Marigold Chain Read Online Free PDF Page A

and when, after a day
of unnatural silence his attempts to persuade Mr Deveril to put
some food in his stomach were met with an epitome of double-edged
wit, Matt removed himself instantly and without a word, leaving
Alex humming gently beneath his breath.
    He came back,
of course, because a few heated words were not enough to sever a
bond forged over fifteen dangerous yet often hilarious years that
he would not have missed for anything that he could think of and
which made him remain now from what he insisted was habit. So,
having walked off his temper in the cold air, he returned and was
instantly rewarded. Still at the table, head pillowed on his arms,
Alex was asleep. Mr Lewis nodded to himself and tiptoed out
again.
    It was some two
hours later when Giles Beckwith ran lightly up the stairs, rapped
at the door and received no answer. Having good reason to suppose
that there was someone within, he waited for a moment and then
knocked again, this time more loudly. After a moment he heard
Alex’s voice, a trifle blurred but otherwise composed.
    ‘ Who is
it?’
    ‘ Giles.
Open the door.’
    ‘ Why?’
    ‘ I want
to talk to you.’
    ‘ Why?’
    Mr Beckwith was
aware of intense irritation.
    ‘ Oh for
God’s sake – don’t be an ass!’
    That did the
trick. The tumblers clicked and the door swung wide on the point of
a sword. Coatless and disorderly, Alex examined his friend with an
impersonal stare. Giles looked back, cool but cautious.
    ‘ Is that
really necessary?’ he asked, indicating the bright ribbon of
steel.
    ‘ Yes. I
thought it might persuade you to just turn around and
go.’
    ‘ It
hasn’t,’ said Giles simply. ‘We need to talk. But not like
this.’
    ‘ Why not?
Scared?’
    Giles looked
from the perfectly steady blade to the expressionless face above
it.
    ‘ Hardly,’
he said. ‘You aren’t sober enough to present a problem.’ And then
threw himself swiftly to one side at the sword drove at his throat.
Hitting the doorpost, he grabbed the velvet coat from where it hung
and used it to protect his hand as he caught at the flashing steel.
He gave it a hard, downward twist and, abruptly, Alex let go. For a
second they faced each other, both breathing rather fast, then
Giles spoke, his voice icily quiet.
    ‘ Do that
again and you’d best hope to make a thorough job of it.’
    ‘ Or
what?’
    ‘ Or I may
forget our past friendship.’
    ‘ My God!
How will I survive?’ mocked Alex, smiling but pale.
    The grey eyes
hardened with something akin to disgust.
    ‘ I don’t
think I care.’
    ‘ That’s
the spirit! So is that all you came to say?’
    ‘ No. I
thought you might have sobered up and be ready to talk.’
    ‘ You
should have known better.’
    ‘ As you
say. Where’s Matt?’
    ‘ Out.’
    ‘ In other
words, you’ve exceeded even his patience.’ Giles paused briefly,
and then, ‘I presume we owe this epic tantrum to Sarah
Courtney?’
    Suddenly bored,
Alex turned away and dropped into a chair.
    ‘ Presume
what you like – just don’t expect me to listen.’
    ‘ I
don’t,’ came the blunt reply. ‘But if you’re sulking because I hit
you, accept that I did it before you choked the life out of that
pompous fool and ended up in front of a magistrate.’
    ‘ It
wouldn’t have come to that.’
    ‘ It could
very well have come to that. You were drunk and in a foul mood –
and capable of just about any kind of lunacy.‘ He paused. ‘You’re
out of control, Alex. A spoiled brat taking your ill-temper out on
everyone around you and plunging into whatever kind of dangerous
stupidity occurs to you next. I’m just glad that Rupert isn’t here
to see you.’
    Alex came to
his feet like an uncoiling spring.
    ‘ That’s
enough. You can chew on my failings till you choke – but not here.
I don’t want sympathy, brotherly love or nauseating bloody morality
– and I don’t respond to the magic name of Rupert being banged over
my head. So go and mourn my decaying senses with