he’d seen in the forest.
“Surely not,” he replied lightly. “I’d never forget such a beautiful face.”
Maddie, he thought with amusement, would probably have made a face at such an obvious line. Or dissolved into fits of laughter. This woman merely smiled, though he felt a wariness in her that matched his own. And it wasn’t the usual wariness of two shapeshifters meeting for the first time.
“Eleanor Dumaresq,” she said. “Perhaps you have time for a cup of coffee?”
He took her offered hand. Her fingers were warm and pliant against his, yet he felt the inner core of strength in them. The woman was more than simply a shapeshifter. Old magic swirled about her, so strong he could almost taste it.
He let his touch linger a little longer than was necessary and studied her eyes. Her gaze called to the wildness within him.
Old magic was the key—and the danger—Seline had warned of when she’d sent him to Taurin Bay. It was an image that seemed to fit Eleanor well. It could also be the reason why her eyes appeared a different color in her human form than as a panther. Yet there was nothing more than a gut feeling and the words of an old witch tying Eleanor to the disappearances. Nothing more than a hunch suggesting she was the cat he’d seen in the forest. Still, his hunches had proven more right than wrong over the years.
And
that
meant she was someone he’d have to investigate. But as much as he would have loved to accept Eleanor’s invitation and pursue the mystery she presented, he couldn’t. Not with Maddie waiting for him in the café. He didn’t want to endanger her by introducing her to someone who might well be involved in the attempt on his life.
“I’m afraid I can’t just now,” he said, glancing past her to study the restaurant’s interior. Why did he suddenly feel that Maddie needed his help?
“A shame,” Eleanor replied warmly, “but I’m sure we’ll meet again. Taurin Bay is such a small town, after all.”
He glanced at her sharply. There was definitely an edge of warning in her mellow tones. “I’m sure we will.”
In fact, he’d make damn sure they did. Eleanor might not be the cat he’d seen in the forest, or even the one in the inn, but something told him she was involved in the disappearances. The brief flash of confusion in her eyes the moment they’d met told as much. As did the shimmer of hate that shone through her aura.
He watched her walk away, then quickly entered the restaurant.
“M R . S TEWART, WHAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU HERE. ” M ADDIE forced a smile and hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.
“I was about to say the same thing.” He dragged out a chair and sat down opposite her. “This restaurant is not the usual tourist destination.”
“My sister recommended it,” she said quickly, then silently cursed her own stupidity. Any mention of Jayne and Evan was suicidal if this man was involved with her nephew’s disappearance.
“Really? Does she come here often?”
Though Hank’s question was casual, she couldn’t miss the edge of tension around his thin mouth. Shenodded, lowering her gaze as she took a quick sip of her drink.
“What’s her name? Maybe I know her.”
“Jayne Smith,” she replied, knowing her sister had visited Taurin Bay only under her married name of Gaskell.
The dangerous light in Hank’s eyes faded. He sat back in the chair and lightly toyed with a knife. She suddenly felt like a mouse facing a large and hungry cat.
“The only Smith I know is the lovely young lady now sitting opposite me.”
He meant to flatter her, but he only succeeded in making her feel ill. She pushed the rest of her milkshake away and gathered her bag. She’d be damned if she’d wait any longer for Jon—especially if Hank intended to keep her company.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Stewart, but I really must go.”
“No time for another drink? It would give me a chance to apologize for my abrupt behavior this morning. You might
“Surely not,” he replied lightly. “I’d never forget such a beautiful face.”
Maddie, he thought with amusement, would probably have made a face at such an obvious line. Or dissolved into fits of laughter. This woman merely smiled, though he felt a wariness in her that matched his own. And it wasn’t the usual wariness of two shapeshifters meeting for the first time.
“Eleanor Dumaresq,” she said. “Perhaps you have time for a cup of coffee?”
He took her offered hand. Her fingers were warm and pliant against his, yet he felt the inner core of strength in them. The woman was more than simply a shapeshifter. Old magic swirled about her, so strong he could almost taste it.
He let his touch linger a little longer than was necessary and studied her eyes. Her gaze called to the wildness within him.
Old magic was the key—and the danger—Seline had warned of when she’d sent him to Taurin Bay. It was an image that seemed to fit Eleanor well. It could also be the reason why her eyes appeared a different color in her human form than as a panther. Yet there was nothing more than a gut feeling and the words of an old witch tying Eleanor to the disappearances. Nothing more than a hunch suggesting she was the cat he’d seen in the forest. Still, his hunches had proven more right than wrong over the years.
And
that
meant she was someone he’d have to investigate. But as much as he would have loved to accept Eleanor’s invitation and pursue the mystery she presented, he couldn’t. Not with Maddie waiting for him in the café. He didn’t want to endanger her by introducing her to someone who might well be involved in the attempt on his life.
“I’m afraid I can’t just now,” he said, glancing past her to study the restaurant’s interior. Why did he suddenly feel that Maddie needed his help?
“A shame,” Eleanor replied warmly, “but I’m sure we’ll meet again. Taurin Bay is such a small town, after all.”
He glanced at her sharply. There was definitely an edge of warning in her mellow tones. “I’m sure we will.”
In fact, he’d make damn sure they did. Eleanor might not be the cat he’d seen in the forest, or even the one in the inn, but something told him she was involved in the disappearances. The brief flash of confusion in her eyes the moment they’d met told as much. As did the shimmer of hate that shone through her aura.
He watched her walk away, then quickly entered the restaurant.
“M R . S TEWART, WHAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU HERE. ” M ADDIE forced a smile and hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.
“I was about to say the same thing.” He dragged out a chair and sat down opposite her. “This restaurant is not the usual tourist destination.”
“My sister recommended it,” she said quickly, then silently cursed her own stupidity. Any mention of Jayne and Evan was suicidal if this man was involved with her nephew’s disappearance.
“Really? Does she come here often?”
Though Hank’s question was casual, she couldn’t miss the edge of tension around his thin mouth. Shenodded, lowering her gaze as she took a quick sip of her drink.
“What’s her name? Maybe I know her.”
“Jayne Smith,” she replied, knowing her sister had visited Taurin Bay only under her married name of Gaskell.
The dangerous light in Hank’s eyes faded. He sat back in the chair and lightly toyed with a knife. She suddenly felt like a mouse facing a large and hungry cat.
“The only Smith I know is the lovely young lady now sitting opposite me.”
He meant to flatter her, but he only succeeded in making her feel ill. She pushed the rest of her milkshake away and gathered her bag. She’d be damned if she’d wait any longer for Jon—especially if Hank intended to keep her company.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Stewart, but I really must go.”
“No time for another drink? It would give me a chance to apologize for my abrupt behavior this morning. You might
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