Death of a Gentle Lady - M. C. Beaton [83]
The wind sang in the heather as he made his way on foot to Sandy Ross’s old cottage. Who was this Catriona Beldame that even the Currie sisters wouldn’t gossip about?
He sensed someone behind him and swung round. The seer, Angus Macdonald, his long grey beard blowing in the wind, was shouting something, but his words were whipped away with the gale.
Hamish waited until Angus caught up with him. ‘Dinnae go there, Hamish,’ panted the seer.
‘Why not,’ said Hamish, rocking slightly in the force of the wind and holding on to his peaked cap.
‘Because she’s a witch, that’s why,’ said Angus. ‘She’s brought evil to Lochdubh.’
‘Havers,’ said Hamish. ‘What’s she doing? Setting up in competition?’
‘I’m warning ye, Hamish. Black days are coming. I see blood.’
‘Och, away wi’ ye,’ said Hamish. ‘There’s no such thing as witches.’
‘On your ain head be it,’ said Angus and turned away.
Hamish walked on, hoping that old Angus wasn’t beginning to suffer from the onset of Alzheimer’s.
The cottage had no garden. The springy heather went right up to the door. It was a low one-storey whitewashed building with a red corrugated iron roof.
As he approached the door, a large black cloud swept across the sun and all at once the wind died.
Again Hamish felt that odd stab of superstitious dread. Then the wind started up again and the cloud moved from the sun.
Hamish raised his hand to the weather-beaten knocker on the door.
To order your copies of other books in the Hamish Macbeth series simply contact The Book Service (TBS) by phone, email or by post. Alternatively visit our website at www.constablerobinson.com.
No. of copies Title RRP Total
Death of a Gossip £5.99
Death of a Cad £5.99
Death of an Outsider £5.99
Death of a Perfect Wife £5.99
Death of a Hussy £5.99
Death of a Snob £5.99
Death of a Prankster £5.99
Death of a Glutton £5.99
Death of a Travelling Man £6.99
Death of a Charming Man £6.99
Death of a Nag £6.99
And the following titles available from spring 2009 …
No. of copies Title Release Date RRP Total
Death of a Witch Feb 2009
(hardback) £18.99
Death of a Macho Man May 2009 £6.99
Death of a Dentist May 2009 £6.99
Death of a Scriptwriter July 2009 £6.99
Death of an Addict July 2009 £6.99
Death of a Celebrity Sept 2009 £6.99
Death of a Dustman Sept 2009 £6.99
A Highland Christmas Nov 2009 £6.99
Death of a Village Nov 2009 £6.99
Death of a Poison Pen Nov 2009 £6.99
Death of a Bore Feb 2010 £6.99
Death of a Witch Feb 2010
(paperback) £6.99
Death of a Dreamer Apr 2010 £6.99
Death of a Maid Apr 2010 £6.99
Grand Total £
The Hamish Macbeth series
Death of a Gossip
Death of a Cad
Death of an Outsider
Death of a Perfect Wife
Death of a Hussy
Death of a Snob
Death of a Prankster
Death of a Glutton
Death of a Travelling Man
Death of a Charming Man
Death of a Nag
Death of a Macho Man
Death of a Dentist
Death of a Scriptwriter
Death of an Addict
Death of a Celebrity
Death of a Dustman
Death of a Poison Pen
Death of a Bore
Death of a Dreamer
Death of a Maid
Death of a Gentle Lady
Death of a Witch
Copyright
Constable & Robinson Ltd
3 The Lanchesters
162 Fulham Palace Road
London W6 9ER
www.constablerobinson.com
First published in the USA 2008 by Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
First UK edition published by Constable, an imprint of Constable & Robinson 2008
Copyright © 2008, 2009 M.C. Beaton
The right of M. C. Beaton to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A copy of the British Library Cataloguing