Chapter Ten
It was a perfect
Halloween: gloomy and cold, enlivened by the odd sudden downpour.
April gazed out of her bedroom window at the dark treetops whirling
in the wind, then flinched as the glass was peppered with hail.
Yesterday had been miserable, with her shopping expedition under
grey skies and the lashing rain at her grandfather’s house. By
Sunday, the weather had wound itself up into a full-blown gale with
the distant rumbles of thunder promising even more fun later
on.
‘It’s pointless,
Caro,’ moaned April. ‘Whatever we do with my hair, I’m going to end
up looking like a drowned rat as soon as I go out
there.’
‘Stop being such a
wuss,’ said Caro, waving a huge can of hairspray. ‘And come back
and sit down - I’ll make you look like a L’Oreal
advert.’
‘That’s what I’m
afraid of.’ April pouted, but sat back down on the chair that was
serving as their makeshift salon.
‘Don’t worry - my
mum’s a hairdresser, remember? I grew up with straighteners in my
hand. Anyway, that’s the beauty of a Halloween-themed party. No one
knows if you’re supposed to look pristine or like one of the
undead.’
April glanced up
anxiously. ‘Can you steer away from the undead, please? I’d like to
at least look as if I’ve got a pulse tonight.’
‘I’d say that would
be a distinct disadvantage,’ Caro muttered as she tugged at April’s
hair.
‘What’s that supposed
to mean?’
Caro tapped her on
the forehead with her comb. ‘Oh, lighten up, buttercup. It’s
Halloween! Undead is hot! And stay still, or you’ll turn out like
Marilyn Manson.’
The truth was April
was feeling uncomfortable about going to Milo’s party. She didn’t
know anyone, least of all the party’s host. Caro informed her that
Milo and Davina’s families were old friends, so it was sort of a
joint party, but that didn’t really help April, and anyway, even if
she did find a semi-friendly face, what would she say? Caro seemed
to pick up on her mood.
‘It’s all about state
of mind,’ said Caro between blasts of hairspray. ‘Don’t think of
yourself as April the new girl, think of yourself as April the sex
kitten. Here, take a look.’ She turned the mirror to face April.
‘Ta-dah!’
April gasped. If the
dress complemented her figure, Caro’s hair and make-up had worked a
miracle. She looked amazing, with dark smoky eyes and artfully
tousled hair falling in waves to her bare shoulders. She looked
like a catwalk model in some gothic fashion show.
‘Bloody hell, Caro,’
she whispered.
‘What? Don’t you like
it?’ said Caro, chewing a fingernail nervously.
‘Like it? I love it!’
cried April, grabbing her friend and spinning her around. ‘You’re
brilliant!’
‘Hey, hey, careful,
you’ll smudge the blusher,’ Caro scolded as she disentangled
herself, but April could see that she was pleased.
‘Caro, you’re a
genius!’ said April, leaning in to the mirror to examine the
make-up more closely. ‘I look like a human being.’
‘Well, that wasn’t
exactly what I was shooting for—’
‘No, but I mean I
look quite, well … nice. Grown-up, even. I barely recognise
myself.’
‘Don’t sell yourself
short,’ said Caro. ‘I can only work with what’s already
there.’
April beamed at Caro,
then checked her reflection again. ‘Seriously, this is fantastic. I
feel like I can do anything dressed up like this, like it’s a
foolproof disguise or something.’
‘Not that you need
any help, of course, the way everyone looks at you.’
‘Hey, I can’t help it
if I keep being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
‘That’s not what I
meant.’
April looked at her
friend, frowning. ‘So what do you
mean?’
Caro shrugged and
avoided April’s gaze, concentrating on pulling strands of hair from
her brush. ‘You’ll just call me paranoid, but haven’t you noticed
how all the boys look at you? It’s like they’re staring at you all
the time.’
‘Well, I’m the new
girl, aren’t I?’
‘No, it’s the
way they look at you.’
‘I don’t know what
you mean.’
Caro shrugged. ‘No,
neither do I, really. It’s just there’s something a bit … well,
creepy about it.’
April began to feel
defensive. ‘What’s this really about? Is it because you didn’t get
an invitation and I did?’ she snapped. ‘Are you
jealous?’
Caro snorted with
laughter. ‘No,’ she said. ‘As if!’
‘Hey, it’s not
funny,’ protested April, feeling close to tears. She hadn’t been
feeling too confident about going to this bloody party in the first
place and Caro’s strange questions really weren’t helping. Caro was
the geeky type and she deliberately didn’t fit in, but April wasn’t
a rebel by nature and she desperately wanted to settle down in this
place.
‘I can’t help it if
I’m suddenly the centre of attention,’ she said, ‘but I’m not going
to turn down a party invitation just because you can’t go as
well.’
‘Now, now, don’t get
all upset,’ said Caro. ‘Honestly, it’s the last place on earth I’d
want to be, getting trussed up in some expensive dress so I can
hang out with airheads discussing lip gloss. Maybe I am just
paranoid, don’t mind me.’
April took a deep
breath. She knew her temper could get out of control sometimes; one
of the less appealing traits she had inherited from her
mother.
‘Okay,’ she said.
‘Sorry.’
Caro smiled. ‘Apology
accepted. So. Remember why you’re there - it’s not just to hit on
boys, you know.’
‘The spying
thing?’
‘The spying thing.’
Caro nodded gravely. ‘This is our best chance of finding out who’s
really in charge at Ravenwood. We need to work out if Milo’s dad is
really the power and money behind the school and, ideally, what the
hell they’re up to.’
April winced.
‘Listen, I’m just going to a party. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do
much rooting around, I don’t even know if we’re going to be in the
main house—’
‘Hey, easy there,
James Bond, I’m not expecting you to go safe-cracking or come back
with an evil agenda mapped out on microfilm.’ Caro smiled. ‘This is
more about you getting the confidence of those po-faced bitches, so
maybe they’ll let something slip about Daddy’s business. You just
go and have a good time. And no kissing.’
‘I won’t … I will. I
mean, won’t. I hope.’
‘Just don’t get
too friendly, huh? Don’t want you going
native. Remember who your real friends are.’
April looked at
herself in the mirror one last time and then ran over and gave Caro
a hug.
‘I don’t think I’ll
forget that.’
An unexpected knock
at the door made April jump and squeal involuntarily.
‘Only me,’ said her
father, opening the door a crack. ‘Are you decent?’
