Dark Garden by Jennifer Fulton

Author:Jennifer Fulton [Fulton, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781602823099
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
Published: 2009-05-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“What do you mean, she’s gone?”

Mrs. Danville swept Vienna with a frosty stare. “She left a few hours ago.”

“Just like that?” Shock thinned her voice. “Did she leave a message for me?” She felt like an idiot for asking but held her ground, refusing to be intimidated. “It’s just that we’d talked earlier about having dinner together.”

Mrs. Danville bestowed one of her superior smiles, little more than a reluctant flare of the lips. “There was no mention of entertaining a guest for the evening, Miss Blake. But you’re welcome to wait in the parlor while I telephone her. Perhaps I misunderstood.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Vienna glanced despondently past the housekeeper into the great hall. She could see the staircase and could almost feel Mason’s body against her own. How could Mason have gone, after all they’d just said to each other? Vienna felt as though they’d finally built a bridge to stand on, safe from the floodwaters of the past. For once she’d allowed herself to listen to her heart, not her head. But things had happened so fast, she needed to stop. She found Mason impossible to resist. It would have been all too easy to go home with her and make love, but Vienna wanted to make that decision when her judgment wasn’t clouded by physical desire. She had to find out if she would still choose to be with Mason, because if she did that would change everything.

Mrs. Danville elected to stop torturing her. “Something urgent arose in the city. She said if anyone was looking for her, I was to extend her apologies.”

“I see.” Vienna recognized her cue to leave but she couldn’t bear to walk away, having come this far. “Is she planning to return late?”

If Mason had something urgent to deal with, perhaps she would drive back afterward. Vienna could be here when she arrived home, keeping that promise to spend the night in her bed.

“I had the impression she would be away for several days,” Mrs. Danville said.

Vienna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It made no sense after what she’d seen in Mason’s face only hours earlier.“Why?” she whispered.

Mrs. Danville looked at her oddly. “I suggest you ask her yourself, Miss Blake.”

Through a film of tears, Vienna studied the marble statue near the door, trying to compose herself. She shivered as a gust of wind sent dry leaves flurrying over the broad front steps. “Yes, of course.”

Go, she thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to begin the journey back knowing what she would be leaving behind. She had the irrational thought that she might never see Mason again. The possibility struck her like a blow.

“Are you quite well, Miss Blake?”

Vienna couldn’t speak. Her whole body shook. She made a sound that surprised her, a thin little scream not quite stifled as it emerged. The noise seemed to startle Mrs. Danville as well.

“I think it might be wise for you to sit down,” the housekeeper said. “You’ve gone pale.”

She led Vienna indoors and ushered her into a small parlor close by.

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