Dragon Wind Rising by Frances Burke

Author:Frances Burke [Burke, Frances]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romantic Adventure
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 2007-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

To my surprise, I slept soundly that night, waking later than usual. I lay for some minutes reliving yesterday’s emotional upheaval with mixed feelings. My spur of the moment decision to reveal my story, or should I say, empty it all over an unsuspecting Michael Attwood, had surprised us both. Self-revelation wasn’t my style. My grandparents had discouraged ‘temperament’ of any kind, and my father didn’t know the meaning of the word. However, the floodgates had opened, and I could no more have resisted it than I could hold back a waterfall.

Michael had taken it well. He displayed an unexpected empathy, considering his reputation for fleeting, surface relationships. He’d dealt with my impassioned outpouring so kindly and without embarrassment, getting me out of the public lounge and into a private parlour where I could cry away the pain on his shoulder, and later be revived with fresh tea and sympathy. If only he’d known what it meant to me to be in his arms, to feel his heart beat so close to mine. It was coming home. It was belonging.

By the time he finally released me I’d achieved a certain calm. While I still carried a burden of responsibility, now I could acknowledge that the missionary group could never have survived such overwhelming odds. I still regretted my verbal attack on John Tunstall. I need not have been so direct, so hurtful. I vowed in future to guard my tendency toward bluntness lest it lead to another’s humiliation. As for the terrible memories of my near death by fire, although leavened by being brought into the open, only time would fade these to a bearable intensity.

I did wonder about my next meeting with Michael. Would he try to avoid me, fearing the possibility of further intimate revelations? Many men would. If I’d thought of the risk at the time, I’d still have unburdened myself. The load had become too much to bear alone. Now I could only wait and hope that my love would at least remain my friend.

I dressed and went to learn the latest news at the British Legation, but got no further than the hotel step before Michael joined me, not displaying any of the awkwardness that might exist between us. He hurried me into the street. ‘You’re just in time to register the medieval war-horse’s most stupid move yet. See there.’ He pointed to the gates of the German legation where two sedan chairs waited, hooded in the scarlet and green denoting official status. Two unarmed footmen waited beside them.

I drew in my breath. ‘He’s not going out? Not after the official warning.’

‘He is. The fool. He apparently laid down the law to Sir Claude earlier this morning, and declared his intention of sitting outside the TsungliYamen compound all day and all night until he wrings an answer from them. Here he comes now.’

Von Kettler, wattled cheeks bulging over his tight uniform collar and sword at his side, strutted to the first chair and threw himself in.

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