The Desert Castle Read Online Free PDF

her in London, and burned with indignation on her behalf. Apparently Gregory Randall didn ’ t care whom he hurt as long as he got what he wanted. Well, he needn ’ t look at her! In fact he ’ d better not come anywhere near her, or she ’ d teach him a lesson he wouldn ’ t forget in a hurry!
    ‘ Are you getting out, Miss Shirley ? ’
    M arion started and leaped to her feet, hitting her head on top of the door. ‘ I didn ’ t mean for you to call me Miss Shirley all the time, ’ she mumbled, confused by the inelegance of her arrival.
    ‘ I can wait until you ask me to be less formal, ’ he taunted her. ‘ Have you your passport? They ’ ll need it at the desk for tonight. You ’ ll get it back tomorrow before we leave. ’
    S he surrendered it without a murmur, hardly aware that she had done so, for there, directly opposite the entrance to the hotel, was a complete Roman theatre, looking magnificent in the floodlighting.
    ‘ Is that real ? ’ she asked dreamily.
    ‘ Of course, ’ Gregory said. ‘ Amman is a very old city. It ’ s the Rabbath Ammon of the Bible, the capital of the Ammonites. It was when David sent Joab against the Ammonites that he arranged to have Uriah the Hittite killed in the heat of the battle so that he could seize his wife Bath-Sheba for himself. Then Alexander the Great came this way; and the Romans, and the city came to be known as Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. And then in modern times King Abdullah, the present King ’ s grandfather, made it his capital and called it Amman. ’
    ‘ Oh yes, ’ said Marion, smiling, ‘ I remember now. Moses went up against Bashan, and Og came out against him. “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it— ” ’
    ‘ Highly exaggerated, no doubt, ’ Gregory cut her off. He put his hand beneath her elbow and hurried her up the steps and into the hotel.
    ‘ You would think so ! ’ she said crossly. ‘ I don ’ t suppose you believe in giants— ’
    H e put his hand on the top of her head. ‘ Nor in the power of the little people ! ’ he assured her. ‘ Go and sit down over there with Luca s ta and I ’ ll see about our rooms and order some drinks for us. What will you have ? ’
    S he eyed him thoughtfully, about to protest at this overbearing behaviour. Instead, she shrugged. ‘ I ’ ll have a fruit juice, ’ s he said.
    ‘ Nothing stronger ? ’
    S he shook h er head. She walked across the reception area to where a number of tables were laid out, each one surrounded by its complement of chairs. Lucasta had already chosen a s eat facing the entrance and Marion sat down opposite her, pushing her chair back into position after the rough handling it had received at Gregory ’ s hands.
    ‘ Mother would be pleased with you, ’ Lucasta told her with an impudent grin. ‘ One would almost think you didn ’ t like him. ’
    ‘ You ’ ve all spoilt him, ’ Marion repressed her. ‘ It ’ s quite obvious no one has said no to him about anything all his life. No one should have their own way all the time. ’
    T he first indication sh e had that he might have overheard her was when he slapped her drink down in front of her and sat down negligently between the two girls. She turned her face away from the steely glint in his navy-blue eyes, hoping that he would ignore her.
    ‘ I ’ ve booked you into adjoining rooms with a bathroom to yourselves. I ’ m just down the corridor if there ’ s anything either of you want . ’
    ‘ Thank you, ’ said Marion, still not looking at him.
    ‘ What could we want ? ’ Lucasta demanded. ‘ We ’ re not helpless ! ’
    ‘ You might find a scorpion in the bath, ’ he said casually.
    M arion looked at him then all right . A scorpion! That she could not face by herself. She couldn ’ t even face up