like some sort of criminal, accuse my butler and myself of heaven knows what, then you have the gall to imply I’m insane?
You’re
the one who should be locked up.”
“Save my life?” He leaned down to rub his sore shins. “Is that what you call taking shots at me in the park?”
“I didn’t shoot at you. I don’t even own a pistol, and I don’t know anyone who does. Well, except the colonel. Since he was in the army, he might own a gun. Even if I did have such a weapon in my possession, I wouldn’t have a clue how to use it.”
“If you didn’t shoot at me, who did?”
“I haven’t the vaguest idea. As I tried to explain to you at Scotland Yard, I didn’t see the murderer. If I had, I would have described him to you. All I saw was you covered in blood, lying in the grass beside a statue of Robert Burns, and you were dead.”
“And you saw this in your mind?”
His contemptuous disbelief was plain. She thought she had long ago gotten used to skepticism, but from this man, at this moment, it was intolerable. “In a dream, actually. And,” she added as he began to laugh, “there was nothing amusing about it. It scared me out of my wits.”
“I’m not amused, I can assure you. You come to me, declaring that you had a dream I was lying dead and bloody in Victoria Embankment Gardens, then it very nearly happens. And when I reach home, I find you here, waiting for me. To my mind, all of that leads to one conclusion. You know all about it.”
“It isn’t knowledge, not in the sense you mean. It’s just—” She broke off, reluctant to expose herself to additional contempt and ridicule. But he continued to study her with those cold blue eyes, and she knew he would never let her leave until she had at least tried to explain her role in tonight’s events.
“Sometimes I can see the future. I often dream of things and then they happen exactly as I dreamed them. But sometimes it doesn’t even happen in a dream. Sometimes, I see things when I’m awake. Of course, when that happens, I usually feel very faint and dizzy, which is inconvenient if I’m out at the shops or at the opera. Sometimes, I sense things about people. I’ll see awoman standing next to me in a shop, for instance, a woman I’ve never seen before, and I’ll know her brother just died. I just know things without being told.”
He folded his arms across his broad chest, unimpressed. “Opening day at Epsom Downs is a week from now. If you can see the future, tell me which horse is going to win the first race, so I can put a quid down.”
“It’s not like electricity! I can’t simply turn it on and off at will.”
“How convenient for you.”
The sarcasm, in his voice told her any further attempts to explain were futile. She lifted her chin. “There’s something else you need to know. Sometimes, I know what people are thinking. Right now, you are thinking things about me that nothing I could say would refute. This is hopeless, and I think I should leave.”
He seized her arm as she started to walk past him. “So soon? I couldn’t possibly allow that.” He pulled her to one of the two chintz chairs, pushed her into it, then sat down in the opposite chair. He leaned back as if settling in for a long conversation.
“Let me see if I have this right. You had a dream I was going to be murdered, but you have no idea who the murderer might be.” He studied her so closely that she had to fight back the impulse to squirm in her chair. “What was your reason for coming to see me? You decided to be a good citizen and warn me of my fate?”
“Actually, yes.”
He made a sound of disbelief, and Sophie frownedat him in vexation. “There’s no point in trying to tell you anything. You aren’t prepared to listen to a word I say.”
His expression grew even more grim. “Tell me anyway.”
“I didn’t know the man in my dream was you until I saw you at Scotland Yard. All I knew was that a man was going to die unless I could
You’re
the one who should be locked up.”
“Save my life?” He leaned down to rub his sore shins. “Is that what you call taking shots at me in the park?”
“I didn’t shoot at you. I don’t even own a pistol, and I don’t know anyone who does. Well, except the colonel. Since he was in the army, he might own a gun. Even if I did have such a weapon in my possession, I wouldn’t have a clue how to use it.”
“If you didn’t shoot at me, who did?”
“I haven’t the vaguest idea. As I tried to explain to you at Scotland Yard, I didn’t see the murderer. If I had, I would have described him to you. All I saw was you covered in blood, lying in the grass beside a statue of Robert Burns, and you were dead.”
“And you saw this in your mind?”
His contemptuous disbelief was plain. She thought she had long ago gotten used to skepticism, but from this man, at this moment, it was intolerable. “In a dream, actually. And,” she added as he began to laugh, “there was nothing amusing about it. It scared me out of my wits.”
“I’m not amused, I can assure you. You come to me, declaring that you had a dream I was lying dead and bloody in Victoria Embankment Gardens, then it very nearly happens. And when I reach home, I find you here, waiting for me. To my mind, all of that leads to one conclusion. You know all about it.”
“It isn’t knowledge, not in the sense you mean. It’s just—” She broke off, reluctant to expose herself to additional contempt and ridicule. But he continued to study her with those cold blue eyes, and she knew he would never let her leave until she had at least tried to explain her role in tonight’s events.
“Sometimes I can see the future. I often dream of things and then they happen exactly as I dreamed them. But sometimes it doesn’t even happen in a dream. Sometimes, I see things when I’m awake. Of course, when that happens, I usually feel very faint and dizzy, which is inconvenient if I’m out at the shops or at the opera. Sometimes, I sense things about people. I’ll see awoman standing next to me in a shop, for instance, a woman I’ve never seen before, and I’ll know her brother just died. I just know things without being told.”
He folded his arms across his broad chest, unimpressed. “Opening day at Epsom Downs is a week from now. If you can see the future, tell me which horse is going to win the first race, so I can put a quid down.”
“It’s not like electricity! I can’t simply turn it on and off at will.”
“How convenient for you.”
The sarcasm, in his voice told her any further attempts to explain were futile. She lifted her chin. “There’s something else you need to know. Sometimes, I know what people are thinking. Right now, you are thinking things about me that nothing I could say would refute. This is hopeless, and I think I should leave.”
He seized her arm as she started to walk past him. “So soon? I couldn’t possibly allow that.” He pulled her to one of the two chintz chairs, pushed her into it, then sat down in the opposite chair. He leaned back as if settling in for a long conversation.
“Let me see if I have this right. You had a dream I was going to be murdered, but you have no idea who the murderer might be.” He studied her so closely that she had to fight back the impulse to squirm in her chair. “What was your reason for coming to see me? You decided to be a good citizen and warn me of my fate?”
“Actually, yes.”
He made a sound of disbelief, and Sophie frownedat him in vexation. “There’s no point in trying to tell you anything. You aren’t prepared to listen to a word I say.”
His expression grew even more grim. “Tell me anyway.”
“I didn’t know the man in my dream was you until I saw you at Scotland Yard. All I knew was that a man was going to die unless I could
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