‘Dad, don’t come in!’
cried April, for some reason not wanting her father to see her in
her party get-up. ‘Go away, I’m getting ready.’
Caro, however, had
other ideas. ‘Hi, Mr Dunne,’ she called, pushing April away and
yanking the door open. ‘It’s lovely to meet you at
last.’
‘Ah, you must be
Caro?’ April’s dad smiled. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you. I
understand you’ve been digging up an exclusive for
me.’
‘I’m working on it,’
she replied. ‘You’ll be the first to hear about it when I’ve
assembled all the evidence, don’t you worry.’
‘Sounds good.’ He
laughed indulgently. ‘Now, I think it’s time I gave you girls a
lift …’ He looked across at April and fell silent.
‘What? What’s the
matter?’ asked April awkwardly, fingering her hair. ‘Don’t you like
it?’
‘I’m just … shocked.
I’m wondering what’s happened to my little girl.’
‘Aww, Dad
…’
‘Sorry, honey, sorry.
I can’t help it. I know you’re a grown woman and everything, but I
still think of you as my cute little girl. Not that you’re not
still cute, it’s just … wow!’
‘I think you should
take that as a compliment, April,’ said Caro.
‘Yes, you should,’
said her dad. He looked at April with glistening eyes. ‘You look
beautiful, love.’
April tried to
swallow, but she couldn’t, and her father looked away.
‘Anyway,’ he said
with a sudden briskness. ‘Let’s get moving before the rain floods
the streets completely, and you’re stuck here with me, and that
wouldn’t be any fun, would it?’
As he turned to the
door, William caught sight of Caro’s jeans and T-shirt and frowned.
‘Aren’t you getting ready, Caro?’ he asked.
‘Haven’t been invited
to the swanky party, Mr D.’ She smiled proudly. ‘The burden of
being a thorn in the side of the Establishment, you see. They don’t
want me around recording all their shady dealings - I’m sure you
have the same problem. Anyway, I’m glad we’ll have a bit of time in
the car to ourselves, because I wanted to ask you about your theory
on the war in the Middle East …’
William made a ‘save
me!’ face at April and headed down the stairs.
April made it from
the car to the front door without the rain ruining her hair.
It’s the next bit that’s tricky, she
thought to herself, taking a deep breath as she looked at the big
black door in front of her. She could hear the music pounding
inside and suddenly she felt very alone. She glanced back to the
car, but her dad had already turned around and was disappearing
down the drive. He had given her the ‘don’t do anything I wouldn’t
do’ speech as they drove to the party. ‘I trust you, love,’ he
said, ‘I know you’re a good girl, but don’t go getting
drunk.’
April had winced,
especially as Caro was in the car too, grinning at the cheesiness
of the conversation.
‘Yes,’ Caro had piped
up, ‘and I’ve heard that some boys might try to kiss girls at
parties. And they sometimes smoke cigarettes. Cigarettes are bad,
aren’t they, Mr Dunne?’
April reached up and
pressed the doorbell.
Please don’t let this be embarrassing, she said to
herself. Don’t let me make a fool of myself,
that’s all I ask.
The door opened and
April found herself face to face with a gorgeous boy. Tall and
dark-haired with hooded eyes that peered down at her, he was
dressed in a black silk shirt and had a moustache pencilled onto
his top lip.
‘Zorro,’ he
said.
‘I’m sorry?’ said
April, suddenly feeling a little off balance.
‘I saw you looking at
my moustache,’ said the boy. ‘I’m supposed to be
Zorro.’
‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t
realise …’ April stammered.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve
spent the last twenty minutes explaining it to everyone else, so I
thought I’d better get it in quickly. Sorry, don’t stand out there
in the rain, do come inside, I’ll show you to the bar,’ he said,
stepping to one side and graciously helping April over the step.
‘I’m Milo, by the way.’
Milo guided April
down a dark corridor decorated with spray-on cobwebs and cut-out
witches. To April’s eye, the Asprey mansion didn’t need much
embellishment for Halloween - the dark wood panelling on the walls,
carved wooden staircase and thick folds of the curtains at the
windows already gave it a sombre grandeur, but the Faces - or, more
likely, some party-planner they’d paid to look after the details -
had clearly gone to some trouble to make it even more atmospheric,
with glowing pumpkins, moody lighting and velvet draped over the
furniture. Or maybe it’s always like
this, thought April.
‘I think I
over-thought the fancy dress thing,’ said Milo as they threaded
through the packed rooms. ‘You’ll see that everyone with any sense
has gone for sexy Halloween outfits like you.’
April saw that the
partygoers seemed to be a mixture of the most fashionable Ravenwood
students - April nodded to a few as she passed and was surprised to
be acknowledged with smiles and waves - and, unexpectedly, some of
the more geeky element from school who were no doubt more
comfortable in lab coats than dressed up as zombies.
‘I think it looks
good,’ said April. ‘The Zorro outfit, I mean.’ But then you’d look good in a bin-bag, she added to
herself, quietly admiring Milo.
‘You’re just being
kind,’ he said as they arrived at the bar. April had been expecting
a table with a few cans and bottles on it, but this was a
professionally catered event with a real zinc-topped bar and
scantily clad bar-staff.
‘So what can I get
you, April?’ he asked.
April gaped at him.
‘How do you know my name?’
Milo laughed. ‘You’re
pretty much the only thing anyone’s been talking about for the last
week.’
‘Oh God …’ said
April, blushing.
‘Oh no, don’t feel
bad,’ said Milo, handing her glass of deep-red-coloured punch. ‘New
blood is always welcome at Ravenwood. Most of us have been hanging
around together for, like, a hundred years. In fact, that’s no
exaggeration in my case; I’ve known Ben and Davina since we were
tiny - our parents are friends. Speak of the devil, here’s Davina
now.’
Inevitably, Davina
had been the only person to break her own dress code: she was
wearing a stunning white silk sheath that trailed to the ground,
with a white fur stole complimenting her luscious blonde hair. She
looked like the White Witch from Narnia as she swept up with her
boyfriend Jonathon trailing nervously one step behind
her.
‘Darling!’ squealed
Davina as she air-kissed April. ‘Wow, look at you,’ she said
appreciatively. ‘You look amazing! That must be Chloe? I had one
just like it last season.’ She looked over at Milo. ‘And I see
you’ve met our host,’ she said. ‘He’s not as geeky as he
looks.’
