Read Online Passions of the Ghost by Sara Mackenzie - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sara Mackenzie
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lifted, Nicco struck like lightning, ducking under Rey’s guard. Amy thought then it was all over, but the next moment Nicco was flat on his back on the ground, with Rey standing over him, the point of his heavy sword resting lightly in the middle of Nicco’s heaving chest.
There was a collective gasp from the audience, as if everyone had been holding their breaths until now. It had happened so fast. Rey looked up, his eyes searching the faces around him, and found hers.
He stared at her for a moment, so that there was no mistaking it was she he was seeking.
And then, like those knights of old she loved to read about, he inclined his head to her in homage.
Eight
Amy couldn’t think straight. Did he mean to dedicate the victory to her, as in the days of old? She could see now that he’d anticipated Nicco’s every move and countered it with deceptive ease. If this had been a fight to the death, rather than a game, Rey would have decided the outcome much sooner.
Everyone else was applauding, and belatedly, a little dazed, she put her own hands together. Rey, looking more like the Ghost than ever, acknowledged the crowd. Nicco was cursing, pushing Rey’s sword away, but Rey stepped back and offered his hand. Nicco ignored it, climbing angrily to his feet.
By the time Amy reached them, Rey already had a gathering of well-wishers around him, but Nicco was alone. She felt as if she really should do something to make it up to him. In a way his public humiliation was her fault—if she hadn’t egged him on last night, when he had too much to drink…
“Nicco, are you all right?”
Wrong choice. He gave her an icy look, his eyes glittering like the jewels he loved so much. “The man is a cheat. He did not fight like a gentleman.”
Her sympathy evaporated, but she didn’t show it. After all, her cynical side reminded her, here was a chance to inveigle her way into his good graces and get the information Jez wanted. “I’m sure you’re too much of a gentleman yourself, Nicco, to make a fuss. The poor man obviously hasn’t had your advantages.”
He hesitated. The narrow look he gave her told her he suspected she was manipulating him, but maybe he decided she was right anyway, because he gave a magnanimous shrug. “Of course.”
“There will be other opportunities this weekend. Perhaps you can have another go? Take him on at chess or something.”
Nicco’s eyes were still fixed on hers and she could see his mind ticking. He smiled like a shark. “Yes,” he said softly, “before it is over I will teach him a lesson he won’t forget.”
No you won’t, not if I have anything to do with it.
Amy murmured some more words of commiseration, before the resident hotel nurse arrived to check whether Nicco was harmed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Coster’s orders,” she said, over his complaints.
“You’d better let her do her stuff, Nicco.” Amy caught the other woman’s grateful glance.
“It won’t take a moment. My name is Gretel, by the way,” she added, in a lilting Welsh accent.
Nicco took a second glance. Gretel was a pretty blonde, and now she gave him a smile. Nicco smiled back and theatrically began to unbutton his shirt. Amy laughed and left them to it. She was making her way to the door, thinking she might have time to nip back to her suite for a nap, when Jez came up behind her and followed her outside.
It was bleak and bitterly cold, and although it had stopped snowing for the moment, the sky gave warning of further bad weather. “At this rate the London road will be impassable,” Jez complained. “We could be trapped here.”
Amy knew she should be upset about that. Strange that she wasn’t.
Jez didn’t give her time to ponder over the reason. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, sweetheart, but you aren’t helping me.”
Amy shot him a knowing look. “You’re just saying that because you bet on the wrong man. I’m right, aren’t I?”
Jez shrugged, but his eyes
There was a collective gasp from the audience, as if everyone had been holding their breaths until now. It had happened so fast. Rey looked up, his eyes searching the faces around him, and found hers.
He stared at her for a moment, so that there was no mistaking it was she he was seeking.
And then, like those knights of old she loved to read about, he inclined his head to her in homage.
Eight
Amy couldn’t think straight. Did he mean to dedicate the victory to her, as in the days of old? She could see now that he’d anticipated Nicco’s every move and countered it with deceptive ease. If this had been a fight to the death, rather than a game, Rey would have decided the outcome much sooner.
Everyone else was applauding, and belatedly, a little dazed, she put her own hands together. Rey, looking more like the Ghost than ever, acknowledged the crowd. Nicco was cursing, pushing Rey’s sword away, but Rey stepped back and offered his hand. Nicco ignored it, climbing angrily to his feet.
By the time Amy reached them, Rey already had a gathering of well-wishers around him, but Nicco was alone. She felt as if she really should do something to make it up to him. In a way his public humiliation was her fault—if she hadn’t egged him on last night, when he had too much to drink…
“Nicco, are you all right?”
Wrong choice. He gave her an icy look, his eyes glittering like the jewels he loved so much. “The man is a cheat. He did not fight like a gentleman.”
Her sympathy evaporated, but she didn’t show it. After all, her cynical side reminded her, here was a chance to inveigle her way into his good graces and get the information Jez wanted. “I’m sure you’re too much of a gentleman yourself, Nicco, to make a fuss. The poor man obviously hasn’t had your advantages.”
He hesitated. The narrow look he gave her told her he suspected she was manipulating him, but maybe he decided she was right anyway, because he gave a magnanimous shrug. “Of course.”
“There will be other opportunities this weekend. Perhaps you can have another go? Take him on at chess or something.”
Nicco’s eyes were still fixed on hers and she could see his mind ticking. He smiled like a shark. “Yes,” he said softly, “before it is over I will teach him a lesson he won’t forget.”
No you won’t, not if I have anything to do with it.
Amy murmured some more words of commiseration, before the resident hotel nurse arrived to check whether Nicco was harmed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Coster’s orders,” she said, over his complaints.
“You’d better let her do her stuff, Nicco.” Amy caught the other woman’s grateful glance.
“It won’t take a moment. My name is Gretel, by the way,” she added, in a lilting Welsh accent.
Nicco took a second glance. Gretel was a pretty blonde, and now she gave him a smile. Nicco smiled back and theatrically began to unbutton his shirt. Amy laughed and left them to it. She was making her way to the door, thinking she might have time to nip back to her suite for a nap, when Jez came up behind her and followed her outside.
It was bleak and bitterly cold, and although it had stopped snowing for the moment, the sky gave warning of further bad weather. “At this rate the London road will be impassable,” Jez complained. “We could be trapped here.”
Amy knew she should be upset about that. Strange that she wasn’t.
Jez didn’t give her time to ponder over the reason. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, sweetheart, but you aren’t helping me.”
Amy shot him a knowing look. “You’re just saying that because you bet on the wrong man. I’m right, aren’t I?”
Jez shrugged, but his eyes
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