Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine (reading an ebook TXT) 📕

"No, no. " Sam gently drew away from her. "He'll be okay. I've done nothing to harm him. "

"What about posthypnotic suggestion?" Judy was watching Nick's face in anguish. "What have you told him to do when he wakes up?"

"Ah, yes, the one thing every layman—or woman—has heard of. " Sam folded his arms. "Perhaps you have some good ideas for one or two posthypnotic suggestions yourself?" He stared at her, one eyebrow raised, his eyes full of amusement.

Judy glared at him. "Well, you could tell him to leave Jo alone for a start, " she snapped. "If you'd like to do something for me. "

They both flinched as another flash of lightning lit the room.

Sam was watching Nick's profile. "I am not prepared to do that, " he said.

"I thought we were on the same side! You said you could split them up. You sent me after him to France to get him away from her!"

"And obviously it was a lousy idea. " He turned to her finally, his voice heavy with dislike. "I can't force him to like you. " He smiled faintly. "Though he obviously does, in spite of the fact that, as I told you before, I believe you have certain habits which put my brother off. Pursuing him is obviously one of them. " He threw himself down on the sofa, pulling one ankle up to rest on his knee as he looked up at her. "Though as I recall you did not expect to see him when you came here this evening. You therefore came to see me, I presume, or was your visit really merely an excuse to get out of the rain?"

Judy scowled. "Whatever I came for, it was obviously a big mistake!"

Sam ignored the indignant words. "So. You came to discuss Nick. "

"I may have. " Judy looked at Nick uncomfortably. "But I can't talk about him like this as if he's not here! It's not fair. It's grotesque!"

"Then I shall awaken him and you can tell him your problem to his face. "

Sam stood up. He strode over to Nick and swung him around. "You remember what I told you, brother?" he said quietly. "You remember what you must do. But the rest you will forget. Whatever you have been experiencing there, in your head, you will forget for now. You will forget everything, save the fact that you are rested and relaxed and ready to receive your visitor, when I count to three. Now. One— two, three. "

Judy held her breath as she watched them. Slowly Nick's face became reanimated and suddenly he was looking straight at her.

"Judy? When did you arrive?"

She forced herself to smile. "Only a few minutes ago. I wanted to get out of the storm. "

Nick turned to the window, puzzled, then he put his hand to his head. "What happened? Was I asleep?"

Sam grinned. "You asked me to hypnotize you, remember? I was hard at it when Judy arrived. "

Nick groaned. "Did I say anything odd?"

Judy looked away. "Of course not. "

She looked up into his face. For a long moment they stared at each other, then Judy smiled. "I'm very good at keeping secrets. Sam, " she said, "tell me, who was I in this past life you are all living so cozily together? I'd like to know. "

He shook his head. "I don't run sideshows, and I'm not a therapist. "

"But you regressed Nick!" She colored indignantly. "For a reason. And because he is my brother. I'm sorry,

Judy. It would not be ethical for me to do it to you. But, for what it's worth, I wouldn't bother. "

Her mouth dropped open. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't believe you've lived before. "

Judy laughed. "I see. Keep it in the family, eh? All nice and cozy. How convenient. Just like the way you've been priming Nick!"

"What do you mean?" Nick sat up suddenly.

"I mean the whole thing is a great hoax! You weren't regressed. He told you who you were and then he told you what to do! Some past life!"

"Judy. " Sam's voice was low and threatening. "You heard and saw nothing but the end of our session. "

"What does she mean, Sam?" Nick stood up.

"She means I was telling you to forget your worries and relax. For some reason she found that sinister. "

"You told him—"

"I told him nothing. " Sam interrupted forcefully. "Nothing, Judy, that need be of the least concern. But in one thing you were right. It was not a proper regression. As I told Nick before, he is too tense yet to attempt it. "

The ringing of the phone punctuated the end of his sentence. Sam, who was standing right beside it, picked it up. For a moment he stood listening, a frown on his face, then suddenly he was smiling.

"Why, Jo! How nice to hear from you. How are you?" He waved Nick away as the latter tried to reach for the phone. "No, he hasn't, as a matter of fact. He's not going until the second now... I see. Poor Jo, where are you, then?... No, I won't tell him. Of course I won't. " He smiled sweetly at Nick. "Yes. Yes, I'm glad you called. Keep in touch. "

He put the receiver down gently. "That was Jo, " he said unnecessarily. "She's at the Black Lamb Hotel near a place called Talgarth. "

Judy's eyes blazed. "You bastard!" she said. "I distinctly heard you promise Jo you wouldn't tell Nick where she was!"

Tim had caught a taxi from Paddington back to Covent Garden. He walked heavily up the stairs to the studio and stared around. The place was blazing with lights, the small dais surrounded by floods and spots, a wind machine playing on the girl who stood there dressed only in the finest wisps of chiffon amid a litter of straw bales.

George Chippen, his assistant, was busy with his camera, snapping the laughing girl, but he stopped as Tim appeared