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Back The Cruise Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Michael has never …
  4. Prologue
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. PART TWO
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. PART THREE
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. PART FOUR
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. PART FIVE
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. PART SIX
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. PART SEVEN
  64. 53
  65. 54
  66. 55
  67. PART EIGHT
  68. 56
  69. 57
  70. 58
  71. 59
  72. PART NINE
  73. 60
  74. 61
  75. 62
  76. 63
  77. 64
  78. 65
  79. 66
  80. 67
  81. 68
  82. 69
  83. 70
  84. 71
  85. 72
  86. 73
  87. 74
  88. 75
  89. PART TEN
  90. 76
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. Keep Reading …
  94. 1
  95. About the Author
  96. By Catherine Cooper
  97. About the Publisher

Panic surged through me. He couldn’t go! Not like this! Not with him thinking I didn’t want to talk to him! Checking that the front door was closed and that Dad was out of sight, I eased the window open and softly called out, ‘Hey.’

He didn’t hear me, or at least he didn’t react, but I hadn’t called out very loud as I was terrified that Dad would hear me. ‘Hey,’ I called, louder. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Laura. What’s your name?’

He wheeled round and looked at me. ‘Fred. I’m Fred.’ His voice was boyish and reedy.

‘Nice to meet you,’ I stage-whispered. ‘Sorry about just now. My dad doesn’t like me talking to strangers.’

Fred laughed. ‘Probably good advice.’ He tapped his nose. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell.’

‘Thank you.’

There was a pause. He was still looking at me and I felt myself blush.

‘Maybe we can talk next time I come? Quietly, I mean,’ he added in a stage whisper.

I grinned. ‘Yeah, I’d like that.’

‘Perhaps you could come down here then? So that I don’t feel like I’m talking to Rapunzel?’

My breath caught in my throat. ‘Yeah, OK,’ I said, even though I knew that Dad would never let me in a million years.

‘Great – I’ll be back in a couple of days with a new machine – turns out the old one was beyond repair after all. So I’ll see you then.’

‘Bye then.’

‘Bye.’

I watched as he got back in his van, turned it around and headed off down the drive.

It was all I could do to breathe as I closed the window.

When was the last time I had spoken to someone other than Dad?

Had I ever spoken to someone other than Dad? I wasn’t sure that I had.

Why had I said I could go down and talk to him? How could I do that without Dad finding out?

Should I even risk it? What if he was one of these dangerous people Dad was so keen to protect me from? What might he do to me? Might he hurt me? Kill me, even?

He didn’t look dangerous. But maybe you couldn’t tell just by looking?

Should I ask Dad?

I laughed out loud to myself.

No. Of course not. I couldn’t do that.

But I wanted to talk to Fred. I did. And not from up here. I wanted to be closer to him.

I didn’t really know why. But I knew I needed to find a way.

27

May 2013

Scottish Highlands