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.Only Raoul could change the course of their lives together, but even if he made the decent choice, she could never love him.His threat to Sean was too stark.She would cooperate until she could retaliate.God, what black thoughts to mingle with the first lovely hints of spring.She ordered the driver to turn toward the Seine.At the Pont de la Concorde, she signaled him to stop.As she walked along the sunlight-dappled river, the vehicle trailed her.Parie skies were blue, trees dotted with tender nubs of green.Clots of wildflowers stubbornly poked up in the excavation for the Place de la Concorde.As barges and water coaches ferried cargo and passengers under the bridge, vendors paraded the quais with Marseilles langoustines.It was a long time before she had breathed enough clean air to face the house on Rue Royale again."I lunched with your brother-in-law today," Raoul said casually as the butler placed a bowl of soup on his plate."Oh?" Catherine returned with equal calm."I trust he's well?""Quite.In fact, when I asked him to join our cadre tchembourti match this Sunday, he agreed.""But he has no ponies," she objected."He's ordered that magnificent black of his brought from Ireland.Of course, the animal is too big to be used in tchembourti, but I offered the use of a string from my stable.""That was civil of you," she said dryly."I didn't know we kept a stable of sufficient size to accommodate two players.You are playing in the match?""I wouldn't miss it." Raoul took a sip of his wine."I keep most of my racers and ponies near Longchamps.They've won a tidy sum this month."He smiled to himself as he envisioned his teammates' reaction when Culhane joined them.They would not challenge the Irishman at the match in deference to a brother officer, particularly because they believed Amauri ignorant of Javet's insult to his bride.Too, some of them probably thought Javet had been out of line.No, he was not worried about a scene, but he had not expected Culhane would have the audacity to strut in front of a pack fairly panting for his blood.A good thing the Irishman could take care of himself; he would not have enjoyed calling off the pack.Mounted on Mephisto, Sean spotted Catherine in the crowd assembled for the match.Even among many beautiful women who strolled with their gentlemen about the fringes of the playing field, she was extraordinary.The day was chilly, and despite the change of season, Amauri had insisted she wear a dramatic, high-necked black dress with a cashmere shawl fringed in sable tips draped over one shoulder.A large opal-and-diamond pin secured a peacock aigrette to a turban cloche which covered her hair.One gloved hand held a heavy sable muff; in thè other was looped the leash of a cheetah, which sat tensely on his haunches as horses uneasily minced around him- She was a vision out of Omar Khayyam, her incredible bone structure and oblique eyes drawing attention from all over the field.As she turned away from a small group of officers and ladies, Catherine saw Sean almost at the same instant, and for a moment, the world dropped away to leave a harsh silence.Need unmasked.Later, neither knew who moved first: Catherine, who left the crowd; or Sean, who urged the black to follow her across the tawny field speckled with shoots of new grass.It was unwise and they knew it.They were too conspicuous, the First Consul's newest mistress and the notorious killer reputed to be the father of her unborn child.Yet, as irresistibly as lunar tides, they were drawn, one to the other.Away from the crowd, Catherine looked up at Sean in his Cossack-style tunic with team colors banded on his arm.She lifted her hand, letting the sable slip down her arm in a black glossy fall.Leaning down from the saddle, Sean touched her fingers with his lips, then reluctantly released them."You look tired, love," she said softly as she let her hand drop to stroke Mephisto's neck."You look beautiful." Sean's lips twisted in a slight smile."There's little resemblance to the greasy urchin of Liverpool."She laughed huskily." 'Tis fickle, y'are.You said I was beautiful then, too.""You were," he murmured, then harshly, "I miss you like hell."Her eyes glimmered too brightly for a moment, then Mephisto, exasperated because she had stopped stroking him, stepped forward and nudged her.The nervous cheetah backed, fangs bared.Its leash dragged on Catherine's hand and Sean's hand slipped toward his knife.Catherine turned."Sit, Salomé." The cat obeyed edgily."That's quite a house pet," Culhane commented with a frown."Raoul likes me to make a display.He gave Salomé to me a few days ago.She's quite tame." Her voice lowered."Too tame.She's afraid to be dangerous."Sean caught the faint inflection."And how are you, Kit?"She soothed the cheetah, her heavy lashes hiding her eyes."As happy as can be expected.The life of a general's wife is a busy one, thank God." She looked up and smiled suddenly."With my social schedule, our child should be a natural dancer.He was tapping his toes in time to a polonaise at the Russian ambassador's the other night."Sean laughed, his release what she had hoped, but somehow the boyish note in his mirth stabbed her to the heart."Your team is moving onto the field, Sean.Hadn't you better join them?"He reluctantly nodded."I have to switch horses." His voice lowered."Wish me luck?"She slipped a crumpled four-leafed shamrock from the heel of her glove and tucked it into his."I found it in the garden this morning.""More cognac, chérie? Your hands are like ice," Amauri asked his bride solicitously as they rode back into the city."Yes, please [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Only Raoul could change the course of their lives together, but even if he made the decent choice, she could never love him.His threat to Sean was too stark.She would cooperate until she could retaliate.God, what black thoughts to mingle with the first lovely hints of spring.She ordered the driver to turn toward the Seine.At the Pont de la Concorde, she signaled him to stop.As she walked along the sunlight-dappled river, the vehicle trailed her.Parie skies were blue, trees dotted with tender nubs of green.Clots of wildflowers stubbornly poked up in the excavation for the Place de la Concorde.As barges and water coaches ferried cargo and passengers under the bridge, vendors paraded the quais with Marseilles langoustines.It was a long time before she had breathed enough clean air to face the house on Rue Royale again."I lunched with your brother-in-law today," Raoul said casually as the butler placed a bowl of soup on his plate."Oh?" Catherine returned with equal calm."I trust he's well?""Quite.In fact, when I asked him to join our cadre tchembourti match this Sunday, he agreed.""But he has no ponies," she objected."He's ordered that magnificent black of his brought from Ireland.Of course, the animal is too big to be used in tchembourti, but I offered the use of a string from my stable.""That was civil of you," she said dryly."I didn't know we kept a stable of sufficient size to accommodate two players.You are playing in the match?""I wouldn't miss it." Raoul took a sip of his wine."I keep most of my racers and ponies near Longchamps.They've won a tidy sum this month."He smiled to himself as he envisioned his teammates' reaction when Culhane joined them.They would not challenge the Irishman at the match in deference to a brother officer, particularly because they believed Amauri ignorant of Javet's insult to his bride.Too, some of them probably thought Javet had been out of line.No, he was not worried about a scene, but he had not expected Culhane would have the audacity to strut in front of a pack fairly panting for his blood.A good thing the Irishman could take care of himself; he would not have enjoyed calling off the pack.Mounted on Mephisto, Sean spotted Catherine in the crowd assembled for the match.Even among many beautiful women who strolled with their gentlemen about the fringes of the playing field, she was extraordinary.The day was chilly, and despite the change of season, Amauri had insisted she wear a dramatic, high-necked black dress with a cashmere shawl fringed in sable tips draped over one shoulder.A large opal-and-diamond pin secured a peacock aigrette to a turban cloche which covered her hair.One gloved hand held a heavy sable muff; in thè other was looped the leash of a cheetah, which sat tensely on his haunches as horses uneasily minced around him- She was a vision out of Omar Khayyam, her incredible bone structure and oblique eyes drawing attention from all over the field.As she turned away from a small group of officers and ladies, Catherine saw Sean almost at the same instant, and for a moment, the world dropped away to leave a harsh silence.Need unmasked.Later, neither knew who moved first: Catherine, who left the crowd; or Sean, who urged the black to follow her across the tawny field speckled with shoots of new grass.It was unwise and they knew it.They were too conspicuous, the First Consul's newest mistress and the notorious killer reputed to be the father of her unborn child.Yet, as irresistibly as lunar tides, they were drawn, one to the other.Away from the crowd, Catherine looked up at Sean in his Cossack-style tunic with team colors banded on his arm.She lifted her hand, letting the sable slip down her arm in a black glossy fall.Leaning down from the saddle, Sean touched her fingers with his lips, then reluctantly released them."You look tired, love," she said softly as she let her hand drop to stroke Mephisto's neck."You look beautiful." Sean's lips twisted in a slight smile."There's little resemblance to the greasy urchin of Liverpool."She laughed huskily." 'Tis fickle, y'are.You said I was beautiful then, too.""You were," he murmured, then harshly, "I miss you like hell."Her eyes glimmered too brightly for a moment, then Mephisto, exasperated because she had stopped stroking him, stepped forward and nudged her.The nervous cheetah backed, fangs bared.Its leash dragged on Catherine's hand and Sean's hand slipped toward his knife.Catherine turned."Sit, Salomé." The cat obeyed edgily."That's quite a house pet," Culhane commented with a frown."Raoul likes me to make a display.He gave Salomé to me a few days ago.She's quite tame." Her voice lowered."Too tame.She's afraid to be dangerous."Sean caught the faint inflection."And how are you, Kit?"She soothed the cheetah, her heavy lashes hiding her eyes."As happy as can be expected.The life of a general's wife is a busy one, thank God." She looked up and smiled suddenly."With my social schedule, our child should be a natural dancer.He was tapping his toes in time to a polonaise at the Russian ambassador's the other night."Sean laughed, his release what she had hoped, but somehow the boyish note in his mirth stabbed her to the heart."Your team is moving onto the field, Sean.Hadn't you better join them?"He reluctantly nodded."I have to switch horses." His voice lowered."Wish me luck?"She slipped a crumpled four-leafed shamrock from the heel of her glove and tucked it into his."I found it in the garden this morning.""More cognac, chérie? Your hands are like ice," Amauri asked his bride solicitously as they rode back into the city."Yes, please [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]