Sara Craven

Solitaire


Скачать книгу

annoy me. To disrupt the peace I have tried to establish here. To cause me yet more problems, and eventually to prove such a thorn in my flesh that I will willingly send him back to Paris to his mother’s family.’

      ‘And you aren’t prepared to do that?’ Marty ventured.

      ‘No, I am not.’ Luc Dumarais stretched tiredly. He did not volunteer any further explanation and his dark face was so harsh and strained suddenly that Marty did not dare probe further.

      There was a long silence. It was eventually broken by Luc, and Marty had the impression that he was forcing himself back from some bitter journey into the past. She tried to remember what Jean-Paul had said about the household while she was still under the mistaken impression that his remarks referred to Uncle Jim. He had spoken of a divorce, she thought, and also that Bernard’s mother was dead. He had also given her the feeling that Bernard would not welcome her presence. But then, she thought, Bernard would not be welcoming to anyone. Brief though their meeting had been, she had sensed an air of resentment and hostility which seemed to encompass the world at large.

      ‘Now we must decide what must be done with you.’ He sounded resigned.

      ‘That’s easily settled.’ Marty tried to shut out of her mind the chilling realisation of just how much she had staked on this trip and the pitiful amount of money now left to her. ‘I—I shall return to England. There really isn’t any need to concern yourself …’

      ‘Don’t be a fool.’ His voice bit at her. ‘My son was to blame for bringing you here. The responsibility now rests with me. Just how do you propose to return to England? Did you buy a return ticket for the ferry?’

      ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘But that’s no problem.’ She tried to sound careless—a seasoned traveller, and saw his eyes narrow speculatively as he looked her over.

      ‘You have travellers’ cheques?’ he asked pleasantly. ‘Or are your resources restricted to those few francs you have in your bag?’

      For a moment she was stunned, then she blazed at him. ‘You dared—you actually dared to look in my bag?’

      ‘Yes, I dared,’ he said calmly. ‘I wished to check your passport and make sure you had a right to the identity you were claiming. Or did you think I would trustingly let any strange waif into my house, merely because she professed kinship with a man no longer alive to support or deny her claim? It seemed to me that you had planned only on a one-way trip.’

      ‘The more fool I,’ she said tightly. ‘But it really isn’t any of your concern. I’m sure if I really had been an actress with an eye on a part in your latest film you would have thrown me out without a second thought. Just because Martina Langton, starlet, doesn’t exist, Martina Langton, secretary, doesn’t require your charity either.’

      ‘There are arrangements you can make? Relatives in England you can cable for money?’

      Marty suppressed a wry smile as she visualised Aunt Mary’s reaction to any such demand.

      ‘No, there’s no one,’ she acknowledged quietly. ‘But I’ll manage. I’m quite capable of working, you know, and Les Sables is a seaside resort. I can get a job at one of the hotels—waiting at tables perhaps, or as a chambermaid.’

      ‘Les Sables is a small resort. Most of the hotels are family businesses and do not make a habit of employing outsiders, especially foreigners. Any casual work available has already been snapped up by students,’ he said unemotionally. ‘What other ideas have you?’

      ‘None,’ she was provoked into admitting. She lifted her chin defiantly and looked at him. ‘But I’ll think of something.’

      ‘I have already thought of something.’ His voice was cool and almost dispassionate. ‘You can remain here.’

      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/4QNxaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBNTTpPcmlnaW5hbERvY3VtZW50SUQ9 InhtcC5kaWQ6OEQ5NjYyQTkxOTIwNjgxMUE3MkNCOTJCNkFCMDlCMDAiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50 SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6MEQ0QzcwNzQ5NDY0MTFFNkIxNjNEMkZDMzUyNjIyQTgiIHhtcE1NOkluc3Rh bmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6MEQ0QzcwNzM5NDY0MTFFNkIxNjNEMkZDMzUyNjIyQTgiIHhtcDpDcmVh dG9yVG9vbD0iQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVk RnJvbSBzdFJlZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjhFOTY2MkE5MTkyMDY4MTFBNzJDQjkyQjZB QjA5QjAwIiBzdFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjhEOTY2MkE5MTkyMDY4MTFBNzJDQjky QjZBQjA5QjAwIi8+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8 P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+IIJElDQ19QUk9GSUxFAAEBAAAIFEFEQkUCQAAAbW50clJHQiBY WVogB9cAAwACAAoABwApYWNzcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAPbWAAEAAAAA 0y1iSUNDnG00pa2kRfYUbZiwUQwSbQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJY3By dAAABsQAAADJZGVzYwAAB5AAAACDd3RwdAAAAPAAAAAUclRSQwAAAQQAAAWEZ1RSQwAAAQQAAAWE YlRSQwAAAQQAAAWEclhZWgAABogAAAAUZ1hZWgAABpwAAAAUYlhZWgAABrAAAAAUWFlaIAAAAAAA APbWAAEAAAAA0y1jdXJ2AAAAAAAAArwAAAAKABUAHwAqADQAPgBJAFMAXQBoAHIAfQCHAJEAnACm ALAAuwDFANAA2gDkAO8A+QEDAQ4BGAEjAS0BNwFCAUwBVwFhAWsBdgGAAYoBlQGfAaoBtAG+AckB 0wHdAegB8gH9AgcCEQIcAiYCMAI7AkUCUAJaAmUCcAJ7AoYCkQKcAqgCswK/AssC1wLjAu8C/AMI AxUDIgMvAzwDSQNWA2QDcgN/A40DmwOqA7gDxgPVA+QD8wQCBBEEIQQwBEAEUARgBHAEgASRBKEE sgTDBNQE5QT3BQgFGgUsBT4FUAVjBXUFiAWbBa4FwQXVBegF/AYQBiQGOAZNBmEGdgaLBqAGtQbL Bu