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'It's their way,' he answered tautly. 'They'd peck out an animal's eyes if it was
ill, or too small to defend itself.'
'Don't you declare war on them?'
'Of course. Campbell, my factor, has had men searching out the nests and
destroying the eggs. It's the only way to keep them down.'
'It's funny, but the other predators are so attractive, aren't they? I mean,
they're so magnificent that you can't dislike them the way you do the hooded
crows.'
'The falcons and eagles, you mean?' He shook his head. 'A very different
matter. The eagles are most attractive birds. But they're remote for the most
part, their eyries being so high up, usually on a cliff where they're safe.'
'I saw two eagles the other day, flying low over the grouse moors.' Lorna and
Craig were striding out, making for the loch, shining in the sun's slanting
rays. 'And I've seen buzzards and kestrels I love the way the kestrels
hover; they seem to be still, suspended in space.'
'They are suspended in space,' he returned with a laugh, and then, more
seriously, 'When you see them like that it usually means death for some little
creature on the ground.'
'I know, and it's sad.' A sigh escaped her and Craig turned, slanting her an
unfathomable glance.
'You're soft-hearted ?'
It was a strange question, and it was spoken with what appeared to be a hint
of scepticism. Lorna swallowed, aware of a hurtful little lump in her throat.
'Nurses usually are,' was all she said.
Craig made no further comment and they walked on in silence for a while,
each absorbed in what was around them. To her it was still novel, but she
was faintly surprised that Craig could be so interested, since it was by no
means new to him.
They had disturbed the roe-deer and for a moment they stood, watching their
gazelle-like leaps as they took off towards a hillock and then disappeared
over the top.
'Well, at least they've got rid of the hoodies,' was Craig's rather satisfied
remark. 'The birds have gone the other way probably to find something
else to torment.'
An hour passed and then, reluctantly, Lorna said she would have to be
getting back to the Dower House.
'Your grandmother expects me to have breakfast with her,' she added,
wondering if he knew that already.
'Do you have lunch with her?'
'No; she has both lunch and dinner on her own.'
'Yet you're her companion?'
She felt herself colour.
'I came as her nurse--'
'But she didn't need one. She told me you were now her companion--' He
stopped abruptly and frowned. It was as if he regretted having brought up a
matter which was bound to cause her embarrassment. 'Shall I see you this
evening, Lorna?' he was saying almost immediately. 'I'll be walking after
dinner as usual.'
She looked up at him, all her world rosy again.
'If if you want to to see me,' she began, when he interrupted her.
'You know I do, Lorna. I should miss it if you didn't walk with me.'
Words to thrill! and to reassure her. The idea that Craig was in love with
her dazed her and she tried to tell herself to be sensible, that the affair was
not progressing anywhere nearly as quickly as she had been convincing
herself it had. But the vague doubts did not flit through her mind for long,
because Craig was pulling her to him, with a strong arm about her waist, and
the kiss he gave her was possessive, his voice proprietorial when eventually
he told her to meet him by the fountain in the castle grounds at nine o'clock
that evening.
When she met Jeff that afternoon by the cafe entrance her happy expression
made him ask,
'Come into a fortune or something?'
She heard the sarcasm, the petulant note and knew he was faintly jealous,
and angry that she had dined with his brother-in-law's landlord.
'Shall we go in?' she said, suiting action to her words as she preceded him
into the cafe. The table they liked was vacant and she made her way to it.
'You obviously enjoyed your evening at the castle,' was Jeff's comment once
they were seated.
'Yes.' She paused a moment, feeling some further explanation was needed,
but could not for one moment have told him the truth that Craig seemed to
be in love with her. 'What are we having--?' She picked up the small menu
card just for effect. 'The same as usual?'
'I expect so.' Jeff caught the waitress's eye and gave the order for tea and
cakes. 'I still don't trust him,' he said impatiently. 'You seem to be very naive
about this affair, Lorna.'
'In what way naive?' She felt anger rise within her, owing to the way Jeff
could, in so very few words, bring doubts to her mind.
'Well, this dramatic change so unexpected and inexplicable. What's made
him change towards you? There must be some reason.'
'I believe I told you that he said we couldn't remain enemies when I was
living so close, and in his grandmother's employ.'
'He didn't think that way at first.'
Lorna did not need reminding. She did not want to be reminded.
'I can't explain,' was all she said. 'Did you find anything out about a job for
me?' She asked the question, but in her mind was the possibility that she
would not be wanting a job. What, she wondered, would Gilbert have to say
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