eve ning. He knew he would not be able to banish the memory ofCharlotte in his arms. It was too riveting,
too compelling.
But the next time he saw her, he would be in command of himself. He would not allow his self-control to
Page 59
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
slip again.
He glanced at his glass and saw that he had already emptied it.
He made to set it down on the table beside the chair. A folded and sealed sheet of foolscap was in the
way. He recognized it immediately. It was a note that had been delivered earlier, shortly before he had
left the house to meetCharlotte .
It was from his father's widow, Maryann, Lady Esherton. It was
the third message she had sent this week.
"Bloody hell." With a sense of resignation, Baxter picked up the letter and broke the seal.
The message was almost identical to the other two notes Mary ann had dispatched to him during the past few days. It was very
short and to the point.
Dear Baxter:
I wish to speak with you. The matter is most urgent. I request that you call upon me at your earliest
convenience.
Yours very truly,
Lady E
Baxter crumpled the note and tossed it onto the fire just as he
had the earlier notes from Maryann. Her notion of a crisis did not
equate with his own. Maryann's gravest problems tended to revolve around money, specifically the
Esherton fortune. Baxter's father had
71
Ali
I.ft hirn in charge of the inheritance until Maryann's son, Hamilton, reached the age of twenty-five.
Maryann was not pleased with the arrangement. Nor wasHamilton , for that matter.
Baxter had a few more years of the thankless task to endure
before he could dump the entire responsibility Into his half
brother's lap.
irripatiently, he pushed aside his old problems and considered the new set he had acquired. He propped
his elbows on the leather arms of the chair, steepled his fingers, and gazed into the fire.
Page 60
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Whatever else could be said about the night's events, one
thing was clear. There was danger afoot andCharlotte was in the midst of it.
n the black and crimson chamber the coals on the brazier burned low. The rich, spicy vapors of the
incense had opened his senses. His mind was attuned to the forces of the metaphysical plane. He was
ready. "Read the cards, my love," he whispered.
The fortune-teller turned over the first card. "The golden gri ffin.
I IA man."
"Always." The fortune-teller looked at him across the low table. "Beware. The griffin would stand in your
way." "Will he be able to alter my plans?" She turned over another card, hesitated. "The phoenix." She
reached for the next card, placed it faceup. "The red ring." "Well?" "No. The golden griffin may prove
difficult but ultimately you Will prevail."
He smiled. "Yes. Now tell me about the woman." The fortune-teller turned over another card. "The lady
with the crystal eyes. She searches." "But she will not find."
72
Amanda Quick
73
The fortune-teller shook her head. "No. She will not find what
she seeks."
"She's only'a woman, after all. She will not be a problem."
And neither would the fortune-teller be a problem when this was finished, he thought. He would dispose
of her when the tirne came. She was useful at the moment, however, and it was a simple matter to hold
her in thrall with the bonds of her own passions.
What do you make of this curious design, Ariel?"Charlotte pushed Drusilla Heskett's watercolor
sketchbook across her desk.
"You are more conversant with current fashion than 1. Have you
ever seen anything similar?"
Ariel paused in the act of pouring another cup of tea. She glanced at the sketchbook, which was open to
a page near the middle. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the picture of a nude
statue that decorated the left side of the paper. "Uh, no," Ariel said dryly. "I do not believe that I have
ever
encountered anything similar to
too compelling.
But the next time he saw her, he would be in command of himself. He would not allow his self-control to
Page 59
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
slip again.
He glanced at his glass and saw that he had already emptied it.
He made to set it down on the table beside the chair. A folded and sealed sheet of foolscap was in the
way. He recognized it immediately. It was a note that had been delivered earlier, shortly before he had
left the house to meetCharlotte .
It was from his father's widow, Maryann, Lady Esherton. It was
the third message she had sent this week.
"Bloody hell." With a sense of resignation, Baxter picked up the letter and broke the seal.
The message was almost identical to the other two notes Mary ann had dispatched to him during the past few days. It was very
short and to the point.
Dear Baxter:
I wish to speak with you. The matter is most urgent. I request that you call upon me at your earliest
convenience.
Yours very truly,
Lady E
Baxter crumpled the note and tossed it onto the fire just as he
had the earlier notes from Maryann. Her notion of a crisis did not
equate with his own. Maryann's gravest problems tended to revolve around money, specifically the
Esherton fortune. Baxter's father had
71
Ali
I.ft hirn in charge of the inheritance until Maryann's son, Hamilton, reached the age of twenty-five.
Maryann was not pleased with the arrangement. Nor wasHamilton , for that matter.
Baxter had a few more years of the thankless task to endure
before he could dump the entire responsibility Into his half
brother's lap.
irripatiently, he pushed aside his old problems and considered the new set he had acquired. He propped
his elbows on the leather arms of the chair, steepled his fingers, and gazed into the fire.
Page 60
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Whatever else could be said about the night's events, one
thing was clear. There was danger afoot andCharlotte was in the midst of it.
n the black and crimson chamber the coals on the brazier burned low. The rich, spicy vapors of the
incense had opened his senses. His mind was attuned to the forces of the metaphysical plane. He was
ready. "Read the cards, my love," he whispered.
The fortune-teller turned over the first card. "The golden gri ffin.
I IA man."
"Always." The fortune-teller looked at him across the low table. "Beware. The griffin would stand in your
way." "Will he be able to alter my plans?" She turned over another card, hesitated. "The phoenix." She
reached for the next card, placed it faceup. "The red ring." "Well?" "No. The golden griffin may prove
difficult but ultimately you Will prevail."
He smiled. "Yes. Now tell me about the woman." The fortune-teller turned over another card. "The lady
with the crystal eyes. She searches." "But she will not find."
72
Amanda Quick
73
The fortune-teller shook her head. "No. She will not find what
she seeks."
"She's only'a woman, after all. She will not be a problem."
And neither would the fortune-teller be a problem when this was finished, he thought. He would dispose
of her when the tirne came. She was useful at the moment, however, and it was a simple matter to hold
her in thrall with the bonds of her own passions.
What do you make of this curious design, Ariel?"Charlotte pushed Drusilla Heskett's watercolor
sketchbook across her desk.
"You are more conversant with current fashion than 1. Have you
ever seen anything similar?"
Ariel paused in the act of pouring another cup of tea. She glanced at the sketchbook, which was open to
a page near the middle. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the picture of a nude
statue that decorated the left side of the paper. "Uh, no," Ariel said dryly. "I do not believe that I have
ever
encountered anything similar to
Similar Books
