Read Online Night of the Magician by Stephanie James, Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page A

switched off the engine. “This is where Fletcher Galen conducts his magic act?“
    “The actual retreat is located a few miles from here according to Aunt Phil. People aren’t allowed to stay overnight on the grounds. Most of them stay here at this inn. If you do succeed in exposing Galen, the owners of this place probably won’t thank you. They’re undoubtedly doing quite well on the tourism he inspires!“ She opened her door, not waiting for him to perform the small task. “Oh, good. We should be just in time for afternoon tea. Phil will be pleased.“
    “Tea?“ Lucian occupied himself collecting the baggage.
    “Umm. Aunt Phil says it’s one of the attractions of the inn. That and the late evening sherry hour!“ She smiled as they walked into the lobby.
    Ariana recognized immediately the apparition standing at the front desk engaged in what could only be politely described as a forceful discussion with the middle-aged clerk on the other side.
    Only Philomena Warfield could have pulled off the fashion coup of combining a flowing, flowered caftan, hand-tooled cowboy boots and a brilliantly patterned headscarf wrapped gypsy style around her long silvery hair.
    And only Aunt Phil would have the audacity to be conducting such an outrageous argument. Ariana felt the heated rush of embarrassment as a blush rose up her throat and stained her cheeks. By now she ought to be accustomed to Philomena’s eccentric ways, but there were still times when she could be caught flat-footed and totally embarrassed by them.
    “I don’t care what you thought I ordered two days ago. I no longer want two rooms for my niece and her friend. I want one room. What’s the matter with you, man? Are you living in the Dark Ages? This is a modern world we live in and my niece is a very modern woman. Men and women do spend weekends together at places like this, you know! All the time these days! Ariana is thirty years old, and she’s entitled to share a room with her male friend!“
    “Madam,“ the clerk began grimly, “the question of your niece’s love life is not at issue here. I don’t care who your niece sleeps with or where she chooses to spend her nights. What is at issue is the little matter of two guaranteed room reservations. These rooms were held at your request. They could easily have been booked for the evening by other people whom we had to turn away. Now if your niece wants to share a room with her friend, that’s clearly her business. But someone is going to have to pay for the extra room!“
    “That’s ridiculous,“ Philomena declared grandly. “Why should I pay for two rooms when I only require one for her? However, if you’re going to be chintzy about the matter, I will pay for both rooms on one condition! You’re to tell my niece and her escort when they arrive that there is only the one room available, do you understand?“
    Ariana managed to find her tongue. “Aunt Phil!“ Caught between the embarrassment of her aunt deliberately trying to arrange a compromising situation and the tall, dark figure of Lucian looming behind her in the lobby with a wickedly amused smile on his face, Ariana could only wish for a genuine act of magic. Something along the lines of having the floor open up to allow her to disappear without a trace. Instead there was only one alternative and that was to get the situation in hand immediately.
    “Aunt Phil, you can forget it, it won’t work,“ she grated with what she hoped was cool amusement There was no hiding her flaming cheeks.
    “Ariana, darling!“ In a floaty little rush of caftan and perfume Philomena’s dainty figure flew across the room to greet her niece. At sixty-two, Philomena Warfield was still a striking woman. Full of energy and talent she lit up any room in which she found herself. “You finally got here! I’ve been dying to meet your new friend. Drake has been telling me all about him just this morning on the phone. Please don’t waste another second.