‘Thanks, ’Vina,’ said
Milo sarcastically. ‘I’ll see you later, April,’ he said, backing
away, his eyes lingering on her.
‘Don’t let him get to
you,’ said Davina, shooting daggers at Milo as he disappeared into
the throng. ‘He’s a bit of a sleaze, but he has hidden depths. At
least, that’s what my mother keeps telling me.’ She turned to
Jonathon and waved a regal hand towards April’s drink. ‘Get me one
of those, would you, sweetheart?’
‘This is an amazing
place,’ said April, when Jonathon had gone.
Davina shrugged. ‘I
suppose, I never really thought about it. I’ve been coming here for
ever. Works for Halloween though, doesn’t it? And so does
that!’ she said excitedly as a girl
walked past. She was wearing a skin-tight catsuit and impossibly
high heels; it took April a moment before she recognised this
vision of slinkiness as Ling Po, the shy Chinese girl she had met a
few days ago.
‘Oh, doesn’t she look
amazing?’ said Davina. ‘We worked all day on this look, didn’t we,
Ling? Don’t you think she looks sexy?’
April nodded. ‘It’s
an amazing transformation.’
Ling didn’t look
quite so sure, putting one hand across her body and rubbing her arm
nervously. ‘Are you sure?’ she asked. ‘I’m not used to … well,
showing so much off.’
‘If you’ve got it,
flaunt it, baby,’ said Davina enthusiastically. ‘The boys are going
to go wild for you tonight.’
‘You think?’ said
Ling, looking to April for reassurance.
‘Oh, I think you’re
turning heads all right.’ April smiled kindly.
Davina took Ling’s
arm. ‘Listen, I must introduce this sex kitten to the others,’ she
said over her shoulder. ‘I’ll see you a bit later,
yeah?’
April nodded and
watched as Davina strutted off confidently, waving and joking with
the beautiful people. She makes it look so
effortless, thought April enviously.
‘Another
drink?’
She turned to see
Benjamin standing behind her. She had the odd feeling that he had
been there for a while.
‘Oh, no, thank you,
I’ve just got this one,’ said April.
‘What is it, punch? I
think we can do better than that,’ he said, taking her elbow and
steering her back to the bar. ‘Megan?’ he called, summoning one of
the bartenders. She trotted over like an eager puppy.
‘Ben, how can I
help?’
‘My friend here would
like an Apple Pearl, could you do that for me?’
‘Sure, no problem,’
said the girl with a sexy smile, but as Ben turned away, April
could almost see her eyes glow green with jealousy. Hey, calm down,
darling, she thought, he’s not
interested in me. She glanced at Ben. Or is he?
There was certainly
something quite compelling about Benjamin Osbourne and it wasn’t
just his good looks. Charisma, confidence, poise, all things he
shared with his sister, she guessed. And he did seem to have
perfect teeth.
‘So, how’s my
favourite bad girl?’ he said, one eyebrow raised.
‘Oh, I’m afraid those
rumours have been exaggerated. It’s all been wrong place, wrong
time.’
‘Don’t disappoint me,
April Dunne,’ said Benjamin, leaning in close. ‘I’ve been looking
forward to being corrupted by you.’
‘I’m not sure I would
know where to start.’ Am I flirting with
him? she thought with excitement. He was certainly bringing
out a side of her she hadn’t even known was there; and she was
beginning to like the new, more confident April Dunne.
Smiling broadly,
Benjamin reached back to the bar and handed her an elegant cocktail
glass full of a viscous green liquid. ‘Well, how about we start
with this?’
April took a
tentative sip of the drink. It was delicious, but she could tell it
was also very strong.
‘Umm, what’s in
this?’
‘Ask me no questions
…’ drawled Benjamin. ‘It’s not Ribena, that’s all I’m
saying.’
April giggled.
‘Aren’t you having one?’
‘Ah! You see? Trying
to get me tipsy already.’ He laughed. ‘You are trying to drag me down to your
level.’
‘The night’s young,’
said April. God, what’s got into me?
she thought happily.
‘So where’s your
friend?’ she asked, steering the conversation into safer
waters.
‘Gabriel?’
April pulled a little
face, annoyed to find that her heart jumped at the mere mention of
his name.
Benjamin raised his
eyebrows. ‘He hasn’t annoyed you too, has he? He has that effect on
some people.’
‘No, I … No, I meant
the other one, Marcus?’
‘Ah, he’s around
somewhere. Not too sociable, our Marcus, as I suppose you’ve
noticed.’
‘He doesn’t seem to
like me much.’
‘Don’t take it to
heart. He’s just slow to warm to people sometimes.’
‘I won’t hold my
breath.’
‘Don’t worry - there
are plenty of people around here who do like you. Believe me, even
he’s intrigued by you. We all are.’
She tried to look
away, appear to be scanning the room for friends, but she could
feel Benjamin’s dark eyes examining her face
curiously.
‘So do you have a
girlfriend?’ she blurted out.
Benjamin threw his
head back and laughed. ‘You are direct, aren’t you? I like that. I
like it a lot.’
‘I notice you haven’t
answered the question.’
Benjamin slowly leant
towards her. Is he going to kiss me?
she thought with a subconscious thrill. Despite herself, she
suddenly realised she would like that very much. Benjamin brought
his lips right up next to her ear, almost brushing her skin. She
closed her eyes.
‘The night is young,
April Dunne,’ he whispered. ‘The night is young.’
Then she opened her
eyes and he was gone. Where the hell did
he … ? She quickly turned
around, but all she could see was the rest of the crowd.
How did he … ? April shivered and took a gulp of her drink.
Jesus.
April was beginning
to regret coming to the party. She only knew a handful of people,
and none of them well enough to have a conversation with. She had
only seen Davina twice the whole night and the last time was only
to pass on some juicy gossip about Gabriel and a girl called Sara.
Apparently she’d seen them going into the toilet together. ‘And you
know what that means,’ she had trilled,
watching April’s reaction carefully. April’s stomach was turning,
but she wasn’t about to let Davina know that, especially as she
wasn’t at all sure why. So she simply shook her head. Had they gone
in to do drugs? To have sex? To work out some difficult equations?
