Slaves and Obsession [antikvár]

Chapter One 'We are invited to dine with Mr and Mrs Alberton,' Hester said in reply to Monk's questioning gaze across the breakfast table. 'They are friends of Callandra's. She was to go as well, but has been called to Scotland unexpectedly.' 'I suppose you would like to accept anyway,' he deduced, watching her face. He usually read her emotions quickly, sometimes with startling accuracy, at others misunderstanding entirely. On this occasion he was correct. 'Yes, I would. Callandra said they are charming and interesting and have a very beautiful home. Mrs Alberton is half Italian, and both have travelled quite a lot.' 'Then I suppose we had better go. Short notice, isn't it?' he said less than graciously. It was short notice indeed, but Hester was not disposed to find unnecessary fault with something which promised to be interesting, and possibly even the beginning of a new friendship. She did not have many. The nature of her work as a nurse had meant they were frequently of a fleeting nature. She had not been involved with any gripping cause for quite some little time. Even Monk's cases, while financially rewarding, had over the last four months of spring and early summer been most 1