Read Online Dazzle The Complete Unabridged Trilogy by Judith Gould - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Judith Gould
Tags: Action, hollywood, New York, israel, Marriage, Terrorism, Actresses, Palestine, movie star, Actress, arab, hollywood bombshell
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pleasant sensation swept over him.
He closed his eyes, conjuring up those two huge emerald eyes, impossibly green and striated, so full of life.
He had found himself another actress. So . . . Tatiana would not get her bauble after all. He relished that.
Placing one elegantly manicured finger on his lips, he made a mental notation.
Emeralds.
Fabergé was certain to have just the thing.
Senda had watched as the driver of the magnificent barouche walked the six beautifully matched black horses around in a tight circle, climbed back up on his high seat, and cracked his whip. She stared after the receding coach-sleigh in amazement. 'I've never before seen a sleigh quite like that one,' she marvelled, shaking her head. She glanced at Schmarya. 'Do you suppose that yellow metal was real gold?'
'I wouldn't doubt it,' Schmarya said bitterly. 'The rich only get richer by walking all over the likes of us. Then they turn around and rub it in our faces.'
'But he seemed nice.'
Schmarya's eyes flashed. 'Nice. Sure.' He compressed his lips into a grim smile. 'I'm certain even Wolzak was nice to people if he chose to be. It didn't stop him from slaughtering everybody in our village, though, did it?'
She turned away at the memory. After all this time, her eyes still filled with tears.
Schmarya didn't seem to notice. He turned around and raised his arm. 'All right!' he yelled out. 'All of you! Let's get this wagon back up on its wheels!' The wheels of the wagon clattered on the ice as they uprighted it. Senda, standing off to one side, held the child in one arm and the reins of the surviving horse in her free hand. For a moment she looked longingly down the street to catch one last glimpse of the departing fairy-tale barouche, but it had turned a corner and was already out of sight.
'It's time we got this show on the road!' Schmarya yelled. 'Everybody back up in the wagons! Alex, hitch the horse back up.'
The man named Alex frowned and slowly scratched the back of his neck. 'It's an awful heavy load for just one horse.'
'In that case, we have no choice but to substitute a horse from one of the front wagons for the one that's dead. Which means all of us had better walk except the drivers.'
There was a chorus of groans, but no one voiced outright refusal. They'd had enough trials and tribulations on the road to view this as no more than a slight discomfort.
Senda fell into step beside Schmarya as they slowly made their way on foot alongside the creaking wagons. She was bone weary, cold, and hungry. The icy wind which had battered her relentlessly since early morning had taken its toll. All she wanted now was to eat, have something hot to drink, and then crawl under mountains of warm covers.
'Want me to hold her for a while?' Schmarya asked, reach ing for the child.
She shook her head and smiled. 'No, I'm fine. Tamara's really not very heavy. And we'll be warm soon. It's fate, don't you think? We had no place to go, and because the wagon flipped and that coach stopped, now we do.'
'It's only for two nights,' he growled.
Her gaze was level. 'Two nights in a palace is better than sleeping in a barn in the freezing cold.' She paused and tightened her lips. 'Schmarya, why did you insist we perform for free?'
He did not reply.
'You know how desperately we need the money! We can't afford not to get paid. We can hardly eat as it is, and now with a horse dead . . . how can we afford to buy another?'
He hunched forward against the wind, hands in his pockets, eyes focused on the ground. 'He did us a favour by shooting the horse, and we're returning the favour. I don't want to owe anybody anything. Especially not the enemy.'
'The enemy!' she scoffed. 'Hearing you talk, one would think everybody's the enemy.'
'Have you forgotten what happened three years ago?' he asked her softly. 'Has it been so long that you don't remem ber!'
'No, I haven't forgotten.'
He lowered his voice. 'Then have you forgotten why we joined up with this
He closed his eyes, conjuring up those two huge emerald eyes, impossibly green and striated, so full of life.
He had found himself another actress. So . . . Tatiana would not get her bauble after all. He relished that.
Placing one elegantly manicured finger on his lips, he made a mental notation.
Emeralds.
Fabergé was certain to have just the thing.
Senda had watched as the driver of the magnificent barouche walked the six beautifully matched black horses around in a tight circle, climbed back up on his high seat, and cracked his whip. She stared after the receding coach-sleigh in amazement. 'I've never before seen a sleigh quite like that one,' she marvelled, shaking her head. She glanced at Schmarya. 'Do you suppose that yellow metal was real gold?'
'I wouldn't doubt it,' Schmarya said bitterly. 'The rich only get richer by walking all over the likes of us. Then they turn around and rub it in our faces.'
'But he seemed nice.'
Schmarya's eyes flashed. 'Nice. Sure.' He compressed his lips into a grim smile. 'I'm certain even Wolzak was nice to people if he chose to be. It didn't stop him from slaughtering everybody in our village, though, did it?'
She turned away at the memory. After all this time, her eyes still filled with tears.
Schmarya didn't seem to notice. He turned around and raised his arm. 'All right!' he yelled out. 'All of you! Let's get this wagon back up on its wheels!' The wheels of the wagon clattered on the ice as they uprighted it. Senda, standing off to one side, held the child in one arm and the reins of the surviving horse in her free hand. For a moment she looked longingly down the street to catch one last glimpse of the departing fairy-tale barouche, but it had turned a corner and was already out of sight.
'It's time we got this show on the road!' Schmarya yelled. 'Everybody back up in the wagons! Alex, hitch the horse back up.'
The man named Alex frowned and slowly scratched the back of his neck. 'It's an awful heavy load for just one horse.'
'In that case, we have no choice but to substitute a horse from one of the front wagons for the one that's dead. Which means all of us had better walk except the drivers.'
There was a chorus of groans, but no one voiced outright refusal. They'd had enough trials and tribulations on the road to view this as no more than a slight discomfort.
Senda fell into step beside Schmarya as they slowly made their way on foot alongside the creaking wagons. She was bone weary, cold, and hungry. The icy wind which had battered her relentlessly since early morning had taken its toll. All she wanted now was to eat, have something hot to drink, and then crawl under mountains of warm covers.
'Want me to hold her for a while?' Schmarya asked, reach ing for the child.
She shook her head and smiled. 'No, I'm fine. Tamara's really not very heavy. And we'll be warm soon. It's fate, don't you think? We had no place to go, and because the wagon flipped and that coach stopped, now we do.'
'It's only for two nights,' he growled.
Her gaze was level. 'Two nights in a palace is better than sleeping in a barn in the freezing cold.' She paused and tightened her lips. 'Schmarya, why did you insist we perform for free?'
He did not reply.
'You know how desperately we need the money! We can't afford not to get paid. We can hardly eat as it is, and now with a horse dead . . . how can we afford to buy another?'
He hunched forward against the wind, hands in his pockets, eyes focused on the ground. 'He did us a favour by shooting the horse, and we're returning the favour. I don't want to owe anybody anything. Especially not the enemy.'
'The enemy!' she scoffed. 'Hearing you talk, one would think everybody's the enemy.'
'Have you forgotten what happened three years ago?' he asked her softly. 'Has it been so long that you don't remem ber!'
'No, I haven't forgotten.'
He lowered his voice. 'Then have you forgotten why we joined up with this
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