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Back The Rose Labyrinth Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. Cover
  2. THE ROSE LABYRINTH
  3. Titlepage
  4. Copyright page
  5. Dedication
  6. PROLOGUE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. EPILOGUE
  42. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  43. BIBLIOGRAPHY
  44. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  45. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It was signed “Alessandro,” his alter ego from the previous evening. The doctor had exited again; and perhaps the man would reappear. And yes: she would be very interested to see Mortlake again, in the daylight.

“Shall I put them in water for you?” a cheerful voice in a nurse’s uniform asked her.

Lucy smiled serenely. “No. Thanks. I’m not staying, and they’re coming home with me.”

13

THREE DISCARDED OUTFITS LAY ON THE BED. SIÂN HOPED TO EXUDE A confidence today that she was totally lacking. A stylist by profession, she found it second nature to orchestrate a carefully chosen wardrobe that belied any trouble and looked nonchalant, as though she’d thrown something together in minutes that could grace the cover of Vogue. What was wrong today? She couldn’t carry off this feat of effortless polish.

At Calvin’s request, a walk across Barnes Common to Mortlake was planned first. Flat shoes, she thought, or boots? Then lunch at an old pub on the river, so she had to be practical as well as feminine. It was hardly The Ivy. Plus it was a chilly day for early November. There was her new boyfriend to keep one step ahead of. And there was her ex-lover’s best friend meeting for a second time this relatively “new” man of hers, which she felt anxious about.

But worse than all of these, she feared the censure of Alex, the pressing worry that he might think ill of her for replacing his exceptional brother with a cousin he’d met only once to date. And that was at his brother’s funeral when everyone was in shock, too numb to think. She thought Alex had been cool with Calvin. Well, he would be. Or maybe Alex had just been somewhere else in his head, that day? Though somehow he’d given the eulogy to a packed country church without a quiver in his voice—a rich, strong cadence that had made even the downcast Simon, seated next to her, look up appreciatively and listen with something close to a smile, as Alex had delivered a speech of warmth and delicate humor. It still made her weep when she thought of the words he’d closed with, about our being only what dreams are made on, and our lives being “rounded with a sleep.” Will had sometimes said these words to her, from The Tempest, as though he’d had an inkling of his own fate. Her throat caught now; but she staunchly held off her tears. That would be too much today.