Read Online Four Warned (Quick Reads 2014) by Jeffrey Archer - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
Ads: Link
adjusted his watch by three
hours and added, ‘So perhaps it would be wise to have an early night.’
Maureen placed a long silk nightdress on her side of the bed and smiled in agreement. As she turned to place her empty case in the wardrobe, Dick slipped an Evian bottle from the bedside table
into his jacket pocket. He then accompanied his wife down to the dining room.
* * *
The head waiter led them to a quiet table in the corner and, once they were seated, offered his two guests menus. Maureen disappeared behind the large leather menu while she
considered the table d’hôte, which allowed Dick enough time to remove the bottle of Evian from his pocket, undo the cap and fill his wife’s glass.
Once they had both selected their meals, Maureen went over her proposed tour for the next two days. ‘I think we should begin with the Hermitage, first thing in the morning,’ she
suggested, ‘take a break for lunch, and then spend the rest of the afternoon at the Summer Palace.’
‘What about the amber collection?’ asked Dick, as he topped up her water glass. ‘I thought that was a no-miss.’
‘I have already booked in the amber collection and the Russian Museum for Sunday.’
‘Sounds as if you have everything well organised,’ said Dick, as a waiter placed a bowl of borscht – beetroot soup, a Russian favourite – in front of his wife.
Maureen spent the rest of the meal telling Dick about some of the treasures that they would see when they visited the Hermitage. By the time Dick had signed the bill, Maureen had drunk the
bottle of water.
Dick slipped the empty bottle back in his pocket. Once they had returned to their room, he filled it with tap water and left it in the bathroom.
By the time Dick had undressed and climbed into bed, Maureen was still studying her guidebook.
‘I feel exhausted,’ Dick said. ‘It must be the time change.’ He turned his back on her, hoping she wouldn’t work out that it was just after 8 p.m. in England.
* * *
Dick woke the following morning feeling very thirsty. He looked at the empty bottle of Evian on his side of the bed and remembered just in time. He climbed out of bed, walked
across to the fridge and selected a bottle of orange juice.
‘Will you be going to the gym this morning?’ he asked a half-awake Maureen.
‘Do I have time?’
‘Sure, the Hermitage doesn’t open until ten, and one of the reasons I always stay here is because of the hotel’s gym.’
‘So what about you?’
‘I still have to make some phone calls if everything is to be set up for Monday.’
Maureen slipped out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom, which allowed Dick enough time to top up her glass and replace the empty bottle of Evian on her side of the bed.
When Maureen emerged a few minutes later, she checked her watch before slipping on her gym kit. ‘I should be back in about forty minutes,’ she said, after tying up her trainers.
‘Don’t forget to take some water with you,’ said Dick, handing her one of the bottles from the table by the window. ‘They may not have one in the gym.’
‘Thank you,’ she said.
Dick wondered, from the expression on her face, if he was being just a little too considerate.
While Maureen was in the gym, Dick took a shower. When he walked back into the bedroom, he was pleased to see that the sun was shining. He put on a blazer and slacks, but only after he had
checked that none of the bottles had been replaced by the hotel staff while he had been in the bathroom.
Dick ordered breakfast for both of them, which arrived moments after Maureen returned from the gym, clutching the half-empty Evian bottle.
‘How did your training go?’ Dick asked.
‘Not great,’ Maureen replied. ‘I felt a bit listless.’
‘Probably just jetlag,’ suggested Dick, as he took his place on the far side of the table. He poured his wife a glass of water, and himself another orange juice. Dick opened a copy
of the
Herald
hours and added, ‘So perhaps it would be wise to have an early night.’
Maureen placed a long silk nightdress on her side of the bed and smiled in agreement. As she turned to place her empty case in the wardrobe, Dick slipped an Evian bottle from the bedside table
into his jacket pocket. He then accompanied his wife down to the dining room.
* * *
The head waiter led them to a quiet table in the corner and, once they were seated, offered his two guests menus. Maureen disappeared behind the large leather menu while she
considered the table d’hôte, which allowed Dick enough time to remove the bottle of Evian from his pocket, undo the cap and fill his wife’s glass.
Once they had both selected their meals, Maureen went over her proposed tour for the next two days. ‘I think we should begin with the Hermitage, first thing in the morning,’ she
suggested, ‘take a break for lunch, and then spend the rest of the afternoon at the Summer Palace.’
‘What about the amber collection?’ asked Dick, as he topped up her water glass. ‘I thought that was a no-miss.’
‘I have already booked in the amber collection and the Russian Museum for Sunday.’
‘Sounds as if you have everything well organised,’ said Dick, as a waiter placed a bowl of borscht – beetroot soup, a Russian favourite – in front of his wife.
Maureen spent the rest of the meal telling Dick about some of the treasures that they would see when they visited the Hermitage. By the time Dick had signed the bill, Maureen had drunk the
bottle of water.
Dick slipped the empty bottle back in his pocket. Once they had returned to their room, he filled it with tap water and left it in the bathroom.
By the time Dick had undressed and climbed into bed, Maureen was still studying her guidebook.
‘I feel exhausted,’ Dick said. ‘It must be the time change.’ He turned his back on her, hoping she wouldn’t work out that it was just after 8 p.m. in England.
* * *
Dick woke the following morning feeling very thirsty. He looked at the empty bottle of Evian on his side of the bed and remembered just in time. He climbed out of bed, walked
across to the fridge and selected a bottle of orange juice.
‘Will you be going to the gym this morning?’ he asked a half-awake Maureen.
‘Do I have time?’
‘Sure, the Hermitage doesn’t open until ten, and one of the reasons I always stay here is because of the hotel’s gym.’
‘So what about you?’
‘I still have to make some phone calls if everything is to be set up for Monday.’
Maureen slipped out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom, which allowed Dick enough time to top up her glass and replace the empty bottle of Evian on her side of the bed.
When Maureen emerged a few minutes later, she checked her watch before slipping on her gym kit. ‘I should be back in about forty minutes,’ she said, after tying up her trainers.
‘Don’t forget to take some water with you,’ said Dick, handing her one of the bottles from the table by the window. ‘They may not have one in the gym.’
‘Thank you,’ she said.
Dick wondered, from the expression on her face, if he was being just a little too considerate.
While Maureen was in the gym, Dick took a shower. When he walked back into the bedroom, he was pleased to see that the sun was shining. He put on a blazer and slacks, but only after he had
checked that none of the bottles had been replaced by the hotel staff while he had been in the bathroom.
Dick ordered breakfast for both of them, which arrived moments after Maureen returned from the gym, clutching the half-empty Evian bottle.
‘How did your training go?’ Dick asked.
‘Not great,’ Maureen replied. ‘I felt a bit listless.’
‘Probably just jetlag,’ suggested Dick, as he took his place on the far side of the table. He poured his wife a glass of water, and himself another orange juice. Dick opened a copy
of the
Herald
Similar Books
