Mrs. Toller—" She paused, searching for a diplomatic word to finish the sentence. None
came to mind. "Uneasy."
His jaw hardened." Whythe devilshould Imake her uneasy?"
Shethought about taking outthe small mirror inher pocket andletting him have a look athis fierce
expression, but in the next moment, she decided against that tactic. He was unlikely to see what others
saw when they looked at him.
Stick with logic and reason, she thought. Those were the tools she must employ if she hoped to prod
Adam Hardesty into doing what she wanted him to do.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"If Irene Toller does, indeed, possess some knowledge of the murder, she will be on her guard," she
said, striving for patience. "If, on the other hand, she is innocent of any knowledge of the crime, the
murder of another medium will likely have made her quite nervous. I would not be surprised if she refuses
all requests for sittings from strangers for a time. I would, if I were in her shoes."
"Would you?"
"Most certainly," she assured him.
He did not bother to conceal his skepticism of that statement. Nevertheless, she could see that he was
giving her words some close thought.
"Are you acquainted with Toller?" he asked finally. She was making progress, she told herself.
"We have notbeen introduced but I'msure she will know who I am because I have been in Wintersett
House several times recently to conduct my research. As you just witnessed in the case of Mr. Reed and
Mr. Elsworth, my activities are no secret among the members of the Society for Psychical Investigations."
There was a wry edge to the curve of his mouth. "In other words, your name might be just what I need
for an entrée to Irene Toller's house; is that it?"
"I do not think that it would seem odd to her if I re-quested a sitting. In fact, I might very well have done
so in the normal course of events."
He contemplated that for a moment longer. Then he straightened in his seat and leaned forward, resting
his forearms on his thighs.
"Very well, Mrs. Fordyce," he said in his midnight voice. "If you can arrange a séance with Irene Toller,
we shall attend it together."
Relieved at having achieved her objective, she gave him an approving smile. "I will send a note to Mrs.
Toller immediately. I'm sure there will be no difficulty."
"Will I be allowed to hold your hand?" he asked. She froze. "I beg your pardon?"
He drew the curtains closed across the carriage windows with a few swift, efficient motions, plunging the
interior into intimate shadow. He reached out and caught hold of her hand.
"I was under the impression that sitters at a séance often join hands." His fingers tightened gently around
hers. "Something to do with strengthening or centering the power of the medium, I believe"
She looked down at his large, strong fingers and discovered that she could scarcely breathe. He was so
very close. "Yes, well, that is the usual explanation," she managed.
"There are some who claim that mediums insist that every-one hold hands because that way a skeptical
sitter is less likely to strike a light at an inopportune time or try to grab a spirit manifestation."
"And thereby expose the medium's tricks," he concluded. "Precisely."
"I shall look forward to holding your hand at the séance, Mrs. Fordyce"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She could not move. She did not want to move.
He held her transfixed with some invisible force while he slowly, deliberately raised her hand to his
mouth. Turning her fingers palm up, he eased the green glove down just far enough to expose the
exquisitely sensitive inside of her wrist.
She stopped breathing altogether.
When he kissed the place where her pulse beat so swiftly, she thought she would fall apart into a million
tiny fireworks.
"Mr. Hardesty," she whispered.
He raised his head but he did not release her hand. "Call me
came to mind. "Uneasy."
His jaw hardened." Whythe devilshould Imake her uneasy?"
Shethought about taking outthe small mirror inher pocket andletting him have a look athis fierce
expression, but in the next moment, she decided against that tactic. He was unlikely to see what others
saw when they looked at him.
Stick with logic and reason, she thought. Those were the tools she must employ if she hoped to prod
Adam Hardesty into doing what she wanted him to do.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"If Irene Toller does, indeed, possess some knowledge of the murder, she will be on her guard," she
said, striving for patience. "If, on the other hand, she is innocent of any knowledge of the crime, the
murder of another medium will likely have made her quite nervous. I would not be surprised if she refuses
all requests for sittings from strangers for a time. I would, if I were in her shoes."
"Would you?"
"Most certainly," she assured him.
He did not bother to conceal his skepticism of that statement. Nevertheless, she could see that he was
giving her words some close thought.
"Are you acquainted with Toller?" he asked finally. She was making progress, she told herself.
"We have notbeen introduced but I'msure she will know who I am because I have been in Wintersett
House several times recently to conduct my research. As you just witnessed in the case of Mr. Reed and
Mr. Elsworth, my activities are no secret among the members of the Society for Psychical Investigations."
There was a wry edge to the curve of his mouth. "In other words, your name might be just what I need
for an entrée to Irene Toller's house; is that it?"
"I do not think that it would seem odd to her if I re-quested a sitting. In fact, I might very well have done
so in the normal course of events."
He contemplated that for a moment longer. Then he straightened in his seat and leaned forward, resting
his forearms on his thighs.
"Very well, Mrs. Fordyce," he said in his midnight voice. "If you can arrange a séance with Irene Toller,
we shall attend it together."
Relieved at having achieved her objective, she gave him an approving smile. "I will send a note to Mrs.
Toller immediately. I'm sure there will be no difficulty."
"Will I be allowed to hold your hand?" he asked. She froze. "I beg your pardon?"
He drew the curtains closed across the carriage windows with a few swift, efficient motions, plunging the
interior into intimate shadow. He reached out and caught hold of her hand.
"I was under the impression that sitters at a séance often join hands." His fingers tightened gently around
hers. "Something to do with strengthening or centering the power of the medium, I believe"
She looked down at his large, strong fingers and discovered that she could scarcely breathe. He was so
very close. "Yes, well, that is the usual explanation," she managed.
"There are some who claim that mediums insist that every-one hold hands because that way a skeptical
sitter is less likely to strike a light at an inopportune time or try to grab a spirit manifestation."
"And thereby expose the medium's tricks," he concluded. "Precisely."
"I shall look forward to holding your hand at the séance, Mrs. Fordyce"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She could not move. She did not want to move.
He held her transfixed with some invisible force while he slowly, deliberately raised her hand to his
mouth. Turning her fingers palm up, he eased the green glove down just far enough to expose the
exquisitely sensitive inside of her wrist.
She stopped breathing altogether.
When he kissed the place where her pulse beat so swiftly, she thought she would fall apart into a million
tiny fireworks.
"Mr. Hardesty," she whispered.
He raised his head but he did not release her hand. "Call me
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