Marigold Chain Read Online Free PDF

Matt and Danny.
They’ll agree with everything you say – which should comfort you –
and I’ll be left in peace, which should suit everybody. Shut the
door on your way out.’
    Giles gazed
across at him, his expression taut and cold. Then he threw down the
sword so that it went clattering and sliding across the floor.
    ‘ Go to
hell,’ he said. And left.
    *
    A little while
later when Matthew returned he found Alex at the window, his
fingers pressed hard on the ledge and his face glacially composed.
Matt took one look and suffered the rare sensation of being out of
his depth.
    ‘ Thinking
hard, Matt? Difficult, isn’t it? The wrong word now could spell
catastrophe.’ Alex’s voice was brittle and, when he turned Matt saw
that the blue eyes were at their most impenetrable.
    ‘ Aye. Who
woke you?’
    ‘ Giles.
Thoughtless of him, wasn’t it? But cheer up. I’m going
out.’
    Matt eyed him
sardonically.
    ‘ On two
hours sleep in as many days and no food to speak of? They’ll be
finding you in some gutter.’
    ‘ Perhaps.’ He crossed to the mirror and inspected his
reflection with a wry grimace. ‘Oh God – Faustus reborn. I need a
shave. And a clean shirt.’
    ‘ And a
bloody good wash.’
    Alex turned,
smiling a little. ‘Well, then?’
    Matt did not
respond but he did go in search of hot water. Nearly an hour later
when Alex was washed, shaved and changed, he was still presenting
an aspect of dour silence. Alex picked up his hat with its trailing
white plumes and walked to the door, his face thoughtful. He laid a
hand on the latch and then turned back.
    ‘ Matt?’
    ‘ What?’
    A hint of
colour touched the flat pallor of his cheeks.
    ‘ It’s not
easy, I know – but it will pass. Until then, don’t let me …’ He
hesitated a little. ‘I’m aware that I’m often my own worst enemy.
But bear with me – if you can.’
    Matt
scowled.
    ‘ I’ll do
my best,’ he said gruffly. And then, ‘If you go to Ashton’s house,
you’ll probably meet Mr Giles there.’
    ‘ Ah.’
Alex met his gaze with one of limpid innocence. ‘Then I should be
in for an interesting evening, shouldn’t I?’
    And was
gone.
     
    ~ * * * ~

 
THREE
     
    It was close on
five o’clock when Alex let himself out of the house and the wintry
dusk was almost complete. He walked swiftly in the direction of the
Acorn and was nearly there when, cutting down a narrow passage, his
ears were alerted by sounds of a scuffle round the corner ahead of
him. He checked his pace and moved silently to the end of the
wall.
    It was too dark
to see details but the overall picture was plain enough and Alex
stifled the first impulse to laugh that he had felt in three days.
What he had heard was nothing more that the ensuing struggle as an
inexpert young man attempted to embrace an unwilling young lady. As
Alex turned the corner, she dealt her admirer a ringing box on the
ear and, as he stepped back to try and capture her arm, followed it
up with a well-placed kick on the shin. The young man released her,
cursing, and bent to rub his afflicted leg. Strangely, the girl
remained where she was, watching him.
    ‘ Damn it
all, there’s no need to cripple me!’ he expostulated.
    The girl said
something Alex couldn’t quite hear and the fellow replied with,
‘Well, I didn’t think you meant it. And it’s not as if you don’t
know how I feel about you. But I suppose I should have guessed how
it would be.’
    ‘ Indeed
you should,’ said Alex, his voice quivering slightly.
    The girl
stiffened and pulled her hood more closely about her face while the
young man straightened so quickly he banged his elbow against the
wall.
    ‘ Who the
devil are you?’ he gasped, clutching this new injury.
    ’ Call me
the Voice of Experience,’ returned Alex. ‘And I’m appalled by your
clumsiness. Don’t you know better than to maul a girl in a draughty
alley? And if you must do so,
you’ll find it helps to decide beforehand the way your attentions
are