Midnight Jewels

me to introduce my companion, Isobel Ascanius. I would be very lonely here in the mountains without her."
    Mercy saw a movement in the hall behind Gladstone and a moment later a stunningly beautiful woman appeared. She was almost as tall as Gladstone, which gave her several inches on Mercy. As she approached, Mercy realized the woman named Isobel was only a couple of inches shorter than Croft.
    Isobel Ascanius appeared to be somewhere in her early thirties, but with her bone structure, Mercy decided, the woman would always look far younger than her real age, even when she hit her eighties. Her hair was as black and lustrous as obsidian and she wore it twisted into an elegant chignon that emphasized her high cheekbones and beautiful dark eyes. Her mouth looked like something out of a lipstick ad, glistening with just the right touch of coral. The coral color was repeated on her long, carefully shaped nails.
    Mercy didn't doubt for a moment that Isobel and Gladstone were lovers. Gladstone's female companion was dressed as elegantly as her mate. Her white silk safari shift and matching trousers glided over a strong, distinctly healthy looking body. She was a lushly built woman with full breasts, but there was nothing soft about her. Isobel's waist was model slim and was wrapped in a soft, black leather belt.
    Mercy glanced involuntarily down at herself and wished she had put on something—anything—besides jeans that morning.
    When Isobel came forward into the sunlight to extend a graceful hand toward Croft, Mercy was uncomfortably aware of what a striking pair the two made. Hie other woman's height, dark hair and eyes were a beautiful, feminine version of Croft's height and coloring. The sleek, bright white outfit Isobel wore only seemed to emphasize the darkness of Croft's chinos and loose-fitting cotton shirt. When Isobel put her hand in his, Mercy thought her nails looked like delicate red daggers against Croft's bronzed skin.
    Mercy swallowed and faced the fact that she was experiencing a fierce shaft of what could only be called jealous possessiveness. There in the crystal clear light of the mountains she looked at Croft and understood what was happening to her.
    She was falling in love with the man.
    Just as Croft released Isobel's hand, he turned his head and glanced at Mercy. She knew in that moment that he had undoubtedly seen what must be showing in her eyes. She was so transparent, he claimed, at least to him. He could see through her as though she were a watercolor painting. Mercy swiftly turned away, not wanting to deal with the speculation she saw in his eyes.
    "Won't you come inside?" Isobel asked politely, leading the way into the marble tiled hall.
    There was a wide staircase on one side of the hall with flights that led to a downstairs level as well as the upstairs. For the first time Mercy realized the house had what appeared to be a full-sized basement.
    "I've had your rooms prepared on the second floor," Isobel was saying. "There's an excellent view to the southwest from there. When you've had a chance to refresh yourselves you must come downstairs for a guided tour. Erasmus is very proud of his home. And naturally, you'll be interested in the library."
    Mercy suddenly remembered the real reason for her visit. "I have the copy of
Valley
in my luggage. I'm sure you're anxious to see it, Mr. Gladstone."
    "Erasmus, please."
    She smiled. "Erasmus. I'll unpack the book and bring it downstairs in a few minutes."
    "No hurry." He smiled. "I've been waiting for it for quite a while. Now that I know it's within reach, I can wait a while longer. Still, I am anxious to view it and I expect you're equally interested in settling the final negotiations."
    "Your bid on the book was very generous," Mercy said.
    "I meant what I said about offering you one or two interesting items from my collection as part of the price."
    Mercy grinned widely. "I can't wait to see them. I'm going to use them as the basis for my new career in the rare book business."
    "I'm looking forward to discussing our mutual passion," Erasmus Gladstone said smoothly. "Do you share our interests, Croft?"
    "I prefer my books straight off the bestseller lists." Croft reached for Mercy's wrist. "You can talk about books later, Mercy. Let's go upstairs." He pulled her up the wide staircase toward Isobel, who was already on the landing. When he had his captive half way up the steps, out of immediate earshot of both Isobel and Gladstone, he added in