
Unable to sleep and painfully aware of the conversation that daybreak would bring, Harry slid out of bed and walked slowly to the window. His fingers drew the curtains aside and then tensed on the cloth. He blinked in an attempt to focus his eyes, certain that he had caught a glimpse of something moving in the shadows of the courtyard. Cursing, he let the curtain fall and reached for his coat.
“Simon…”
I was woken with a start by the sound of Harry’s frantic shouts and banging on the bedroom door.
“Simon, I need your help, fella. Someone’s fallen in the courtyard.”
Simon was already perched on the end of the bed, fully dressed and pulling on his boots.
“What’s going on?” I asked, pushing myself up clumsily.
“Don’t know lass, just stay here and let Harry and me sort it,” Simon barked, treading a hasty path to the bedroom door.
I swung off the bed and bent awkwardly to retrieve my leggings and jumper. A few moments later I followed my husband out of the door. Rose emerged onto the landing, a candle in hand.
“What’s happened?” she asked sleepily, extinguishing the candle’s flame as she realized the power had returned.
“Harry thinks there is someone outside,” I said, moving to stand beside my friend. Duncan was at the bottom of the stairs with Harry.
“Excuse me,” Simon said, sliding impatiently past me and Rose to join them.
Rose and I hurried down the stairs and stood at the door, watching helplessly as the three men trudged through the knee high snow towards the dark outline of a figure.
Simon lifted the body and turned towards the door.
“Get some blankets,” he shouted.
“I’ll go,” Rose cried, sprinting back up the stairs.
As soon as Simon got to the door I recognized the girl.
“Hurry, Rose, it’s Kate,” I shouted, as Simon carried the girl through the main entrance.
He lowered her gently onto a rug in front of the fire and immediately moved to stoke the dying embers.
I knelt beside the girl. “Can you hear me, Kate?”
She nodded weakly, opening her mouth to speak.
“Don’t,” I said, lifting my finger to her lips.
Rose was beside me, blankets in hand.
“We need to get her dry and out of these clothes. Harry, have you got a hair dryer?” Rose asked.
“I do, Jess… I mean, it’s upstairs in my room,” Harry replied hastily.
“I’ll get it,” said Duncan, already making his way towards the stairs.
“Thanks, love. We need some dry clothes too. I don’t suppose you have a dressing gown or something similar that we could use?” I asked, turning to Harry again.
“Harry,” Kate whispered through chattering teeth.
“Shh Kate, he’s here, sweet. We need to get you into some dry clothes,” I said, turning to Harry with a pleading look.
There was a silent pause before he stepped forward and acknowledged my question.
“I’ve got some things that might do her… I’ll get them.”
“There you go, Kate. Harry’s got some dry clothes for you,” I said, trying unsuccessfully to help the girl to her feet. Duncan ushered me out of the way and lifted the girl effortlessly off the rug.
Rose and I followed him to a small room where he sat Kate gently on a stool, and then turned to stoke the fire before leaving.
It was warmer in the room than it had been in the main bar area and with the freshly-stoked fire and the blanket wrapped around her, Kate soon started to warm up.
“What were you doing out there, you daft mare?” Rose asked when, at last, her friend had stopped shaking.
“I need to speak to Harry. It’s about Grace. Do you remember the lady who’s been working for me?”
Rose and I nodded. We had met her a few nights before, here at the inn. She hadn’t been particularly sociable and had disappeared
Unable to sleep and painfully aware of the conversation that daybreak would bring, Harry slid out of bed and walked slowly to the window. His fingers drew the curtains aside and then tensed on the cloth. He blinked in an attempt to focus his eyes, certain that he had caught a glimpse of something moving in the shadows of the courtyard. Cursing, he let the curtain fall and reached for his coat.
“Simon…”
I was woken with a start by the sound of Harry’s frantic shouts and banging on the bedroom door.
“Simon, I need your help, fella. Someone’s fallen in the courtyard.”
Simon was already perched on the end of the bed, fully dressed and pulling on his boots.
“What’s going on?” I asked, pushing myself up clumsily.
“Don’t know lass, just stay here and let Harry and me sort it,” Simon barked, treading a hasty path to the bedroom door.
I swung off the bed and bent awkwardly to retrieve my leggings and jumper. A few moments later I followed my husband out of the door. Rose emerged onto the landing, a candle in hand.
“What’s happened?” she asked sleepily, extinguishing the candle’s flame as she realized the power had returned.
“Harry thinks there is someone outside,” I said, moving to stand beside my friend. Duncan was at the bottom of the stairs with Harry.
“Excuse me,” Simon said, sliding impatiently past me and Rose to join them.
Rose and I hurried down the stairs and stood at the door, watching helplessly as the three men trudged through the knee high snow towards the dark outline of a figure.
Simon lifted the body and turned towards the door.
“Get some blankets,” he shouted.
“I’ll go,” Rose cried, sprinting back up the stairs.
As soon as Simon got to the door I recognized the girl.
“Hurry, Rose, it’s Kate,” I shouted, as Simon carried the girl through the main entrance.
He lowered her gently onto a rug in front of the fire and immediately moved to stoke the dying embers.
I knelt beside the girl. “Can you hear me, Kate?”
She nodded weakly, opening her mouth to speak.
“Don’t,” I said, lifting my finger to her lips.
Rose was beside me, blankets in hand.
“We need to get her dry and out of these clothes. Harry, have you got a hair dryer?” Rose asked.
“I do, Jess… I mean, it’s upstairs in my room,” Harry replied hastily.
“I’ll get it,” said Duncan, already making his way towards the stairs.
“Thanks, love. We need some dry clothes too. I don’t suppose you have a dressing gown or something similar that we could use?” I asked, turning to Harry again.
“Harry,” Kate whispered through chattering teeth.
“Shh Kate, he’s here, sweet. We need to get you into some dry clothes,” I said, turning to Harry with a pleading look.
There was a silent pause before he stepped forward and acknowledged my question.
“I’ve got some things that might do her… I’ll get them.”
“There you go, Kate. Harry’s got some dry clothes for you,” I said, trying unsuccessfully to help the girl to her feet. Duncan ushered me out of the way and lifted the girl effortlessly off the rug.
Rose and I followed him to a small room where he sat Kate gently on a stool, and then turned to stoke the fire before leaving.
It was warmer in the room than it had been in the main bar area and with the freshly-stoked fire and the blanket wrapped around her, Kate soon started to warm up.
“What were you doing out there, you daft mare?” Rose asked when, at last, her friend had stopped shaking.
“I need to speak to Harry. It’s about Grace. Do you remember the lady who’s been working for me?”
Rose and I nodded. We had met her a few nights before, here at the inn. She hadn’t been particularly sociable and had disappeared
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