Lady Vixen Read Online Free PDF Page B

with an incredible plan, asked impatiently, "Where
is he now?"
    Sally
shrugged. "I don't know, he left right after lunch. He probably won't be
back until late." Sally gave a sigh. "I'll probably never see him
again."
    "Shush!"
Nicole bit out sharply. Her head turning in the direction that Sally had come,
she listened for a second and then said, "Quick! Up in the attic, someone
is coming!"
    "What
difference does that make?" Sally asked, but Nicole paid her no heed,
already hastily scrambling up into the attic. Sally hesitated a half second and
then with a resigned air followed the younger girl. She had barely joined
Nicole and positioned herself so that she could look down into the pavilion,
when a tall man entered the building.
    Sally
gave a smothered gasp. "It's him! It's Captain Saber."
    The
tall man below them apparently didn't hear those barely audible words for he
never glanced up. Instead, he stood in the middle of the building and seemed to
survey it slowly, as Nicole watched, fascinated in spite of herself by the view
she had of his dark, bearded features.
    For
several moments the man stayed in the pavilion looking around, and Nicole had the
odd sensation that this place held memories for him and that they were not
happy ones. He picked up one of the faded scarlet cushions and then with an
angry exclamation threw it violently away from himself.
    Nicole
heard the second man's approach at the same time the man below her did, because
she saw the way he stiffened and turned to stare at the door. And astonished,
she and Sally watched as Lord Saxon's only living son, Robert Saxon, entered
the building.
    "I
wondered if you would meet me after all," Robert said by way of greeting.
    Captain
Saber smiled, his teeth very white in the black beard. "I'm not a youth
anymore to be manipulated at will. And I'm prepared for you this time—last time
I trusted you."
    Robert
regarded him for a moment, taking in the tall, lithe frame, the broad
shoulders, and the long, lean legs. Giving no sign that the other's words
disturbed him, he said calmly, "It was fortunate I met you on the way to
the house. It would never do for Simon to see you and be distressed."
    "So
you said—but you'll excuse me if I doubt your word!"
    Robert
smiled thinly. "But you don't exactly doubt my word, do you? If you did,
you wouldn't have agreed to meet me here first. Now do you want to hear what I
have to say?"
    The
gold eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, the man called Captain Saber replied in
an ugly tone, "Not particularly, but since I was foolish enough to meet
you instead of continuing on my way, I shall have to, won't I?"
    "So
it would appear," Robert agreed and then went on. "My father suffered
a nearly fatal seizure just last month and for a while it was feared that he
would die. He is quite ill and I rather doubt that your presence will be of any
help to him. He has surprised all of us and is very definitely on the mend, to
allay any fears you may have that he is on his deathbed. But any shock, any,
shall we say, unpleasant surprise could very well bring on a fatal attack. If
you are so set upon seeing him—seeing a man who does not want, I might add, to
see you—I would suggest that you wait a few weeks."
    "I
cannot! It was only a whim that brought me here to- day as it was." Captain
Saber hesitated. "I would like to see him, Robert," he said at last.
"My ship sails at the end of this week, and I rather doubt that I shall
ever return to England. My life is in America and there is nothing here for
me—you have no worry that I shall force myself on him, to start tongues wagging
once more. I only wanted to see him, to make things easier between us."
    "How
very admirable," Robert said dryly, apparently unmoved by the passionate
thread in the other's voice. "But unfortunately not possible. I would
suggest you leave for your ship tonight and forget about ever seeing Lord Saxon
again." But then recognizing the stubborn set to the other's fine mouth,
he said