April had very little idea what was normal to pupils from
Ravenwood. So she had spent the evening wandering around the house,
trying not to look too lost, hiding away behind the paper umbrellas
in a variety of drinks. Not wanting to let Caro down, she had tried
opening as many doors as she could, but had only found empty
bedrooms or necking couples, nothing even vaguely resembling a
giant conspiracy. She had just decided to leave when she bumped
into Gabriel coming down the stairs and, hemmed in on all sides,
she couldn’t get away.
‘Hello,’ she said
frostily.
‘Hello.’
‘Enjoying
yourself?’
There must have been
something in her tone, because Gabriel frowned. ‘Why do you
ask?’
‘Oh, no reason,’ she
said, surprised at how bothered she was by Davina’s stirring. ‘Just
something I heard.’
‘Really,’ he said,
holding her gaze as he walked past her, their bodies brushing
against each other. ‘I thought you might be the kind of girl who
thinks for herself.’
‘I am.’
He raised his
eyebrows.
‘What have you got
against me, Gabriel?’ she asked with annoyance.
He shrugged, not
meeting her gaze.
‘Why do you think I
care one way or the other?’
‘Well, you don’t seem
too happy to see me here. Not to mention you telling me to “get
out” on my first day in school.’
He looked at her
sharply.
‘That wasn’t what I
meant,’ he said. ‘I was trying to … oh, it doesn’t
matter.’
April felt herself
bristling.
‘Why doesn’t anyone
around here say what they mean?’ she snapped.
‘I take it you don’t
like my friends?’ said Gabriel with a hint of amusement that
irritated her even more.
‘Do
you?’
Gabriel ignored her
and took a sip of his drink.
‘And what about
Isabelle? Was she a friend?’
He turned to look at
her, his dark eyes glittering. April held his gaze, her pulse
quickening. She felt her skin tingle, as if an electric current was
passing between them.
‘Which Isabelle is
this?’ he asked.
‘You know exactly who
I’m talking about,’ said April, lowering her voice. She still had
no idea what had happened in Swain’s Lane that night, but she was
sure that Gabriel Swift knew more than he was saying; you didn’t
grab someone and shout ‘Run!’ unless you were pretty sure there was
some danger. He had to be involved.
As if he was reading
her mind, he said, ‘Didn’t DI Reece tell you who called them that
night?’
‘Was it
you?’
Ignoring her
question, he said, ‘Has it occurred to you that I might simply have
been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like you? That
maybe I was trying to help her? And maybe I was trying to help
you?’
‘So why don’t you
just tell me—’ she began, but a tall blonde girl rushed up to
Gabriel and, seemingly oblivious to April, threw her arms around
his neck.
‘There you are,
baby,’ she cooed, ‘I thought you’d forgotten all about
me.’
The girl looked up
into his face and, seeing he was still observing April, turned
towards her.
‘Oh. Not interrupting
anything, am I?’
‘Not really,’ said
April contemptuously and walked down the last of the steps before
pushing her way down the corridor, trying to put as much space
between her and Gabriel as she could. Men! she thought. Why do we
bother? All they care about is their latest bimbo. She
slipped into a long room with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and took
refuge in a tall leather wing-back chair where she couldn’t be
seen. Now that she was sitting down, April realised she was a bit
drunk. She pulled out her mobile and checked for messages. One from
Caro, one from Fiona. Caro’s was predictable: Don’t forget the mission, Spygirl. Over and out.
Xx
Feeling guilty that
she hadn’t found anything for Caro, April stood up and walked
around the library. There was nothing much to see here, just
shelves and shelves of boring old books. She didn’t even understand
a lot of the titles, they were in some weird foreign language. She
took one down and flipped it open. Greek, she thought, although it could well have
been Cyrillic or something. April slid it back and shook her head.
The whole plan was impossible; even if she had known where she was
going, and what she was looking for, there was no way to get in and
out of any of the rooms unseen, the party was too packed. Even the
rooms and corridors upstairs, furthest away from the ballroom, had
witches and ghouls sitting on the floor, kissing and drinking, some
even lying down together. And anyway, she very much doubted if
anyone connected with Caro’s conspiracy, whatever it was, would
leave files stamped ‘Top Secret’ out on top of a desk for her to
find. International criminal masterminds tended to be a little more
intelligent than that. She reminded herself that it was Caro’s
conspiracy, not hers, and quickly thumbed a response. Working on it. Only found snogging couples so far.
X. She only had to wait a few seconds for a response.
Cool. Snogged any boys
yourself?
‘If only,’ she
whispered to herself as she scrolled to Fiona’s
message.
How’s the party? Everyone still horrible and mean?
April smiled. Trust Fee to cut straight to the chase. She sent a
reply.
Right first time. Horrible, mean and drunk. Think I’m
heading home.
She closed her eyes
and leant back. She really was feeling quite tipsy now, but not in
an unpleasant way. Warm and fuzzy, but happy with it. She just
wished she had friends here to share it with, possibly even a boy.
She briefly thought about Benjamin, but immediately pushed him from
her mind. He was just flirting with her; she’d seen him all over a
number of other girls as the party had gone on. In fact, she’d seen
him with his arm around two very geeky-looking girls. Maybe he’s into charity cases, she thought.
God, maybe I’m a charity
case.
Her phone buzzed - a
message from Fiona.
Don’t go home yet! Send me photos of sexy boys
first!
April laughed. There
she was feeling sorry for herself when in reality Fee was probably
sitting at home watching telly and wishing she could be at a
glamorous Halloween party too. It wasn’t that bad, even if Gabriel
was an ass.
‘Screw you, Gabriel
Swift,’ she whispered and began giggling. God,
I think I am drunk, she thought as she wandered back into
the ballroom. Positioning herself by a pillar to one side of the
action, April held up her phone, hoping it looked like she was just
scrolling through old texts, and quickly took a few snaps of the
scenes before her. She wasn’t at all sure people here would be
happy to have their photos taken, given that they were drinking and
smoking, but the underhandedness made April enjoy it more. Caro’s
ideas about spying might have been far-fetched, but April did feel
the thrill of doing something a little forbidden. It was the first
fun she’d had all evening; not quite James Bond, but a girl could
fantasise, couldn’t she? Speaking of which, there was Milo,
spinning a girl around on the dance floor, a big cheesy grin on his
face. He is nice, she thought, snapping
off a shot, then quickly tapping in a message and sending it to
Fiona.
‘Forget it,
sweetheart. He’s out of your league.’
April turned around.
