Mariana by Susanna Kearsley Read Free Book Online Page B

far away. He was fairly tall, I think— although it's hard to tell on horseback, isn't it? He wore dark clothing, and I rather fancy his hair was long.'
    'Sounds like one of the chaps from the hostel. There's a youth hostel about three miles west of here,' he explained. 'Quite a large one. Lots of tourists, passing through. They hire horses out, sometimes.'
    'I see.' It certainly sounded sensible to me. I finished drinking my glass of water, and Geoffrey de Mornay stirred in his chair.
    'Would you like another drink?' he offered. 'Something more substantial?'
    'Oh, no. I'm fine, honestly.' I set my glass down on the end table beside me and rose awkwardly to my feet, running a hand through my untidy hair. 'You've been very kind, but I really ought to go. I've taken up enough of your time.'
    'Not nearly. But I never argue with my neighbors.' He stood up as well, dwarfing me, and gallantly inclined his head. 'Come on, I'll show you out.'
    I followed him through a narrow, dark passage to the side door, turning on the threshold to thank him once again.
    'My pleasure,' he assured me, propping one shoulder against the doorjamb and folding his arms across his chest. 'Rather a nice change from my normal daily routine. I don't often have comely young maidens throwing themselves at my feet.'
    'Yes, well,' I said, coloring, 'that won't happen again.' He smiled down at me, and after a final handshake I made my departure. I had almost reached the end of the neatly edged walk when he spoke.
    'What a pity,' he said, but I don't think I was meant to hear it.

    *-*-*-*

    'You want to watch out, my love,' my brother said sagely when I told him the story of my meeting with Geoffrey de Mornay. 'The lord of the manor has certain historical privileges, you know. Pick of the village virgins, and all that.’
    'Don't talk rot,' was my response.
    It was a week later, Saturday evening, and we were sitting in the unmistakably posh surroundings of Roderick Denton's house in London. The dinner party had been a great success, as all Rod's social ventures inevitably were, and not for the first time I had to admit that my brother's advice had been spot on.
    The evening had provided me with a welcome break from the seemingly unending cycle of unpacking and deco rating, and I felt nearly human again. On top of which, I finally had an excuse to wear dressy clothes, in place of the jeans and the floppy shirts I'd been living in for the past fortnight. It gave me a deliriously sophisticated, grown-up feeling. If only I hadn't been so dreadfully bored.
    Two weeks out of London, I thought, and already the talk flowing around this room seemed unconnected to me, and narcissistically shallow. Tom caught me yawning and nudged me playfully.
    'I told you to go easy on the wine,' he reminded me,
    'Sorry.' I yawned again. 'I think I've reached my limit, Tom. I have to go.'
    'Okay. I'll see you to the door,'
    'Julia, my dear." Roderick Denton descended upon me with outstretched arms, blocking my escape route. 'I'm so glad you came.'
    I hugged him back. ‘Thanks for the invitation. I've had a wonderful time. And be sure to thank Helen for me.'
    'You're not leaving, already?'
    'I'm afraid so. I have a friend waiting up for me.'
    'Oh?' He raised a gossip's eyebrow. 'Spending the night n town, are you?'
    'Yes, with my friend Cheryl. You remember Cheryl, don't you, Rod? She works at Whitehall.'
    He frowned, but only for a moment. 'Red hair?' he checked. 'Quite intelligent? Lives in Camden Town?'
    'Islington, now,' I corrected him. 'She's had a raise in
    pay-Rod ought to appreciate that, I reasoned, being a social mountaineer himself. It was rather underhanded of me to use Cheryl as an excuse for leaving the party. She was not, in actual fact, waiting up for me. She wasn't even in Lon-ion. Her boyfriend was treating her to a weekend in the Lake District, and she'd cheerfully given me the loan of her Bat for the evening, along with her pet cat and the use of her parking