within inches of the wide stairway.
She yelped in fear as the stranger stood, pulling her up with him. The napkin of sandwiches went flying across the steps.
“Pardon me,” she said as she looked up into cold gray eyes. “I wasn’t watching where . . .” She recognized the man.
“You again,” he said without loosening his grip. “Are you aware, miss, that you might be a danger both to yourself and others?”
“You don’t look too damaged.” Rose resented the fact that this stranger, who’d helped her yesterday when she’d arrived, might think she was normally clumsy. Though what he thought was of little matter to her, she reminded herself. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”
“I might ask you the same question. Though it’s obvious you’re stealing food.”
He picked up one of the little snacks and, to her shock, ate it. “Not bad, but if you can afford a suite, surely you can pay for your food.”
“I did pay for it and stop eating my tea sandwiches. What are you doing hanging around outside my door? I should call the management.”
“Not a bad idea, miss. Maybe one of us should switch rooms.” He held up his key and pointed to the door next to hers. “Since I was the one attacked, I’ll ask to be reassigned.”
“Good.”
She made it three steps before someone below shouted, “Rose!”
A vision in furs and silk rushed up the stairs. “Oh, Rose, I’m so glad you’re here. I just couldn’t wait any longer to see you even though my future husband seems to have a hundred things for me to do before the wedding.”
Rose heard something in her friend’s voice that didn’t ring true. A note of panic or fear, or maybe just pre-wedding nerves.
With sudden emotion, Victoria whispered, “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d been unable to come.”
Rose hugged Victoria Chamberlain. She tried to smile, but the feeling that something was off center was still there. Tori’s smile was too bright, her hug too tight. As always she was dressed to perfection, but for a woman declaring her joy over her dearest friend’s appearance, she didn’t even meet Rose’s gaze.
The possibility that she was the only one who didn’t know that she was in a play haunted Rose. Something was wrong with Victoria.
Rose almost laughed. According to her family, something was always wrong with Victoria. But there were shadows beneath Tori’s pale blue eyes and she clung too tightly to Rose’s arm.
She reminded Rose of a woman near panic.
Victoria continued her act. “I see you’ve met Killian O’Toole, our honorable circuit judge for this district. August’s friend couldn’t make it back from Washington in time for the wedding and he talked Killian into standing up with him as best man. Isn’t that grand?”
Rose looked at the tall man dressed in black. Somehow she wasn’t surprised to find him mixed up in this mess. The gray-eyed man bothered her. He seemed almost stoop-shouldered from the bundle of secrets he carried. Killian O’Toole appeared to be as tall as her driver Stitch, but his frame was far slimmer. She doubted Killian could protect himself much less anyone else.
When she noticed his confusion, she couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t another bit player cast in this production. The poor man must have hit his head in the fall because he just stared at Victoria as if all the rest of the world had faded to black. “I agreed to stand with August Myers before I knew who he planned to marry. I had no idea it was you, Miss Chamberlain.”
His confession was whispered. Victoria didn’t seem to hear it, but Rose had. She couldn’t read the man, but she suspected that if he’d known who the bride was he might not have been a part of the wedding party.
Victoria grabbed his arm and pressed against him. “I wanted to surprise you.” She laughed as she moved him along like some giant puppet. “Killian, you must join us for lunch. You’re going to love my very
She yelped in fear as the stranger stood, pulling her up with him. The napkin of sandwiches went flying across the steps.
“Pardon me,” she said as she looked up into cold gray eyes. “I wasn’t watching where . . .” She recognized the man.
“You again,” he said without loosening his grip. “Are you aware, miss, that you might be a danger both to yourself and others?”
“You don’t look too damaged.” Rose resented the fact that this stranger, who’d helped her yesterday when she’d arrived, might think she was normally clumsy. Though what he thought was of little matter to her, she reminded herself. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”
“I might ask you the same question. Though it’s obvious you’re stealing food.”
He picked up one of the little snacks and, to her shock, ate it. “Not bad, but if you can afford a suite, surely you can pay for your food.”
“I did pay for it and stop eating my tea sandwiches. What are you doing hanging around outside my door? I should call the management.”
“Not a bad idea, miss. Maybe one of us should switch rooms.” He held up his key and pointed to the door next to hers. “Since I was the one attacked, I’ll ask to be reassigned.”
“Good.”
She made it three steps before someone below shouted, “Rose!”
A vision in furs and silk rushed up the stairs. “Oh, Rose, I’m so glad you’re here. I just couldn’t wait any longer to see you even though my future husband seems to have a hundred things for me to do before the wedding.”
Rose heard something in her friend’s voice that didn’t ring true. A note of panic or fear, or maybe just pre-wedding nerves.
With sudden emotion, Victoria whispered, “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d been unable to come.”
Rose hugged Victoria Chamberlain. She tried to smile, but the feeling that something was off center was still there. Tori’s smile was too bright, her hug too tight. As always she was dressed to perfection, but for a woman declaring her joy over her dearest friend’s appearance, she didn’t even meet Rose’s gaze.
The possibility that she was the only one who didn’t know that she was in a play haunted Rose. Something was wrong with Victoria.
Rose almost laughed. According to her family, something was always wrong with Victoria. But there were shadows beneath Tori’s pale blue eyes and she clung too tightly to Rose’s arm.
She reminded Rose of a woman near panic.
Victoria continued her act. “I see you’ve met Killian O’Toole, our honorable circuit judge for this district. August’s friend couldn’t make it back from Washington in time for the wedding and he talked Killian into standing up with him as best man. Isn’t that grand?”
Rose looked at the tall man dressed in black. Somehow she wasn’t surprised to find him mixed up in this mess. The gray-eyed man bothered her. He seemed almost stoop-shouldered from the bundle of secrets he carried. Killian O’Toole appeared to be as tall as her driver Stitch, but his frame was far slimmer. She doubted Killian could protect himself much less anyone else.
When she noticed his confusion, she couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t another bit player cast in this production. The poor man must have hit his head in the fall because he just stared at Victoria as if all the rest of the world had faded to black. “I agreed to stand with August Myers before I knew who he planned to marry. I had no idea it was you, Miss Chamberlain.”
His confession was whispered. Victoria didn’t seem to hear it, but Rose had. She couldn’t read the man, but she suspected that if he’d known who the bride was he might not have been a part of the wedding party.
Victoria grabbed his arm and pressed against him. “I wanted to surprise you.” She laughed as she moved him along like some giant puppet. “Killian, you must join us for lunch. You’re going to love my very
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