Shinn, Sharon - Samaria 03 - The Alleluia Files by Shinn Sharon

Author:Shinn, Sharon [Shinn, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-04-11T02:45:41+00:00

LadyofSin,byMadelineHunter

"So do I, sometimes. But no great mysteries have arisen that I could not solve--no locked cabinets that I could not find the key for, no dreadful events that she could have forewarned me aboutt. I think she was afraid, and looking straight into the face of death, and wanted the assurance of the god's love. And that I gave her. So I don't worry about it anymore."

"Do you think--" Jared began, but was stopped by a small, speculative touch on his arm. He turned instantly to find Annalee smiling up at him with a wistful, plaintive expression.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she said in her soft, exclamatory whisper. "I didn't realize you were still talking."

"What is it, Annalee?" he asked with an edged calm.

"It's just that, after dinner, I know Mariah is going to ask for entertainment. And I thought--if you had no objection--you would be willing to sing a duet with me? Something simple, of course, I know my voice is no match for yours, but Mariah made me promise that I would get up and sing, and I am shy to be singing by myself in front of all these strangers. But if you were beside me, well--"

He let her go on for a few more tangled sentences, mentally consigning Mariah to eternal damnation, before nodding sharply three times. "Of course. I am happy to serve as Mariah's amusement," he said. "Did you have a song in mind?"

Well, she had several, all silly love songs with preposterous lyrics, and all equally distasteful to him. "Choose what you will," he told her. "I am familiar with each of them."

As soon as he could, he turned back to finish his conversation with Jecoliah, but she had become engrossed in a discussion with the miner on her other side and showed no indication of ending it soon. In frustration, he addressed himself determinedly to his food, not looking up till he had cleaned his plate and finished his third glass of wine.

As he had expected, the soiree following the meal was even worse than the dinner itself, highlighted by his own performance with the wispy Annalee. He did his best not to make eye contact with Bael, Mariah, or Richard Stephalo while the painful duet was in progress, for he could not bear to see the satisfaction on their faces; likewise, he could not look at Isabella, because he knew she would be laughing. The applause that followed the song was extravagant, but not enough to make him agree to an encore, and he swept the assembled company a bow before stalking away from the pianoforte. He went straight to the servant holding a tray of wineglasses.

"You'll be too ill to leave in the morning, if you keep drinking all night," Isabella murmured in his ear, and he turned to give her an idiot's grin.

"Nothing will make me too ill to leave in the morning," he informed her. She took the glass from his hand, deliberately sipped from it, and handed it back.

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