Read Online Single Girl Abroad (Mills & Boon M&B) (Mills & Boon Special Releases) by Kelly Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly Hunter
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grandly, ‘has fallen on his feet.’
‘Congratulations,’ said Madeline, and turned towards Luke, as if conscious of having left him out of the conversation. ‘William was very fond of acquiring antique Chinese porcelain pieces. Arthur was very fond of finding them for him. The last piece Arthur found for him was a magnificent funeral vase which cost a small fortune, even by William’s standards.’
‘Ah, but it was a masterpiece,’ said Arthur. ‘Was it not?’
‘Indeed it was, and I have to say it came in very handy.’
Arthur blanched. ‘You didn’t.’
‘Oh, but I did,’ said Madeline with an amused smile, and sashayed through the sliding glass doors.
Sparing a searching glance for the shell-shocked doorman, Luke followed her into the gallery and played the part of companion and helped Madeline remove her lightweight wrap.
‘I take it William’s currently resting in the funeral vase,’ he murmured.
‘He was very fond of it,’ said Madeline. ‘It seemed the least I could do.’
‘You didn’t …?’ Luke knew a little something of Chinese funeral vases—most of it gleaned from his sister. He shook his head. ‘Never mind.’
‘Never mind what?’
‘Nothing. Except …’
Madeline waited expectantly for him to finish.
‘How did William die?’
‘It was very strange,’ she said. ‘He stepped out onto the road unexpectedly and got run over by a truck.’
Luke stepped back and handed Madeline her wrap. They made their way towards the first painting, a white circle on a black background, with a smaller black blob dead centre of the white circle, and bright red squiggles radiating from its centre. It looked like a drunkard’s eyeball and Luke would definitely not want to wake up to it every morning.
The price tag made him grin.
He tilted his head and studied the painting some more.No, not a drunkard’s eyeball. A
dead
man’s eyeball. ‘A truck, you say?’
‘Mmm.’ Madeline moved on to the next picture. More blobs, different colours, with a fork sticking out of the centre. ‘I’m really not seeing the symbolism,’ she murmured.
‘That’s okay.’ Luke was seeing more than enough symbolism for both of them. ‘So … William buys a funeral vase—’
‘Actually, I bought the funeral vase, even though William chose it. It was a birthday gift.’
Luke shuddered. ‘So
you
buy William a funeral vase … and then he gets run over by a truck and dies.’
Madeline turned to stare at him, amused incredulity writ plain on her face. ‘Luke Bennett, are you superstitious?’
‘No,’ he muttered darkly as a tiny, dark-haired matron dressed in sleek dove grey approached them. ‘Not precisely.’
‘Elena,’ said Madeline with a smile. ‘Always a pleasure.’
‘When Bruce told me he’d seen you out and about I rejoiced for you,’ said Elena, with what sounded like sincerity. ‘Six years is too long a time for a young widow to cloister herself away from society.’ The woman turned to Luke, her eyes sharp and assessing. ‘And you must be Luke.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Jianne said yours was the most beautiful family of warriors she’d ever seen. I’ve never met Jacob, but if he’sanything like you I think she must have spoken true.’ Elena’s gaze cut back to Madeline. ‘Is it true?’
‘I’ve only ever met Jacob and Luke,’ said Madeline. ‘So far it’s true.’
Elena sighed. Bruce Yi materialised beside his wife and greeted Madeline and Luke with warm cordiality. ‘What do you make of the paintings?’ he said.
‘We’ve only just begun to look at them,’ said Madeline smoothly.
‘Who knew an art show could be so enlightening?’ added Luke.
‘Bruce, why don’t you introduce Madeline to those project managers you wanted her to meet?’ said Elena. ‘Luke can stay here with me for a time.’
Divide and conquer. Luke knew the ploy well. He wasn’t the middle child of five for nothing. Madeline shot him a questioning glance. Luke gave a tiny
‘Congratulations,’ said Madeline, and turned towards Luke, as if conscious of having left him out of the conversation. ‘William was very fond of acquiring antique Chinese porcelain pieces. Arthur was very fond of finding them for him. The last piece Arthur found for him was a magnificent funeral vase which cost a small fortune, even by William’s standards.’
‘Ah, but it was a masterpiece,’ said Arthur. ‘Was it not?’
‘Indeed it was, and I have to say it came in very handy.’
Arthur blanched. ‘You didn’t.’
‘Oh, but I did,’ said Madeline with an amused smile, and sashayed through the sliding glass doors.
Sparing a searching glance for the shell-shocked doorman, Luke followed her into the gallery and played the part of companion and helped Madeline remove her lightweight wrap.
‘I take it William’s currently resting in the funeral vase,’ he murmured.
‘He was very fond of it,’ said Madeline. ‘It seemed the least I could do.’
‘You didn’t …?’ Luke knew a little something of Chinese funeral vases—most of it gleaned from his sister. He shook his head. ‘Never mind.’
‘Never mind what?’
‘Nothing. Except …’
Madeline waited expectantly for him to finish.
‘How did William die?’
‘It was very strange,’ she said. ‘He stepped out onto the road unexpectedly and got run over by a truck.’
Luke stepped back and handed Madeline her wrap. They made their way towards the first painting, a white circle on a black background, with a smaller black blob dead centre of the white circle, and bright red squiggles radiating from its centre. It looked like a drunkard’s eyeball and Luke would definitely not want to wake up to it every morning.
The price tag made him grin.
He tilted his head and studied the painting some more.No, not a drunkard’s eyeball. A
dead
man’s eyeball. ‘A truck, you say?’
‘Mmm.’ Madeline moved on to the next picture. More blobs, different colours, with a fork sticking out of the centre. ‘I’m really not seeing the symbolism,’ she murmured.
‘That’s okay.’ Luke was seeing more than enough symbolism for both of them. ‘So … William buys a funeral vase—’
‘Actually, I bought the funeral vase, even though William chose it. It was a birthday gift.’
Luke shuddered. ‘So
you
buy William a funeral vase … and then he gets run over by a truck and dies.’
Madeline turned to stare at him, amused incredulity writ plain on her face. ‘Luke Bennett, are you superstitious?’
‘No,’ he muttered darkly as a tiny, dark-haired matron dressed in sleek dove grey approached them. ‘Not precisely.’
‘Elena,’ said Madeline with a smile. ‘Always a pleasure.’
‘When Bruce told me he’d seen you out and about I rejoiced for you,’ said Elena, with what sounded like sincerity. ‘Six years is too long a time for a young widow to cloister herself away from society.’ The woman turned to Luke, her eyes sharp and assessing. ‘And you must be Luke.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Jianne said yours was the most beautiful family of warriors she’d ever seen. I’ve never met Jacob, but if he’sanything like you I think she must have spoken true.’ Elena’s gaze cut back to Madeline. ‘Is it true?’
‘I’ve only ever met Jacob and Luke,’ said Madeline. ‘So far it’s true.’
Elena sighed. Bruce Yi materialised beside his wife and greeted Madeline and Luke with warm cordiality. ‘What do you make of the paintings?’ he said.
‘We’ve only just begun to look at them,’ said Madeline smoothly.
‘Who knew an art show could be so enlightening?’ added Luke.
‘Bruce, why don’t you introduce Madeline to those project managers you wanted her to meet?’ said Elena. ‘Luke can stay here with me for a time.’
Divide and conquer. Luke knew the ploy well. He wasn’t the middle child of five for nothing. Madeline shot him a questioning glance. Luke gave a tiny
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