Price of Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page B

attention to her meal.
    „Hungry?“ she inquired forbiddingly.
    „Starved,“ he admitted cheerfully. „But what kind of a meal is this?“
    „I felt like having a West Country tea for dinner this evening. Any objections?“ She dared him to complain.
    He mused over the three-tiered silver stand with its delicate assortment of potted shrimp triangles, cucumber
    sandwiches cut in dainty rounds, and long, thin, anchovy toasts. To one side a tiny treacle tart sat in solitary splendor
    near the bone china teapot „None at all,“ he assured her, reaching for one of the potted shrimp triangles. „Except that I
    could wolf all this down in about two minutes flat“
    „You will be depriving me of my dinner if you do!“
    „Is this all there is?“
    „I wasn’t expecting company!“
    „I should have given you advance warning. You could have put together a few more cucumber sandwiches,“ he
    apologized around a mouthful of the shrimp triangle.
    Making a commendable effort to hang on to her temper, Adena marched into the kitchen, collected another of the
    delicate, flower-trimmed tea cups and spread some more potted shrimp on a couple of man-sized pieces of bread. There
    was also, unfortunately, another treacle tart left in the refrigerator. She had made an extra one for her lunch the
    following day. Oh, well.
    When she walked back into the living room a few minutes later it was to find Max lounging regally at Holt Sinclair’s
    feet, graciously accepting a bite of crunchy anchovy toast „Trying to bribe my dog?“ she murmured with unthinking
    flippancy.
    „Since I didn’t have much luck bribing his owner, I thought I’d give it a shot“ At the sight of her suddenly taut
    expression, Holt groaned. „I’m sorry, Adena. Bad joke.“
    „But it wasn’t a joke, was it?“ she retorted crisply, setting down the large sandwich and the extra tart. „You meant
    every word of it that night.“ She poured the Formosa Oolong tea into his cup with casual grace and then pointedly
    took the green and persimmon print chair across from him. She had no intention of sharing the couch.
    He slanted her a glance that held the same sort of speculation he’d viewed her with the night she’d gone to his
    home to warn him. But instead of commenting on the subject of bribery, he put out a large hand to finger the cascade
    of green material which Adena had left in a heap on the couch when she’d risen to answer the door.
    „What is it?“ he queried lightly, picking up the small portion of the material which had been stretched tightly over a
    round embroidery hoop. Stitches done in jewel-toned crewel yarn had begun to fill in the traced design of birds sitting
    on branches of a stylized tree.
    „Eventually it’s going to be a table cloth,“ Adena told him, sipping at her tea.
    „Eventually?“
    „I’ve been working on it for a year,“ she confessed dryly. „I’ll probably still be working on it next year.“
    „Just as well,“ he chuckled. „Ifs a hobby that goes very nicely with this room and with Max and with high tea.“
    „Holt…“
    „1 know. You want your apology,“ he sighed, picking up his teacup. „And I do apologize. But how was I to, guess
    you weren’t looking for a few bucks that night? I mean, it was the logical assumption to make, given the
    circumstances…“
    „Was it?“ she said skeptically.
    „Adena, please,“ he soothed „How was I to know you’d given up both a job and a boyfriend before coming to me
    that night?“
    „Speaking of which,“ she bit out caustically, „how do you happen to know those facts now?“
    „I called your office. There seemed to be a little confusion, but it finally became apparent you had resigned. There
    was no confusion at all about the relationship being over. I got the full story in juicy detail!“
    „From whom?“ Adena snapped, thoroughly annoyed.
    „From the head of your old department, who had it directly from the lips of Jeff Carrigan’s secretary,“