Chosen by Desire Read Online Free PDF Page B

to go in and find out what’s going on instead of foretelling gloom and doom out here.
Carrie swallowed and knocked on the door.
    “Come in.”
    Opening the door, she poked her head in. “I know you wanted to meet at four. I’m a few minutes early.”
    “That’s perfect. We can have a moment to chat before Ms. della Vega arrives.” She waved her hand. “Come.”
    Curiosity eased some of her tension. “Who’s Ms. della Vega?”
    “I’ll get to that in a moment.” Leonora studied her, her ever-present pen sliding through her fingers. “It seems you’ve brought back some luck with you from China.”
    She had? She wrinkled her nose. “I guess you could say that. Finding Wei Lin’s journal was like finding a needle in a haystack.”
    “And now there’s the fellowship.”
    “Fellowship?” She perked up. “What fellowship?”
    “Have you heard of Bái H?”
    She laughed incredulously. The White Tiger was as legendary as the Scrolls of Destiny. “Who hasn’t heard of Bái H? He’s got one of the most renowned private collections of Chinese texts and artifacts in the world. He’s also the most elusive man in the world. I heard no one’s seen him for years. I’m assuming he has something to do with the fellowship?”
    “Yes. His assistant, Ms. della Vega, contacted me asking about you. It seems rumors of your competence in translation and archival work reached his ears. He has a special project he’d like to have you work on.”
    Carrie grinned. “Awesome. Do you have details?”
    Before her advisor could answer, someone knocked on the door. Leonora rose to answer it.
    A fellowship from the famous Bái H. Carrie’s grin widened. This was a coup—an honor. Having this on her résumé would go a long way in convincing the board she was worthy of a job. Combined with her theory on the Scrolls of Destiny, she was a shoo-in.
    “Carrie, meet Francesca della Vega.” Leonora gestured to the doorway.
    Carrie turned around, not expecting the tall, elegant woman she saw in the threshold. Bái H’s assistant was gorgeous. Perfect features, porcelain skin, and long, slim limbs. Fiery red hair gave her color, even if it was severely restrained in a knot. She looked flawless and expensive.
    “Ms. della Vega, this is Carrie Woods, the scholar you’ve expressed interest in.”
    Carrie smiled, knowing she was being appraised, too. She also knew she’d be found sorely lacking, in her old jeans and scuffed boots. At least she had a nice shirt on because she was working this evening.
    But she was a scholar, not a socialite. They’d be interested in her mind, not her fashion sense. Or lack thereof. “It’s great to meet you,” she ventured into the stilted silence.
    The statuesque woman inclined her head to one side. “Ms. Woods.”
    Carrie grinned. The lack of enthusiasm wasn’t lost on her.
    Leonora waved to the empty chair. “Please sit down.”
    Francesca perched on the edge of the seat as if she was afraid of wrinkling her suit. “I trust Dr. Hsu has informed you of our offer.”
    “Yeah, Leonora just did. I can’t wait to hear the details,” Carrie said with an extra dose of perkiness. She felt like she had to compensate for the other two women.
    Opening her briefcase-purse, Francesca pulled out a Blackberry and tapped at the screen. In a way that reminded Carrie of her uncle Milton the lawyer, Francesca began reciting from her notes. “The work you’re asked to do consists of translation of several undocumented texts from the Ming Dynasty. We understand that time period is your specialty.”
    “Yes. I—”
    “In compensation for your work, you’ll receive a modest stipend as well as room and board,” she continued. She drew a sheet of paper from a leather portfolio in her bag and held it out.
    Curious, Carrie accepted it. She had to blink a couple times to make sure she’d read the amount of the stipend correctly. She looked up and gaped at Francesca, sure there had to be a typo. One too many