Crystal Gardens Read Online Free PDF

impossible to hide his abilities from his relatives. He was well aware that some of the whispers of madness in the Sebastian bloodline came from the very heart of his family.
    “No, Miss Ames, I am not delusional,” he said evenly. “And for all his eccentricities, neither was Uncle Chester.”
    “I see,” she said again. She fell silent.
    He realized that under other circumstances he would have savored the moonlight walk to the cottage. Even the knowledge that she was not altogether certain what to make of him could not detract from the intense thrill of being so close to her. He sensed that she was aware of the energy between them, as well. But he suspected that she was telling herself that the edgy, overstimulated sensation had been caused by the recent excitement.
    A short time ago in the library he had taken pleasure in watching the way the gaslight turned her hazel eyes to gold and the soft waves of her hair to a rich, dark shade of amber. Taken individually her features lacked conventional beauty but they melded together into a striking face animated by intelligence and strong character. Any manwho sought to seduce her would first have to win her trust and respect. Afterward he would very likely discover that he was the one who had been seduced.
    Logic and common sense suggested that he focus on the questions that surrounded Evangeline Ames, not his attraction to her. And there were a great many mysteries linked to her.
    It could not be sheer coincidence that a lady who just happened to possess some strong psychical talent had chosen to rent a cottage that no one had wanted to rent in years—a cottage located a short distance from ancient ruins that reeked of dark paranormal energy. Her remarkably well-paid career as a professional companion raised more questions. Then there was the matter of her connection to the Rutherford household, which was, in turn, linked to a man who had died under mysterious circumstances. Last but not least, it was asking too much to believe that it was mere happenstance that a knife-wielding killer had tried to slit her throat tonight.
    Whatever Evangeline Ames was involved in, coincidence had nothing to do with it. But the mysteries swirling around her only made her all the more intriguing.
    “You’re certain that you have no idea why that man attacked you tonight?” he asked.
    “None.” Evangeline concentrated on keeping her footing in the badly rutted lane. “I suppose he must have discovered that I was a woman living alone in the cottage and concluded that I would be an easy victim.”
    “His accent is straight from the streets of London.”
    “Yes, I did notice that.”
    “In my experience, the members of the criminal class who ply their trade in the city rarely venture into the countryside.”
    Evangeline looked at him. He sensed her curiosity and smiled a little.
    “Why is that?” she asked.
    “It is an alien environment to them,” he explained. “They flourish in dark alleys, hidden lanes and abandoned buildings. They are urban rats. They don’t know how to survive outside their native habitat. What is more, they tend to stand out in the countryside.”
    “I see what you mean.” Evangeline sounded intrigued. “Their clothes and accents would mark them as outsiders.”
    “Yet Sharpy Hobson pursued you all the way to Little Dixby.”
    “Well, it isn’t as if he had to travel to the ends of the earth or even to Wales.”
    He smiled. “No. London is only a few hours away by train.”
    “True.” She exhaled a small sigh. “Although I must admit at times it feels as if Little Dixby is located on the far side of the world or perhaps in another dimension.”
    “Yesterday in the bookshop you gave me the impression that you were enjoying your stay in the countryside, at least until tonight.”
    “Let’s just say that, until tonight, it has been restful to the point of boredom.”
    “You are from London,” he said.
    “Yes.”
    “Like Hobson.”
    “Are you