“Jonas, how can you stand this place?” Verity followed slowly. “If these horrible things are really left over from the Renaissance, then some of them must carry some terrible vibrations.”
“I’m not picking up a thing,” Jonas said cheerfully. He touched a long chain dangling from a wall. The chain ended in a wrist manacle. “Not a damn thing.” He turned the manacle over and studied it with the flashlight. He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Verity demanded.
“Made in Hong Kong. More fake antiques, honey. Just like the stuff in the bed-and-breakfast place.”
“Well, that’s some relief, I suppose.” Verity glanced around disapprovingly. “Imagine collecting this kind of fake antique, though. It’s disgusting. I can’t envision the twisted mind of someone who would enjoy making love in a place like this. Maggie seems like such a nice person. And as for Digby, I had pictured him as a respectable if somewhat eccentric scholar. I never dreamed...” She broke off. “Jonas, this throws a whole new light on Digby Hazelhurst.”
Jonas grinned. “Can’t wait to finish this consulting job and write the definitive biography of the man.” He found the light switch and flipped it on. “Hazelhurst obviously considered this room important enough to have wired for electricity.” Jonas took a whip off the wall and examined it with great interest.
“I’m not sure a reputable publisher would even print a biography of Digby. Jonas, for heaven’s sake, put down that whip.”
He laughed softly, drawing the lash through his fingers. “You can learn a lot from a respectable scholar like Hazelhurst.”
“Don’t look at me like that, Jonas.”
Jonas gave the whip a gentle flick and Verity jumped in startled reaction as the lash curled itself around her waist. It didn’t hurt a bit. Jonas tugged gently on the whip handle and drew her toward him.
“This is not amusing,” Verity announced in regal tones. She caught the tip of the lash and started to unwind it from her waist. “It’s made out of velvet,” she exclaimed in amazement. “No wonder it didn’t hurt.”
“Want to experiment with some of the other stuff?” Jonas asked, looking far too hopeful.
“I most certainly do not.” Verity finished unwinding the lash from her waist. “Put that back this instant.”
“You never let me have any fun.” He replaced the velvet whip.
Verity studied the floor. “Maggie’s kept this area clean, I see. Sentimental reasons, no doubt. I wonder what she and Digby did in here.”
“The sort of kinky things that would make a little prude like you turn fire-engine red, I’ll bet.”
“Talk about weird.” She put down a manacle she had been examining and looked at Jonas. “Now what? Back into the corridor?”
“I don’t think so. It’s getting late, and you need your sleep. I think we’ll go on back to our room. But no need to do it the hard way.” He walked across the torture chamber and opened the door. “Might as well use the main route. No sense going back through that stone-cold passage.”
“What if someone notices us wandering around?”
“We’ll just say you wanted a drink of water and I came along to keep you company.”
They found their way back to the second floor of the south wing without incident. But when they passed the door to Elyssa’s room, the sound of angry voices caught their attention.
“That’s Yarwood in there with Elyssa,” Verity observed as they hurried past. “Wonder what they’re fighting about.”
Jonas gave the closed door a thoughtful glance. “I don’t know, but it sounds serious.” He stopped to listen.
Verity frowned. “Remember what Caitlin said about Yarwood being dangerous? Maybe we should interrupt.”
“The last thing any sane person does is get involved in an argument between two people who are sleeping together. You did tell me that Yarwood and Elyssa are having an affair, didn’t you?”
“That’s what Slade said. Yarwood sounds furious, doesn’t he?”
Preston Yarwood’s raised voice was barely audible behind the wooden door.
“You hot-assed little bitch,” Yarwood shouted. “What the hell do you mean, you want to call things off between us? I’m the one who turned you on to your psychic potential in the first place, remember?”
“Now, Preston, you know this isn’t a personal thing. I admire you very much, but Saranantha says I must seek another mate.”
“Fuck Saranantha! I know what you’re up to. You want to screw Quarrel, don’t you? I’m not about to let you dump me like this just so you can hop into bed with some jerk you think has stronger psychic powers.”
