"Sharon Green - [ebel 01 - Rebel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

that time a servant with a stepping stool was hurrying outside. After placing the stool the servant opened
the coach door, and a moment later Adair was being helped to the ground. Mayne had already
dismounted and given the reins of his horse to a member of his escort, so he was able to follow the
servant and Adair into the inn.
тАЬPrince Mayne!тАЭ the innkeeper exclaimed with a bow when he hurried over to meet his newly arrived
guests. тАЬYour Highness, you honor my house with your presence. Allow me to show you and the lady to
a private dining room.тАЭ
Mayne nodded and gestured for the innkeeper to lead the way, then followed a short distance behind the
man and Adair. Even as he walked, the innkeeper lost no time in asking Adair if there was anything he
could get for her. When Adair requested dark tea, Mayne smiled to himself. Not many people liked the
strong, hearty flavor of dark tea, but Mayne happened to be one of them. So he and his new wife already
had something in commonтАж
The private dining room was large and lovely, with terrace doors leading to a walled-in garden. Adair
walked to the doors to look out rather than going to one of the padded chairs at the table, and the
innkeeper hovered until some of his people came hurrying in with the tea service. While the service was
being set up and a cup of tea was poured for the lady, the innkeeper personally took MayneтАЩs lunch
order. The men of his escort would be served their own meal in the common room after theyтАЩd seen to
their horses, and the innтАЩs stable boys would take care of the coach horses.
Once the very important matters of tea and lunch were taken care of, Mayne was finally left alone with
Adair. She still stood by the terrace doors, sipping tea while she looked out, so Mayne walked over to
her.
тАЬIf youтАЩve never stopped at this inn before, youтАЩll find the food really good,тАЭ Mayne offered, the best
opening gambit he could think of. тАЬAs youтАЩve already seen, they also provide a very good cup of dark
tea.тАЭ
Mayne expected Adair to say something, either agreement or disagreement about the tea, doubt about or
interest in the quality of the food, maybe even an order not to speak to her. Instead the girl just stood
looking out the terrace doors, for all the world as if she were alone in the room.
тАЬIf you think you can ignore me from now on, it breaks my heart to tell you that that just wonтАЩt be
possible,тАЭ Mayne found himself saying, annoyance producing the words. тАЬThe reason youтАЩre going to my
fatherтАЩs palace in the first place is to get to know my brothers and me, and you canтАЩt get to know
someone if you pretend they arenтАЩt anywhere near you.тАЭ
тАЬThe reason IтАЩm going to your fatherтАЩs palace is because I made a deal with my own father,тАЭ the girl said
after a very short hesitation, still making no effort to look at him. тАЬNothing in that deal said I had to be
friendly or even particularly pleasant, just that I had to go. If you want someone to get to know you, look
elsewhere. I already know everything about you I care to.тАЭ
And with that she turned away from the terrace doors and walked to the tea service to refill her cup.
Mayne followed her with his gaze, distantly wondering if any part of him could be suffering from frostbite.
Talk about your cold shoulderтАж
тАЬListen to me, Adair,тАЭ Mayne finally said after a moment, firmly refusing to sigh. тАЬIтАЩll admit we got off on
the wrong foot, but that doesnтАЩt mean we canтАЩt still be friends. I donтАЩt know nearly as much about you as
IтАЩd like to, and itтАЩs come to me that I may know just as little about your relationship with your father.
What did he say when he came to your apartment this morning to tell you goodbye?тАЭ
By that time Adair had refilled her teacup, so Mayne had no trouble seeing the small, bitter smile curving
her lips before she drank. The smile suggested that her father hadnтАЩt come to her apartment to say
goodbye, something Mayne had already suspected.
But nothing in the way of words or even a glance in his direction followed the smile, showing that Mayne
had been turned invisible again. When the food came Adair ignored it as well, and Mayne had no choice
but to do some ignoring of his own. If heтАЩd tried to insist that Adair eat something he would have just
started another fight, and that was almost the last thing he wanted to do.
The very last thing he wanted was to continue being invisible, but at the moment Mayne had no idea how