Free The Magic Cottage by James Herbert

miss them so.’
    I felt inadequate, as I suppose we all do at such times, and all I could offer was the comfort of my arms and the depth of my own feelings for her. Her weeping had stopped, the darkness in her spirit relenting enough to allow other emotions to seep through.
    Her kiss was tender and my senses sank into hers. I was used to the sensuous intensity of our intimacy, especially after tears had been shed, but now I was almost overwhelmed. When we finally broke away from each other, I literally felt dizzy and had to draw in breath like a swimmer emerging from a long dive. Midge, too, was a little shaky.
    ‘This country air has a weird effect,’ I quipped and was unable to control a mild tremor in my voice.
    ‘I think . . . I think we should go in,’ she said, her face bathed in a warm glow from the setting sun. Although there wasn’t a hint of lasciviousness in her tone, we both recognized our mutual need.
    I stood, bringing her up with me. ‘Been a busy day,’ I murmured.
    ‘Been a long day,’ she responded.
    ‘Need our rest.’
    Midge only nodded. Taking my hand, she led me towards the door, but we stopped in surprise when we saw into one of the windows of the cottage. I heard Midge gasp and her hand tightened in mine.
    The round room looked as if it were ablaze, so vividly did the sun’s dying rays reflect from the curved walls.
    Yet there was nothing frightening about the phenomenon, for the radiance was peaceful, strangely calming in its effulgence, with no fierceness to it at all. We watched, and even our shadows were suffused into a soft hue against the redness.
    I turned to Midge and for one crazy moment I thought I saw tiny fires playing in her eyes, but when she blinked they were gone, and only reflected warmth shone from her. She looked serene standing there, her lips curved in a small, knowing smile, her hair coloured a rich auburn by the sun behind, and for some reason I felt a tiny stab of . . . I don’t know – unease, nervousness? I couldn’t define the sensation.
    This time, it was I who led her away. We went inside and I locked and bolted the doors. We were more drowsy than either of us had realized, the tiredness falling rapidly like a warm smothering blanket, making our movements slow, almost sluggish. We undressed, leaving our clothes where they fell, and climbed wearily into bed.
    We slept, but I’ve no idea for how long. When we woke it was together, as one, as if we’d sensed each other’s rousing, and there was total darkness around us; again, there was no fear in this black void. Midge reached out for me and I moved to her.
    Then we drifted back into a deep encompassing sleep.



Noises

    The sounds of tapping woke me, sharp noises in various rhythms, breaking into my dreamless sleep. My eyes opened with none of their usual reluctance and I twisted my head towards Midge to find her wide awake and smiling happily. She was peering over me at the window beyond, the source of the tapping.
    Turning my head the other way to follow her gaze, I spotted the culprits. Three or four birds were perched on the window ledge and they were pecking at the glass as though indignant that we were still in bed.
    ‘Oh Christ,’ I moaned. ‘Did you put in an alarm call?’
    ‘No, they took it on themselves to get us up.’
    ‘What time is it?’
    ‘Just after six-thirty.’
    ‘I don’t believe it. You think they’re a permanent feature?’
    ‘Likely as not. It’s lovely, isn’t it?’
    I pulled the pillow over my head, although in truth I was wide awake. ‘Quiet would be lovelier.’
    ‘All part of country living, Michael. It certainly beats the sound of rush-hour traffic and pneumatic drills.’
    ‘Only just.’
    She whipped back the covers and crawled across me to reach the window. I rolled over into the warm space she had left behind.
    ‘Say hello from me,’ I told her, pulling the sheets up around my chin.
    She stooped close to the window and I relished the sight of her naked