"Sean Russell - River Into Darkness 1 - Beneath the Vaunted Hills" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Sean)

тАЬIsnтАЩt it divinely wicked?тАЭ a young woman said to him, and he realized he was looking at a daughter of
the Shackleton family, though his memory would not cooperate by supplying a name. She waved a glass
of wine expansively, the look of drunken delight not varying measurably. тАЬOnly the marchioness would
dare such an evening.тАЭ She looked at him suddenly, her manner inquisitive if a little unfocused. тАЬDonтАЩt I
know you?тАЭ

тАЬErasmus Flattery,тАЭ he said, and watched her expression change from drunken delight.

тАЬReally?тАЭ she managed, remaining fairly collected. тАЬYouтАЩve been to our home, I think.тАЭ

Erasmus nodded.

тАЬI so wanted to ask if the rumors were true, but I was too shy, and my mother warned me to mind my
manners. But tonight IтАЩve had enough wineтАж Is it true you served Eldrich?тАЭ

He shook his head. тАЬVicious rumor. I once visited a school chum at Lord EldrichтАЩs homeтАФhe was a
great-nephew or some such thing. But it was all very ordinary, and the legendary Eldrich never appeared.
Not even to my school chum, if heтАЩs to be believed.тАЭ

тАЬToo bad,тАЭ she said, her look of delight fading a little more. тАЬToo many good stories end up that way.
The truth is a bit of a bore, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ
Erasmus shrugged.

тАЬWell, thatтАЩs what IтАЩve found anyway,тАЭ she said resignedly, placed a hand on his chest rather clumsily,
then backed away into the crowd, waving theatrically, as though she had lost all capacity for the
unself-conscious gesture.

Dora, Erasmus thought as he watched her disappear into the crowd. Dora Shackleton, although
тАЬSimpletonтАЭ might be more appropriate.

Nearby a gathering of people swayed and bobbed, all trying to view the object of interest that lay at the
very center of this movement. Drawn by what force Erasmus did not knowтАФperhaps merely because
the audience was almost entirely young ladiesтАФhe



found himself looking over the heads of the watchers. Heads of lustrous swaying hair that fell to bare
shoulders and beyond.

тАЬBut you see she is completely relaxed,тАЭ a man was saying. тАЬIn fact, she will wake from this refreshed, as
though she had slept the night through and experienced only the sweetest of dreams.тАЭ

The man bent over a young woman seated in a chair. He sported both an ostentatious mustache and a
monocle and looked too much like a player on the stageтАФthe foreign count whom no one trusted,
despite his charm. He laid a hand on the young womanтАЩs shoulder, but she did not stir, and kept her eyes
closed. Indeed, she seemed to be asleep sitting up.

тАЬBut what will she do?тАЭ a woman asked, a little embarrassed by her question.

тАЬOr not do,тАЭ another added, and they all giggled at her boldness.