The Grange

Little did Quentin know that when he pulled up outside Malum Grange on a September evening that he was in for a very long night that would frighten him as well as find him a unique love and change his outlook on life forever! “DON’T SHOOT!” He screamed and put his hands up in the air. The moon chose that moment to peek out from behind the clouds and a shaft of light illuminated the face of his captor, a beautiful young lady with long dark hair and a mocking smile on her face. In surprise he let his arms fall but the end of the gun barrel motioned them back up again which he complied with as he never had had a gun pointed at him it seemed the wisest decision. “I’ve never seen a deer poacher in a suit……How bizarre!” She remarked laughingly but the gun still pointed resolutely at his chest. “I’m not a deer poacher….I’m an estate agent.” “They’re even worse. I normally shoot them on sight.” “B..b..b..b..but….but….” Quentin was normally so eloquent but whether it was the gun pointing at him or his sudden shyness of the young lady he wasn’t sure; but he had begun to stutter. “B..b..b…..but what?” She mockingly asked him. “I was here at the invitation of Mrs Maldona.” “Mumsie invited you? Well I never.” She un-cocked the hammers, broke the gun to its safety position and tucked it under her arm before extending her hand. “Andromeda Maldona…..So sorry about that.” Quentin lowered his arms and shook her hand although he was sure that she wasn’t that sorry. “Quentin Farkas.” She looked into his eyes and he mentally shivered. It was as if she was looking inside his mind with nowhere for any of his secrets to run and hide.