Read Online Return to Vienna by Nancy Buckingham - Free Book Online Page A

my relief at seeing him there could have passed for delight. I was held tight in his arms, and his lips found mine and lingered. Not too long, but long enough to demonstrate that this was more than just a friendly kiss.
    Gripping my elbow, Richard guided me to the chair next to his. We sat down together, and he held my hand clasped in his own for everyone to see.
    “Sorry about that little performance,” he murmured. “You didn’t mind?”
    “No, of course not.” But I glanced away, staring
down at the yellow plastic surface of the table, because I had minded. No man had kissed me on the
lips since Max. That it should be Richard Wilson, the
man who was so closely involved in the hidden side of my husband’s life, somehow gave the incident a particularly bitter taste.
    He seemed to take the way I was avoiding his eyes as a sign of shyness. He murmured with the lightest of laughs, “Well, if you didn’t mind, Jessica, I certainly didn’t!”
    The threesome at the table across the room were whispering and chuckling—and we were the joke. A furtive meeting in a shabby little cafe in the suburbs, with me dressed—as they’d see it—out of the top drawer. Wasn’t the setup blatantly obvious? And that was how Richard had planned it. The fat proprietress and her customers would enjoy a good laugh at our expense, and promptly forget all about us.
    I played my part by looking at Richard with fond eyes as I said quietly, “I’ve been wondering how you’d get in touch.”
    “We have to be very careful.” He signaled for a cup of coffee for me. “I don’t expect you have any news yet?”
    “No, not really. Except….”
    “Well, except what?”
    “I was followed yesterday. Was it one of your men, Richard?”
    He hesitated. “What was the chap like?”
    “Oh, middle-aged, grayish hair. He was driving a gray Volkswagen. And he was in the plane from London, too. . ..”
    Richard nodded, and for the benefit of the woman who was bringing my coffee over, he said, “What a clever little thing you are, darling! You’ve got it absolutely right.”
    When she had gone away again, I asked him, “Why, Richard? Why should you have me followed?”
    “It’s for your own protection—just in case.”
    “But it seems so silly!”
    “Not silly at all. I warned you, Jessica, there’s danger in this work we do. You understood that before you agreed to help.”
    “Yes, I know.” An element of risk had seemed so unimportant at the time. Without Max, I’d thought, what did it matter if I ran into danger; even if I were to get myself killed? Now, to my surprise, I realized that the thought of death was terrifying. I wanted to live.
    My face must have given away my fear. Richard said quickly, “Cheer up, Jessica, it’s not that bad. We’ll take good care of you.”
    I made an effort to steady myself, and asked, “Did you know my hotel room was searched last night? Was that done by one of your men, too?”
    Richard stared at me. “Do you mean the place was turned upside down—is that what you’re saying?”
    “No, it was done very carefully indeed. In fact, I couldn’t be absolutely sure at first, because nothing seemed to have been disturbed.”
    Richard was looking relieved. “You’re imagining things, Jessica.”
    “No, really, I’m quite positive.”
    “Look,” he said gently, “it’s terribly easy to get the jitters. Believe me, in this game it happens to all of us at times. But you’ve only got to think for a moment—who knew last night that you were back in Vienna? I did, and Steve Elliott. It wasn’t one of my men, and you were with Elliott at the time you think the job was done. You see!”
    “But I could have sworn!”
    “Forget it, Jessica.” He smiled indulgently, then switched direction so suddenly that it unnerved me. “I’m told that you spent a lot of time with Elliott yesterday evening. What did he have to say?”
    “Oh . . . nothing special. Steve just took me out to dinner.”
    “And