me. Not as a person. You're feeling challenged. That's what it is.
Your masculine ego is just acting up because my friends warned you to stay away from me.”
“They warned me to stay away unless my intentions were honorable”, he corrected softly.
She sniffed in disdain. “They could hardly be honorable .”
“You won't know that or anything else about me for certain unless you make the call to McCray. This is the modem
age, Maggie. A smart woman checks a man out before she gets involved with him.”
“I do not intend to get involved with you. Good night, Mr. January. You are, if you don't mind my saying so, very
well named. I have never met anyone quite so cold-blooded.”
“Then you have lived a very sheltered life, Maggie Gladstone.”
Josh watched with satisfaction as she started to slam the door on her way out of the room. At the last minute she
apparently changed her mind, no doubt afraid the noise would be heard down the hall. She closed it very softly with a
self-control that spoke volumes.
She was at least fully aware of him now. Josh decided. As aware of him as he was of her. The month at Peregrine
Manor was going to prove interesting.
After a few minutes he removed the ice from his leg and levered himself carefully up and off the bed. This time he
found the steps. Balancing on his good leg, he studied the ornately carved bedpost that had turned so easily beneath
his wildly clutching fingers.
He recalled what Maggie had said about this room having once belonged to her Aunt Agatha.
Josh took a good grip on the post and slowly turned it counterclockwise. The post squeaked softly in protest and
then the entire upper portion came loose.
Josh lifted that section of post off the joining portion and realized he was looking into a small, hidden “safe.” There
was a little jewellery box resting inside the hollowed-out bedpost. He plucked it out and opened it.
An old-fashioned emerald brooch winked in the light of the bedside lamp.
Was he a hotshot private eye or what? Just give him a clue and he was a regular Sherlock Homes.
Grinning to himself. Josh replaced the lid and dropped the box back into the hidden chamber. Then he carefully
repositioned the upper section of the bedpost and screwed it back into place.
There was no point in solving the mysteries of Peregrine Manor too soon, he reminded himself as he got back into
bed. He had a month to kill here. A month in which to delve deeply into the mysteries of one Maggie Gladstone,
spinster, amateur sleuth and reader of detective novels. He realized he was looking forward to the next four weeks with
more enthusiasm than he'd felt about anything in a long, long while.
Josh went to sleep feeling as if some great weight had begun to be lifted from his shoulders.
Chapter 4
MAGGIE AWOKE the next morning feeling surprisingly rested and refreshed. She realized that she hadn't been
sleeping very well lately. The nightly stress of listening for strange noises, the concern about whether she had
double-checked every lock on every window, the growing worry about the future of Peregrine Manor all had taken
their toll on her during the past few weeks.
Apparently there was much to be said for having a man like Josh January in the house. In spite of the crutches and
bruises, there was something oddly reassuring about his presence. It was unfortunate he had made that pass last
night. Now she was going to have to make a point of keeping him in his place. No more going to his rescue in
the-middle of the night, she told herself.
Maggie showered and quickly selected a pair of jeans and an orange sweatshirt from her closet. When she had put
them on, she went to stand in front of the dressing table and picked up a brush.
She had just finished tying her thick hair back into a ponytail when her eyes fell on the crumpled sheet of yellow
paper lying on the table. Maggie went very still as vivid details of the night before returned to her.
There had
Your masculine ego is just acting up because my friends warned you to stay away from me.”
“They warned me to stay away unless my intentions were honorable”, he corrected softly.
She sniffed in disdain. “They could hardly be honorable .”
“You won't know that or anything else about me for certain unless you make the call to McCray. This is the modem
age, Maggie. A smart woman checks a man out before she gets involved with him.”
“I do not intend to get involved with you. Good night, Mr. January. You are, if you don't mind my saying so, very
well named. I have never met anyone quite so cold-blooded.”
“Then you have lived a very sheltered life, Maggie Gladstone.”
Josh watched with satisfaction as she started to slam the door on her way out of the room. At the last minute she
apparently changed her mind, no doubt afraid the noise would be heard down the hall. She closed it very softly with a
self-control that spoke volumes.
She was at least fully aware of him now. Josh decided. As aware of him as he was of her. The month at Peregrine
Manor was going to prove interesting.
After a few minutes he removed the ice from his leg and levered himself carefully up and off the bed. This time he
found the steps. Balancing on his good leg, he studied the ornately carved bedpost that had turned so easily beneath
his wildly clutching fingers.
He recalled what Maggie had said about this room having once belonged to her Aunt Agatha.
Josh took a good grip on the post and slowly turned it counterclockwise. The post squeaked softly in protest and
then the entire upper portion came loose.
Josh lifted that section of post off the joining portion and realized he was looking into a small, hidden “safe.” There
was a little jewellery box resting inside the hollowed-out bedpost. He plucked it out and opened it.
An old-fashioned emerald brooch winked in the light of the bedside lamp.
Was he a hotshot private eye or what? Just give him a clue and he was a regular Sherlock Homes.
Grinning to himself. Josh replaced the lid and dropped the box back into the hidden chamber. Then he carefully
repositioned the upper section of the bedpost and screwed it back into place.
There was no point in solving the mysteries of Peregrine Manor too soon, he reminded himself as he got back into
bed. He had a month to kill here. A month in which to delve deeply into the mysteries of one Maggie Gladstone,
spinster, amateur sleuth and reader of detective novels. He realized he was looking forward to the next four weeks with
more enthusiasm than he'd felt about anything in a long, long while.
Josh went to sleep feeling as if some great weight had begun to be lifted from his shoulders.
Chapter 4
MAGGIE AWOKE the next morning feeling surprisingly rested and refreshed. She realized that she hadn't been
sleeping very well lately. The nightly stress of listening for strange noises, the concern about whether she had
double-checked every lock on every window, the growing worry about the future of Peregrine Manor all had taken
their toll on her during the past few weeks.
Apparently there was much to be said for having a man like Josh January in the house. In spite of the crutches and
bruises, there was something oddly reassuring about his presence. It was unfortunate he had made that pass last
night. Now she was going to have to make a point of keeping him in his place. No more going to his rescue in
the-middle of the night, she told herself.
Maggie showered and quickly selected a pair of jeans and an orange sweatshirt from her closet. When she had put
them on, she went to stand in front of the dressing table and picked up a brush.
She had just finished tying her thick hair back into a ponytail when her eyes fell on the crumpled sheet of yellow
paper lying on the table. Maggie went very still as vivid details of the night before returned to her.
There had
Similar Books
