[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He looked up to find two sets of green eyes fixed on his every move.Reynard spoke first."Ramos, you must introduce me to your lovely lady friend and hercompanion." He closed the distance to Sarah, capturing her hand and bringing it to hislips."Sarah Douglas, this is my… brother.Reynard Servans."Haw interesting.Ian's eyes narrowed in thought.The pause had been slight, but he'dcaught it.Very like the one he always suffered when he tried to introduce Henry as hisuncle." Enchanté, mademoiselle." Reynard pressed another kiss to Sarah's hand."Are you…" She paused, her head tilted to the side as she spoke, her eyes narrowing as she glanced back and forth between the brothers."Are you French?""No, my lovely lady.My home is currently in Switzerland.I simply find French to be themost civilized language man has invented.Certainly the only one suitable for greeting abeautiful woman such as yourself.""Well, thank you." She turned to the brother, who had made the introductions."I can see it runs in your family."He acknowledged her comment with a smile and the barest dip of his head."But you sound completely British.""Though our family estate is in Switzerland, Ramos has lived in London since he left forschool many years ago." Reynard dropped her hand and turned to Ian."And this wouldbe… ?""Ian McCullough." He introduced himself, choosing not to offer his hand or his title.Neither were necessary.Reynard didn't offer to shake either, instead clasping his hands behind his back."I've heard of you," he murmured."Good."So, the game playing would be only thinly veiled.That was as it should be.Heremembered now why the name struck a chord.Hearing the man lived in Switzerland hadconnected it for him.He'd come across it in his reading.He didn't need Sarah to confirmwhat this man was.Their search was over."Reynard Servans.Welcome to our home." Daniel picked that moment to join the group,accompanied by Nessa.A new round of introductions ensued, followed by Daniel callingover a waiter and offering glasses of champagne all around."A toast." Daniel held up his glass."To a prosperous year of fund-raising and success in feeding those in need."Each of them lifted their glass, clinking them together in the middle of their little circle.AsCreate PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)they did so, Daniel's glass tilted, the bubbly liquid pouring down Sarah's arm."Oh my word, Sarah.I feel like such an ass.I'm so sorry." Daniel looked around,motioning for a waiter.Ramos pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it down Sarah's arm, soaking upthe better part of the champagne."No, no, it's okay.Here." She pushed the wet handkerchief away with a smile."Well, I guess you won't actually want to put that back in your pocket.But thank you for trying tohelp."Ramos shrugged, tossing the wet square of linen onto the waiter's tray."I feel so bad about this." Daniel reached toward Sarah."Here, let me help you get that wet glove off."Ian glanced sharply at his friend.Had Danny's face not turned an unaccustomed shade ofpink, Ian might have suspected, in light of their last conversation, that he'd done it onpurpose."I'll have one of the maids rinse it out for you," Nessa added."Oh, don't go to any bother, please.It's fine, really," Sarah responded, peeling the clinging, wet material away from her skin.Once it was off, she stretched out her arms and lookeddown at them, laughing."Perhaps I'll set a new fashion trend wearing only one."Before she could lower her arms, Reynard withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket anddabbed at the beads of liquid left behind.Her head snapped up and she started to pullback, but he captured her hand, continuing to wipe the moisture from her skin.At the contact, Sarah gasped, and Ian turned to see her eyes huge with shock and hermouth open, as if frozen in a silent scream.Then she crumpled.He caught her just before she hit the floor.Blackness.Swirling tendrils of evil rising from a slimy pitch blanketing everything.Coldcurling around her fingers, sliding up her arms, reaching for her face.Suffocating her."No." A piercing scream in her mind, it was barely a sigh as it left her lips, but it was enough to wake her.Enough to save her from the evil terror threatening to consume her.Sarah opened her eyes, unable to comprehend where she might be.The pain hitimmediately.She blinked several times in an effort to get the little fragments of images tostop hopping around, to stop banging on the back side of her eyeballs with their sharplittle hammers.Her head throbbed until she gave up and closed her eyes.Lying therebreathing was the best she could hope for at the moment.But she found no peace in the dark behind her eyelids.The malevolence waited for herthere.It had receded, but even now it writhed in the distance and she knew, without adoubt, it would come for her again.Gradually hushed angry whispers penetrated her consciousness.She worked to slow herpanicked breathing, to listen, hoping one of the speakers could save her."Dinna I tell you I'd no risk her touching that vile creature? What were you thinking to do such a thing, especially when you knew how I felt?"Was that Ian? It was so hard to tell with all the pounding in her head."We needed to see what would happen.Now we have all the confirmation we sought." Along pause, then the voice sounded calmer."I suspect you're simply not thinking clearly on this.If the positions were reversed, you would have done the same thing.You know it."Daniel? What had Daniel done to make Ian so angry? If only she could concentrate.ButCreate PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)the black continued to grow and slither there in the corner of her mind, seeping evercloser, distracting her."No.Here's what I know.Tomorrow morning, I'm putting Sarah in my car and I'm leavinghere.You deal with them.I'm done.I'm driving straight back to Thistle Down, and I'm nostopping until I've crossed the waters where I know she's safe from them.""Ian, be reasonable.You can't…""For the first time since we started this I am being reasonable.I should never have brought her near them.My mind's made up.""Dallyn won't be pleased.""Dallyn can bloody well go bugger himself, for all I care.I'm done with it.All of it."A door slammed and the noise jarred her head, inciting the hideous roiling mass thatthreatened her, encouraging it to move forward.She tried to sit up.Almost at once, hands were on her shoulders, gently pushing her back.Hands sliding down her arms, fingers feathering over her face.Comfort, concern, fear, protectiveness
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]