"Деннис Уитли. The Devil Rides Out (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

men, in the country ten miles outside Buenos Aires. How
extraordinary that he should find her here-and what luck. He smiled
quickly at the thought that Simon could not fail to introduce him.
De Richleau's glance was riveted upon their friend. With an
abrupt movement Simon turned towards them. For a second he seemed
completely at a loss, his full, sensual mouth hung open to twice its
normal extent and his receding jaw almost disappeared behind his
white tie, while his dark eyes were filled with amazement and
something suspiciously like fear, but he recovered almost instantly
and his old smile flashed out as he came forward to greet them.
'My dear Simon,' the Duke's voice was a silken purr. 'How can we
apologise for breaking in on you like this?'
'Sure, we hadn't a notion you were throwing a party,' boomed
Rex, his glance following the girl who had moved off to join
another woman and three men who were talking together in the inner
room.
'But I'm delighted,' murmured Simon genially. 'Delighted to see
you both-only got a few friends-meeting of a little society I belong
to-that's all.'
Then we couldn't dream of interrupting you, could we Rex?' De
Richleau demurred with well-assumed innocence.
'Why, certainly not, we wouldn't even have come in if that
servant of yours hadn't taken us for some other folks you're
expecting.' But despite their apparent unwillingness to intrude,
neither of the two made any gesture of withdrawal and, mentally, De
Richleau gave Simon full marks for the way in which he accepted
their obviously unwelcome presence.
'I'm most terribly sorry about dinner to-night,' he was pro
claiming earnestly. 'Meant to rest for my bridge, I simply have to
these days, to be any good-even forgot till six o'clock that I had
these people coming.'
'How fortunate for you Simon that your larder is so well
stocked.' The Duke could not resist the gentle dig as his glance
fell on a long buffet spread with a collation which would have
rivalled the cold table in any great hotel.
'I 'phoned Ferraro,' parried Simon glibly. "The Berkeley never
lets me down. Would have asked you to drop in, but er-with this
meeting on I felt you'd be bored.'
'Bored! Not a bit, but we are keeping you from your other
guests.' With an airy gesture De Richleau waved his hand in the
direction of the inner room.
'Sure,' agreed Rex heartily, as he laid a large hand on Simon's
arm and gently propelled him towards the salon. 'Don't you worry
about us, we'll just take a glass of wine off you and fade away.'
His eyes were fixed again on the pale oval face of the girl.
Simon's glance flickered swiftly towards the Duke, who ignored,
with a guileless smile, his obvious reluctance for them to meet his
other friends, and noted with amusement that he avoided any proper
introduction.
'Er-er-two very old friends of mine,' he said, with his little