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.Brinnie cleanand fed didn t impress her much.Reaching summarily to pinch color into Brin s cheeks, she grumbledsomething unintelligible and stood back to allow Antony into the room.He thankedher quietly, and stood leaning back against the door as it closed.He was shaking his head, staring. Well, was all he could manage. She didn t seem impressed, Brin smiled self-consciously, feeling the heat ofhis gaze too intensely on her skin.The linen she wore was too filmy andinsubstantial.His eyes carried a spreading warmth up into her cheeks and down overher figure from her shoulders to her ankles. She thinks you should have worn more make-up.Or did you already knowthat s what she said? No. As soon as she tried to speak, another blush of heated blood coursed upunder her skin and she turned her face away. I told you I don t understand Latin.He didn t commit himself one way or another on that. She was wrong, hesaid gently.The room was so small and so obviously intended for bed play that she felt thewalls closing in on her and she scanned them all urgently for any sign of movement. Let me speak plainly, she said as clearly as the fears in her chest would allow. Doyou intend to take your money s worth, here, now?His eyebrows lifted, and a smile touched his lips, turning the corners so thesoft skin puckered and a crease ran down through the artwork on his cheek. That isplain speech.The money isn t mine it s borrowed, so it s not me you owe. Right.Good. Trying to believe she was unafraid, Brinnie stepped forwardand moved nervously to the far corner and back again. Did you have any troubletoday? Did you hear anything useful? Where did you go?He d been to the bathhouse, that much she could tell.The warm clean smellof him filled her lungs, and she would have breathed deeper if only her ribs haddeigned to let her hold the air.The tunic that caught on the fullness of his shouldersand draped over the slim lines of his belly shone as near to pure white as any workingman might hope.And again he d belted the heavy kilt low on his hips.He still woreCALEDONIA 49dark leather leggings and high boots, and she wondered if he had somewhere warm tosleep the night, or if he was dressed for the cold of the open air. I had no trouble today.Yes, I heard some interesting things.And I went tothe bathhouse and to the tavern. Which reminds me, I m having food brought here in a little while.You haveto eat if you re going to travel far. Thank you. Some of the blank terror ran away down her spine, looseningthe hard knots of nervous tension from her shoulders and pooling in the small of herback.When she looked directly at him, it seemed he was looking down, his darklashes hiding more than a flash of blue or a dark sideways glance.But when sheturned her face away, she felt the warm touch of his gaze on her cheeks; felt it skimover her lips and down her throat. What did you find out? Do we know if they re bringing troops in? Shealmost fancied his eyes had settled over the beaded intricacies of her bodice, and herbreasts tightened suddenly, pushing the hard pearls of her nipples up into the delicatecloth.A thoughtless hand leapt up to cover her chest.The terror that had begun to recede surged hard through her veins, driving herheart beat up into the soft skin of her throat, and embarrassment at her own reactionwashed scarlet into her cheeks then drained them back to white.Whatever he read in her movement, it darkened his eyes and he let theirshadowed intensity touch hers briefly, then he turned, searching the walls and his ownthoughts. I can give Euguein numbers on who is here, now.We can t confirm thetalk about a legion coming into port in strength.It s no more than conjecture.Moving with almost painful slowness, he walked to the pallet and turned to sit.He rested his elbows onto his knees and hung his head, studying the floor between hisfeet. We should wait until we know that for sure, she said. Can we do that? Is itsafe? No Brinnie. A deep frown had set over his brow and he seemed to plead, orto reprimand her for unknown crimes. It isn t safe.The second knock came and without a pause to answer, the door opened.Ulastood grinning shamelessly, a platter of food and a jug of honeyed red wine held uplike a prize. Food, she giggled needlessly. And wine.Where do you want it?Her Latin was thick and flawed, but she seemed not to notice this shortcoming.She stood before Antony, her voluptuous curves tilted to their best advantage,and her eyes sparkling. Here, he said sharply, lifting the tray from her hands and setting it down onthe hard bed beside him. Thank you.Goodbye.There was no offence in the good-natured wink and wave Ula gave her as sheturned to leave.But the interruption had given Brin time to master herself and towrestle the rising sense of doom that hung in the unlit air. So it s not safe? She wanted to say that she d known there would bedangers, but something in the clipped movements of his hands gave her pause. Eat.Here.Before it gets any darker.I don t see any candles or lamps inhere.CALEDONIA 50The poor light seeped deeper into the shadows under his brows, darkening hiseyes further and washing away their manic gleam. No.There s no light.Tell me what the danger is.He hesitated again, rubbing his thumb along each finger in turn, pressinginvisible stains out of his skin. There s talk.About you.About your links toCalgacus.I think they know where you were, and they re looking for you.Youwon t be safe in this city. Me? Carefully she took a seat, with the tray of food, now unappetizing,taking the small space between them. Well, she swallowed a lump of dread. I msafe enough here, aren t I? They wouldn t think to look here. There would have been eyes on us, even if they didn t know who you were.You re safe here while I m paying more than someone else might pay for information.It s the way of this world. When he brought his face up to hers and met her eyessquarely, Brin almost let a moan slip from her tongue.The same soul-searing heatshe had seen in him on that first night, reached through her eyes to read her heart. IfI can get you a horse, we can find a way out of the city tonight.Take what we vealready heard and go hard for Calgacus camp [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]