The blonde girl, Layla, who she had seen with Davina on her first
day, was staring at her with undisguised distaste.
‘I shouldn’t think
Milo Asprey would be interested in someone like you,’ she said,
looking April up and down. ‘He’s not into slumming
it.’
April’s just gaped at
the girl. She genuinely couldn’t think of a response, so she simply
turned and walked towards the back of the house.
How rude! she thought. How
could she be so man? It beggared belief. If she had been
feeling out of place before, now, with her confidence crushed,
April simply wanted to escape. She hurried along the corridor
looking for the front door, but instead found herself in the
doorway of the kitchen - or, to be more accurate, kitchens plural.
It was a huge space with stone floors and what looked like marble
worktops; it was hard to be sure beneath the clutter of glasses and
bottles and plates of nibbles. Right, now send
those photos and leave, she thought to herself, quickly
scrolling through the pictures. She had to admit, it did all look
pretty decadent and happening - the dance floor with the girls in
short skirts gyrating against floppy-haired boys, the bar area
where the booze was flowing, the alcove to one side full of
snogging couples. It looked like a cool night. She sent them to Fee
with the message: Like Studio 54, only with
more bats.
‘Hey!’ shouted a
voice angrily. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
As April had walked
into the room, raising her phone for another picture, she had
almost bumped into a group of four or five boys standing around a
desk. One boy immediately jumped in front of her, deliberately
blocking her view. ‘Give me that!’ someone shouted as her phone was
snatched from her hand. April whirled around to find herself facing
Marcus Brent. Oh God, she thought.
Of all the people …
‘And what are you
doing with this?’ he asked nastily, his dark eyes
gleaming.
‘Give it back, that’s
mine,’ said April, making a lunge for her phone.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ he
said, holding it up in the air as someone else grabbed her from
behind.
‘Let me go!’ she
protested, struggling. ‘I haven’t done anything! ’
‘Let’s see about
that,’ said Marcus as he looked down at the phone, scrolling
through April’s pictures, his expression changing from cruel
amusement to outright anger.
‘Oh really? And what
are all these?’ he asked, holding the phone up. ‘I don’t think
we’ll be needing these …’ he said and pressed the ‘delete’
button.
‘Those are mine!’
said April, angry at his arrogance.
‘No,’ said Marcus
with a superior air, ‘they are not
yours. Nothing here is yours and it never will be, you stupid
little girl. I bet if I went through your bag I’d find half of
Milo’s family silver.’
‘Piss off, Marcus,’
said April, with feeling, but the truth was she was scared. It
might have been a busy party, but this was an out-of-the-way corner
and no one knew she was here.
‘Oh, it’s like that,
is it?’ Marcus smiled, reaching out to stroke her hair. ‘I think we
can show you what we do to thieves in our house.’
‘It’s not your house,
Marcus,’ said another voice.
Marcus’s eyes opened
wide and fear and anger flashed across his face as Benjamin stepped
into the kitchen. The boy holding April instantly let her go and
she stumbled backwards onto the floor.
‘It’s not yours
either. And anyway, she was taking photos of us, Ben—’ said Marcus
petulantly, but Benjamin cut him off, snatching the phone from his
hand.
‘Out,’ he said simply
and April watched gratefully as Marcus and his friends disappeared
from the kitchen.
‘Come on,’ said
Benjamin softly as he helped her up and handed her phone back. ‘Are
you all right?’ he asked, touching her shoulder gently. ‘Nothing
broken?’
‘I’m fine,’ she said,
shaking off his hand. ‘Just leave me alone.’
‘Hey, I’m sorry if
they—’ he began.
‘Leave me alone,
Benjamin,’ she said, rushing for the door. She pushed her way down
the corridor, oblivious to the cries of people she bumped into or
stepped on, just needing to get away and be on her own. She was
furious with Marcus, furious with Davina for inviting her, furious
at herself for being so vain she had believed she could fit in with
these people. She ran blindly through the house, taking turns at
random until finally she came to a glass door. She went through and
found herself in a conservatory that no doubt looked out onto the
grounds in the daytime, but now in the dark it only reflected the
room back at her. Christ, I look
terrible, she thought. She pulled a compact mirror out of
her bag and looked at her face. Her make-up had smeared, her dress
had hitched up and her cheeks were flushed. It’s Halloween, all right.
‘Okay, calm down …’
she murmured to herself. Looking around, she saw a wicker chair and
table by the window and sat down, fanning her face and trying to
get her breathing under control as she fixed her make-up. There was
an open bottle of white wine and some empty glasses on the table.
Someone else had obviously found this spot earlier. She splashed
wine into a clean glass and drank it down, wiping her mouth and
grimacing as it burned her throat. Urgh, not
sure I’m a fan, she thought, but it was for medicinal
purposes. Suddenly April was aware that she wasn’t alone. She
turned to see Milo standing awkwardly in the doorway.
‘Can I join
you?’
April shrugged.
Company was the last thing she wanted right now.
Milo sat down in the
other chair. ‘Sorry to intrude, but I saw you run past the
ballroom. Are you okay?’
‘No, I’m not okay,’
snapped April. ‘Your friends have been shitty to me all night and I
don’t know why, I only came here to have a nice time and I’ve never
done anyone any harm, but it seems that being civil to the new girl
is too much to ask …’ All her frustrations poured out in a torrent
and April was embarrassed to find that tears were beginning to
trickle down her cheeks. She brushed them away
angrily.
‘Sorry,’ she said,
looking away from Milo. ‘It’s not your fault. I’m just not having
that great a night, can you tell?’
Milo reached over and
handed her a napkin from the table. ‘Well, I wish I could tell you
that my friends aren’t arseholes some of the time, but I can’t.
It’s just one of those things that comes with the territory, I’m
afraid.’
April blew her nose
and wiped her face, trying not to smear her mascara any more than
it already had been.
‘What
territory?’
‘Going to a posh
school, having lots of money, knowing you may never have to work
for a living and, even if you do, it will make you a packet just
like Daddy. Being taught you’re part of the elite. All that tends
to make people think they are somehow superior.’ He grinned. ‘And
of course if you add a pretty girl to the mix, well, that only
makes us fight over her.’
April blushed. ‘So if
all that’s true, how come you’re being nice?’
Milo smiled. ‘I’m not
sure I am, exactly, but I try not to fall into too many of the
traps. I try to be a good guy when I can.
