Mirror Image by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online Page A

the arrests of the Pankhursts in England. "These people glorify arrests like some sort of an award, it's a medal of honor, and I suppose that Victoria went somewhere that they were having a demonstration this afternoon and got picked up with them. The sergeant who called said he had no intention of arresting her, but he said that Victoria wanted him to arrest her." Charles Dawson tried to repress a smile as he looked at her, and suddenly Olivia found herself smiling too. Listening to herself explain it to him made it sound utterly ridiculous, and Victoria even more so.
    "She's quite a girl, this sister of yours. Does she always do things like this while you're keeping house for your father? " She had explained to him that she had been busy and wasn't paying attention to where Victoria had gone that day. She really took her role as older sister seriously, although there were barely more than ten minutes' difference between them.
    "She stole one of my father's cars to go to one of these meetings the day you came to see us in Croton." She was suddenly laughing with him, although she still felt desperately worried.
    "Well, at least she's not dull, " he said calmly. "Think of the children she'll have. It makes one quake, doesn't it? " He was laughing again, but they both looked serious as they reached the Fifth Precinct.
    It was in a dismal neighborhood, with poor people in rags loitering in doorways, and terrible refuse in the streets all around them. And as Olivia got out of the cab with Charles, she saw a rat scurry across the street into the gutter. She drew instinctively closer to him, and as they walked into the police station, there were drunks, and two petty thieves who had just been brought in, in handcuffs, and three prostitutes were screaming at the desk sergeant from a holding cell, as Charles glanced at Olivia to see if she was ready to faint at their surroundings. But she looked quite stern, and seemed relatively unmoved by the comments of the drunks or the prostitutes, as she pretended to ignore them.
    "Are you all right? " he asked in an undervoice, tucking her hand into his arm as she stood very straight beside him. He had to admire her for her good sportsmanship, and the poise with which she was enduring the abuse of the hookers who were shouting at her in envy.
    "I'm fine, " she whispered back to Charles, barely raising her eyes to his, "but when we get her out of here, I'm going to kill her." He had to repress a smile as he turned his attention to the desk sergeant then, and the sergeant led them both into a locked room where Victoria was sitting in a single chair, drinking a cup of tea, as a matron watched her. Victoria was looking irritated, and she put the cup down, and stood up when Charles and Olivia entered the room, but she did not look happy to see them.
    "It's your fault, isn't it? " Victoria asked her without even acknowledging Charles Dawson. And for him, it was eerie seeing them, so totally identical, from their faces to their eyes, even to their hats, although Victoria's had shifted imperceptibly and she seemed to be wearing it at a rahsh angle. Charles was watching both of them, mesmerized, and he sensed instantly the electricity between them.
    "What is my fault? " Olivia asked, clearly furious at her sister.
    "It's your fault they wouldn't arrest me." Victoria looked equally angry.
    "You're deranged, Victoria Henderson, " Olivia accused. "You deserve to be locked up, but not here. You belong in Bedlam. Do you realize the scandal it would make if you got arrested? Do you have any idea of the embarrassment you'd cause Father over this? Do you ever think about anyone but yourself, Victoria? Or is that just not on our agenda? " The sergeant and the matron exchanged a smile. There was very little they could add to all that, and Charles arranged quietly with them to simply remove her. No real harm had been done, she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they were entirely willing to ignore