Кейт Хьюит

Scandals Of The Famous


Скачать книгу

she understood and accepted that. Act like you know the answer. Act like you don’t care. Act like you think someone is interesting or attractive or funny. Act. Act. Act.

      What happened when she didn’t want to act any more? When the curtain came down, and the mask came off? What happened, Natalia thought even as she smiled and listened and laughed, when she stopped acting?

      She didn’t have an answer, and the not knowing exhausted her as much as anything else. Scared her too. As their main courses were cleared, she excused herself from the table and went to find a few minutes’ solitude in the ladies’.

      The room was blessedly empty and Natalia powdered her nose and refreshed her lipstick, touching up her hair and makeup with easy expertise. She was adding some mascara to her eyelash when she caught an unguarded glimpse of herself in the mirror from the corner of her eye, and she felt as if she’d just seen a stranger, someone she’d never met. Herself.

      Slowly she lowered the mascara wand and stared at her own face. On the surface it was, of course, completely recognisable. She looked good. Pretty, maybe even beautiful. Her eyes glinted and her mouth curved in her trademark, mocking smile. Princess Natalia. The Party Princess. Then she blinked, and her smile disappeared, and she was left with a face she didn’t know. A face with wide, sad eyes and a mouth that trembled with uncertainty. The face of the person she really was … whomever that woman turned out to be.

      Did anyone really want to find out? Did she? Did Ben?

      Two women, chatting loudly in Italian, came into the room and quickly Natalia capped her mascara, gave them a fleeting smile and hurried out.

      In the narrow corridor that led back to the main restaurant a man was leaning against the wall. Natalia assumed he was talking on his mobile, and she murmured her excuse as she brushed past him. He grabbed her elbow.

      She stiffened, turned and recognised one of the men from this evening. Brian, the one who had eyed her so speculatively. She felt a twist of disappointment; this evening wasn’t going to be any different. She wasn’t different. She couldn’t be.

      ‘Your Highness …’

      She gave him a freezing stare. ‘Excuse me,’ she said with haughty politeness, ‘but I believe you are holding my elbow.’

      He looked both startled and apologetic and to Natalia’s relief he let go, but he didn’t move and she couldn’t get by without squeezing past him. She stared him down as coldly as she could.

      ‘I just wondered, Your Highness …’ he slurred, clearly more than a little drunk. ‘I heard you like sailing and I have a sweet little yacht you might like to see … if you know what I mean.’

      ‘Don’t believe everything you read in the papers, Brian,’ Natalia said coolly. She knew he was referring to a ridiculous article about a three-day orgy she’d supposedly indulged in on a yacht last summer. The reality had been far tamer, and frankly rather boring.

      ‘I just thought …’ he mumbled, starting to blush. Natalia almost took pity on him.

