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."What?""You know where the front door is," she went on in a reasonable, practical tone."But you left by the window again last night.You could have stayed for breakfast."The heat of shame coursed through him, along with a growing sense of outrage that the child had so carefully monitored what had gone on in her mother's room.He didn't want to remember what had happened in that room, in that ruined bed, last night.He hated the thought that Minnie was even vaguely aware of such evil.For her own sake she needed a good talking to about the dangers of being too curious.He stood, looming over the small figure."Minerva—" he began sternly, but felt so serious a lecture called for something more."What is your middle name, child?""May."May.Of course."Minerva May." He took a deep breath."Minerva May PenMartyn, you are too curious for your own good.Too willful.Too enterprising.And no doubt quite spoiled and headstrong as well."She slipped out of her chair to stand gravely before him.Her eyes were round as plates."I'm your daughter."He wasn't sure whether her reply was an explanation for her behavior, or childish delight in his easy acknowledgment of their connection.His answer came in a heartbeat when she threw herself gleefully into his arms.His arms circled her, the gesture as needy and automatic as hers.He didn't know how long he held her, warm and soft and fragile, clasped to him.Soft and warm she might be, but the child was strong.She held to him as fierce as any tiger cub.When he did let her go it was because some measure of calm had returned to him.He recalled that theirs was a reunion of strangers no matter how welcome it was.She did not know him, and it would be best if she never did.He knew he was not fit to be a father, though his possessive soul cried that she was his and what was his he kept.Fortunately, he had experience fighting that demon, and he was able to loosen his embrace, to gently pull her tightly clasped hands from around his neck.He sat back on his heels so that they were eye to eye."What other questions do you have for me, Minerva May?"The girl smiled, and he saw himself in her.Even through the wave of pleasure at this resemblance between them he wondered how her mother could bear the constant reminders of the man who'd fathered her daughter.Then again, perhaps Scheherazade had never noticed his smile.What sort of mother was she, this woman who was heaven in bed?His musings were interrupted as Minnie said,."You answered my questions already." She bounced once, with delight, he thought.Then she looked toward the door."I have to go, Papa."He rose as she went to the door."Papa?"She turned back questioningly, expression anxious."Can I call you Papa? Or—?"Jack ran a hand along his jaw; he could already feel his heavy blue-black beard beginning to return despite Dabney's best efforts.He worried that the stubble might have scratched his daughter's tender skin.Children were delicate things.They had delicate bodies, and even more sensitive feelings.He had worked among London's orphaned and abandoned children, and seen how the lack of parents devastated and warped them."You may call me Papa if you wish," he told Minerva."If your mother agrees," he added, after a moment.Jack supposed it was only fair to give Scheherazade's wishes in the matter some consideration.Despite his vow to keep away from Scheherazade, there was more to be settled between them about the child than could be dealt with by their respective solicitors."I'll take you home now, Minerva."She shook her head, obviously not anxious to have her mother know she'd been to see him.And just how was it that Scheherazade allowed the girl out on the streets of London by herself? It was improper, and certainly dangerous.Did the woman care so little for the bastard he'd forced on her that she—?"You have business," Minnie told him."I heard your secretary mention appointments to Mr.Hawton.Mr.Hawton is very nice.""Yes, he is.My business can wait.You can't go out alone.""I'm not alone.Ira brought me.He's waiting outside."Ira.So that's how she got here.Jack remembered the excessively tall, broad-shouldered American with his dark curling hair, high-arched nose, and wide, full lips.He remembered the outsized hands that had held Minnie with practiced tenderness, and the sharply intelligent brown eyes that had assessed him with one quick, intent look before he'd whisked Minnie away.Anger and suspicion seethed in Jack at the thought of Ira.Just what was this man to his daughter? Or to Scheherazade.May had claimed Ira as her husband, but May was ever a peacemaker, always Scheherazade's ally and confidant in the harem quarters where he'd kept them." May's coming with me."Scheherazade had declared it on the day she'd left him, and neither he nor May had argued.It was logical and right that May would still be in any house where Scheherazade dwelt.But it wasn't his concubine's friendship that worried him at the moment, but this Ira's influence on his daughter.Something was going to have to be done about this Ira.But not here and now.The last thing Jack intended to do was disturb Minerva in any way.He would take the subject up with Scheherazade, and soon.He kept his tone jovial as he said, "Then you had best be going, my dear.You wouldn't want to keep Ira waiting any longer."If she had thought that retreating into the crowded meditation room would rid her of the attentions of the Prince of Wales, Sherrie had been sadly mistaken.Prince Albert Edward simply followed her when she excused herself from the library and hastened to join the saffron throng.They weren't chanting now, but listening in rapt silence as Lord Gordon stood at the front of the room before a gold statue of a seated Buddha and lectured his converts.Sherrie found a place at the very back of the room, in hopes of remaining unobtrusive.She didn't have to worry on that account.Space was made for her and the large man who trailed after her, but only one head turned at their entrance.Cousin Daisy briefly caught Sherrie's gaze, a look of long-suffering annoyance mixed with the light of hope that Sherrie had come to rescue her and drag Faith from the clutches of religious bliss.Sherrie gave Daisy a brief nod, but took a seat rather than march forward to take her cousins home [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."What?""You know where the front door is," she went on in a reasonable, practical tone."But you left by the window again last night.You could have stayed for breakfast."The heat of shame coursed through him, along with a growing sense of outrage that the child had so carefully monitored what had gone on in her mother's room.He didn't want to remember what had happened in that room, in that ruined bed, last night.He hated the thought that Minnie was even vaguely aware of such evil.For her own sake she needed a good talking to about the dangers of being too curious.He stood, looming over the small figure."Minerva—" he began sternly, but felt so serious a lecture called for something more."What is your middle name, child?""May."May.Of course."Minerva May." He took a deep breath."Minerva May PenMartyn, you are too curious for your own good.Too willful.Too enterprising.And no doubt quite spoiled and headstrong as well."She slipped out of her chair to stand gravely before him.Her eyes were round as plates."I'm your daughter."He wasn't sure whether her reply was an explanation for her behavior, or childish delight in his easy acknowledgment of their connection.His answer came in a heartbeat when she threw herself gleefully into his arms.His arms circled her, the gesture as needy and automatic as hers.He didn't know how long he held her, warm and soft and fragile, clasped to him.Soft and warm she might be, but the child was strong.She held to him as fierce as any tiger cub.When he did let her go it was because some measure of calm had returned to him.He recalled that theirs was a reunion of strangers no matter how welcome it was.She did not know him, and it would be best if she never did.He knew he was not fit to be a father, though his possessive soul cried that she was his and what was his he kept.Fortunately, he had experience fighting that demon, and he was able to loosen his embrace, to gently pull her tightly clasped hands from around his neck.He sat back on his heels so that they were eye to eye."What other questions do you have for me, Minerva May?"The girl smiled, and he saw himself in her.Even through the wave of pleasure at this resemblance between them he wondered how her mother could bear the constant reminders of the man who'd fathered her daughter.Then again, perhaps Scheherazade had never noticed his smile.What sort of mother was she, this woman who was heaven in bed?His musings were interrupted as Minnie said,."You answered my questions already." She bounced once, with delight, he thought.Then she looked toward the door."I have to go, Papa."He rose as she went to the door."Papa?"She turned back questioningly, expression anxious."Can I call you Papa? Or—?"Jack ran a hand along his jaw; he could already feel his heavy blue-black beard beginning to return despite Dabney's best efforts.He worried that the stubble might have scratched his daughter's tender skin.Children were delicate things.They had delicate bodies, and even more sensitive feelings.He had worked among London's orphaned and abandoned children, and seen how the lack of parents devastated and warped them."You may call me Papa if you wish," he told Minerva."If your mother agrees," he added, after a moment.Jack supposed it was only fair to give Scheherazade's wishes in the matter some consideration.Despite his vow to keep away from Scheherazade, there was more to be settled between them about the child than could be dealt with by their respective solicitors."I'll take you home now, Minerva."She shook her head, obviously not anxious to have her mother know she'd been to see him.And just how was it that Scheherazade allowed the girl out on the streets of London by herself? It was improper, and certainly dangerous.Did the woman care so little for the bastard he'd forced on her that she—?"You have business," Minnie told him."I heard your secretary mention appointments to Mr.Hawton.Mr.Hawton is very nice.""Yes, he is.My business can wait.You can't go out alone.""I'm not alone.Ira brought me.He's waiting outside."Ira.So that's how she got here.Jack remembered the excessively tall, broad-shouldered American with his dark curling hair, high-arched nose, and wide, full lips.He remembered the outsized hands that had held Minnie with practiced tenderness, and the sharply intelligent brown eyes that had assessed him with one quick, intent look before he'd whisked Minnie away.Anger and suspicion seethed in Jack at the thought of Ira.Just what was this man to his daughter? Or to Scheherazade.May had claimed Ira as her husband, but May was ever a peacemaker, always Scheherazade's ally and confidant in the harem quarters where he'd kept them." May's coming with me."Scheherazade had declared it on the day she'd left him, and neither he nor May had argued.It was logical and right that May would still be in any house where Scheherazade dwelt.But it wasn't his concubine's friendship that worried him at the moment, but this Ira's influence on his daughter.Something was going to have to be done about this Ira.But not here and now.The last thing Jack intended to do was disturb Minerva in any way.He would take the subject up with Scheherazade, and soon.He kept his tone jovial as he said, "Then you had best be going, my dear.You wouldn't want to keep Ira waiting any longer."If she had thought that retreating into the crowded meditation room would rid her of the attentions of the Prince of Wales, Sherrie had been sadly mistaken.Prince Albert Edward simply followed her when she excused herself from the library and hastened to join the saffron throng.They weren't chanting now, but listening in rapt silence as Lord Gordon stood at the front of the room before a gold statue of a seated Buddha and lectured his converts.Sherrie found a place at the very back of the room, in hopes of remaining unobtrusive.She didn't have to worry on that account.Space was made for her and the large man who trailed after her, but only one head turned at their entrance.Cousin Daisy briefly caught Sherrie's gaze, a look of long-suffering annoyance mixed with the light of hope that Sherrie had come to rescue her and drag Faith from the clutches of religious bliss.Sherrie gave Daisy a brief nod, but took a seat rather than march forward to take her cousins home [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]