April filled her
glass and chinked it against the bottle. She was feeling even more
drunk now and uncommonly bold.
‘Well, here’s to the
good guys,’ she said.
Milo put his hand on
hers, gently taking the glass away from her. ‘I don’t think you
want to drink that,’ he said softly, looking into her
eyes.
April felt her heart
do a backflip. ‘What do I want to do, then?’ she asked, the alcohol
making her reckless.
‘This …’ he said and
bent forward, his full, warm lips pressing against hers in a soft,
soft kiss. April pulled back a little, thinking of Gabriel for a
moment, but only for a moment. Why am I
thinking about that selfish idiot? Then Milo kissed her
again, this time with more urgency, his tongue seeking hers, his
hot mouth on hers, and she thought of nothing else.
‘Oh God,’ she
murmured as he pressed his body against hers, his hand sliding
behind her neck to draw her closer. She did nothing to stop him. It
was so good, she never wanted the moment to end. He pulled his
mouth from hers and began to kiss her neck, her ears, nuzzling into
her hair.
‘You’re so sweet,’ he
whispered, his hands slipping teasingly over her body, her pulse
racing in response. ‘So beautiful …’
Milo was kissing his
way down her neck now towards the soft swell of her breasts. It
felt so good, so right. Cautiously at first she slid her hand
beneath his shirt, feeling the firm muscles of his chest. He moaned
in pleasure as her fingers brushed his nipple.
‘Let’s find a
bedroom,’ he whispered into her ear.
Her heart pounding,
dizzy from his kiss, she nodded slowly, closing her eyes as he
kissed her again. When she opened them again, clinging to Milo, she
froze on the spot. Gabriel Swift was standing in the doorway
glaring at them. His eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched, his
whole body exuding anger.
April froze, her
mouth open, unable to look away from Gabriel.
‘What’s the matter
…?’ said Milo, before seeing her face and turning towards the
door.
‘What do you want?’
he hissed at Gabriel, clearly angry at being
disturbed.
‘Let her go,’ said
Gabriel simply.
‘I don’t think she
wants me to,’ replied Milo with a smirk.
‘Let her go,’
repeated Gabriel in a lower tone.
‘Don’t tell me what
to do, Swift,’ spat Milo, getting angry now. ‘What’s this got to do
with you? She’s mine.’
‘Milo, don’t …’ said
April, but he wasn’t listening. He lunged towards Gabriel. All in a
rush the boys were fighting, a blur of fists and arms, struggling
against each other, sending furniture and plants flying across the
floor.
‘STOP!’ yelled April.
‘Stop it now!’ Milo landed a sickening punch against Gabriel’s
cheek. ‘Just stop!’ shrieked April.
‘Get out,’ Gabriel
hissed towards her, his dark eyes blazing.
She fled outside,
slamming the door behind her, running down a path, the gravel
crunching under her feet. She could feel the rain lashing against
her bare shoulders and the wind whipping at her hair, but she
didn’t care, she just had to get away from them, away from the
party, away from all of it. At the end of the path she turned left,
away from the lights of the house and down a flight of stone steps,
almost turning her ankle in her heels. The path, enclosed by
hedges, led her to a stone structure - a folly or a mock-temple
gazebo of some sort? Whatever it was, it had a roof and offered
shelter from the weather. Best of all, she was alone. She slumped
down on a cold stone bench. Why do boys have
to fight all the time? Do they think it impresses girls? And
what business did Gabriel have interrupting her kiss with Milo? Was
he jealous? For a moment, April hoped very much that he was, then
pushed the thought away. She pulled out her phone and thumbed out a
message to Caro. ‘Sorry, didn’t find any secrets, kissed a boy,
feel miserable. Going home.’ She pressed send, wrapped her arms
around herself and rubbed her arms, which were icy now. She sat
there silently for several minutes wondering how long it would take
her to walk home, desperately hoping that the rain would stop. She
should call her dad of course, but she didn’t want him to see her
like this. Then suddenly she turned towards the temple’s entrance.
Somehow she knew that Gabriel would be standing there before he
spoke.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said
in a soft voice. ‘I know you’ll find it hard to believe this, but I
was trying to protect you.’
‘Protect me from
what?’ she replied, glaring at him. ‘From being kissed? What’s so
bad about that?’
‘I know it’s
difficult to understand, but—’
‘Really? Well, why
don’t you try me? Come on, blow my mind.’
‘April, I
can’t—’
‘Oh yeah, right. I
bet it’s something my tiny brain could hardly grasp. Well, I’m
sorry I’m not as academically gifted as some of you at Ravenwood,’
she snarled sarcastically. She moved to push past him, but Gabriel
blocked her way. ‘And who the hell made you my protector anyway?
What makes you think I can’t look after myself?’
‘You don’t know Milo,
you don’t know what he wanted to—’
‘No, and I’ll never
find out now, will I? Anyway, it’s not like you’re any better, is
it, going into the bathroom with girls and that other one throwing
herself at you on the stairs.’
‘April, it’s not what
it seems …’
Gabriel stepped
towards her and suddenly she was scared again. She had no idea who
this boy was, and no idea why she should trust him.
‘Look, if you’re not
going to tell me what’s going on, I just want to go home!’ she
shouted.
Gabriel studied her
with those strangely piercing eyes for a moment, then slowly
nodded.
‘Of course, I’ll get
you a cab.’
April hesitated. Why
should she trust one complete stranger over another? But there was
something about the sadness in Gabriel’s expression that convinced
her. She was sure he meant her no harm, even though he’d been
behaving oddly. And anyway, right now, she really did want to go
home.
‘Alright, said April.
‘But no funny business, okay?’
Gabriel allowed
himself a ghost of a smile. ‘I promise. No funny
business.’
It took them ten
minutes to walk down the windswept drive and onto the main road,
and they walked in silence for most of it. April kept stealing
glances at her companion, but he seemed to be staring fixedly
ahead, as if he was trying to ignore her. What was his deal anyway?
She realised how little she knew about him. Davina had said he was
moody, and he was rarely seen at school. Yes, he had been there
that night in Swain’s Lane, but she didn’t know any more about what
had happened there either. He could be a killer or a knight in
shining armour for all she knew. They walked down the deserted
roads towards the AI where they should be able to flag down a cab,
but when they got there the main road was just as deserted as the
side roads. ‘Here,’ said Gabriel, taking off his jacket and draping
it over her shoulders.
