Read Online Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marion Croslydon
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seen.” She moistened her lips with obvious appetite and her emerald eyes squinted.
After her trip to Magway, Madison had hurried to meet Pippa and Ollie at the Ashmolean Museum, where Jackson moderated a symposium.
“Chill out, missie.” Madison put a calming hand on her friend’s wrist. Pippa’s skin felt cold. “And I’m not talking about Oliver’s delayed coffee delivery. McCain’s my tutor, for God’s sake.”
“Yeah, as if … You’re in Europe now. People are more relaxed about these things. Each time the two of you talk, sparks fly. He doesn’t fool me. The guy has a crush on you, and you on him. You’d be happier with him than with Rupert Vance.” Pippa shivered and wrapped hers elf in the coat that had been lying on her knees.
What was this obsession with Rupert? Pippa had had plenty of other men since then. Madison wanted to defend herself, but Ollie arrived, his hands full of scalding paper cups. As they sorted out the drinks, a bespectacled academic signaled the start of the symposium. Silence reigned over the room.
Madison didn’t welcome the ban on talking. Conversation kept her from lapsing into disturbing thoughts. Her emotions had blurred since coming back from Magway. She faced a mountain of unsettling questions, and distraction was the simplest way of dealing with them.
In vain, she tried to focus on the panel. Although the speakers’ mouths opened … rounded … closed, the sounds didn’t reach her ears. Instead, her brain threw questions at her, questions she had no answers to.
Were Robert Dallembert and the Cavalier the same person? She couldn’t mistake their physical likeness or ignore they had lived through the same troubled times. Those had to be more than coincidences.
She shifted in her seat, straightened her legs and crossed her ankles. When Pippa gave her a sidelong glance, Madison forced herself to control her restlessness. She took off the silver ring she wore on her index finger and started fiddling with it. A present from her grandmother, a family talisman.
Her thoughts kept on unraveling the implications of the Cavalier’s identity and his connection with Rupert Vance. Today, the stakes had risen. The characters in the painting had existed, she was sure of it. She had to track down Sarah and Peter, and find out how they had been connected to Robert Dallembert.
RUPERT STRETCHED HIS battered legs. Today’s trip to Magway had been an excuse to miss training. Tomorrow the torture would start again.
He glanced at his friends gathered around the wide table in his conservatory.
The currant flavor of red wine tingled his tongue.
“Rupert took some American redneck to Magway today as a spot of charity work.” Harriet looked around the table with a derisive expression. All heads turned in Rupert’s direction.
Rupert shifted in his seat, crossed his ankles and lowered his head. “I had to go there anyway. No big deal.”
“A boy or a girl?” one of his friends asked in a clipped voice.
Rupert shifted again. He didn’t want to get dragged into talking about Madison, but Harriet had taken over the conversation.
“She’s a grad student at Christ Church.”
“Is she hot?” asked the same friend.
Beautiful . Rupert was careful not to breathe a sigh or react at all.
“A sweet little country bumpkin. Or a midget, depending on your taste.” Harriet brought her glass of wine to her lips, hiding her smile.
Rupert’s spine stiffened. “Harriet, why don’t you find another victim to sink your teeth into?”
His girlfriend was sipping her wine and she grimaced as if the wine had turned into vinegar. Thankfully, she dropped the topic of Madison. He looked away, more than a bit surprised with himself. He hardly knew the girl, but, in a weird way, Madison was off-limit. For him, but also for anyone else.
Eager to find an escape, he stood and took some of the plates back to the kitchen. Rolling his shoulders to relax, he shut his eyes and took a deep
After her trip to Magway, Madison had hurried to meet Pippa and Ollie at the Ashmolean Museum, where Jackson moderated a symposium.
“Chill out, missie.” Madison put a calming hand on her friend’s wrist. Pippa’s skin felt cold. “And I’m not talking about Oliver’s delayed coffee delivery. McCain’s my tutor, for God’s sake.”
“Yeah, as if … You’re in Europe now. People are more relaxed about these things. Each time the two of you talk, sparks fly. He doesn’t fool me. The guy has a crush on you, and you on him. You’d be happier with him than with Rupert Vance.” Pippa shivered and wrapped hers elf in the coat that had been lying on her knees.
What was this obsession with Rupert? Pippa had had plenty of other men since then. Madison wanted to defend herself, but Ollie arrived, his hands full of scalding paper cups. As they sorted out the drinks, a bespectacled academic signaled the start of the symposium. Silence reigned over the room.
Madison didn’t welcome the ban on talking. Conversation kept her from lapsing into disturbing thoughts. Her emotions had blurred since coming back from Magway. She faced a mountain of unsettling questions, and distraction was the simplest way of dealing with them.
In vain, she tried to focus on the panel. Although the speakers’ mouths opened … rounded … closed, the sounds didn’t reach her ears. Instead, her brain threw questions at her, questions she had no answers to.
Were Robert Dallembert and the Cavalier the same person? She couldn’t mistake their physical likeness or ignore they had lived through the same troubled times. Those had to be more than coincidences.
She shifted in her seat, straightened her legs and crossed her ankles. When Pippa gave her a sidelong glance, Madison forced herself to control her restlessness. She took off the silver ring she wore on her index finger and started fiddling with it. A present from her grandmother, a family talisman.
Her thoughts kept on unraveling the implications of the Cavalier’s identity and his connection with Rupert Vance. Today, the stakes had risen. The characters in the painting had existed, she was sure of it. She had to track down Sarah and Peter, and find out how they had been connected to Robert Dallembert.
RUPERT STRETCHED HIS battered legs. Today’s trip to Magway had been an excuse to miss training. Tomorrow the torture would start again.
He glanced at his friends gathered around the wide table in his conservatory.
The currant flavor of red wine tingled his tongue.
“Rupert took some American redneck to Magway today as a spot of charity work.” Harriet looked around the table with a derisive expression. All heads turned in Rupert’s direction.
Rupert shifted in his seat, crossed his ankles and lowered his head. “I had to go there anyway. No big deal.”
“A boy or a girl?” one of his friends asked in a clipped voice.
Rupert shifted again. He didn’t want to get dragged into talking about Madison, but Harriet had taken over the conversation.
“She’s a grad student at Christ Church.”
“Is she hot?” asked the same friend.
Beautiful . Rupert was careful not to breathe a sigh or react at all.
“A sweet little country bumpkin. Or a midget, depending on your taste.” Harriet brought her glass of wine to her lips, hiding her smile.
Rupert’s spine stiffened. “Harriet, why don’t you find another victim to sink your teeth into?”
His girlfriend was sipping her wine and she grimaced as if the wine had turned into vinegar. Thankfully, she dropped the topic of Madison. He looked away, more than a bit surprised with himself. He hardly knew the girl, but, in a weird way, Madison was off-limit. For him, but also for anyone else.
Eager to find an escape, he stood and took some of the plates back to the kitchen. Rolling his shoulders to relax, he shut his eyes and took a deep
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