"Esther M. Friesner - A Beltaine And Suspenders" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

He stepped away from the bed before she could catch him a box on the ear and

made for the door with the casual, smug gait of a town's only tomcat. Hand on

the brass knob he paused to add, "And given my own appearance--which not a few

of my more tender-natured female parishioners have found to be acceptably

appealing --you've just passed up the opportunity of a lifetime. Oh well, that's

the last time I go in for charity work. Good night, Olivia. At least you can

still read about fertility."
Breakfast the next morning was an affair of damp and foggy silences, despite the

bright Yuletide greens which graced the room. Her ladyship affected not to

notice Olivia's moroseness, Father Herrick's smooth disdain, or her own son's

insomnia-ravaged eyes. A hostess had her duty to her guests, which duty included

making light, amusing, but not frivolous conversation at meals. If set down in

the midst of a charnel house and designated hostess to the dead by whatever

whimsical Power, Lady Battle-Purfittwould set herself to drawing out the

corpses.



"Telemachustells me you are quite the authority on ancient British fertility

rituals, Miss Drummond," she said to Olivia.



"Quite ancient," came the all-too-meaning, uninvited comment from Father

Herrick.



Olivia ignored him. "I have written a number of books on the subject, Lady

Battle-Purfitt," she replied. "All privately printed. You won't have heard of

any of them."