“Preston, please there’s no need to shout. I’m only following Saranantha’s advice. She is my spirit guide. You know that.”
“I’ll shout if I feel like it, goddammit. And don’t use Saranantha as an excuse. You’ve got the hots for Quarrel because you think he’s got psychic power. Well, I’ve got news for you, I’m the only real psychic around here. Quarrel’s a fraud.”
“He is not!”
“He hasn’t found that treasure, has he? He’s a fraud, all right. I don’t care what those lab people said. I knew it all along. I had my suspicions when I was at Vincent, and I’ve been proven right. Quarrel hasn’t found a damn thing for us. If you want to sleep with a genuine psychic, you sleep with me, you little bitch.”
Verity looked at Jonas, her gaze uneasy. “He sounds furious. What if he hurts her? I’m going to knock on the door. I’ll pretend I wanted to talk to Elyssa and didn’t realize there was anyone else in the room with her.” She raised her hand to knock.
Jonas grabbed her wrist. “No, you are not going to knock on the door. You are going to leave the whole situation well enough alone.” Jonas pulled her firmly along the corridor. He got her as far as their room and was thrusting her safely inside when the door down the hall opened with a crash. “Move it, Verity.”
Verity had no choice. She moved.
Jonas got the bedroom door shut behind them and sighed in relief. He leaned back against it and arched his brows at Verity. “I guess Yarwood found out that Little Miss Sunshine is out scouting for new sperm donors.”
Chapter Twelve
One storm had passed during the night, but another was on the way. Verity stood beneath dripping pine boughs and gazed out over the cold gray waters of the Sound. In the distance she could see a Washington State ferry gliding gracefully past the scattered islands.
She had felt a compelling need to get out of the chilly villa this morning. There had been obvious tension in the air. Some of it had been generated by Elyssa and Preston Yarwood, who were apparently still at odds with each other. Oliver Crump had seemed more preoccupied than usual and Slade Spencer had retired to the salon after breakfast. He had not expressed any interest in further exploration of the villa. Verity had the feeling he was bored with the game.
Doug Warwick had taken the launch over to the small town on the other island, saying he had to make a call to the broker who was handling the deal on the villa. Maggie Frampton, as usual, was involved in the endless housecleaning that the villa demanded. Maggie’s whole life seemed to revolve around the villa.
Verity had thought about joining Jonas as he worked his way through the lower level of the villa but she’d changed her mind at the last minute. She wanted to be alone for a while. She wanted time to think.
When the ferry glided out of sight, Verity turned and continued her hike along the perimeter of Hazelhurst’s island. Her thoughts were filled with Jonas. She couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she had failed to give him something he badly needed.
That something was reassurance.
The realization that he might need that just as much as she did was hitting her hard. She had been worrying so much about her future with him that she hadn’t realized he might be harboring a few fears and conc
erns, too.
He had apparently been well aware of her emotional withdrawal these past few weeks; he’d tried often enough to get her to tell him what was wrong. And he had been genuinely upset that she hadn’t told him about the baby as soon as she suspected she was pregnant. Then, when she hadn’t immediately accepted his marriage proposal, he had been hurt and angry.
Jonas had a right to harbor a few uncertainties. They had surfaced yesterday afternoon when Verity had failed to show any real jealousy over Elyssa’s outrageous request.
He was a man who had lived a restless, rootless life for the past few years, a man plagued by ghosts from the past and the constant threat of being overwhelmed by a talent he couldn’t control. Such a man needed as much reassurance as he could get from the woman he loved. There were too many other factors in his life that were not the least bit certain or reliable.
Verity had done a great deal of thinking during the night.
She had awakened this morning overcome with remorse, and with a new perspective on Jonas Quarrel. She scolded herself for having been so wrapped up in her own problems lately. She hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to Jonas’s feelings.
