did not have to contend with interference from any other quarters this time. It might give him the opportunity to convince her.
After a moment’s hesitation, he eased over to the place where he knew she’d see him when she returned from the dressing room. He wasn’t quite sure if he should pray or not, but since God seemed to have deserted him long ago he decided to simply trust the Fates.
The minute she returned from the bathroom, Kelly knew she was being watched. Every fine hair on her arms stood to attention and she almost turned straight around to seek refuge in the bathroom. But even as that thought raced through her mind, her eyes darted to the mirror.
In broad daylight the image appeared even more commanding. Just as he’d done earlier, he stood with his arms folded, staring at her with an intense expression. Tall, with longish black hair and deep blue eyes, he wore the same clothing and held himself rigid in the same tense stance as if ready to launch himself through the glass and into the room. He seemed to be waiting. Suspended.
Despite all rational thought a tingling stirred low in her belly – a sensation she hadn’t known since the first heady days of rapture with Frank. Ridiculous! How can I be affected by a hoax?
As she edged a small step closer his eyes followed her and she wondered how they could possibly have manufactured the projection to be able to do that. She felt fairly certain there were no cameras anywhere in the room because she had just gone over every inch of it. It must be a trick of some kind, or the result of some well-educated guesswork. Still, she made a mental note not to strip off her clothes – just in case.
Another step closer and he shifted his stance, relaxing it ever so slightly.
Drawing a deep breath, she too relaxed and crossed her arms to mimic him. It was uncanny. He looked so real, so tangible, that she felt as if she could reach through the glass and touch a real live man, and chances were he was exactly that – a hired actor, playing the part of a ghost. And an attractive one.
She tilted her head to the side as she scrutinised him. ‘How the heck have they done it?’
The image tilted his head just as she had done and said in a deep voice that rumbled through the room, ‘They?’
Despite herself, Kelly jumped back with a start. Her heart began to pound. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
‘Please, I would prefer that you did not shriek again, Madam – I vow I cannot harm you.’ The image dropped his arms and held out his hands as if to show her he concealed nothing. ‘I cannot reach beyond the glass.’
There must be a camera! How else would he know that she was about to cut loose and yell for all she was worth? She swallowed and narrowed her eyes, not at him, but the frame and wall surrounding the mirror.
‘If you tell me what it is you are searching for, perhaps I might be of assistance.’
She scowled at him before resuming her study of the wallpaper. ‘Where is it?’
‘It?’
‘It – the camera.’
‘Cam-er-uh? I regret that this is a word I do not know. Is it a device of some kind? Perhaps you can describe it? I know this place well and have likely seen it.’
Again she scowled. ‘Funny ha-ha! Everyone knows what a camera is.’ She stopped her inspection of the wallpaper to find him leaning to the side in order to view her progress.
‘Alas, I do not.’
‘Alas you do not,’ she muttered under her breath as her eyes locked onto his. ‘Why am I even talking to you?’
His brow furrowed. ‘Why should you not? I know we have not been formally introduced but that is easily remedied: my name is John Tarrant,’ he sketched the slightest of bows before continuing, ‘and you are in my bedroom – a situation which, in my time would be considered quite unacceptable, but from what I have learned of yours I believe it is an everyday state of affairs.’
Kelly pursed her lips and tapped her chin. The camera was obviously
After a moment’s hesitation, he eased over to the place where he knew she’d see him when she returned from the dressing room. He wasn’t quite sure if he should pray or not, but since God seemed to have deserted him long ago he decided to simply trust the Fates.
The minute she returned from the bathroom, Kelly knew she was being watched. Every fine hair on her arms stood to attention and she almost turned straight around to seek refuge in the bathroom. But even as that thought raced through her mind, her eyes darted to the mirror.
In broad daylight the image appeared even more commanding. Just as he’d done earlier, he stood with his arms folded, staring at her with an intense expression. Tall, with longish black hair and deep blue eyes, he wore the same clothing and held himself rigid in the same tense stance as if ready to launch himself through the glass and into the room. He seemed to be waiting. Suspended.
Despite all rational thought a tingling stirred low in her belly – a sensation she hadn’t known since the first heady days of rapture with Frank. Ridiculous! How can I be affected by a hoax?
As she edged a small step closer his eyes followed her and she wondered how they could possibly have manufactured the projection to be able to do that. She felt fairly certain there were no cameras anywhere in the room because she had just gone over every inch of it. It must be a trick of some kind, or the result of some well-educated guesswork. Still, she made a mental note not to strip off her clothes – just in case.
Another step closer and he shifted his stance, relaxing it ever so slightly.
Drawing a deep breath, she too relaxed and crossed her arms to mimic him. It was uncanny. He looked so real, so tangible, that she felt as if she could reach through the glass and touch a real live man, and chances were he was exactly that – a hired actor, playing the part of a ghost. And an attractive one.
She tilted her head to the side as she scrutinised him. ‘How the heck have they done it?’
The image tilted his head just as she had done and said in a deep voice that rumbled through the room, ‘They?’
Despite herself, Kelly jumped back with a start. Her heart began to pound. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
‘Please, I would prefer that you did not shriek again, Madam – I vow I cannot harm you.’ The image dropped his arms and held out his hands as if to show her he concealed nothing. ‘I cannot reach beyond the glass.’
There must be a camera! How else would he know that she was about to cut loose and yell for all she was worth? She swallowed and narrowed her eyes, not at him, but the frame and wall surrounding the mirror.
‘If you tell me what it is you are searching for, perhaps I might be of assistance.’
She scowled at him before resuming her study of the wallpaper. ‘Where is it?’
‘It?’
‘It – the camera.’
‘Cam-er-uh? I regret that this is a word I do not know. Is it a device of some kind? Perhaps you can describe it? I know this place well and have likely seen it.’
Again she scowled. ‘Funny ha-ha! Everyone knows what a camera is.’ She stopped her inspection of the wallpaper to find him leaning to the side in order to view her progress.
‘Alas, I do not.’
‘Alas you do not,’ she muttered under her breath as her eyes locked onto his. ‘Why am I even talking to you?’
His brow furrowed. ‘Why should you not? I know we have not been formally introduced but that is easily remedied: my name is John Tarrant,’ he sketched the slightest of bows before continuing, ‘and you are in my bedroom – a situation which, in my time would be considered quite unacceptable, but from what I have learned of yours I believe it is an everyday state of affairs.’
Kelly pursed her lips and tapped her chin. The camera was obviously
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