Dance with a Dynasty by Joann Ross

Author:Joann Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1993-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

THE COURSE for the Grand Prix de Montacroix curved past the Giraudeau palace, beyond the stables, around the north end of the lake, past the cathedral and the casino, before looping around, through a five-hundred-year-old stone tunnel cut into the Montacroix Alps, into a series of three hairpin turns, through the part of town dedicated to commerce, with its banks and stock exchange, finally returning again to the palace.

The assembled drivers—the very best in the world—would make that circuit fifty-six times before one of them would speed into the record books.

And all along the treacherously curving route, fans would congregate. Some would actually watch the racing, keeping track of the lap times, but most would come to socialize. Because congeniality and ambience were what made Montacroix the place to be—and to be seen—during Grand Prix week.

As Burke went over the prerace check with his crew, his mind—which never wandered prior to a race—kept drifting back to Sabrina. He pulled on his fireproof gloves, climbed into the cockpit, and took his earned position at the post for the pace lap. As he passed the palace, it was all Burke could do not to look up at the balcony in order to search her out.

Sabrina had never been more nervous in her life. Unable to stay still, she paced back and forth along the balcony, until Dixie complained about her blocking everyone’s view.

“You’re actin’ like a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs,” her stepmother complained.

Which was, Sabrina thought, exactly how she felt. Her heart was in her throat, and her stomach felt as if it had taken off on a roller coaster ride, leaving her behind. She didn’t want to watch, in case the unthinkable happened. For that same reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off the track.

She kept her binoculars focused on Burke’s red car. It was sleek and dangerous looking, resembling a manned cruise missile.

From the beginning, he lapped more quickly than the others, repeatedly setting the fastest lap and never giving up. If her interest hadn’t been so intently personal, Sabrina knew that she would have found his daring a thrill to watch.

Right in front of the palace, a Porsche, driven by an American, came too close and brushed wheels with a black Lotus driven by the son of an Italian industrialist. The Italian braked, causing a third car coming up behind the pair to have nowhere to go but over the back of the Lotus.

Complete chaos ensued. A fourth car screeched to a grinding halt just short of the third, while a fifth careened into them both just as Burke came out of the tunnel into the turn. Jessica cried out, the regent cursed, and Sabrina held her breath as Burke attempted to get around the outside of the wrecked cars, spun one-hundred-eighty degrees, backed up, turned around and managed to push on. Behind him, the rest of the pack staggered by, more and more strung out.

“I knew he could do it,” Eduard insisted on a voice that was far shakier than his usual strong baritone.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.