Free The Presence by Heather Graham Page B

again?” She sounded wary and very worried.
    â€œI told you, I wasn’t hostile!”
    David, looking admirably suave in a silk robe, walked into the kitchen. “Did I hear that Toni was talking to our host again?” He, too, sounded very worried.
    â€œHey, you guys! This isn’t fair. When he came bursting in like Thor on a cloud of thunder, I assumed we were perfectly in the right,” Toni said, exasperated. “And we were. We did everything right.”
    â€œWell,” David said, opening the refrigerator, “for being right, we’re looking awfully wrong. We have tourists coming in tonight. What are we going to do?”
    â€œWhat else? I’m going to get on the phone and cancel,” Gina said. She laid her head on the table and groaned. “Where am I going to get the money for refunds?”
    David smoothed back his freshly washed dark hair and shut the refrigerator. “Wow, we sure have made this home. Do you think it’s still all right if I delve into the refrigerator?”
    â€œYes, I’m sure,” Toni said. “It is our food in there. There wasn’t a thing in the place when we arrived, except for a few tea bags!”
    â€œHey, I know. I’m going to whip up a really good breakfast. Think Laird MacNiall will like that? You know, Toni, you’re going to have to be careful when making things up from now on. This guy turned out to be real, and you have his ancestor being a murderer! From now on, invent characters that are noble and good.”
    â€œHey, Othello was noble, and he killed his wife,” Toni said.
    â€œThat breakfast doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Gina said.
    â€œWe should make Toni cook,” David said.
    â€œNo!” Kevin protested, standing in the kitchen doorway. “We’ll definitely get kicked out if we do that.” He grinned, taking the sting out of his words, and surveyed the kitchen. “Imagine this place if we had a few more funds! I’d love to see baker’s rows of copper pots and pans and utensils.”
    â€œIt’s not our place anymore,” Gina reminded him.
    â€œSoft yellow paint would bring in the sunlight,” David mused.
    â€œHow the hell can you be so cheerful this morning?” Gina asked him.
    â€œI’m eternally and annoyingly cheerful, you all know that,” Kevin said. “Things will work out. Hey, whoever made the coffee did a full pot, right?” he asked, moving to the counter.
    David closed the refrigerator door and leaned against it, looking at Kevin. “Think that Scottish lairds like eggs Benedict?”
    â€œShouldn’t we do something with salmon?” Kevin countered.
    â€œGood point,” David agreed.
    â€œI’m glad you two can worry about breakfast,” Gina murmured. “What are we going to do?”
    â€œWe’re going to sit down like the good friends we are and figure a way out of this,” David said flatly. “Where’s your husband, Gina?”
    She shook her head. “He wasn’t in the room. He’s out somewhere…walking, playing in the stables, Lord knows.”
    Thayer came walking into the kitchen, bearing the newspaper from Stirling, the nearest major city. He set it on the table, offering them all a grimace. “Good morning, we can at least hope.”
    â€œMaybe, but only if we start over with the coffee. Gina, did you make this?” Kevin asked, tasting the brew. “What did you use, local mud?”
    â€œIt’s strong, that’s all,” Gina protested.
    â€œSo, what do we do?” Thayer asked.
    â€œWe’ll wait for Ryan and then figure out what we can do. Of course, we have until Monday before we need to worry about where we’ll sleep!” Gina sighed. “I should call the travel agency in Stirling and start canceling the arrangements for tonight.”
    â€œSixty people at twenty-five a pop—pounds sterling,”