Blind Alley - Iris Johansen [101]
“I've no idea. But it makes me feel better about the intrusion.” She headed for the staircase. “At least working on Giulia will keep me busy. I've been twiddling my thumbs since the day you sprang this plan on us. It's going to be a relief to get back to work. You know, she has very small, interesting facial bones. . . .” She looked back at Jane standing at the foot of the stairs. “Aren't you coming up?”
“Not now. I think I'll go out in the garden. I'm restless.” She smiled. “I don't have a Giulia to think about. I'll see you at dinner.”
“Stay close,” Eve said as she started up the stairs again. “Joe has so many guards around that I suppose the gardens are just as safe as the house, but I like the idea of four walls around you.”
“I went for walks at the lake.”
“This place is different. It seems alien.”
It didn't seem alien to her, Jane thought as she crossed the foyer and opened the French doors leading to the rose garden. Ever since she'd arrived in Herculaneum she'd felt a strong sense of familiarity. Even now the sun warming her cheeks, the scent of roses, the tinkle of the fountain as it fell on the tiles were all strangely comforting.
“You look very content. I almost hate to disturb you.”
She stiffened and turned to see Trevor coming out of the house. “Then don't do it. Unless you have a good reason.”
“I do. I wanted to lay down the house rules now that the game's in play.” His glance traveled around the garden. “This is a pretty place. It's like a garden caught in a time warp. You can almost see ladies in white gowns with bustles drifting down those paths.”
“At least you didn't say ladies in togas. I'm getting an overload on ancient history.”
He studied her expression. “You don't look stressed.”
“I'm handling it.” She looked away from him. “Did you really need to spring that skeleton on Eve? What are the chances of Aldo getting close enough to see her working on it or seeing the reconstruction itself?”
“High enough. There's no telling if he'll get a glimpse of the reconstruction in the coffin. It was safer. Beside, Eve will be happier working.”
“And that's why you did it?”
He didn't answer directly. “I like Eve. It's hard for a woman of her mind-set to sit around doing nothing.”
“Yes, it is.” And he was very perceptive to realize the need and fill it. “Okay, what are the house rules? Am I supposed to stay away from the garden?”
“No, just don't wander toward the gate. And you don't leave the villa without Quinn or me.”
“I didn't intend to leave here. There's no reason.” She paused, her gaze going to the wrought-iron gate. “He's coming to me.”
“He probably will.” Trevor's gaze followed hers. “But don't play into his hands.”
“You didn't have to tell me that. I may be a schoolgirl but I'm not stupid.”
He grimaced. “That really stung, didn't it?”
“You called it the way you saw it.” She gave him a cool glance. “I am a schoolgirl and I'm not ashamed of it. But being my age and in school doesn't mean I'm ignorant. From the time I was five years old I ran the streets and knew every prostitute and drug runner in south Atlanta. By the time I was ten I'd bet I knew more than you did when you left that orphanage. Yes, it stung, but I thought about it and decided that you didn't know beans about me and that was your loss.”
“It certainly is.” He smiled. “And I'm feeling it more every minute. Do you forgive me?”
“No.” Her gaze shifted to the fountain. “You didn't look at me as an individual. That's what I can't forgive. You lumped me in with the rest of my age group and walked away from me. That's okay with me. I don't need you. But, in a way, you're as bad as Aldo. He looked at my face and didn't see past it.”
“Tampering with a girl of your age is a big responsibility,” he said quietly. “I didn't want to hurt you.”
“No one hurts me but me. And you didn't want the responsibility. Fine. I don't even know why we're talking about this. It's over.” She stood up. “And it's not as if anything really happened.”
“Something happened.”
She knew what he meant and she wasn't going to deny