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

Sam shook his head. "They came back at the weekend. Nick is flying to the States tomorrow. " He emptied the glass and put it on the table. "I lie. This morning. He is going this morning. "

"And does he still think he's King John?" Judy poured herself a small measure and sipped it without enjoyment. She had begun to shiver.

Sam smiled. He sat down and put his elbows on the table. "He was King John. "

"Crap. You've been feeding him that stuff deliberately. What I want to know is why? You don't like your brother, do you, Sam?"

"How perspicacious of you to see it. " Sam picked up his empty glass and thoughtfully held it level with his face, squinting through it sideways.

"And you are setting him up?"

"Possibly. Give me another wee dram and I shall reveal all. "

Judy hesitated. He was not obviously drunk, but he was making her feel uncomfortable. There was something strange —even frightening—about him as he sat motionless at the table, a sense of latent power that could be unleashed at any moment. Still shivering, she reached for an old sweater that was hanging over the back of a wooden chair near the table and knotted it around her neck like a scarf. "Okay. It's a deal. One drink and you reveal all, " she said.

She watched while he drank, then she sat down, arms folded, and waited.

He put down the glass. "I am a puppeteer, Judith. A Punch and Judy man. A kingmaker. Nicholas is dancing on the end of my string. " He held out his hand, angled above the floor as though he held a puppet there before him, dancing at his feet.

"Even in the States?" she asked dryly.

"In the States, sweet girl, the king who lives in his head will sleep. He will wait until he returns to his native land and then he will strike. "

"Strike?" Judy echoed. She looked at him apprehensively. "What do you mean, strike?"

"Who can tell?" Sam said. "He is a king. " He laughed suddenly, then abruptly he looked back at her. "He seduced my wife, you know. "

"Your wife?" Judy echoed in amazement. "I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't know you were married. "

"Oh, yes. " He balanced the chair on its two back legs, lolling in it comfortably, his fingertips resting on the edge of the table. "Because he is king he thinks he can do what he likes with other people's lives. He thinks he can take with impunity. He doesn't know how wrong he is. "

Judy was watching him nervously. He was like Nick; he could be blind drunk and not show it at all. She eyed the bottle, which she had left on the table less than two feet from his hand. It was still half full.

Standing up, she edged away from him. "I don't know about you, but I need some coffee, however late it is. "

"Not for me. " He moved slightly in his chair to watch her. "I have just come from Joanna's apartment, " he went on after a moment. "I walked around for a long time before coming down here. "

"Oh?" She hid her surprise as she went back into the kitchen and switched on the light.

"She is a lying bitch. " He said it reflectively, but without malice. "A beautiful, lying bitch. "

"Do I gather you made a pass at her?" She jumped violently as she turned from the cabinet and found him standing immediately behind her. He had moved after her with extraordinary and silent speed.

He ignored the question. For a moment he stood staring at her, then he smiled again. "You too are a beautiful woman, Judith. One thing my brother has is an impeccable taste in women. " He reached out and touched her arm. "Look at me.

Startled, she lifted her eyes to his and for a moment she found herself trapped, the clear, almost colorless irises holding her gaze, and she could feel her mind reaching out to meet his, eager for the fusion. For a brief second she remained absolutely still, then with an effort she tore her eyes away. "Oh, no you don't, Dr. Franklyn! You can't hypnotize me. I'm immune!" Her eyes narrowed with anger. "I wasn't good enough for you before, remember? There was no way you wanted to include me in your little happy family of medieval freaks. So, who have you decided I could be, now that you've changed your mind? Eleanor of Aquitaine? A serving wench to hitch up my skirts for you and bare my backside whenever you fancy a quick poke, now that Jo has rejected you! You realize you could lose your license for all this? And for what you're doing to Nick!" She backed away hastily as he took a step toward her. "Don't you touch me, Sam. I warn you. You'd better go!"

Sam grabbed her wrist. "Oh, come on, Judy. " He pulled her toward him. "Don't play the shy virgin with me—you know what it's all about. I need you. Believe me, I need you. "

There was no room for her to pull away from him in the small kitchen, trapped as she was between the worktop and a cabinet, and before she knew what was happening he had seized her mouth, forcing his tongue between her teeth. For a moment she was too shocked to move, then, tearing herself away, leaning backward over the work surface, she gave him a stinging slap across the face. "I'll give you two minutes to get out of here!" she spluttered furiously. "Then I'm calling the police. "

He laughed. "Just try it. " He staggered very slightly as he moved toward her again.

Sam reached for her, but she had ducked past him, and, dodging his grasp, she ran through the studio and into her bedroom, where she slammed the door and locked it. Breathing in tight, angry gasps, she waited, listening. Sam was coming after her. She