closed his eyes. He was silent for a long time, and she thought he had gone back to sleep. Then he suddenly began to chuckle.
“Something is funny?”
He didn’t open his eyes, and his voice was faintly slurred. “I was just thinking, if Guenevere had made it this difficult to be rescued by Lancelot, she would have burned to a crisp before he managed to whisk her from the stake.” He tried to smother a yawn. “You’ve got to learn to be … more accommodating.…” The words trailed off, and she knew he was asleep again.
Sacha slowly leaned back against the cushioned blue plastic of the chair, her gaze on Brody’s face. “I’m going to try,” Brody,” she said softly. “Lord knows, I intend to try.”
Six
“Come in, Brody. Why do you knock? After all, it’s your house.” Sacha hurried forward, smiling. “Did you bring the groceries?”
“Would I dare disobey your orders?” Brody asked lightly. “Harris is getting them out of the trunk of the car right this minute. The clerk at the all-night supermarket thought I was stocking a fall-out shelter. I think I got everything on the list, but we have enough food to feed a small army. Do you mind telling me why we need five cans of coffee?”
“For the security men,” Sacha answered. “It
is
a small army. Do you realize there are seven men outside? Naturally we have to keep them in refreshments.”
“There’s no ‘naturally’ about it.” Brody’s lips tightened grimly. “Let’s hope they’re more efficientthan they were that night outside the theater.” He stepped aside to let Harris through the doorway. The chauffeur, burdened by three shopping bags, was followed into the house by Barry Levine and another security man similarly encumbered. The three men disappeared down the corridor in the direction of the kitchen. “You don’t have to cook for Randal’s men. They certainly won’t expect it.”
“I’ll enjoy it,” Sacha said. “It will give me something to do. Besides, I like to cook.” She smiled at Harris and the other men as they came back to the foyer. “Thank you all very much. Remember, Barry, send a man to the kitchen for coffee at seven and ten tomorrow morning. We’ll work out the rest of the schedule once I get organized.”
“Right.” Barry Levine nodded. “Whatever you say, Miss Lorion.”
The door closed behind them.
Sacha’s smile faded. “Now we can get down to what’s important. How is your arm?”
“Fine. It’s only a little stiff.”
“You should have come here with me this morning and told them you couldn’t do the show. Surely they wouldn’t have expected you to go on when they knew you had just come out of the hospital.”
“The house was sold out.” He closed the front door and leaned back against it. “It was no problem. Actually it was more exhausting trying to explain the shooting to the police, but I think I’ve kept them off your trail for the next day or so at least.” He grinned, his blue eyes twinkling. “Hamthat I am, I kind of enjoyed all the fuss being made of me at the theater. It’s not often an actor gets a chance to play such a juicy martyr role. Besides, I got terrific press. ‘The show must go on’ and all that rot.”
“But it’s not rot to you,” she said softly. “You’re not nearly as cynical as you pretend to be, Brody. You’re actually a very dedicated man.”
“Are you looking into your crystal ball again? I told you that you didn’t know everything about me.”
“No, but I’m learning more all the time.” She turned and started down the foyer toward the kitchen. “Come along, I’ve already made your dinner. It’s only a stew, but you’re lucky to get anything at all. There was nothing in the refrigerator, and I had to send that nice Barry Levine to pick up the ingredients. That’s why I called the theater and gave my grocery list to Cass. It’s enough to have to worry about being shot without starving to death too.”
A smile tugged at
“Something is funny?”
He didn’t open his eyes, and his voice was faintly slurred. “I was just thinking, if Guenevere had made it this difficult to be rescued by Lancelot, she would have burned to a crisp before he managed to whisk her from the stake.” He tried to smother a yawn. “You’ve got to learn to be … more accommodating.…” The words trailed off, and she knew he was asleep again.
Sacha slowly leaned back against the cushioned blue plastic of the chair, her gaze on Brody’s face. “I’m going to try,” Brody,” she said softly. “Lord knows, I intend to try.”
Six
“Come in, Brody. Why do you knock? After all, it’s your house.” Sacha hurried forward, smiling. “Did you bring the groceries?”
“Would I dare disobey your orders?” Brody asked lightly. “Harris is getting them out of the trunk of the car right this minute. The clerk at the all-night supermarket thought I was stocking a fall-out shelter. I think I got everything on the list, but we have enough food to feed a small army. Do you mind telling me why we need five cans of coffee?”
“For the security men,” Sacha answered. “It
is
a small army. Do you realize there are seven men outside? Naturally we have to keep them in refreshments.”
“There’s no ‘naturally’ about it.” Brody’s lips tightened grimly. “Let’s hope they’re more efficientthan they were that night outside the theater.” He stepped aside to let Harris through the doorway. The chauffeur, burdened by three shopping bags, was followed into the house by Barry Levine and another security man similarly encumbered. The three men disappeared down the corridor in the direction of the kitchen. “You don’t have to cook for Randal’s men. They certainly won’t expect it.”
“I’ll enjoy it,” Sacha said. “It will give me something to do. Besides, I like to cook.” She smiled at Harris and the other men as they came back to the foyer. “Thank you all very much. Remember, Barry, send a man to the kitchen for coffee at seven and ten tomorrow morning. We’ll work out the rest of the schedule once I get organized.”
“Right.” Barry Levine nodded. “Whatever you say, Miss Lorion.”
The door closed behind them.
Sacha’s smile faded. “Now we can get down to what’s important. How is your arm?”
“Fine. It’s only a little stiff.”
“You should have come here with me this morning and told them you couldn’t do the show. Surely they wouldn’t have expected you to go on when they knew you had just come out of the hospital.”
“The house was sold out.” He closed the front door and leaned back against it. “It was no problem. Actually it was more exhausting trying to explain the shooting to the police, but I think I’ve kept them off your trail for the next day or so at least.” He grinned, his blue eyes twinkling. “Hamthat I am, I kind of enjoyed all the fuss being made of me at the theater. It’s not often an actor gets a chance to play such a juicy martyr role. Besides, I got terrific press. ‘The show must go on’ and all that rot.”
“But it’s not rot to you,” she said softly. “You’re not nearly as cynical as you pretend to be, Brody. You’re actually a very dedicated man.”
“Are you looking into your crystal ball again? I told you that you didn’t know everything about me.”
“No, but I’m learning more all the time.” She turned and started down the foyer toward the kitchen. “Come along, I’ve already made your dinner. It’s only a stew, but you’re lucky to get anything at all. There was nothing in the refrigerator, and I had to send that nice Barry Levine to pick up the ingredients. That’s why I called the theater and gave my grocery list to Cass. It’s enough to have to worry about being shot without starving to death too.”
A smile tugged at
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