Tangled Vines by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2014-04-14T23:42:21+00:00

Chapter Twelve

A lamp cast a pool of light over the bright yellow chair the baron occupied. Night shadows darkened the rest of the suite’s sitting room. The wood-louvered shutters at the windows stood open, letting in the evening air. A breeze whipped through them, heady with the scent of olive trees and fermenting grapes as it riffled the gilt-edged pages of the book Emile held. It was a minor distraction, succeeding only in shifting his grip to hold the pages down, never rousing him from his absorption in the material before him.

Not until he had finished his apportioned chapter of Bergson’s L’Evolution creatice did he lower the book. He removed his reading glasses and thoughtfully considered the passages he had just read. Several more minutes passed before he reached for the silver bookmark, designed in the shape of the family crest, that lay on the table by the lamp. He held it a moment, then slipped it between the pages and closed the book, absently recalling that Natalie had given him the silver marker for his birthday two years ago – or had it been three?

He started to ask her, then realized she wasn’t there.

She had gone out for a walk; it had become almost a nightly routine since they had arrived.

Laying aside his book he rose from the chair and wandered over to the tall doors, standing open to the private terrace. Darkness had closed around the resort, turning the olive trees along the hillside into indistinct black shapes. A check of his watch confirmed it was late. He rubbed his eyes and considered retiring for the evening, then decided he would wait until Natalie returned, certain it would be soon.

Emile went back to his chair and opened the book again. But, as the minutes passed and the hour grew later, the tome of philosophy failed to hold his interest. His mind kept turning to Natalie, paying her more attention than he had in months. Soon the book lay unnoticed on his lap.

When he heard the turn of the key in the lock, followed by the click of the metal latch, he lifted the book and pretended to be reading it. Light suddenly filled the corners of the sitting room, chasing off the shadows.

“I thought you would be in bed.” She paused briefly when she saw him still in his chair.

But it was the tone of her voice that caught him, the easy strength of it, the light tilt to it. He put the book aside to study her as she came the rest of the way into the room. There was color in her cheeks and a brightness in her dark eyes. The smile she gave him was almost radiant. Emile could not remember when he had last seen so much happiness in her expression.

“You must have walked a long way this evening.”

“Out of the black shadows of doubt all the way to the bright moonlight of promise.”

Emile frowned. “I am not familiar with that quotation In which book did you find it?”

“It was a very big book.

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