Read Online Shadow of Reality by Donna Fletcher Crow - Free Book Online Page A

picture of the author, looking only slightly younger than he did at breakfast this morning. The photograph was of him (just plain Gavin Kendall, since he hadn’t yet received his knighthood) escorting the actress Margo Lovell to a West End gala. Elizabeth stared at the picture as if the figures had begun to move. She hadn’t realized how glamorous his life undoubtedly was—how far-removed his world was from hers. Because they read the same books, liked the same food, and her heart turned handsprings at the merest thought of Gavin, she hadn’t considered the differences between them. Could the distances of cultural and social background be spanned by love? For the first time since Sir Gavin Kendall bowed over her hand as a romantic hero, shadows of doubt and fear touched her heart and made her shiver.
    To help clear her thoughts, she focused on the review below the picture: “This spine-tingling thriller is a totally new style for the writer whose previous mysteries have been no more than charming period pieces. Gavin Kendall has at last given us full-fleshed characters caught in fast-paced action and cliff-hanging suspense…There are already rumors that if the international accolades continue to mount, a knighthood could be in the offing. In the meantime, we look forward to more books in this vein from a writer who has suddenly hit his stride…”
    “See, I knew it was Suzanna—jealousy will do it every time.”
    “That’s a weaker motive than national security. Not only that, but Brian’s whole career was on the line as well.”
    The talk in the room penetrated her consciousness as Elizabeth looked through another stack of red-bordered magazines to see if she could find a review of Gavin’s more recent books.
    “Well, if you want to talk about careers, look at Nigel Cass—he’s obviously mismanaged Gloria’s business affairs, if not outright stolen from her. And don’t forget, the thing happened in his home. He’d have far more opportunity than anyone else.”
    “Which is precisely why he wouldn’t do it—it would be too obvious to murder his own guest.”
    “Oh, I don’t know—MacBeth did.”
    “Yeah, and he didn’t get away with it, either.”
    “Macbeth tried to put the blame on the servants and then killed them all before they could talk. And speaking of servants, I think Millie knows more than she’s telling.”
    A musical chime turned everyone’s attention to the clock on the mantle.
    “Noon already?”
    “We just ate.”
    “The food here is incredible.”
    A wail from Irene made everyone laugh as they moved toward the dining room. “And I have a Weight Watchers meeting a week from tonight!”
    Elizabeth barely suppressed her own excitement as she joined the group. She couldn’t wait to tell Gavin about the article she had found about him.
    “…and they gave you more space than Agatha Christie’s biography,” she said a few minutes later when they were seated at the large round table where Blight Spirit gathered so regularly.
    With his British reserve, Gavin seemed less pleased about her accolades than she had expected, so she changed the subject slightly, “I looked for a review of your more recent books, but I didn’t find anything. Stark said on our  first night that you gave him the plot for this mystery. It’s such a good one, why didn’t you ever use it yourself? Or did you? I’m afraid I haven’t read all of your books.”
    Gavin shrugged and finished a bite of his shrimp salad. “Thank goodness they serve American lunches here—you’d never get salads like this in England. And they do a much better job of cooking the vegetables here, too.”
    Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, just because ‘there’ll always be an England’ is no reason to cook the vegetables that long.”
    “Precisely my point.” Gavin took another bite of salad, so he was chewing again when Elizabeth returned to the subject of the mystery plot.
    He shook his head and wiped his mouth with his