Grave Consequences by Dana Cameron

Author:Dana Cameron [Cameron, Dana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061744716
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007-08-17T03:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING IN A SWIRL OF CONFUSION. The dreams I’d been having were more intense than ever, somewhat threatening, somewhat confusing, always just beyond my ability to understand them. This was further complicated by the fact that after a moment, I realized that I smelled coffee brewing. I hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans and bolted downstairs, lest the odor prove to be a phantom.

Of course I should have remembered that no matter how often or how hard I wished it, coffee never brewed itself: Jane was downstairs waiting for me. I came to that realization just as I hit that squeaky last step, so there was no chance of fleeing back to my room. Clever trap, Jane, I thought. It was really unfair, though, to lure me into a potentially heavy conversation before I was fully human.

“Good morning.” Jane poured me a cup of coffee from the coffee press. It was a peace offering; she must have picked it up yesterday.

“Hey.”

There was a long pause hanging between us and I took the opportunity to stoke up. I honestly couldn’t decide which of us needed to do the apologizing and suspected that I owed her at least a small one. Which was why it was such a surprise to me when just as I drew breath, Jane had already begun.

“I’m very sorry about last night. I had no right. I can only attribute it to being a little overtired and a little hungry. Possibly a mite tiddly.”

I shook my head. “I shouldn’t have been pushing you—”

“No, no, look, I’m a big girl,” she interrupted. “I am, occasionally, able to govern myself sufficiently to account for those factors. You have been a tremendous help to me, to us, and I wouldn’t want you to think otherwise. I know you’re just trying to help, and it happens to be in exactly the way that tends to scare me off, you know? So please forgive me and I’ll try to do better.”

“Sure, no problem.” I was still a little befuddled; this was all happening pretty fast. “So you and Greg will be coming with me today? To the fox hunt?”

Jane’s face darkened. “Um, I rather think not. I’ve got too much work to catch up on—especially where Bonnie’s concerned, alas—and I’m still not ready to show myself at a social gathering. I wouldn’t be any fun. But since we haven’t rung to say we won’t be attending, I’ll ask Greg to run you over, so that we don’t disrupt his lor—Jeremy’s plans—”

With that I heaved a sigh of relief. No private audience with Jane and Palmer in the same room. Something unknotted in my stomach and I realized, chagrined, just how worried I had been about that possibility.

“—And you should give us a call when you get done. All right?”

“Yes, thanks. Er. Any idea what I should wear?”

Jane cocked her head, considering. “I’ve never been to one of these affairs, but I understand they’re not terribly formal. You won’t need hunting pinks or anything like that.

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