Free Emerald Ecstasy by Lynette Vinet

felt he was getting closer to Lianne, hoped that she was still in Spain. Perhaps de Lovis was familiar with her name, her face. Anything. He had to find her.
    â€œSeñor Flanders.” A servant motioned him to follow and Daniel walked behind him into the house and down a long hallway, stopping before Raoul’s library. The servant opened the door, and Daniel entered the room which was encased in darkness. Except for a slight crack where the material met, massive drapes barred the sun’s rays. In the darkness, Daniel heard Raoul’s voice,
    â€œFind your way to a chair.”
    Groping his way to the sound of Raoul’s voice, he found a chair and sat, anger and puzzlement building in him that he should be treated so shabbily by his wife’s relative.
    â€œHow are you, Raoul?” he asked in a restrained tone.
    He heard the creak of Raoul’s chair. “Fine, my nephew. What can I do for you?”
    You can pull the damn drapes he started to say, but stopped himself. He didn’t wish to get into an argument with de Lovis. He only wanted any information the man had, and then he’d be on his way.
    Daniel explained the reason for his visit, ending with, “If you can find this woman, I’d be more than grateful.”
    â€œI see, my niece’s husband. Tell me, are you involved with this woman?”
    â€œNo,” Daniel answered truthfully. He wasn’t involved with her, but he wanted to be. “It is a personal matter. She was in a French troupe, playing in small Irish towns, then abruptly she left.” He cleared his throat, not going into detail. “Someone spotted her here, performing in Madrid. She is very beautiful with auburn hair and green eyes.”
    For an instant, Daniel heard a deathly quiet invade the room. Raoul’s breathing stilled. “What is this woman’s name?”
    â€œLianne Laguens.”
    After long moments, he heard Raoul draw breath. “I know of no such woman.”
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œPositive. Now, Daniel, I’m very busy. I’d advise you to forget this woman and to return home to your wife. This woman is not for you.”
    Daniel sensed the animosity in Raoul’s voice and decided that Raoul had figured his interest was more than personal and had offended his niece. He stood up. “Thank you for your time, Don Raoul, but I shall find her. Good day.”
    Opening the door, Raoul saw Daniel’s broad shoulders fill the doorway, then he was gone. Through the curtain crack, he watched Daniel mount his horse and ride toward Madrid. Raoul opened the drapes and allowed the morning sunshine to spill into the well-ordered study.
    He lit a cheroot and sat behind his desk and blew smoke rings, watching them rise to the rafters. He smiled at the coincidence. Fate had decreed his meeting with the beautiful Comtesse and had pulled her from him. Through Daniel, the philandering husband of his unfortunate niece, he might find her yet.
    He realized that Daniel must be the father of Lianne’s child. There was no other explanation to the question which had nagged at him for months. He wasn’t certain how they had met or what had torn them apart, but he knew Daniel was in love with her and would pursue her until he found her.
    When Raoul had tried to discover her whereabouts from the bed to which he had been confined until a month ago, her lodgings in Madrid had turned up nothing. Pedro Alvarez wouldn’t tell his men where Lianne Laguens had gone, but Pedro wasn’t a problem any longer. His men had unburdened him of his silent tongue.
    Raoul laughed bitterly and extinguished the cheroot in an ashtray. He touched the puffy eyelid which had been stitched closed by a court physician after his servant found him, lying in a puddle of his own blood. The doctor assured him the puffiness would clear. The infection had been a particularly serious and persistent one. Only recently had Raoul left his bed. He