‘No, you’ll get
cold,’ said April.
‘I’m always cold.’
Gabriel smiled.
April shrugged, glad
of the warm fur-lined jacket. ‘So you’re not going to tell me what
all that was about?’
‘If you can take my
word for it, Milo Asprey is bad news. I’m sure he didn’t have any
good plans for you.’
‘Ever think that
maybe I wanted him to do whatever terrible thing he had in mind?’
she asked.
‘I really don’t think
you did.’
‘Maybe I’m not the
good girl you think I am.’
‘Maybe not.’ He
smiled. ‘But I hope you are.’
She took a moment to
observe him. ‘So is that why you’ve been protecting me? Is that
what was happening in Swain’s Lane that night?’
‘So many questions …’
He shook his head, still smiling.
She stopped on the
street and turned on him furiously. ‘Don’t you dare joke about
this!’ she shouted. ‘You go on about protecting me, but I’m the one
who’s been protecting you, remember! I could have told the police
you were there in the cemetery that night but I didn’t, and the
least you can do is tell me what the hell is going on. I think I’ve
earned that much.’
Gabriel didn’t reply
and for a moment, she thought he was ignoring her. Then he nodded
slowly.
‘You’re right,’ he
said, taking her hands and looking into her eyes. ‘Okay, listen. I
know you have no reason to believe me, but what I’m going to say is
true. I can’t tell you everything right now, but I can tell you
this: I didn’t kill Isabelle and I don’t know who did, but when you
arrived in that cemetery the killer was still there.’ Gabriel kept
his gaze locked with hers, his face earnest. ‘I was trying to
protect you, April. You were in terrible danger.’
‘But so were you,
surely?’
He shook his head
ever so slightly. ‘You should know there was nothing you could have
done for that girl. She was already dead when you arrived and if
you had got there any earlier then you would probably be dead
too.’
April realised she
had been holding her breath the whole time he had been speaking and
let it out in a rush. She was just about to ask him more when he
released her hands and stepped into the road. The glowing orange
sign of a black cab appeared around the corner and Gabriel raised
an arm in the air. Once inside the taxi, April turned the heater on
full and huddled up next to it.
‘Remind you of
Edinburgh?’ asked Gabriel.
‘God yes,’ said
April, shivering. ‘It’s like this all year round, but I could never
adjust to it. Have you been there, then?’
Gabriel nodded. ‘A
few times, not for a while.’
‘Really? Did you go
for the Festival?’
Gabriel shot her a
playful half-smile. ‘I don’t think they were doing the Festival
when I was there.’
She was about to ask
more, but it seemed stupid to be making light conversation after
all Gabriel had said, and they lapsed into silence. He was right,
of course - she had no reason to believe him, but the honesty and
the emotion with which he had answered her questions - some of
them, at least - convinced April he was telling the truth. It was a
real leap of faith, considering she had known him for a week, but
for some reason she did trust him. Was that silly? And was it
anything to do with those dark eyes, that silky black hair, those
cheekbones? God, am I falling for this boy? she thought with a stab
of guilt. What’s wrong with me? Wasn’t I
kissing another boy half an hour ago? Like a devil on her
shoulder, another voice in her head replied: Yes, but you were thinking of Gabriel, weren’t you?
She giggled to
herself.
‘What’s funny?’ asked
Gabriel.
‘Nothing,’ she said
quickly. ‘So where do you live?’
‘Close,’ he
said.
Mr Conversation strikes again, she thought, just as
he leant forward and banged on the glass divider between them and
the driver. ‘Turn left here, please,’ he said, ‘then drop us at the
corner.’
‘But we’re not home
yet,’ said April, frowning.
‘I want to show you
something,’ said Gabriel, paying the taxi driver and holding the
door open for her.
The rain had stopped
and the wind had dropped to nothing more than a murmur. As they
walked along the dark street, the thick clouds were already parting
and the bright almost-full moon was peeking through, making the wet
road glisten.
Warily, she followed
him.
‘Through here,’ said
Gabriel, shooting her a reassuring glance.
His fingers brushed
her hand as he led her down a dark passage between two
houses.
‘Isn’t this someone’s
garden?’ she whispered.
‘No one lives here,’
said Gabriel as they crossed an overgrown lawn. At the back of the
garden was a gap in the fence and an old iron gate. Gabriel held it
open for her and she stepped through onto a dark path.
‘Are you sure about
this?’ April whispered, getting nervous about being in a deserted
spot with a man she barely knew.
‘It’s quite safe,
don’t worry,’ said Gabriel, taking her hand.
‘Where are you taking
me?’
‘Patience,’ he said.
‘Just a little further.’
April felt as if she
were being led into a dark wood. The snatches of moonlight were
unable to pierce the canopy of leaves and they were surrounded by
creepy shadows. Gabriel was striding forward confidently as if he
were walking through a shopping mall, but April was holding her
free hand out in front of her, half-convinced she was going to walk
into a tree or stumble over something in her heels.
‘Gabriel!’ she
hissed. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Here.’
Just then, the trees
dropped away behind them and they stepped out into a wide clearing.
In front of them was a huge spreading tree surrounded by what
looked like an open trench curving away in both directions. It was
as if the tree was growing in an enormous plant pot - but what was
down in that dark corridor surrounding it? Suddenly she felt a huge
rush of déjà vu. I’ve been here before,
she thought, a split second before the penny dropped: it was the
cemetery. Why’s he brought me back
here? she thought with alarm.
‘What is this
place?’
‘The Circle of
Lebanon,’ said Gabriel, his smile bright in the moonlight. ‘It’s
the jewel in the cemetery’s crown.’
He took April’s hand
and drew her towards a flight of steps that led downwards into the
dark passageway surrounding the tree.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ he
said, as if sensing her growing disquiet. ‘It’s a good place. Not
even the foxes come here.’
It wasn’t logical,
but April had a strange feeling that she would be safe with
Gabriel. She allowed him to lead her to the bottom.
‘Oh, wow,’ she
whispered. April had expected it to be dark and spooky down here,
but it wasn’t like that at all. The strong moonlight lit the gently
curving walls as if it were daylight. Set into the walls at
intervals were a series of wide black doors, some with names carved
into the stone above.
‘They’re tombs? But
it’s beautiful,’ said April. To her surprise, she felt warm and
secure down here.
