"Lee Edgar - The Andromeda Trial" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

under a dutch barn.
‘Will daddy be home soon?’ asked Maggie as Andi squawked to be let out of the
restraining straps of her child seat.
‘I hope so, darling. Pop in and put the kettle on, would you?’
When Cassi entered the kitchen, Maggie was holding up an envelope which had been
pushed under the door. ‘It’s for you.’
‘No stamp?’
Maggie shook her head. ‘It must have come by hand.’
Cassi frowned. ‘Someone who knew where to find us? Out here?’
‘Aren’t you going to open it?’
‘In a minute. Let me get some food for Andi first or else we’ll never hear the last
of it.’
Maggie cocked her head. ‘Sounds like a helicopter.’
‘Your father, I expect. And I haven’t even thought about dinner yet.’
‘Why is daddy coming home in his helicopter?’
‘Don’t ask me, pet. You’ll be able to ask him yourself in a minute.’
The noise level reached a crescendo and then died away as the helicopter landed in
the open space behind one of the barns. By the time Cassi had Andi in her high chair
with baby food on her plate, the door opened and Mike walked in. He had a rather pretty
teenage girl with him. Cassi frowned.
‘Babysitter,’ Mike clarified as he kissed his wife. ‘You and I are going out on the
town tonight.’
‘Out on the town? But I have nothing to wear.’
‘Ta-da!’ he announced, pulling out a package like a rabbit from a hat.
Cassi had fallen in love with Mike whilst they were marooned in Saturn orbit. They
married a few months later and moved to the farm after a short honeymoon in East
Anglia. Since then, they had been to Andromeda and back and survived many adventures
together. She loved his tall frame, his almost black hair, his brown eyes which had
seemed so dark and almost oppressive at first and now had become warm and inviting. His
job as Security Marshal at the base kept him fairly busy, and out at odd times, but
they had both been drawn into a warm, comfortable relationship which satisfied them
both.
She unpacked the carrier bag and held up the dress. ‘But it’s so...’
‘Sexy?’
‘Short.’
‘Short? It suits you right down to the ground.’
Cassi smiled wryly. ‘If this hemline ever comes to within a metre of the ground, I’ll
be very surprised indeed. I only have to bow slightly and everyone will see my
undwear.’
Mike turned to his companion for support. ‘What do you think, Nicole? Won’t she look
fabulous in it?’
The redhead looked Cassi over. ‘It may be a bit young for her.’
Cassi laughed and tossed her head of golden hair. ‘Come off it. I’m twenty-two, not
fifty-two.’
Nevertheless, the implied challenge was there and she agreed. Fifteen minutes later,
Mike whistled. ‘Wow! Now that’s what I call sexy.’
‘You,’ said Cassi, poking a finger in his chest; ‘Are swiftly becoming a dirty old
man.’
‘With you around, who wouldn’t be?’ He turned to Nicole. ‘Will you be all right?’
‘Sure.’ She opened her bag. ‘I brought my nightie.’