Whispering Read Online Free Page A

to describe –’ She hated talking to him about her cures, but knewshe had to make this clear. ‘I touched her, felt what was wrong, we worked together on it.’
    â€˜A lot of female mumbo jumbo. It will be interesting to see how you go on with this Mr Craddock. Do you think he will be consumptive too? An interesting invalid with long golden hair and deep sunk eyes.’ While they were talking his eyes had gone on looking past her to scan the animated scene on the river below, even busier than usual at this evening hour when merchants were being ferried home from their wine lodges at Villa Nova de Gaia on the south bank. They had one floor of a tall, thin house, tucked in among the steep alleys that led down from the Cathedral to the river, and the windows looked across the bridge of boats that spanned the river and downstream to the far view of São João da Foz and the sea. ‘There’s a ship coming in now,’ he said. ‘She must just have made it across the bar with the tide. Heavy loaded by the look of her.’ He had picked up the glass he kept handy. ‘English, of course. Maybe your patient is on her. Had you paused to consider, my dear, what the Oporto tabbies will say if you insist on seeing this interesting young invalid alone?’

Chapter 2
    Jeremy Craddock was amazed at how much money the two girls contrived to spend in Falmouth, and taken aback at the results. ‘I see now just how right your dragon of a nun was to insist on a chaperone,’ he told Caterina, when she and Harriet joined him in their inn parlour, transformed into young lady of fashion and respectable friend.
    â€˜Thank you, kind sir,’ she dropped him one of her demure curtseys. ‘We will do, you think, Harriet and I?’
    â€˜You will most certainly do. Aside from the fact that Miss Brown is much too young! May I pour you a glass of wine, Miss Gomez?’
    â€˜Ha! It’s “Miss Gomez” now! And glasses of wine! I am grown up at last.’ It was the first time on the journey that he had offered it. She sipped. ‘And very nasty it is too. You wait till you taste our Colares wine, Mr Craddock.’ She emphasised the surname, teasing. ‘You will find it quite a different thing. Oh, I can’t wait to get home. Will we sail in the morning, do you think?’
    â€˜If the wind holds. Captain Barker expects a swift and easy voyage, I am happy to tell you. Are you young ladies good sailors?’
    â€˜I am,’ said Caterina, and, ‘Lord knows,’ said Harriet.
    â€˜I don’t know either.’ Smiling at Harriet. ‘This long war has made travel impossible. I was too young to take advantage of thepeace in 1802 – or at least that is what my tutors said. I was wild to go.’
    â€˜And the grown ups wouldn’t let you?’ said Caterina. ‘Poor Cousin Jeremy, I know just how you felt. Just the same, you must have been grateful to them when war broke out again and Boney clapped all the English tourists into gaol. Just think, you might be there still.’
    â€˜A monster of a man,’ he told her. ‘A danger to the world. We have to beat him. Do you think your father will quite like your calling me Cousin Jeremy, Miss Gomez?’ More and more he felt things going too fast for him.
    â€˜I’ve no idea. I’m not sure I care very much either. To have a father’s rights, you need to act like a father.’ She flashed him one of her wicked smiles. ‘I’m sorry. I am shocking you again, am I not, cousin?’
    â€˜I am beginning to think it was a very odd nunnery of yours,’ he told her.
    â€˜That they did not teach me better manners? Oh, to do them justice, they did try, those poor nuns. With prayers and fasting, mainly. The fasting on my part, you understand, and the prayers on theirs.’ And then, suddenly sober. ‘But I should not laugh at them, they were wonderfully good to me,