stage and came down into the seating area. “A gentleman, strong and strapping. You, sir.”
Jack’s eyes widened at the finger so close to his face. “Me?”
Xavier nodded. “You.”
Christ Almighty. Fate was truly out to bugger him senseless. He could refuse but that would only make him look a poor sport, and since at least a quarter of the people in this room had money he’d like to help them dispose of, he couldn’t present himself as a man afraid to take a risk.
Lady Gosling clapped her hands—no longer in his lap. “Oh, do go! This is so diverting!”
With a grimace, Jack rose to his feet and was met with more polite applause. He followed Xavier up onto the stage, careful to avoid Sadie’s gaze. It was impossible to ignore her completely, though, with her in that gown.
“Madame Moon,” the magician said, “Would you be so kind as to climb into this box?”
Sadie, to her credit, didn’t argue. She didn’t look any more comfortable than Jack did, but she wasn’t afraid by any means. She accepted Xavier’s hand and allowed him to assist her onto the table and into the open box, which looked a little bit like a coffin, Jack realized morbidly as the magician closed the sectioned lid.
“Are you comfortable?” Xavier asked. Sadie nodded. For a split second, her gaze flitted to Jack’s and he saw unease there that had nothing to do with being in a box and everything to do with him.
“Excellent.” The magician turned to face Jack. “This is for you, my good man.”
Jack glanced down. In the man’s large hands he held a gleaming saw, the blade of which had huge, jagged teeth.
“What am I to do with that?” Jack asked. He glanced at Sadie. Was it just him or was that amusement he saw in her eyes?
Xavier grinned, and like any good showman, turned to his audience. “Why, you’re going to cut her in half!”
Chapter 6
E ven if she lived to be a hundred and lost all there was of her mind along the way, Sadie didn’t think she’d ever forget the look on Jack’s face when Nathan Xavier handed him the saw.
He stood over her with the serrated blade in his hand and horror all over his face. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing. Of course, having a sense of humor over the whole thing was easy for her—she knew the secret to the trick.
While Xavier distracted Jack—and the audience—with their dialogue, Xavier’s lovely assistant, Honora, had helped Sadie into the upper section of the long box. Once inside, she brought her legs up as far as she could while Honora eased a pair of false feet through the holes where Sadie’s should have gone. When the lid was closed it would look to Jack, as well as the audience, that Sadie was fully stretched out within the confines of the box.
All that was left now was for Jack to “saw” her in half. Poor Jack looked as though he’d rather strip naked and run through the aisles than complete the task withwhich he’d been charged. She almost felt a little sympathy for him.
Almost.
Sadie couldn’t take her gaze off him. She should be looking at the audience—hamming it up at Jack’s expense, but she couldn’t look away. He was truly afraid for her. Or for himself should anything go wrong.
Of all the people Xavier could have chosen, why did it have to be Jack?
The magician made a great show of spinning her mobile prison around so the audience could see that it was indeed solid. Sadie turned her head and smiled at Mason, who grinned at her from his seat. She wondered if he knew how the trick worked as well. He and Xavier were good friends, but it wouldn’t do for Xavier to reveal his secrets to more people than he had to, would it? After all, he’d chosen her because he knew he could trust her, but normally he planted volunteers in the audience for the more secretive aspects of his illusions.
“Before we begin,” Xavier said. “Madame Moon, would you be so good as to wiggle your feet so there can be no doubt in the
Jack’s eyes widened at the finger so close to his face. “Me?”
Xavier nodded. “You.”
Christ Almighty. Fate was truly out to bugger him senseless. He could refuse but that would only make him look a poor sport, and since at least a quarter of the people in this room had money he’d like to help them dispose of, he couldn’t present himself as a man afraid to take a risk.
Lady Gosling clapped her hands—no longer in his lap. “Oh, do go! This is so diverting!”
With a grimace, Jack rose to his feet and was met with more polite applause. He followed Xavier up onto the stage, careful to avoid Sadie’s gaze. It was impossible to ignore her completely, though, with her in that gown.
“Madame Moon,” the magician said, “Would you be so kind as to climb into this box?”
Sadie, to her credit, didn’t argue. She didn’t look any more comfortable than Jack did, but she wasn’t afraid by any means. She accepted Xavier’s hand and allowed him to assist her onto the table and into the open box, which looked a little bit like a coffin, Jack realized morbidly as the magician closed the sectioned lid.
“Are you comfortable?” Xavier asked. Sadie nodded. For a split second, her gaze flitted to Jack’s and he saw unease there that had nothing to do with being in a box and everything to do with him.
“Excellent.” The magician turned to face Jack. “This is for you, my good man.”
Jack glanced down. In the man’s large hands he held a gleaming saw, the blade of which had huge, jagged teeth.
“What am I to do with that?” Jack asked. He glanced at Sadie. Was it just him or was that amusement he saw in her eyes?
Xavier grinned, and like any good showman, turned to his audience. “Why, you’re going to cut her in half!”
Chapter 6
E ven if she lived to be a hundred and lost all there was of her mind along the way, Sadie didn’t think she’d ever forget the look on Jack’s face when Nathan Xavier handed him the saw.
He stood over her with the serrated blade in his hand and horror all over his face. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing. Of course, having a sense of humor over the whole thing was easy for her—she knew the secret to the trick.
While Xavier distracted Jack—and the audience—with their dialogue, Xavier’s lovely assistant, Honora, had helped Sadie into the upper section of the long box. Once inside, she brought her legs up as far as she could while Honora eased a pair of false feet through the holes where Sadie’s should have gone. When the lid was closed it would look to Jack, as well as the audience, that Sadie was fully stretched out within the confines of the box.
All that was left now was for Jack to “saw” her in half. Poor Jack looked as though he’d rather strip naked and run through the aisles than complete the task withwhich he’d been charged. She almost felt a little sympathy for him.
Almost.
Sadie couldn’t take her gaze off him. She should be looking at the audience—hamming it up at Jack’s expense, but she couldn’t look away. He was truly afraid for her. Or for himself should anything go wrong.
Of all the people Xavier could have chosen, why did it have to be Jack?
The magician made a great show of spinning her mobile prison around so the audience could see that it was indeed solid. Sadie turned her head and smiled at Mason, who grinned at her from his seat. She wondered if he knew how the trick worked as well. He and Xavier were good friends, but it wouldn’t do for Xavier to reveal his secrets to more people than he had to, would it? After all, he’d chosen her because he knew he could trust her, but normally he planted volunteers in the audience for the more secretive aspects of his illusions.
“Before we begin,” Xavier said. “Madame Moon, would you be so good as to wiggle your feet so there can be no doubt in the
Similar Books