Verity walked around a curving bluff and paused to glance down into a tiny cove. She was about to move on when she saw a small boat that had been drawn halfway out of the water and tethered to a pine bough. It was a sleek, fast-looking little craft. She glanced around, searching for whoever had arrived in it. There was no sign of anyone. The cove’s pebbly shore was impervious to footprints.
Verity made a mental note to tell Doug Warwick that there might be visitors on the island.
She turned and walked a little farther before deciding that the brisk wind was too cold to make further hiking pleasant. She swung around and started back to the villa. It was time to give Maggie a hand with lunch preparations.
But Maggie wasn’t in the kitchen when Verity arrived. Doug Warwick had not yet returned from his trip to town, either. Crump and Spencer were in the salon, but Verity decided not to strike up a conversation. She headed up to her room.
Jonas was not in the bedroom and she assumed he was busy earning his consulting fee. Verity decided to see how he was doing. She was on her way down the hall when she ran into Maggie Frampton.
“Here now, you looking for Mr. Quarrel?” Maggie said, surprisingly helpful. “I believe he decided to check out the dungeons. Saw Little Miss Sunshine with him.” Maggie was obviously eager to impart that last tidbit.
“Thanks, Maggie.” The thought of Elyssa and Jonas checking out the torture chamber together was annoying. “Was Preston with them?”
“Nope. Mr. Yarwood is in his room. He’s not in a good mood, I can tell you. He and Little Miss Sunshine appear to have had a falling out, haven’t they?” Maggie observed with relish.
“Something like that,” Verity agreed dryly. “Excuse me, Maggie. I think I’ll see how the big treasure hunt is going.”
“You do that. But I’ll tell you right now, there ain’t no treasure here. Just a big lonesome old house that no one but me and Digby really loved. Now Digby’s gone, and I’m not gonna get a chance to stay on to take care of the old place.” Maggie shook her head and moved off down the hall. She was wearing another of her seemingly endless supply of housedresses. The dull overhead light gleamed briefly on the plain metal chain she wore around her neck. “Reckon I’ll see about lunch.”
“I’ll give you a hand in a little while,” Verity called after her. Then, with a determined stride, she headed for the stone staircase.
At the top of the stairs, something made Verity glance back over her shoulder. She caught Maggie watching her with a curious expression of anticipation.
She knows something I don’t know, Verity thought. But she had a feeling she would soon be let in on the secret. She found her way down into the bowels of the villa without much difficulty, using the route she and Jonas had followed to return to their room the preceding evening. When she reached the door of the torture chamber, she found it ajar. She was not particularly surprised to hear Elyssa’s sweetly cajoling voice from within.
“I have received guidance in this decision, Jonas. I have opened myself fully to the positive forces that prevail within me. I have gone inside myself and consulted with the spiritual side of my nature. Saranantha has helped me understand that what I seek is right. She has assured me that I am on the proper path. I am quite certain about what I am doing.”
“Well. I’m not.” Jonas’s voice was impatient. “if you don’t mind, Elyssa, I’ve got a lot of work to do here. Your brother is paying good money for my report, and I’d like to get it done on time.”
“You don’t understand, Jonas. I feel I’ve been building toward this moment for several lifetimes. All the power of my woman’s body has been developing for thousands of years, growing stronger, more fertile, more perfectly adapted as it prepares itself for the perfect mate. You are my psychic mate. You’ll see. When we are joined in true harmony, there will be no doubts in your mind.”
Jonas’s voice cut in, sounding a trifle hoarse. “Look, Elyssa, I’m sure you believe everything you’re saying, but the fact is, I’m not what you think. I’m not your perfect psychic mate. Trust me on this, Elyssa. I know what I’m talking about. If you want a psychic stud, go back to Yarwood or one of the others.”
