replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing you need concern yourself with.” Max began to turn away but Beauregard rose from his chair, sounding desperate.
“Wait!”
Max glanced over his shoulder, noting the way Beauregard’s hands shook with impotent rage. “Yes, Mr. Ellis?”
“I don’t care if you are a madman, like the papers say. I want you to find the men who did this unspeakable thing, who violated my home and my honor. I want you to kill them!”
Astonishing how quickly a man becomes murderous when it’s his own property being threatened , Max thought. “I’ll be in touch, Mr. Ellis. In the meantime, I wouldn’t throw any more parties.”
Beauregard remained where he was, scarcely believing his eyes. It seemed that the Peregrine vanished into thin air, melding into the very shadows that blanketed the room. “Kill them,” he whispered again. “If what the ladies said about those men is true, they are abominations…”
CHAPTER VII
Jacob’s Ladder
“So, tell me again why you’ve brought me to this dreadful place?” Evelyn looked out of place, in her cosmopolitan fur-lined coat and small hat. Atlanta was fast returning to its glory of the pre-War days, but it still retained a lot of its country heritage. Evelyn, on the hand, reeked of 20th century sophistication. It was a dichotomy that attracted Max to her, for she certainly stood out amongst the women of the South. Someday that would change, he knew, and Atlanta would take its place amongst the leading cities of America… but that day was not today.
Max was standing in the dimly lit shop of curiosities, staring intently at an authentic sarcophagus. Trench’s place of business was full of interesting odds and ends, many of which were no more than elaborate forgeries. But several of them were the real deal and Max wondered why Trench didn’t ply his wares in New York or London, where the prices for such items could be much higher. “I thought you might appreciate a shopping excursion,” Max said to Evelyn. “To take your mind off the events of last evening.”
“A charming notion, but when you suggested it, I was picturing… I don’t know, some place that didn’t include mummies or haunted mirrors.”
Max turned to face her, trying not lose himself in her deep green eyes. “The best shops in the city, I promise. But I want to see Mr. Trench first.”
“I didn’t realize the two of you were so close.”
“We aren’t. But he was with me last night… he saw the same things you and I did.”
Evelyn’s features shifted at the mention of the walking dead. “I dreamed about them, you know. I barely slept a wink.”
Max reached out and touched her cheek, a move that surprised them both. Though they’d engaged in harmless flirtations before and there had been the hint of physical pleasures in her invitation to stay last night, there had not been overt touching between them. “I won’t let them harm you,” he said.
Evelyn looked both amused and touched by his sincerity. “You’re a rare man, Mr. Davies. There are times I look at you and think you’re a modern day knight, springing right out of those old storybooks of my childhood. But sometimes when I look in your eyes…”
“Yes?” he asked, moving closer to her.
“I’m not sure I know you really are. I mean…”
“Ahem.”
Max and Evelyn abruptly moved apart, startled by the sudden presence of Jacob Trench. He stood in a doorway leading to an off-limits storage area, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Max noted that there was a hint of blush to Evelyn’s cheeks.
“Mr. Trench,” Max said, moving to greet him. “Fascinating place you have here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davies,” Trench responded, not accepting the offered hand. “I’m surprised to see you here, however. I didn’t realize you had an interest in antiquities.”
“I’ve traveled the world many times,” Max answered, holding the other man’s gaze. He saw questions aplenty in
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing you need concern yourself with.” Max began to turn away but Beauregard rose from his chair, sounding desperate.
“Wait!”
Max glanced over his shoulder, noting the way Beauregard’s hands shook with impotent rage. “Yes, Mr. Ellis?”
“I don’t care if you are a madman, like the papers say. I want you to find the men who did this unspeakable thing, who violated my home and my honor. I want you to kill them!”
Astonishing how quickly a man becomes murderous when it’s his own property being threatened , Max thought. “I’ll be in touch, Mr. Ellis. In the meantime, I wouldn’t throw any more parties.”
Beauregard remained where he was, scarcely believing his eyes. It seemed that the Peregrine vanished into thin air, melding into the very shadows that blanketed the room. “Kill them,” he whispered again. “If what the ladies said about those men is true, they are abominations…”
CHAPTER VII
Jacob’s Ladder
“So, tell me again why you’ve brought me to this dreadful place?” Evelyn looked out of place, in her cosmopolitan fur-lined coat and small hat. Atlanta was fast returning to its glory of the pre-War days, but it still retained a lot of its country heritage. Evelyn, on the hand, reeked of 20th century sophistication. It was a dichotomy that attracted Max to her, for she certainly stood out amongst the women of the South. Someday that would change, he knew, and Atlanta would take its place amongst the leading cities of America… but that day was not today.
Max was standing in the dimly lit shop of curiosities, staring intently at an authentic sarcophagus. Trench’s place of business was full of interesting odds and ends, many of which were no more than elaborate forgeries. But several of them were the real deal and Max wondered why Trench didn’t ply his wares in New York or London, where the prices for such items could be much higher. “I thought you might appreciate a shopping excursion,” Max said to Evelyn. “To take your mind off the events of last evening.”
“A charming notion, but when you suggested it, I was picturing… I don’t know, some place that didn’t include mummies or haunted mirrors.”
Max turned to face her, trying not lose himself in her deep green eyes. “The best shops in the city, I promise. But I want to see Mr. Trench first.”
“I didn’t realize the two of you were so close.”
“We aren’t. But he was with me last night… he saw the same things you and I did.”
Evelyn’s features shifted at the mention of the walking dead. “I dreamed about them, you know. I barely slept a wink.”
Max reached out and touched her cheek, a move that surprised them both. Though they’d engaged in harmless flirtations before and there had been the hint of physical pleasures in her invitation to stay last night, there had not been overt touching between them. “I won’t let them harm you,” he said.
Evelyn looked both amused and touched by his sincerity. “You’re a rare man, Mr. Davies. There are times I look at you and think you’re a modern day knight, springing right out of those old storybooks of my childhood. But sometimes when I look in your eyes…”
“Yes?” he asked, moving closer to her.
“I’m not sure I know you really are. I mean…”
“Ahem.”
Max and Evelyn abruptly moved apart, startled by the sudden presence of Jacob Trench. He stood in a doorway leading to an off-limits storage area, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Max noted that there was a hint of blush to Evelyn’s cheeks.
“Mr. Trench,” Max said, moving to greet him. “Fascinating place you have here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davies,” Trench responded, not accepting the offered hand. “I’m surprised to see you here, however. I didn’t realize you had an interest in antiquities.”
“I’ve traveled the world many times,” Max answered, holding the other man’s gaze. He saw questions aplenty in
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