Free Illyrian Summer by Iris Danbury

recognition lighted his face and he retraced his steps to meet her.
    “ Sarah! How did you get here? ”
    “ I ’ m so glad you ’ re safe, ” she answered, gasping for breath. “ We were worried about you. We couldn ’ t get any news. ”
    “ But why have you come? ” he queried.
    Before she could explain about Edmund and the film unit, Daniel appeared, apparently from nowhere.
    “ Sarah! I ’ ve been looking everywhere for you. Hallo, Thorne . ”
    Adam ’ s face changed instantly. “ This is no place for tourists or sightseers, Miss Catherall, ” he said coldly. “ I ’ d advise you to leave as soon as you can. It may be dangerous to stay, and the authorities obviously have their hands full trying to cope with the damage—as well as the people still alive. ”
    His sudden change of attitude struck Sarah like a blow. His first greeting had surely been cordial, but she was momentarily thrown off balance by his icy rejection of herself and Daniel. She managed to murmur, “ Well, we ’ re glad you escaped. ”
    He gave Sarah an almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment.
    “ And we ’ re not exactly here as tourists, ” Daniel pointed out, obviously affronted.
    Adam gave him a cool glance. “ No, perhaps not. I should have realized that even disasters have their publicity value. If you ’ ll excuse me, I must go. I ’ m on my way to the hospital. My secretary, Mirjana, is badly injured and I must visit her. ”
    Sarah watched almost unbelievingly as Adam walked up the ruined street. Surely at first he had greeted her with friendliness? Daniel ’ s sudden appearance had changed that, but why?
    Daniel ’ s hand on her arm recalled her.
    “ He jumped to some hasty conclusions, didn ’ t he? ” he remarked. “ One of those who think that every actor is out for all the publicity he can get, no matter how. Jealousy, that ’ s what it is. ”
    “ Jealousy? ” The word caught Sarah ’ s attention.
    “ Yes. Engineers or construction men or whatever it is he does can ’ t hope to be in the limelight. They ’ re not news unless they ’ re reading a paper to some learned society or they get a medal. ”
    “ I suppose so, ” murmured Sarah, disappointed with Daniel ’ s matter-of-fact explanation, yet unsure of what she had expected. Surely, she told herself as she and Daniel walked back along the dust-laden streets, she did not expect jealousy to flare up between Adam and Daniel over herself?
    “ I was trying to find Radmilla, ” she said, “ but it ’ s hopeless unless you can make a definite rendezvous. ”
    Daniel chuckled quietly. “ Yet you managed to find Adam easily enough—by accident? ”
    Sarah smiled and took refuge in silence.
    “ I ’ ve found Radmilla, ” Daniel continued after a moment or two. “ Or at least, I ’ ve found where her family is camping out. I ’ ll take you there now if you like. ”
    “ Oh, good! ” Sarah was enthusiastic. “ I want to see Radmilla. I ’ m sure she can help me. ”
    “ Help you to what? ”
    “ To do something constructive, of course. What ’ s the point of coming here otherwise? ”
    “ Quite! ” agreed Daniel in a tone that was snappy and metallic. “ Time you did something other than hunt about the streets for Adam. I ’ ve been hauling boxes and cases of stuff down here all morning. ”
    “ I haven ’ t been hunting the streets for Adam, ” she retorted, “ but now that we know he ’ s alive and walking uninjured... ”
    Daniel broke into a shout of laughter. “ Why d ’ you get so offended every time I mention Adam? ”
    “ Why do you ?”
    “ Because I don ’ t like the man, ” Daniel answered quickly. “ He ’ s arrogant and sly and unreliable and— ”
    It was Sarah ’ s turn to laugh. “ All the things that y ou are not! ”
    “ Well, I don ’ t think I ’ m any of those! ”
    “ No, Daniel, you ’ re a paragon. Your good qualities are too many to catalog. ”
    It was easy enough to restore good