When the Devil Drives

More documents

Recommendations

Info

lavish arrangement of dried flowers. A tall white-haired woman roseto her feet from a chintz-covered sofa, and came forward to greetthem.'Good morning.' Her handshake was firm. 'I'm Rosalie Osborne.These are always such awkward occasions, aren't they? I'vesuggested to your fiance that Mr Morris shows you round, while Imake some coffee and prepare to answer any questions you mayhave. Would that suit you?''It sounds—ideal.' Joanna was tautly aware of Cal's hand, firmlyclasping her arm.'I'm sure she'll love the cottage, Mrs Osborne,' he said pleasantly.'Come along, darling. Shall we start with the kitchen?'It was immediately apparent that no expense had been spared on thecottage's refurbishment. The kitchen boasted a lavish range of fittedoak units, as well as a generously sized dining area complete withtraditional dresser.'Well, my sweet?' Cal's smiling gaze quizzed her. 'Can you seeyourself cooking delicious dinners for two at that stove?''Hardly,' Joanna returned tersely, through gritted teeth. 'Cooking isn'tone of my strong points,' she went on mendaciously. 'Perhaps youcould arrange for meals on wheels to be sent over from the countryclub.''No need to go to those lengths,' he said drily. 'I'm considered a fairchef myself. We won't starve.''That's good,' she said brightly. 'Shall we look at the rest?'
Mr Morris led the way upstairs, talking knowledgeably about loftstorage, timber guarantees, damp- proof courses and secondarydouble glazing. Joanna let it all wash over her.If she'd seen Kirkgate Cottage a week earlier, she would have madean offer for it without hesitation, she thought sadly. It was exactlywhat she wanted. Besides that, the whole cottage exuded a warmtranquillity that appealed directly to her troubled senses. For the firsttime in her life she could have created a home of her own.'This is the main bedroom.' Mr Morris threw open a door with aflourish. 'Incorporating one of the property's most appealing features.'Cal stopped dead in his tracks. 'Good God,' he said blankly.Joanna looked past him, her own lips parting in astonishment.Greeting her gaze was an old-fashioned four-poster bed, completewith frilled canopy and looped-back curtains.Mr Morris regarded them with the satisfied expression of a noviceconjuror who had just successfully produced his first rabbit out of ahat. 'Isn't it charming?''It's amazing,' Cal returned. 'How on earth did a thing that size get upthose stairs?''It didn't. When the late Mr Osborne bought it, he had it taken topieces, then reassembled in situ, as it were.' Mr Morris sounded asproud as if he'd carried out the task single-handed. 'It now counts as afixture, and provision has been made in the asking price.' He pattedone of the carved and polished posts. 'To remove it would destroy thewhole romantic character of the room.''Oh, we wouldn't want to do that.' Cal turned to Joanna. 'Would we,my love?'
Page 2 and 3:
WHEN THE DEVILDRIVESSara Craven
Page 4 and 5:
CHAPTER ONE'SIMON, you don't—you
Page 6 and 7:
Because Cal Blackstone wasn't inter
Page 8 and 9:
Joanna bit her lip hard. It was Phi
Page 10 and 11:
ack in his face, for God's sake.' H
Page 12 and 13:
'Here?' Joanna stared at him, appal
Page 14 and 15:
Know your enemy, had been one of Jo
Page 16 and 17:
By the time she'd fetched the jack,
Page 18 and 19:
Joanna sniffed delicately, grimacin
Page 20 and 21:
Cal Blackstone threw back his head
Page 22 and 23:
'Ah, but it will,' he said softly.
Page 24 and 25:
CHAPTER TWOTHE mist swirled thickly
Page 26 and 27:
'After all,' Fiona had often pouted
Page 28 and 29:
As she heard the doorbell peal, she
Page 30 and 31:
held together by an elastic band. H
Page 32 and 33:
She didn't want to hear any more. H
Page 34 and 35:
