Vintage Pride by Eilzabeth Lapthorne Read Free Book Online Page A

for?”
    “We’d like to look into the tales of the big cat that roars in the night,” Kim said.
    To Ethan, it seemed Marcus’ genial smile slipped for a moment. But the Englishman quickly recovered his composure.
    “Ah, you’re talking about the mythical savior of the LeBlancs.” He glanced round, clearly sensing he had the attention of everyone in the room. “Ever since the château escaped being overrun during the Revolution, the legend has stated that if the family is ever threatened again, the lion will arise to protect them. It’s a great story, and it’s all down to the LeBlanc crest.”
    Marcus rose from his seat then walked over to where the harpsichord stood. He took down a plaque from the wall above it before passing it round so all the crew could get a look at it. “As you can see, the lion is nothing more than a symbol.”
    Ethan took the crest from Kim and examined it. It bore the image of a stylized golden beast raised up on its hind legs, against a quartered black-and-white background. Beneath it were the words ‘ fort comme un lion ’. Even with his rusty French, he understood this to mean ‘strong as a lion’.
    “Nevertheless,” Dex said, “we’d still like to see if we can pick anything up. I wouldn’t consider we’d done a professional job if we didn’t try.”
    Marcus nodded. “Of course. We’ll be happy to give you whatever access you need. And even if you don’t capture anything unusual, I understand there’s going to be a total lunar eclipse on the night of the full moon. That should give you some interesting footage for your program, if nothing else.”
    Ethan still couldn’t shake the feeling Marcus knew more than he was letting on. Or maybe his sleep-fuddled brain saw half-truths and evasion where none was intended.
    Without Ethan noticing, Agathe had re-entered the room. For the first time, he paid attention to the dark smudges beneath the housekeeper’s eyes and the paleness of her skin. He wondered just exactly what she thought she’d seen that made her so afraid to spend time on her own in a certain part of the château.
    “The guest rooms are ready if you would like to follow me upstairs,” she announced.
    “If I don’t see you before, I’ll join you for dinner,” Marcus said. “And tomorrow I’ll arrange for you all to have a tour of the vineyard—and sample our Champagne, of course.”
    “Now you’re talking,” Leon said with a grin.
    Ethan snatched up another sandwich—goat’s cheese and sun-dried tomato this time—and allowed Agathe to lead the way. She took them up the wide, curving main staircase and down a narrow corridor. She paused before the first door she came to.
    “ Mademoiselle Kim, this is your room.” Agathe opened the door.
    Ethan caught a glimpse of a four-poster bed, with a gauzy, draped canopy. Kim’s little squeal of delight let him know just what she thought of her accommodation.
    “Next door to you is the salle de bain , the bathroom,” Agathe went on. “I am afraid you will have to share it with whichever of the gentlemen take the adjoining bedroom. When the château was built, the concept of en suite bathing had not yet become common.” She gave a small smile. “Now, as Monsieur Marcus neglected to tell me that there would be five people staying with us, I cannot give each of you a room of your own. Even a house as grand as this only has a certain amount of living space.”
    “Oh, that’s not a problem,” Dex assured her. “We’ve shared rooms before. And anyway, most of the time we’re busy with our investigative work.”
    “But I’m not bunking with Pete again,” Leon piped up. “Not the way he snores.”
    “Hey!” Pete sounded offended. “I do not snore.”
    “You oughta hear yourself, man,” Leon retorted. “It’s like sleeping with a buzz saw when you get going.”
    “Guys…” Dex stepped in to keep the peace. “I’ll go in with Pete. When I lived in Oakland, we had an earthquake one morning