Free The Haunting of Grey Cliffs by Nina Coombs Pykare Page B

easier to face him that way. I felt less frightened. "Tell me what?"
    "What do you think you're doing?"
    Now I was getting angry, fast losing patience at this foolish sort of interrogation. "Doing about what?" I demanded crossly. "For heaven's sake, Edward, make some sense! Whatever are you talking about?"
    "Priest holes and secret passageways," he intoned darkly.
    I still did not understand. "What about them?"
    He stiffened and seemed to loom even larger. "You are encouraging the boys to look for them. This can only cause trouble."
    The trouble was coming from Robert—I strongly suspected. Who else would have reported our excursion? "Edward," I kept my tone calm. "You know the boys are going to look for these anyway. Wouldn't it be wiser to have a grown-up along?"
    He drew himself up even more—a big man, and in his present mood very threatening. 'The boys are forbidden to look for secret passageways!" he thundered. "They are not to have their heads filled with talk of such things—secret chambers and priest holes, indeed! Have you no idea how dangerous this can be?"
    My patience was exhausted. "Of course I know. That's why I thought it better for me to be along when they found them."
    "It is not better," he cried. "You are not to look for such things, not to talk of such things. Is that understood?"
    I drew myself up to my full height and met the blazing anger of his eyes. "Yes, milord," I said sharply. I was quite capable of anger myself. "You have made yourself amply clear."
    He stared at me for a moment, then spun on his heel and stalked out.
    I dropped into my chair again and continued my meal. I must eat, I reminded myself when I found the food had lost its flavor. If the new little life had started inside me, it must be nourished.
    As I methodically chewed and swallowed, I considered my husband's rude behavior. That he had a temper, I had known. But to be the object of it—and for such a patently ridiculous reason ... No person living could keep boys that age from looking for an exciting secret passageway. Surely Edward must know that. He had been a boy himself.
    I sighed and poured myself another cup of tea. How could the man who had loved me so passionately, held me so tenderly, now treat me like the meanest inferior! It was difficult to believe.
    Yet, while my body was still warmed by the memory of his touch, my ears rang with the force of his angry pronouncement.
    I would obey him. He was the earl and my husband. Obedience was his due. Still, I knew that obedience in this matter would serve no purpose. The boys would continue to search. They were, after all, boys.
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I spent the afternoon familiarizing myself with the castle, getting to know the servants. I had a long, rather detailed discussion with the cook and was confident that our meals would show improvement.
    And through it all, I puzzled over my husband's strange behavior. To show so much anger over a simple story of secret passageways. Why? Why had Edward been so upset?
    I dressed for dinner, putting on my blue gown. But in the dining room I found only Uncle Phillip and Cousin Julia. Uncle Phillip was his usual baggy, mismatched self, liberally covered with dust and dried mud. I was getting used to his ragtag appearance.
    But Cousin Julia was wearing a gown of cerise satin that contrasted sharply with her hair, which though she had liberally powdered it, was still a startling orange hue.
    "Edward won't be here," Cousin Julia said, drawing her chair up to the table.
    "How do you know?"
    Cousin Julia tittered. "The spirits told me."
    A chill crept down my spine. "Perhaps he's just a trifle late."
    Cousin Julia shook her head. "No. He's been really detained."
    Another frisson of fear slithered down my backbone. "I don't see how you can know such things. You must be guessing."
    Uncle Phillip laughed, the deep booming laugh that seemed so strange coming from such a small man. "She doesn't need to