Patricia Veryan - [Sanguinet Saga 04] - Love's Duet Read Online Free

and was flanked by
several ancient and decrepit chairs. The massive hearth on the right
end wall yawned black and empty. A broad flight of steps opposite the
front door divided at a wide landing into two separate staircases
leading to either side of a railed balcony on the upper floor.
    Sophia walked reluctantly into the unprepossessing interior,
murmured an ironic "Charming!" and called, "Is somebody here?" No
whisper of life answered her. 'Lud!' she thought. 'What an awful place!
Just what I expected of him!'
    Two corridors led back into the wings of the house. The one to the
right was dark, but to the left, light gleamed faintly. She traversed
the hall and walked nervously along the corridor, passing several
closed doors on either side. It was chill and damp and smelled of
paint, but the last door was slightly open, sending a beam of light
across the flagged floor. Again, her knock won no response, and she
stepped in. Something white flew at her with a loud hissing. She gave a
shriek of terror and shrank back. A large goose advanced, with neck
outstretched in evident hostility. "N-nice… birdie," she quavered. The
creature eyed her with beady displeasure. Sophia reached blindly for an
object of defence and, grasping something from a side table, glanced
down at her prize. It was a sculpted bust, the name across the man's
chest identifying 'Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart'. She smiled faintly, but
her smile faded as the broad wings of her antagonist began to rise and
the neck to stretch once more. She replaced the bust hurriedly, but
when she took a tentative step forward, the goose hissed like a
veritable dragon. Sophia thought of Marcus and Smithers labouring in
the rain. Vexed, she shook her cloak at the bird and cried, "Oh, go
away, do!" The goose squawked, made an ungainly dash for the rear of
the room, and squeezed through a French door that was not quite closed.
    The victor looked around in some surprise. She stood in a large and
gracious room. A fire blazed in a lovely Adam fireplace. The walls,
with Gothic panels picked out in gold, were a soft cream. Heavy
brocaded draperies of cream and beige were closed over all the windows.
The furnishings were tasteful, and at the far end of the room, stood a
magnificent old harpsichord, the top littered with music. She walked
toward it curiously, then, glancing to the door through which the goose
had vanished, caught a glimpse of someone outside.
    She hurried on to a broad, rain-swept terrace below which lawns
stretched out. At once the wind blew the door wide, whipping the music
from the harpsichord into a paper cyclone that whirled out to surround
her. A servant, inadequately clad in breeches and a leather apron over
an open-throated shirt, had been labouring to retrieve similar sheets
apparently kidnapped by an earlier gust. He looked up from the foot of
the steps, saw the new disaster, and roared an exasperated, "Oh hell
and damnation!" It was not an endearing greeting, and the startled
Sophia collected herself and favoured him with her most daunting frown.
    He was undaunted. "Close the door, you ninnyhammer!" he shouted.
    It had been several years since anyone had addressed her in that fashion.
    "How…
dare
you!" she said with regal displeasure.
    Unintimidated, he started towards her, bellowing, "Close the door, woman! Are you daft?"
    He was slim but tall and with broad shoulders. Sophia backed away
and, intending to escape this insolent brute by returning to the house,
was thwarted as the door blew shut. Her attempts to open it were
fruitless: it was either locked or jammed. The servant was again
gathering up the sheets of music that the disobliging wind blew in all
directions. The goose, she saw, lurked beside him, scurrying around,
keeping the man ever between itself and her, peering at her uneasily
from beyond him each time he halted. She looked around for some other
door into the house. She
must
try and find someone rational who could send help to Marcus.
    "Don't stand