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Joseph shot her a suggestive grin. “Fascinating.”
The two gazed into each other’s eyes again. The magnetism between them was so intense now that it was beginning to warp the air. Sarah half-expected to see the floor tiles cracking and the stone walls crumble.
“Well, if you’ll excuse us,” Anna said. “We were just about to find somewhere private, weren’t we, Joseph?”
Joseph clinked his Champagne glass against hers. “We were.”
Sarah’s mind unravelled. Change of plan: Joseph could keep Mrs Orlov occupied, while she and Dylan had a look around. “Er, do you live here with your son?” Sarah asked. “It’s a truly beautiful home.”
“This is our London home, yes.”
Dylan turned on the charm. “I’d sure love a tour, Mrs Orlov, if we’re allowed? Me and Sarah are currently in the process of buying a new place in London and we need some inspiration. Right, honey?”
Sarah nodded. “Absolutely.”
Joseph draped his arm around Anna’s shoulders. He spoke quietly in her ear, but loud enough for Sarah and Dylan to hear. “Why don’t we give my brother and his wife a quick tour, then we can sneak off and I can ravish you?”
She smiled coolly at Joseph. “Yes.” She looked down her nose at Sarah and Dylan. “Come this way.”
Sarah shot Dylan an apprehensive glance. He smiled reassuringly and held her hand. Just act cool. We’re not doing anything wrong… this is for Ivan…
They all walked up the huge marble staircase, and Anna led them along a lavish corridor that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a royal palace. Dylan pretended to be interested in the expensive art that hung from the walls.
“You have exquisite taste, Anna,” Dylan said. “Unless I’m mistaken, this is an original Standinsky painting. It must be priceless?”
“Yes,” she said. “It hung in the Tsar’s palace before the Revolution. But now we Orlovs have acquired it.”
Dylan chatted politely with her about the intricate brushstrokes and colours. Sarah was impressed by his knowledge of art, but she was even more impressed with Anna’s audacity – it was obvious that this painting should’ve been hanging in a museum in Russia for the people to enjoy.
After showing them a couple of quite dull-looking guest rooms, Anna threw open the next sturdy door. “And this is Vlad’s office.”
Dylan strode inside. “Interesting. This is exactly the sort of office I’ve been imagining for myself.”
Anna threw him a skeptical glance. “Really, Mr Quinlan?”
It seemed unlikely. Vlad’s tastes leaned towards the extravagant – the polished mahogany floor, heavy embroidered drapes, and gothic furniture hardly seemed like Dylan’s style. This office reflected Vald’s opinions of himself – a cut above the rest; deserving of the most opulent and expensive things. The solid antique desk was gilded with brass; the walls were covered in decadent canvases and gold-plated frames.
“Is there a safe in here?” Sarah blurted. Her face flashed with guilt and she cursed herself for letting her nerves burst out.
“Er, yeah,” Dylan said. “Because I’m hoping to get a good quality safe for my office, right? And I find your son’s tastes so inspiring.”
Joseph pulled Mrs Orlov close and nuzzled her neck, hoping to distract her from Sarah’s faux pas.
It seemed to work. She laughed at Joseph’s attention, softening at his touch. “Yes, I think the safe is in that closet over there. And now I insist we must continue with the tour.”
Sarah held up her hands. “Oh, but–”
“No,” Anna demanded. “Now. We leave this room now.”
Sarah glanced at Dylan. She guessed from Anna’s tense demeanour and desperation to get them out of here that this must be where the precious blueprint was currently being stored. Over there in the safe. They were so close, but it felt like miles away. How the hell were they going to get at it?
“Okay,” Dylan said calmly. “We’d love to see more of your home.”
He draped his arm around Sarah’s shoulders and they all strolled back out into the hallway. Anna closed the office door firmly. “And along here we have the games room…”
They followed her along the plush corridor. Sarah’s palms itched with the feeling that they were heading in the wrong direction. Away from their mission. But Dylan suddenly halted in front of another priceless painting and inspected it.
“Hmm… the ambience in this painting really expresses the emotional state of the artist at the time. The colours, brushstrokes, and contours speak volumes, telling me how –”
