143104.fb2 Megan s mate - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 41

Megan s mate - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 41

Coco mentioned it.

I put in some time with the Bradfords.

Did you know Holt's grandfather?

Kevin wanted to know.

He's one of the

ghosts.

Sure. He used to sit on the porch of the house where Alex and Jenny live now.

Sometimes he'd walk up to the cliffs over by The Towers. Looking for Bianca.

Lilah says they walk there together now. I haven't seen them.

And it was a

crushing disappointment.

Have you ever seen a ghost?

More than once.

Nathaniel ignored the stiff kick Megan gave him under the table.

In Cornwall, where the cliffs are deadly and the fogs roll in like something alive, I saw a woman standing, looking out to sea. She wore a cape with a hood, and there were tears in her eyes.

Kevin was leaning forward now, rapt and eager.

I started toward her, through the mist, and she turned. She was beautiful, and sad.

'Lost,' was what she said to me. 'He's lost. And so am I. Then she vanished. Like smoke.

Honest?

Kevin said in an awed whisper.

Honest wasn't the point, Nathaniel knew. The pull of the story was.

They called her

the Captain's Lady, and legend is that her husband and his ship went down in a storm in the Irish Sea. Night after night while she lived, and long after, she walked the cliffs weeping for him.

Maybe you should be writing books, like Max, Megan murmured, surprised and

annoyed at the shiver that raced down her spine.

Oh, he can spin a tale, Nate can.

Julie plopped two beers and a soft drink on the table.

Used to badger me about all the places he was going to see. Well, guess you saw them, didn't you, Captain?

Guess I did.

Nathaniel lifted the bottle to his lips.

But I never forgot you, darling.

Julie gave another cackling laugh, punched his shoulder.

Sweet-talker,

she said,

and shuffled off.

Megan studied her beer.

She didn't take our order.

She won't. She'll bring us what she wants us to have.

He took another pull of the

beer.

Because she likes me. If you're not up for beer, I can charm her into switching it.

No, it's fine. I suppose you know a lot of people on the island, since you grew up here.

A few. I was gone a long time.

Nate sailed around the whole world. Twice.

Kevin slurped soda through his straw.

Through hurricanes and typhoons and everything.

It must have been exciting.

It had its moments.

Do you miss it?

I sailed on another man's ship for more than fifteen years. Now I sail my own.