[Bayou Gavotte 03.0] Heart of Constantine Read Online Free PDF Page B

now report to the same world that you were befuddled by a date rape drug. That when you wokeand saw him, you couldn’t think of anything but how sexy he was. That you temporarily lost your mind and said the first thing that popped into it.”
    “I can’t possibly say anything so stupid!”
    “You already said something stupid.”
    “I know that,” Marguerite said in a small voice. “But it would have been worse to agree with what that foul reporter said.”
    “You could have told the truth.” Lavonia tightened her dressing gown around herself and banged cupboards and drawers as she got the coffee going.
    No, because the truth included what she’d read in Constantine’s aura, and no one would have believed her. She’d stopped talking about auras long ago, because she’d had enough of not being believed or, alternatively, of being shunned. She hadn’t told Lavonia about being able to read auras for fear that it would ruin their friendship the way it had ruined several of Marguerite’s friendships in the past. Those who believed her felt she was invading their privacy by seeing the emotions they wanted to hide. She didn’t
want
to see all those chaotic feelings, but all too often, she had no choice.
    “No, I couldn’t. The reporter would have put a spin on it to suit his purposes.” The press had hounded her father for telling the truth, twisting it into something evil. A shudder ran through her. If Nathan found out whose daughter she was and raked up all that garbage again… But maybe he wouldn’t. “Anyway, sounding confused and wasted would only have supported the reporter’s horrible theories. I had to distract him with something his readers would like.”
    “You didn’t have to. You wanted to.” Lavonia glowered as she scooped coffee beans and turned on the coffeemaker. The noise of the grinder postponed her tirade for a second or two, but the instant it stopped, she burst out, “He’s a dangerous man! He’s not only a vigilante, but from what I’ve heard, he abused his wife and then poisoned her, whether you and the rest of his crazy fans want to believe it or not.”
    “We’re not crazy. The abuse stories were the ravings of a woman addled by drugs, and he was hours away in Mississippi when she died.”
    “So he contracted with someone to kill her. You can’t simply let this go.”
    “I’m not letting it go. I’m just not taking the usual route.” She sat down again, shivering even more. Reaction, she supposed. She’d controlled herself fine up on the mound, just as she’d remained externally calm after Pauline’s death, only letting go when safely alone. Not that she’d been particularly close to Pauline, but the suicide had been such a shock. Pauline’s aura had shown that she’d been healing, getting over her horrific past, and then, completely out of the blue… she was dead.
    Marguerite slumped in the chair. It hit her now, as it had several times on the drive over, that she was lucky not to be dead herself. Lavonia’s cat, a sleek calico that had recently had a litter of kittens, rubbed against Marguerite’s legs. She picked up the cat and caressed it, taking comfort in its warmth and its contented purr. “How are the kittens doing? Have you found homes for any of them?”
    “They’re fine. Yes, I’ve found homes for two, and don’t try to change the subject,” Lavonia said. “Are you afraid of Constantine? Because if you are, we’ll do something aboutit. We’ll get the police involved. We’ll put you in hiding if necessary. I’ll even get the coven to try a protection spell, although I’m still not sure we’ve got it right.” She stormed into the living room, came back with a fuzzy lavender throw, and wrapped it around Marguerite. The cat jumped down and stalked away. “See? You’re shaking all over. You
are
afraid.”
    “No, I’m freezing.” She didn’t need protection against Constantine Dufray, but saying so wouldn’t encourage Lavonia to give her