Read Online Four Warned (Quick Reads 2014) by Jeffrey Archer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
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finished work to be a tribute to the French, whom he
greatly admired as the leaders of style in Europe.’
The taxi driver interrupted her flow with his own knowledge. ‘We are just passing the recently built Winter Palace, which is where President Putin stays whenever he is in St
Petersburg.’ The driver paused.
‘And, as the national flag is flying, he must be in town.’
‘He’s flown down from Moscow especially to see me,’ said Dick.
The taxi driver laughed dutifully.
* * *
The taxi drove through the gates of the Summer Palace half an hour later and the driver dropped his passengers off in a crowded car park. It was busy with sightseers and
traders, who were standing behind their crude stalls plying their cheap souvenirs.
‘Let’s go and see the real thing,’ suggested Maureen.
‘I wait for you here,’ said the taxi driver. ‘No extra charge. How long?’ he added.
‘I should think we’d be a couple of hours,’ said Dick. ‘No more.’
‘I wait for you here,’ he repeated.
* * *
The two of them strolled around the magnificent gardens, and Dick could see why it was described in the guidebooks as a ‘can’t afford to miss’ attraction, with
five stars.
Maureen continued to brief him between sips of water. ‘The grounds surrounding the palace cover over a hundred acres, with more than twenty fountains, as well as eleven other
residences.’
Although the sun was no longer burning down, the sky was still clear and Maureen continued to take regular gulps of water, but no matter how many times she offered the bottle to Dick, he always
replied, ‘No thanks.’
When they finally climbed the steps of the palace, they were greeted by another long queue, and Maureen admitted that she was feeling a little tired.
‘Pity to have travelled this far,’ said Dick, ‘and not take a look inside.’
His wife agreed reluctantly.
When they reached the front of the queue, Dick purchased two entrance tickets and, for a small extra charge, selected an English-speaking guide to show them around.
‘I don’t feel too good,’ said Maureen as they entered the Empress Catherine’s bedroom. She clung onto the four poster bed.
‘You must drink lots of water on such a hot day,’ said the tour guide helpfully.
By the time they had reached Tsar Nicholas IV’s study, Maureen warned her husband that she thought she was going to faint. Dick said sorry to their guide, put an arm around his
wife’s shoulder and assisted her out of the palace on an unsteady journey back to the car park. They found their taxi driver standing by his car waiting for them.
‘We must return to the Grand Palace Hotel at once,’ said Dick, as his wife fell into the back seat of the car like a drunk who has been thrown out of a pub on a Saturday night.
On the long drive back to St Petersburg, Maureen was violently sick in the back of the taxi, but the driver didn’t comment, just kept a steady speed as he continued along the highway.
Forty minutes later, he came to a halt outside the Grand Palace Hotel. Dick handed over a stack of notes and apologised.
‘Hope madam better soon,’ he said.
‘Yes, let’s hope so,’ replied Dick.
Dick helped his wife out of the back of the car, and guided her quickly up the steps into the hotel lobby and towards the lifts, not wishing to draw attention to himself. He had her safely back
in their suite moments later. Maureen immediately disappeared into the bathroom, and even with the door closed Dick could hear her retching. He searched around the room. In their absence, all the
bottles of Evian had been replaced. He only bothered to empty the one by Maureen’s bedside, which he refilled with tap water from the kitchenette.
Maureen finally emerged from the bathroom, and collapsed onto the bed. ‘I feel awful,’ she said.
‘Perhaps you ought to take a couple of aspirin, and try to get some sleep?’
Maureen nodded weakly. ‘Could you fetch them for me?
greatly admired as the leaders of style in Europe.’
The taxi driver interrupted her flow with his own knowledge. ‘We are just passing the recently built Winter Palace, which is where President Putin stays whenever he is in St
Petersburg.’ The driver paused.
‘And, as the national flag is flying, he must be in town.’
‘He’s flown down from Moscow especially to see me,’ said Dick.
The taxi driver laughed dutifully.
* * *
The taxi drove through the gates of the Summer Palace half an hour later and the driver dropped his passengers off in a crowded car park. It was busy with sightseers and
traders, who were standing behind their crude stalls plying their cheap souvenirs.
‘Let’s go and see the real thing,’ suggested Maureen.
‘I wait for you here,’ said the taxi driver. ‘No extra charge. How long?’ he added.
‘I should think we’d be a couple of hours,’ said Dick. ‘No more.’
‘I wait for you here,’ he repeated.
* * *
The two of them strolled around the magnificent gardens, and Dick could see why it was described in the guidebooks as a ‘can’t afford to miss’ attraction, with
five stars.
Maureen continued to brief him between sips of water. ‘The grounds surrounding the palace cover over a hundred acres, with more than twenty fountains, as well as eleven other
residences.’
Although the sun was no longer burning down, the sky was still clear and Maureen continued to take regular gulps of water, but no matter how many times she offered the bottle to Dick, he always
replied, ‘No thanks.’
When they finally climbed the steps of the palace, they were greeted by another long queue, and Maureen admitted that she was feeling a little tired.
‘Pity to have travelled this far,’ said Dick, ‘and not take a look inside.’
His wife agreed reluctantly.
When they reached the front of the queue, Dick purchased two entrance tickets and, for a small extra charge, selected an English-speaking guide to show them around.
‘I don’t feel too good,’ said Maureen as they entered the Empress Catherine’s bedroom. She clung onto the four poster bed.
‘You must drink lots of water on such a hot day,’ said the tour guide helpfully.
By the time they had reached Tsar Nicholas IV’s study, Maureen warned her husband that she thought she was going to faint. Dick said sorry to their guide, put an arm around his
wife’s shoulder and assisted her out of the palace on an unsteady journey back to the car park. They found their taxi driver standing by his car waiting for them.
‘We must return to the Grand Palace Hotel at once,’ said Dick, as his wife fell into the back seat of the car like a drunk who has been thrown out of a pub on a Saturday night.
On the long drive back to St Petersburg, Maureen was violently sick in the back of the taxi, but the driver didn’t comment, just kept a steady speed as he continued along the highway.
Forty minutes later, he came to a halt outside the Grand Palace Hotel. Dick handed over a stack of notes and apologised.
‘Hope madam better soon,’ he said.
‘Yes, let’s hope so,’ replied Dick.
Dick helped his wife out of the back of the car, and guided her quickly up the steps into the hotel lobby and towards the lifts, not wishing to draw attention to himself. He had her safely back
in their suite moments later. Maureen immediately disappeared into the bathroom, and even with the door closed Dick could hear her retching. He searched around the room. In their absence, all the
bottles of Evian had been replaced. He only bothered to empty the one by Maureen’s bedside, which he refilled with tap water from the kitchenette.
Maureen finally emerged from the bathroom, and collapsed onto the bed. ‘I feel awful,’ she said.
‘Perhaps you ought to take a couple of aspirin, and try to get some sleep?’
Maureen nodded weakly. ‘Could you fetch them for me?
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