Скачать книгу

like. Don’t you fret. Eve here is very sturdy, but actually she’s been doing some work in the greenhouses for us today.’

      Eve tried and failed to look on ‘sturdy’ as a compliment. Compared with the diminutive creature dressed entirely in black, which did marvellous things for her translucent complexion, she felt like an ungainly giant.

      ‘California. That sounds exciting. Will you be visiting for long?’ Eve asked, receiving her steaming mug with a smile of thanks.

      Charlotte glanced at her mother quickly and lowered her eyes, a mysterious smile playing about her lovely lips. ‘Possibly,’ she said enigmatically. ‘Will you excuse…?’ She drifted ethereally from the room.

      ‘She’s a bit on edge,’ Mrs Atkinson confided. ‘I’ve arranged a little luncheon party.’

      ‘I was just going,’ Eve said, taking the hint.

      ‘No, there’s no need for you to hurry.’

      Eve settled back down, even though her schedule was tight. Mrs Atkinson was a woman with a lot of time on her hands, who liked to chat, and Eve, a good listener, usually obliged.

      ‘Actually, it’s rather awkward. Charlotte used to be engaged to the young man we’re expecting. It was a couple of years ago now, but she’s not actually seen him since…well, actually…she walked out at the last minute, just before the wedding.’

      ‘You mean she jilted him?’ Eve gasped, goggle-eyed. ‘I mean, I’m sure she had her reasons,’ she added hastily as she saw the maternal hackles visibly rise.

      Mrs Atkinson looked mollified. ‘Actually…’ She gave a rueful sigh. ‘She didn’t actually tell us why, but everyone knew it must have been something very bad to make her act so out of character. They’d been a couple on and off since schooldays, you see—inseparable. She ran off to America and married Rufus Hall eventually; he’s very rich, of course,’ she added.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEAYABgAAD/4RNBRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAABgAAAAAQAAAGAAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEzOjEy OjE4IDE1OjUwOjQ2AAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAf//AACgAgAEAAAAAQAAAfSgAwAEAAAAAQAAAyQAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAASEwAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAv/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUAMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAX/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AK3SHOZ1GpzHFrgHw5pIP0XfnBegdJsc/p1TnuLnEvlzjJ+k7uV530if2gzz 3x/mld/0n/k2r4v/AOrcrvNmiPIf90w4t2+XKh13qNnTei5ufUJtoqJqngPcRVU7+w+zejvcQf4r L+sVmNldGzOn3Xtpdl0uawt9ziWljpZWPp+/09/9dU/c6M4gTtq+UWV3Xe9rHPstcSbnklz3fSe/ c/3WOe473vTu6ZaKGWh+y5zwwVFpYQ4lray23+s5dZT03p9Tiwu20U0s2ufDnB9ZduqZI/w27da5 YXU819+V9odbsZT+kxqrJ22PZrXUxrfpt9Rn9tR+4boNj7vEAmWpr+7q+rdKxs/C6TiY/WMlt+bT XtyMh7gNxBO39Jbsdd6deyp17v53+cVtzC0SRDSJaex/qrybrvRKXdNOfkZV2f1dnuzHXEugT+lY yt4/R11vc9VPqr9ZsjoGeyXuPTbnNZl0EktDCdv2ipv0WXUfT/ls/RokCQJDCQYECXV9f5Tggd1V yL3U2GuxrgfzBESON39VQZbY/wAh4BVTKjszCBq3/9Cl0kj7fUSdIf8A9S5dqzqeD0n6vftDNc5t FJcCGDc9znWFldVTJbuse5cT0oA51c8Q7/qStf63sfZ9Scemobrbc6plTfFzn3NaFc5yVTiPAf8A dMOLq6WB9bG5/R8zrJwnYmFibhUbbGvddYwe9uxjWtZXW7027t7/AFH/APFrgeh/WrMo67jZ3U7T diO30ZFJjYyjJP6cVtj2Nrs9O/8A60ux+tPSn4X1UZ0bAa604tQYW1guc9wM2v2NlzvWu9Wxee1f V/rmQNtXTskh2kurLBrp9K702qpYs+DORLhjV+rU14PUfXOpvSsizEoey81kWfTO+pjgXNruaz89 8ezf/PV7LFl/Vax2d1N7fTb6oY15uc8AMradl+z1Wv2vfvx/R2/zfofuW2LbHQX29LbX1i1uPdZe zItbU71HuDKasYVPsef8K+j1rv5yv8ytVqvql0K/cxjboH+FNhO2fJRyMASB1Z4e9KpHaO99aS/W XM6dWHYlL2MrvMXeg0b3A/zlr9v0trP3lxN7aBa+umw3U8NsLSzcP6jvc1dX1PFrxemu6fXTXWTt Ft7RD7IMt9TT6FjmbrGMXJWsdU4stG0jmdNPFLGbtHMgjh00rd9W6Dn25/ROmW362sxa6nHXXZuY 15/lPYxrlst9obrB8lzn1OsyLukUuyGua5oa1rTxsa1janMb+Y2yv37V0APvHx/iquT5pebLEaRA 7P8A/9HP6USMxh/rf9SV0vV7mYv1Uo6k+kZB6ZmVZYqcYBLLXU/S/kevvXNdLMZVZ/rfkK7A4Tuo /VbKwNu52TReyvt75dZT/wCDMrVnnv5yPlH85sWDY/X/ALl5Kz/GS9xfOMGF+pcJJ/FVL/r46wGG P1+S5OQ5oceSB96jtKrGAvctiOeQ2ER9Hcv+tN9pltXl7iSV0/1ezMq7Dfbk0HHIc5oB4dt+kRP7 rvY5Yf8Ai/6PjdQ6lfk5MPGA1j6qTHuseX7LNp+m2n012F9rMYOa/aGMBJntvc6zj/hLHqrlnCE+ Gqrq2sJyZBqeK/0dHE6re22xtYMmIJ8ydrvybVRzcP0cgsIh9Qa9hPLXsM6I+RS/7ewG6u0PIa1o 0fP0tvpf+RT5OQ1/U6xcQGlll9xPG1mn/R27k6EhKNgr5xI

Скачать книгу