‘They built these
tombs in eighteen thirty-nine when the cemetery opened. They made
them so grand because they wanted to encourage people to come out
here to lay their loved ones to rest. This was their shop window,
if you like.’
They walked slowly
around the circle, peering at the doorways. They were tall and made
of black iron; they should have been cold and scary, but April
found she was drawn to them by a strange curiosity. What was
inside? Who was inside? What kind of lives had they lived - had
they been happy?
‘There’s nothing much
to see in there,’ said Gabriel, as if reading her thoughts. ‘They
interred the remains in lead-lined coffins, but whatever was left
will have crumbled to dust by now. Despite that, I think you can
still feel the love down here. After all, they went to a lot of
effort to make sure their relatives were remembered. You don’t do
that for people you don’t love.’
They stopped in the
shadows and April closed her eyes, seeing if she could feel what he
felt.
‘I know it sounds
weird,’ he said in a hushed voice, ‘but I think certain objects and
places can absorb emotions. That’s why churches work.’
April looked about
her. He was certainly right that it didn’t feel creepy or sinister
down here. For some reason, she felt as if she had been here
before. The grey curved walls, the carved stonework, even the way
the moonlight fell in patterns across the path, it all seemed
familiar somehow.
‘I think you might be
right,’ she said. ‘No one laughs when you say Stonehenge has a
certain feel to it, or even that a wedding ring does.’
Wedding ring, April?
she scolded herself. What the hell are you
doing talking about wedding rings? You don’t want to scare him
off!
But Gabriel had moved
closer and April almost gasped as he touched her shoulder, steering
her towards a doorway closed off by a heavy gate.
‘This is the
Columbarium, the only place in the cemetery where ashes can be laid
to rest - if you look inside you can see the urns.’
She held on to the
cold metal bars and pressed her face in close. She could feel him
right behind her, his hands still on her shoulders. April knew she
should have felt frightened, standing outside a tomb with someone
she knew so little about, but all she felt was a tingling sense of
longing. She wanted him to turn her around and kiss her here in the
moonlight; nothing she had ever done had ever felt so
romantic.
‘Can you feel it?’ he
whispered, his mouth close to her ear. ‘All that
love?’
April couldn’t help
herself. She giggled and Gabriel immediately stepped back, breaking
the romantic mood.
‘You’re making fun of
me.’
‘I’m not. You just
reminded me of my dad,’ she said, turning around. ‘He’s always
writing these books about the unexplained, like UFOs and Bigfoot
and all that.’
Gabriel looked at her
strangely. ‘Has he ever written about Highgate Cemetery?’ he
asked.
‘No, I don’t think
so. But I’m sure he’d love it.’ She looked back at the stone circle
behind them. ‘And I think you might be right about this place too.
It just has something about it. You know, our family has a tomb
here.’
Gabriel’s face moved
into shadow. ‘Where?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know, I only
just heard about it yesterday from my grandfather. He’s from
Romania, so they’re really into all this family stuff. Sorry, I’m
babbling.’
‘I think maybe we
should go,’ said Gabriel, stepping away from her. What did I say? she wondered; it was as if someone
had thrown a blanket over a fire. Only seconds before she had been
sure he was going to kiss her, now suddenly he was striding off up
some wide stone stairs and she was having to trot to keep up. She
barely had time to think about it; beyond the steps he led her
along another path, then he was helping her over a gap in the wall
where some stones had crumbled.
‘Oh, I know where we
are,’ said April as they emerged on a little residential street.
They were coming up to the south side of her square.
‘I’ll walk you back
to your house,’ said Gabriel.
‘Is Milo really bad
news?’ she asked suddenly.
Gabriel nodded
slowly.
‘In that case, thank
you for rescuing me and for making the rest of the night magical,’
she said, not wanting to forget that moment in the circle, even if
he did.
‘My pleasure,’ he
said slightly stiffly. ‘It’s one of my favourite
places.’
‘I hope I can return
the favour.’
‘You’re going to
rescue me?’ His humour was returning a little.
‘No.’ She laughed. ‘I
mean showing you one of my favourite places,’ she said, immediately
regretting it.
Gabriel was silent as
they walked across the square.
‘Sorry, I’m a bit
drunk,’ she said, feeling her cheeks flush pink.
They were at April’s
gate now and she looked up at him, waiting for him to say
something, anything.
‘Okay then. Show me
your favourite place. Tomorrow?’
‘Excellent!’ said
April, hoping she didn’t sound too enthusiastic. She paused, her
hand on the gate’s handle. Is he going to kiss
me? she wondered, but Gabriel turned away.
‘I’ll call you, April
Dunne,’ he said.
‘You don’t have my
number,’ she replied.
‘I’ll find it,’ he
said, as he walked back towards the square.
‘Hey!’ she hissed,
running after him. ‘Your jacket!’
‘Thanks.’ He smiled.
‘Now you’re looking after me.’
Last chance, she thought, gazing up into his eyes.
Last chance to say goodnight
properly.
Their fingers brushed
as he took his jacket, but he backed away and pulled it
on.
‘You’d better get
inside,’ he said and disappeared into the shadows of the trees.
Shivering and disappointed, she reluctantly turned and ran up the
path. Inside, she slipped off her shoes and began to tiptoe up the
stairs.
‘Psssstt!’
‘Who’s there?’ gasped
April, clutching at her chest in fright.
Her father put his
head around the door of the living room. ‘Hi, Dad,’ she said,
breathing out. ‘God, you almost scared me to death.’
‘Sorry,’ he grinned,
the smile quickly fading as he saw her wet dress, her smeared
make-up and rain-flattened hair. ‘God, what happened? You didn’t
walk home in the rain did you?’
‘Just the last bit,’
she shrugged, hoping he wouldn’t make a big deal about it. ‘But I’m
fine, honest.’
He raised an eyebrow
quizzically.
‘A good night,
then?’
‘Yes, yes it was. In
the end. I’ll tell you in the morning.’ She smiled, then ran back
and gave him a hug.
‘Hey!’ he hissed as
April ran back up the stairs. ‘You looked amazing tonight. Before
you got dragged through a hedge backwards, anyway.’
‘Thanks, Dad.’ She
blushed.
‘Okay, darling, sleep
tight.’
I’m notgoing to sleep at all tonight, she thought
as she ran up the stairs, peeled off her wet dress and jumped into
bed. But she did sleep, and it was Gabriel Swift who filled her
dreams.