Mischief in St. Tropez (Dory Sparks Mysteries Book 2) by C.G. Oster

Author:C.G. Oster
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-08-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

T he next couple of days were spent trying to avoid Vivian. When he was at the house, she found herself in need of a long walk, returning when he had gone again, or she had been absent long enough. Her strategy didn’t always work and he would be sitting either in the covered seating area outside or in the salon. Luckily, he seemed to ignore her much of the time as well. Still, Dory knew she could bear the brunt of his moods anytime he felt like it.

The sky was sunny and pure blue. A warm breeze was coming off the sea, but the house was starting to build up heat in the afternoons.

Today, both Vivian and Livinia were staying at home, which meant the house would likely feel crowded. It was by no means a small house. Perhaps Dory would see herself off to a secluded corner and read. It would be an evening of gin and tonics. Lady Pettifer always liked a gin on a hot day.

Walking into the house, the warm atmosphere felt repressive, and she wasn’t in the mood to read. Surely, she couldn’t go for another walk. She’d just returned from one and was hot and sweaty as a result. What she wanted was to cool down. The sea, she thought. Maybe a dip was exactly what she needed, so she went upstairs and dressed in the deep navy maillot she had bought in Cannes. It was lovely and it fit her perfectly. It had a rounded neckline and it finished at on her hips.

With towel over her shoulder and her book in hand, just in case, she left the house again, feeling a sense of purpose. The path down to the sea led through the extensive gardens along the rough terrains of the hillside, then down a rocky path to the small wooden jetty.

Spreading the towel on the jetty, she left everything there and climbed down the ladder into the refreshingly cool water. It had a sting of coldness for only a moment, then it mellowed into wonderful.

The water was so clear she could see all the rocks along the bottom and even some of the sea life. Diving under, all noise disappeared for a moment and she felt alone. The unpleasantness of the day was cleared away and she emerged tasting salt on her lips.

Glittering sun reflected all around her and she swam away from the jetty, where she turned around and floated for a moment. Swimming in the River Darent Lake had always been their summer outing as she’d grown up. They would cycle over and picnic by the lake shore. It had been the most marvelous days growing up—they’d been happy. Lower Darent Lake didn’t have the spectacular colors of the Cote D’Azur, but it had its own charm, and Dory felt a pang of longing for home.

Gradually, the water started feeling cold and Dory swam back to the jetty and climbed out, laying herself down in the sun.

Baron Drecsay snuck into her mind.

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