"Mercedes Lackey - Tregarde 2 - Burning Water" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

Astral Annies. Good; at least they're going to be predisposed to listen to me. Now, how big is this
retainer? You know I'm not exactly rich."
"HeyтАФwhat about all those books?"
Her face was shadowed for a moment, and her eyes darkened with unmistakable sorrow. "IтАФI've
got some very expensive things to take care of."
Then she brightened again, though he had the impression that it was a forced brightness.
"ExpensiveтАФhoney, I got expenses you wouldn't believeтАФhave you seen the price of crystal balls
recently? Things I need you don't find at K-Mart. And they don't come cheap. And I still have to eat and
pay the rent. So what's my retainer, hm?"
"WellтАФwe're under a budget crunch. Not real big. It'll cover a hotel bill or food. Not both."
He pulled into an old residential neighborhood; houses that dated back to the mid to late 1800sтАФ
which for Dallas, was old. The street was tree-lined, quiet; a considerable relief after the highway.
"I have a couple ideas, though."
"Hm?"
"I've got an old maiden aunt that takes in student boarders, and one of her 'girls' just headed out
for overseas study last semester. She's got a room free. And she's a darn good cook. I already asked herтАФ
she said she'd be happy to have you. My apartment isn't too far from hereтАФit's in the Rose Point complex.
She'll give you bed and board for the amount of the retainer."
"Okay. Or?"
"You could stay with me. But I've only got a studio. One bed."
"Uh-huh. And I don't think you picture either of us sleeping on the floor." She shook her head.
"No, I don't think so, love. I'm not the one you want, so I'm not going to settle for being the one you're
with."
His mouth dropped open. "IтАФuhтАФ" he felt himself blushing again, this time all the way down to
his toes. Despite the earlier reminder, he'd completely forgotten that picking up odd information about
people's emotional statesтАФapparently out of thin airтАФwas one of her most unsettling habits. Her primary
psychic talent, the one she relied on most, was empathyтАФas she had so amply demonstrated back on the
highway. It was a very useful gift, but did tend to cause some consternation among her friends.
Especially when she blatantly said things like that.
"UhтАФokay, well I kind of figuredтАФAunt Nita is pretty much waiting for us."
He pulled into the driveway of an enormous Victorian home, painted light gray with darker gray
trim, and genteelly shabby. The lawn was the usual withered brown of Dallas grass in midwinter, but was
showing some signs of reviving in the unseasonably warm weather.
The driveway was obviously a relic of earlier times; it was cobblestoned, and barely wide enough
for the Ghia. Mark would never have wanted to pull a standard-sized vehicle in here.
His auntтАФas he could have predictedтАФhad been watching for them. As he and Di got out of the
car, a white-haired old woman in a gray, lace-trimmed dress opened her front door and descended the
steps of the porch with the same dignity and poise Queen Elizabeth exhibited when treading the steps of
ParliamentтАФand with a good deal more grace than most monarchs ever displayed.
Mark waited respectfully; Aunt Nita was not a woman that anyone treated lightly. She was a
ramrod-straight, iron wand of a woman of aristocratic hidalgo blood. Her parents and grandparents had
held rancheros the size of counties. Her great-grandparents had been virtual monarchs.
All that had vanished, either at the hands of greedy Texas politicians, or in the Depression. All
that was left her was her dignity, her pride, and this enormous house.
"Aunt Nita," Mark said, "This is the young lady I told you about, Diana Tregarde. Di, this is my
Aunt, Juanita Valdez."
 Di offered her hand with a smile whose warmth surprised Mark. He was even more surprised to
see that his aunt was wearing a smile of identical warmth.
"I believe I have read one of your books, Miss TregardeтАФBlood and RosesтАФ"
"Good heavens, Miss Valdez! I didn't think anyone had bothered to buy that one!" She smiled