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

only at the sound of a soft appreciative whistle from somewhere in the banks of dark windows behind the mews that she realized she was standing there naked in the lamplight.

With a wry smile she turned away and switched off the light, then she climbed into bed and lay staring up at the darkness.

It was very early when she woke, and the room was cold and fresh from the wide-open windows. Shivering, Jo got up and put on her robe. For a moment she did not dare look at her reflection in the mirror. The pain in her throat had gone as had her headache, and all she felt now was an overwhelming longing for coffee.

In the bathroom she dashed cold water over her face and reached for her toothbrush. Only then did she raise her eyes to the mirror. There wasn't a single mark on her throat.

At the apartment in South Audley Street the following evening Nick threw himself down into the armchair facing the windows and held out his hand for the drink Sam had poured for him.

"I see it didn't take you long to find my booze, " he said with weary good humor.

"You can afford it. " Sam looked at him inquiringly. "So, what did you want to see me about? It must be important if it brings you here from the lovely Miss Curzon. "

Nick sat forward, clasping his glass loosely between his fingers. He sighed. "I haven't seen Judy for two days, Sam. If you want to know, I spent last night in a hotel. I went to Judy's, then I couldn't face going in. " He paused. "I want to talk to you about Jo. How did you find her on Saturday?"

"Tense. Excitable. Hostile. " Sam was thoughtful. "But not, I think, in any danger. She was thrown by what happened at Dr. Bennet's, but quite capable of handling it, as far as it went on that occasion. "

"But you are worried about her being hypnotized again?"

Sam swirled the ice cubes around in his glass. "I am worried, yes, and I spoke to Bennet this morning about it. " He glanced at Nick. "Unfortunately the man was on the defensive. He seemed to think I was trying to interfere and spouted a whole bag of crap about medical ethics at me. However, I shall persevere with him in case Jo goes back to him. Tell me, why are you still so interested? I should have thought Judy took up most of your time these days, and if she doesn't, she ought to!"

Nick stood up. "I still care for Jo, Sam, and there is something wrong. On Sunday she and I went to Suffolk. She was taken ill—" He stood staring out of the window toward the park as he drained his glass. "There was something very strange about what happened. We were talking during a violent thunderstorm and she had some kind of fit. The local quack said it was exhaustion, but I'm not so sure he was right. " He put his glass down, then held his hands out in front of him, flexing the fingers one by one. "I think it was in some way related to what happened at Bennet's on Friday. "

Slowly Sam shook his head. "I doubt it. What were you doing in Suffolk anyway?" He was watching Nick carefully.

"Just visiting Jo's grandmother. "

"I see. " Sam stood up abruptly. "So, you're still in with the family, are you? Nice, rich, respectable Nick! Does Grandma know you're living with someone else?"

"I expect so. " Nick stared at him, astonished at his sudden vehemence. "Jo tells her most things. Sam, about Jo's illness—"

"I'll go over and see her. "

"You can't. She's taken the phone off the hook and she's not answering the door. "

"You tried?"

"Earlier this evening. "

"She wasn't ill—"

Nick laughed wryly. "Not too ill to tell me to bugger off over the intercom. "

Sam smiled. "In that case I'd stop worrying. The whole thing will have blown over in another few days. She'll write her article and forget all about it. And I'll have a word with Bennet to make sure he won't see her again, just in case she does take it into her head to try. But I'm not taking any of this regression bit too seriously and neither should you. As to the fainting fit, it probably was heat exhaustion. A day's rest and she will be right as rain. "

Nick did not look particularly convinced as he turned his back on the sunset and held out his glass for a refill. "That's what she said when I dropped her off on Sunday night. "

"Then she's a sensible girl. Hold on, I'll get some more ice. " Sam disappeared toward the kitchen.

With a sigh Nick walked over to the coffee table and picked up the top book on the pile there. It was a biography of King John, borrowed from the London Library. Surprised, he flipped it open at the place at the back, marked by an envelope. There, in the voluminous index, underlined in red pencil, was the name Briouse, Matilda of.

He put the book down and glanced curiously at the others. A two-volume history of Wales, the everyman edition of Gerald of Wales's Itinerary, and Poole's volume of The Oxford History of England.

"Phew!" Nick let out a quiet whistle. Gently he put the books back in place and moved away from the table. "So you're not taking it seriously, brother mine, " he whispered thoughtfully. "Like hell you're not!"

It was Tuesday morning before Carl Bennet could see Jo. Sarah Simmons was waiting, as before, at the head of the stairs, her restrained manner barely hiding her excitement as she led Jo through into Bennet's consulting room. He was waiting for her by the open window, his glasses in his hand.

"Joanna! I am so glad you came back. " He eyed her as she walked toward him, noting the paleness of her