      ‘Don’t embarrass yourself any further,’ she advised, and started to move past him. Her hip nudged his and yet something else caused a bolt of awareness to electrify her like lightning, rooting her to the spot, freezing her senses. She looked up and saw Ben blocking the entrance to the corridor, his expression completely and dangerously unreadable.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QRlaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo3ODY2 ODg5NC02NTVhLTRkODEtYTQ5YS1hZWM1NjQ1MTI1NGUiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5k aWQ6NzdCRkVCQ0MwRTRBMTFFOEI0QjFCMjkyNUY4Q0Y2MzkiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9Inht cC5paWQ6Nzc1QjYxQzAwRTRBMTFFOEI0QjFCMjkyNUY4Q0Y2MzkiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0i QWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJl ZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjAwN0Q3OTc3OEUyNDY4MTFCOTU5QkRGMkQ0MTE2MzBCIiBz dFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJhZG9iZTpkb2NpZDpwaG90b3Nob3A6ZjE3MWMxYTgtMTU4MS0xMWU4 LTgxY2MtYTY4MWFhMmIzNmY0Ii8+IDxkYzpjcmVhdG9yPiA8cmRmOlNlcT4gPHJkZjpsaT5NIGFu ZCBCPC9yZGY6bGk+IDwvcmRmOlNlcT4gPC9kYzpjcmVhdG9yPiA8ZGM6dGl0bGU+IDxyZGY6QWx0 PiA8cmRmOmxpIHhtbDpsYW5nPSJ4LWRlZmF1bHQiPlNjYW5kYWxzIG9mIHRoZSBGYW1vdXM8L3Jk ZjpsaT4gPC9yZGY6QWx0PiA8L2RjOnRpdGxlPiA8L3JkZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4gPC9yZGY6UkRG PiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4gPD94cGFja2V0IGVuZD0iciI/Pv/tAEhQaG90b3Nob3AgMy4wADhCSU0E BAAAAAAADxwBWgADGyVHHAIAAAIAAgA4QklNBCUAAAAAABD84R+JyLfJeC80YjQHWHfr/+IMWElD Q19QUk9GSUxFAAEBAAAMSExpbm8CEAAAbW50clJHQiBYWVogB84AAgAJAAYAMQAAYWNzcE1TRlQA AAAASUVDIHNSR0IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAPbWAAEAAAAA0y1IUCAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARY3BydAAAAVAAAAAzZGVzYwAAAYQAAABsd3Rw dAAAAfAAAAAUYmtwdAAAAgQAAAAUclhZWgAAAhgAAAAUZ1hZWgAAAiwAAAAUYlhZWgAAAkAAAAAU ZG1uZAAAAlQAAABwZG1kZAAAAsQAAACIdnVlZAAAA0wAAACGdmlldwAAA9QAAAAkbHVtaQAAA/gA AAAUbWVhcwAABAwAAAAkdGVjaAAABDAAAAAMclRSQwAABDwAAAgMZ1RSQwAABDwAAAgMYlRSQwAA BDwAAAgMdGV4dAAAAABDb3B5cmlnaHQgKGMpIDE5OTggSGV3bGV0dC1QYWNrYXJkIENvbXBhbnkA AGRlc2MAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASc1JHQiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0y LjEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFhZWiAA AAAAAADzUQABAAAAARbMWFlaIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYWVogAAAAAAAAb6IAADj1AAADkFhZ WiAAAAAAAABimQAAt4UAABjaWFlaIAAAAAAAACSgAAAPhAAAts9kZXNjAAAAAAAAABZJRUMgaHR0 cDovL3d3dy5pZWMuY2gAAAAAAAAAAAAAABZJRUMgaHR0cDovL3d3dy5pZWMuY2gAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAuSUVDIDYxOTY2 LTIuMSBEZWZhdWx0IFJHQiBjb2xvdXIgc3BhY2UgLSBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAuSUVDIDYxOTY2 LTIuMSBEZWZhdWx0IFJHQiBjb2xvdXIgc3BhY2UgLSBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALFJlZmVyZW5jZSBWaWV3aW5nIENvbmRpdGlvbiBpbiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0yLjEA AAAAAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB2aWV3AAAAAAATpP4AFF8uABDPFAAD7cwABBMLAANcngAA AAFYWVogAAAAAABMCVYAUAAAAFcf521lYXMAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKPAAAA AnNpZyAAAAAAQ1JUIGN1cnYAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAUACgAPABQAGQAeACMAKAAtADIANwA7AEAARQBK AE8AVABZAF4AYwBoAG0AcgB3AHwAgQCGAIsAkACVAJoAnwCkAKkArgCyALcAvADBAMYAywDQANUA 2wDgAOUA6wDwAPYA+wEBAQcBDQETARkBHwElASsBMgE4AT4BRQFMAVIBWQFgAWcBbgF1AXwBgwGL AZIBmgGhAakBsQG5AcEByQHRAdkB4QHpAfIB+gIDAgwCFAIdAiYCLwI4AkECSwJUAl0CZwJxAnoC hAKOApgCogKsArYCwQLLAtUC4ALrAvUDAAMLAxYDIQMtAzgDQwNPA1oDZgNyA34DigOWA6IDrgO6 A8cD0wPgA+wD+QQGBBMEIAQtBDsESARVBGMEcQR+BIwEmgSoBLYExATTBOEE8AT+BQ0FHAUrBToF SQVYBWcFdwWGBZYFpgW1BcUF1QXlBfYGBgYWBicGNwZIBlkGagZ7BowGnQavBsAG0QbjBvUHBwcZ BysHPQdPB2EHdAeGB5kHrAe/B9IH5Qf4CAsIHwgyCEYIWghuCIIIlgiqCL4I0gjnCPsJEAklCToJ TwlkCXkJjwmkCboJzwnlCfsKEQonCj0KVApqCoEKmAquCsUK3ArzCwsLIgs5C1ELaQuAC5gLsAvI C+EL+QwSDCoMQwxcDHUMjgynDMAM2QzzDQ0NJg1ADVoNdA2ODakNww3eDfgOEw4uDkkOZA5/DpsO tg7SDu4PCQ8lD0EPXg96D5YPsw/PD+wQCRAmEEMQYRB+EJsQuRDXEPURExExEU8RbRGMEaoRyRHo EgcSJhJFEmQShBKjEsMS4xMDEyMTQxNjE4MTpBPFE+UUBhQnFEkUahSLFK0UzhTwFRIVNBVWFXgV mxW9FeAWAxYmFkkWbBaPFrIW1hb6Fx0XQRdlF4kXrhfSF/cYGxhAGGUYihivGNUY+hkgGUUZaxmR GbcZ3RoEGioaURp3Gp4axRrsGxQbOxtjG4obshvaHAIcKhxSHHscoxzMHPUdHh1HHXAdmR3DHewe Fh5AHmoelB6+HukfEx8+H2kflB+/H+ogFSBBIGwgmCDEIPAhHCFIIXUhoSHOIfsiJyJVIoIiryLd IwojOCNmI5QjwiPwJB8kTSR8JKsk2iUJJTglaCWXJccl9yYnJlcmhya