“No, Jonas, you are the right man for me. I know it as surely as I know the sun will rise tomorrow morning. You’re just nervous, that’s all. But you have no need to be. I have envisioned everything. I have seen it all on a psychic plane that transcends this level of reality. I have seen us making love, Jonas. Beautiful, free, uninhibited love. On that other plane, I’ve felt your hand on my breast. Our mouths have touched. I’ve felt your seed pouring into my body. Now it is time to unite the reality of the higher plane with the reality of this one. This afternoon is perfect. I’ve checked all the astrological charts and meditated with crystal. Everything is harmonically aligned.”
“You mean everyone is either out of the villa or busy elsewhere,” Jonas said bluntly. “Beat it, Elyssa, I’ve got work to do. Verity will be wondering where I am.”
“Verity is gone too. In any event, I feel sure she would understand. I sense that she is a very psychically aware woman. She and I are sisters in the way all women are sisters. She knows in her heart that you and I must mate. She will accept it.”
“The hell she will. You don’t know Verity very well, do you?”
“Actually,” Elyssa went on in a confidential tone, “there’s no need for her even to know about it, if you would prefer to keep it a secret.”
“Elyssa, if you’re not going to get out of here, then I will. Dammit, Elyssa, get out of my way. What do you think you’re doing? Jesus, what’s the matter with you? Are you crazy? Elyssa, no, don’t do that. Hell, I’m getting out of here. You can explain to your brother why his report is late.” The rest of Jonas’s protest was abruptly cut off.
Verity could wait no longer. She shoved open the door of the torture chamber and stood glaring with narrowed eyes at the sight of Elyssa in Jonas’s arms.
Jonas saw Verity in the doorway and was momentarily stunned. He had been in the process of firmly disengaging himself from Elyssa Warwick’s unwanted embrace when the chamber door burst open to reveal his obviously furious lover. He had never before seen that particular expression of outrage on her face, he realized dimly.
“Verity!” Angrily, he shook himself free of Elyssa. “Verity, listen, it’s not what you think,” he began quickly. Then he stopped, not at all certain what she did think. After all, she hadn’t seemed particularly upset yesterday when Elyssa had asked her for a loan.
The hell with it. Jonas decided against further explanations for the moment. As it turned out, he didn’t need to do the talking anyway. Verity and Elyssa were handling that end of things. Sisters, huh? He had never in his life met two women who were l
ess like sisters than Verity and Little Miss Sunshine. Jonas leaned back against the wall near the dangling manacles, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched the open warfare with great interest.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Verity. She was madder than hell. A fierce, feminine fury radiated from her, which seemed about to set fire to the room. It was certainly setting fire to him, Jonas thought with an inner grin. He felt himself getting hard just watching her as she sauntered into the chamber, looking every inch the lady of the villa.
Verity was shorter than Elyssa and far more slender, but with her wide eyes shooting blue-green sparks, her regal bearing, and that mane of fiery curls, she totally dominated the situation. Elyssa looked like a poodle facing a lioness.
“I thought I made it clear to you yesterday, Elyssa, that Jonas is not available for any moonlighting work.” Verity’s voice was soft and husky with warning. She advanced on the other woman in such an intimidating manner that Elyssa automatically fell back a few steps.
“Verity, please, you’re overreacting. How can I make you understand?” Elyssa said pleadingly. “The union between myself and Jonas is right. It’s meant to be. The consummation must take place.”
“Try consummating anything with Jonas and I can personally guarantee that you’ll find yourself on a very high psychic plane. I will kick your butt up there myself. In fact, I will kick it so high you’ll probably never get it back down.”
Elyssa blinked in astonishment. “Really, Verity, there’s no need to get so upset. We are talking about a matter of deep psychic spirituality here.”
“Really? I got the impression we were talking about a quick toss in the hay with my man. A one-night stand. A cheap thrill, isn’t that all you really want, Elyssa? An opportunity to screw a guy who might have genuine psychic talent? You want to see if any of it rubs off on you? See if there’s anything special about making it with a real psychic? Well, take it from me, you’re not going to get the chance to find out what you’re missing. Come near Jonas again and I will tear you apart into little tiny pieces and then I will throw those pieces into Puget Sound. Do you understand me, sister?”
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