Correction. I work for myself.
Oh, dont palm off that rubbish on me! I practically grew up in MI6! I can smell you people a mile away!
Can you? His eyebrow shot up. And the odor didnt scare you off?
Maybe it should have.
He was pacing the room now, moving about like a restless animal, locking windows, pulling curtains. Since I cant seem to deceive your highly perceptive nose, Ill just confess it. My job description is a bit looser than Ive admitted to.
Im astonished.
But Im still convinced the man was following you.
Why would anyone follow me?
Because youre digging in a mine field. You dont understand, Beryl. When your parents were killed, there was more involved than just another sex scandal.
Wait a minute. She crossed toward him, her gaze hard on his face. What do you know about it?
I knew you were coming to Paris.
Who told you?
Claude Daumier. He called me in London. Said that Hugh was worried. That someone had to keep an eye on you and Jordan.
So youre our nanny?
He laughed. In a manner of speaking.
And how much do you know about my mother and father?
She knew by his brief silence that he was debating his answer, weighing the consequences of his next words. She fully expected to hear a lie.
Instead he surprised her with the truth. I knew them both, he said. I was here in Paris when it happened.
The revelation left her stunned. She didnt doubt for an instant that it was the truth-why would he fabricate such a story?
It was my very first posting, he said. I thought it was incredible luck to draw Paris. Most first-timers get sent to some bug-infested jungle in the middle of nowhere. But I drew Paris. And thats where I met Madeline and Bernard. Wearily he sank into a chair. Its amazing, he murmured, studying Beryls face, how very much you look like her. The same green eyes, the same black hair. She used to sweep hers back in this sort of loose chignon. But strands of it were always coming loose, falling about her neck He smiled fondly at the memory. Bernard was crazy about her. So was every man who ever met her.
Were you?
I was only twenty-two. She was the most enchanting woman Id ever met. His gaze met hers. Softly he added, But then, I hadnt met her daughter.
They stared at each other, and Beryl felt those silken threads of desire tugging her toward him. Toward a man whose kisses left her dizzy, whose touch could melt even stone. A man who had not been straight with her from the very start.
Im so tired of secrets, so tired of trying to tease apart the truths from the half truths. And Ill never know which is which with this man.
Abruptly she went to the door. If we cant be honest with each other, she said, theres no point in being together at all. So why dont we say good-night. And goodbye.
I dont think so.
She turned and frowned at him. Excuse me?
Im not ready to say goodbye. Not when I know youre being followed.
Youre concerned about my welfare, is that it?
Shouldnt I be?
She shot him a breezy smile. Im very good at taking care of myself.
Youre in a foreign city. Things could happen-
Im not exactly alone. She crossed the room to the connecting door leading to Jordan s suite. Yanking it open, she called, Wake up, Jordie! Im in need of some brotherly assistance.
There was no answer from the bed.
Jordie? she said.
Your bodyguard stays right on his toes, doesnt he? said Richard.
Annoyed, Beryl flicked on the wall switch. In the sudden flood of light, she found herself blinking in astonishment.
Jordans bed was empty.
Four
That woman is staring at me again.
Jordan stirred a teaspoon of sugar into his cappuccino and casually glanced in the direction of the blonde sitting three tables away. At once she averted her gaze. She was attractive enough, he noted. Mid-twenties, with a lean, athletic build. Nothing overripe about that one. Her hair was cut like a boys, with elfin wisps feathering her forehead. She wore a black sweater, black skirt, black stockings. Fashion or camouflage? He shifted his gaze ahead to the street and the evening parade of pedestrians. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied the woman again looking his way. Ordinarily it would have flattered him to know he was the object of such intense feminine scrutiny. But something about this particular woman made him uneasy. Couldnt a fellow wander the streets of Paris these days without being stalked by carnivorous females?
It had been such a pleasant outing up till now. Minutes after sending Beryl and Richard on their way, hed slipped out of his hotel room in search of a decent watering hole. A stroll across Place Vend me, a visit to the Olympia Music Hall, then a midnight snack at Café de la Paix -what better way to spend ones first evening in Paris?
But perhaps it was time to call it a night.
He finished his cappuccino, paid the tab, and began walking toward the Rue de la Paix. It took him only half a block to realize the woman in black was following him.
He had paused at a shop window and was gazing in at a display of mens suits when he spotted a fleeting glimpse of a blond head reflected in the glass. He turned and saw her standing across the street, intently staring into a window. A lingerie shop, he noted. Judging by the rest of her outfit, shed no doubt choose her knickers in black, as well.