51. Conan pan Czarnej Rzeki (Conan, Lord of the Black River) 1996
Jeffrey Lord Blade 35 Lords of the Crimson River
Jeffrey Lord Blade 22 Forests of Gleor
Farmer, Philip Jose Lord Tyger
Forward, Robert L Rocheworld 3 Ocean Under the Ice
Jeffrey Lord Blade 10 Ice Dragon
Foley Gaelen Trylogia Ascencion 01 Jego wysokoĹÄ pirat
H101. Herries Anne Tajemnice Opactwa Steepwood 09 Szansa dla dwojga
McGahern John Miedzy niewiastami
Zelazny Roger Amber 01 Dziewieciu Ksiazat Amberu
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her, but he felt she would be safe behind the formidable gates of Knight House, with the half dozen guard
dogs and the staff of over three dozen servants to watch over her. Besides, Robert was at home, and for
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his part, Damien did not expect to be gone for more than a couple of hours.
Arriving in Upper Brooke Street before Lucien and Alice s elegant, flat-fronted townhouse, with its
richly carved doorway, brass lamps, and delicate wrought-iron balconies on the upper windows, he
swung down from his mount and called for one of Lucien s grooms. Leaving the animal with the servant,
he was admitted into the entrance hall by Alice s excellent butler, Mr. Hattersley.
The little bald man took his coat and invited him upstairs to wait while he went to summon Lord Lucien.
Damien went up to the drawing room and made himself at home. When a quarter hour had passed,
however, and still his brother did not appear, he inquired impatiently with the butler.
Mr. Hattersley turned bright red and stammered that Lord Lucien had shouted from inside his lady s
locked bedchamber that he would come soon.
Bloody newlyweds,Damien thought. Mr. Hattersley offered him a brandy, which he accepted, along with
the day s issue of theTimes . He skimmed the newspaper, trying to take his mind off the crushed look in
Miranda s beautiful green eyes after he had dashed any chance of a future between them upon the rocks
of his own hard nature.
At last, Lucien sauntered into the drawing room, barefooted, wearing nothing but black trousers and a
voluminous dressing gown of dark orange silk. It lay open down his bare chest and billowed behind him
with flamelike grace as he prowled into the room, his skin flushed, his hair tousled, his eyes glowing like
pewter. His lazy smile was totally satisfied, totally relaxed.
Damien took one look at his brother and remembered anew how deprived he, himself, was. Took you
long enough, he remarked with a glower.
Lucien chuckled, sighed, and poured himself a brandy. Damn me if I have not begotten a son this
night. He tossed back his brandy and turned to him languidly. What brings you to my nest of connubial
bliss, brother?
I need your skills.
What s afoot?
Damien folded the paper, cast it onto the couch beside him, and stood. I think someone may be trying
to harm Miranda.
Lucien furrowed his brow. Damien told him about how the mare had bolted, then retraced the whole
story, starting with the attack on Bordesley Green. He told him about the schoolmaster s crimes against
the girls at Yardley, in case that sounded to Lucien like a possible source of the trouble, as well as the
mysterious runaway carriage on Bond Street that had nearly run Miranda down.
Miranda told me about the men on Bordesley Green, Lucien began.
When? Damien cut him off in surprise.
A couple of days ago. I wanted to talk to her privately.
What for?
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Lucien smiled angelically. To see if she was good enough for you, of course.
Damien scowled at him in warning.
It was a thorough interrogation. Don t you wish to know my ruling?
No.
Lucien shrugged it off. She said the men who attacked her were outlaws. Do you have reason to
suppose differently?
Well, it s all quite coincidental, don t you think? Especially considering that these mishaps began shortly
after Jason s murder a murder in which the killer still hasn t been found.
Lucien stroked his jaw. Was Jason involved in any illegal or unseemly activities before his death? We
both know he had been drinking heavily. Men can sometimes go astray
Not Jason certainly not criminal activity. He had a few favorite whores who visited him on regular
occasions, that s all.
Do you know who these women are?
Bow Street has already questioned them. I m sure they have nothing to do with it.
I recall after you met with Jason s solicitor after the memorial service, you mentioned your dismay upon
learning that Jason had spent the whole five thousand pounds that Miranda s father left for her.
Yes.
What did he spend it on?
Damien glanced at the floor, searching his mind. I don t know. He lived in a hellhole. He didn t gamble
to any large degree. He didn t love finery. Perhaps on the women? But that doesn t seem likely. They re
low street prostitutes, not courtesans.
Lucien shook his head and began pacing. You re right. Something isn t adding up. This is all beginning
to sound damned strange. Start over again from the beginning. I want to know every detail you can
recall, no matter how small or insignificant.
Damien did his best to piece a fuller picture together for his brother, answering Lucien s rapid-fire
questions as well as his memory served. He scratched his eyebrow, racking his brain as Lucien
questioned him on the Pavilion theater, the makeup of the audience, whether or not Mr. Reed was
known to have any family who might seek revenge, and on Miranda s relationship with Trick Slidell.
Had there been any other beaux she had mentioned? No, he told him.
What of those men you killed in Birmingham?
Why do you keep coming back to them?
Indulge me. There were four, you say?
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Yes. They were armed with pistols and knives, Damien repeated wearily. One had a sword. They
each had horses, thus my first thought was that they were highwaymen.
Seems a logical conclusion. Was Colonel Morris able to identify them with any certainty?
No.
What did they look like?
He shrugged, sending him a dark look.
Ah, you beat them beyond recognition. Well, then, Lucien said, his eyes glittering with intrigue over the
puzzle. Did you hear their voices long enough to pick up any accents?
General sort of low Cockney, I guess. I couldn t identify a region. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
