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Except that words never left his reat double doors at the front of the house flew open and Delilah ca out, full of s in to join us for a drink and some snacks? Iin the world In a htful spread in the kitchen!"

They both stared at her rather blankly for a minute

Darcy had liked Delilah froent, and really concerned about her job for the county

At that h, she could have hit her

Delilah continued, "Oh, Matty, please, don’t be upset about the silly tapping tonight Penny and Liz are right--we did cory with all of us!"

"I’ only somewhat impatient "We’ll join you"

Delilah started back into the house Matt reached out a hand to Darcy "Co?"

She accepted his hand and rose It was as if there were sparks in his fingers At that h, she wasn’t sure that he noticed in the least

"Matty?" she said lightly, arching a brow

"It’s what happens when you’ve lived in a s and too well"

"Ah," sheto ask, hoell?

She refrained, and let him lead her on back into the house

Penny had created quite a spread Tea, coffee, s, Southern pecan pie, and other little desserts that Darcy knew she had prepared earlier in the day

Darcy had never been less hungry, but since Penny had baked the pie herself, she toyed with a piece and opted for an Irish coffee--made with decaf, Penny explained, so she wouldn’t keep anyone up all night Clint and Carter were in rare for, Delilah was flirtatious, and Mae was excited, thanking Matt over and over again for letting her coain Liz scolded the boys for being silly when she was up to so i the perfect hostess David Jenner spoke about the different qualities of tape and film, and asked Darcy her preferences for her work As they picked up the rely cornered Matt over a parking proble near the town hall

Darcy rinsed plates and put the in the used utensils and only half helping as they flirted She had grown to like the as if she were speaking with a modern-day Jeb Stuart every tirowth of his beard Still, she was strangely keyed, and exhausted at the sa with the dishwasher and excused herself to Penny, Mae, and Elizabeth and escaped up the stairs to the Lee Roo in the roohtest intuitive whisper of a presence Not even the sense of being watched Despite the fact that it was her business to discover just as going on, she was glad she was ready for a good night’s rest

She fell almost instantly and soundly into a deep sleep

And that’s when she akened

Darcy’s head jerked up, because a silent screah her subconscious, and seize her attention with a start She looked around in the night as if she had been rudely prodded by a fire poker

And there she was, a wo in the doorway, hand to her throat in terror, issuing that silent screaht, saw the wo to enter fro toward the bed, and for a moment, her eyes met Darcy’s There was a terrible plea within them Help me!

It was as if the woman saw her there as well, and the plea was as silent as the scream, heard only in Darcy’s head But God, that screaain within herDarcy to hear her But she couldn’t understand the words; she knew only that they were desperate

Because this wraith was running fro from behind the woman From the hallway The bedrooe of so forward

Toward the woman

Then, above the woman’s shoulder, she saw the flash of the knife, as clearly as if a spotlight hit the blade, and glinted froain…more terrible than ever

And the knife…

The knife flashed above Darcy

She wasn’t easily frightened She coht the, the danger see her, and she knew it

She struggled for cal nothing but an ie from the past There was no knife wielded by a dark and deadly e from the past