'And so it will be soon,' he said s
Page 36:
'I don't need twenty-four seconds,'
Page 40 and 41:
Why the hell was she worrying about
Page 42 and 43:
'Not yours to that extent. Simon, a
Page 44 and 45:
'And having my private affairs chew
Page 46 and 47:
CHAPTER THREEDOWN by the reservoir,
Page 48 and 49: She started violently. She'd been s
Page 50 and 51: 'Isn't that what all men want?'He s
Page 52 and 53: Joanna's watch said eight o'clock p
Page 54 and 55: the wedding ceremony, even in the n
Page 56 and 57: 'I wouldn't blame it,' he said dril
Page 58 and 59: She sat rigidly on the edge of the
Page 60 and 61: 'It's all right, sweetie,' her fath
Page 62 and 63: 'You don't need to make excuses for
Page 64 and 65: His hand slid under her hair, lifti
Page 66 and 67: CHAPTER FOURJOANNA awoke from sleep
Page 68 and 69: 'You were clearly in a highly nervo
Page 70 and 71: 'You intend to go on with this—ob
Page 72 and 73: The living-room, she found, had alr
Page 74 and 75: Her smile was civil but totally dis
Page 76 and 77: 'No one would ever regard your gran
Page 78 and 79: on your wedding night? Did you keep
Page 80 and 81: line of her throat to his mouth. He
Page 82 and 83: He moved out of the doorway, allowi
Page 84 and 85: Because she knew now, quite unequiv
Page 86 and 87: action would be to hire a business
Page 88 and 89: of some way by now to keep him off
Page 90 and 91: CHAPTER FIVEJOANNA felt better afte
Page 92 and 93: 'How very good of you.' Joanna's fa
Page 94 and 95: And the trouble is it could all be
Page 96 and 97: with you to show you a cottage at N
Page 100 and 101: There was a sudden burning ache in
Page 102 and 103: 'Where do you think you're going?'
Page 104 and 105: thought about us. She assumed that
Page 106 and 107: She slid into the driving seat and
Page 108 and 109: Somehow, against all logic and all
Page 110 and 111: else around. She could not have bor
Page 112 and 113: Joanna had accepted his occasional
Page 114 and 115: Joanna had felt nauseated, close to
Page 116 and 117: She drew a deep, quivering sigh, an
Page 118 and 119: There was a moment of silence, tota
Page 120 and 121: 'I found out while you were in Amer
Page 122 and 123: She shivered as she remembered the
Page 124 and 125: CHAPTER SEVENJOANNA spent the follo
Page 126 and 127: Callum Blackstone had wanted Joanna
Page 128 and 129: How marvellous to be able to map ou
Page 130 and 131: The envelope was lying on the carpe
Page 132 and 133: using for the kitchen units. We've
Page 134 and 135: 'Maybe we should.' Cal's eyes dwell
Page 136 and 137: 'That's our business.' Joanna wonde
Page 138 and 139: 'He never will.' She was hurting so
Page 140 and 141: She could taste blood in her mouth,
Page 142 and 143: At the same time, Joanna was sane e
Page 144 and 145: 'That woman has got to go,' Mrs Dri
Page 146 and 147: Once I would simply have blamed the
Page 148 and 149:
Anthony Chalfont stirred in his une
Page 150 and 151:
traumatic thing. You were his nanny
Page 152 and 153:
from then on.' She sighed. 'He'd ha
Page 154 and 155:
'Oh, we've been in touch with Mr Dr
Page 156 and 157:
CHAPTER NINETHERE was darkness all
Page 158 and 159:
Cal carried Joanna out into the hal
Page 160 and 161:
A moment later the front door bange
Page 162 and 163:
Needless to say, her father had bee
Page 164 and 165:
'Perhaps,' Joanna said evenly. 'But
Page 166 and 167:
It was the same receptionist at the
Page 168 and 169:
She stared at him. 'Why—everythin
Page 170 and 171:
When she was alone, she glanced rou
Page 172 and 173:
een sheer hell for them both. He pr
Page 174 and 175:
In between kisses, they spoke the f
Page 176 and 177:
'There's no need.' His hand gently
Page 178 and 179:
'No, my darling.' Cal looked at her
show all

When the Devil Drives

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?