"Are ye all right, lass?"
"Sure." She noticed a box of Band-Aids that was sitting on the counter. "Did you cut yourself?"
"Nay. I thought ye might be needing one." He peered closely at her neck. "Och, a silver chain.
That'll protect you."
"Roman gave it to me." Shanna admired the antique crucifix.
"Aye, he's a good man." Connor swept the box of Band-Aids into a drawer. "I shouldna have doubted him."
Shanna opened a cabinet. "Where do you keep your glasses?"
"Here." Connor opened a different cabinet and retrieved a glass. "What would ye like to drink?"
"Some water." Shanna motioned to the dispenser in the refrigerator door. "I can get it myself."
Connor reluctantly handed over the glass, then followed her to the refrigerator.
"I'm not helpless, you know." She put in some ice and smiled at the Highlander who was leaning against the refrigerator door. "You guys are too sweet. You're going to spoil me rotten." She filled the glass with water.
Connor blushed.
She sat at the table and peered inside the box of brownies. "Yum." She took one out. "Do you think you could find some dental instruments for me? I need to tighten the splint in Roman's mouth."
Connor sat across from her. "Aye. We can take care of that."
"Thanks." Shanna pinched off a corner of the brownie. "Is there anything to do around here?"
"We have a well-stocked library across from the parlor. And there should be a telly in yer bedchamber."
Bedchamber? Shanna loved how archaic the Highlanders could sound. She finished her brownie, then hunted down the library. Wow. Three whole walls were lined with books from the floor to the ceiling. Some looked very old. Some were in languages she didn't recognize.
A wide window, covered with thick draperies, stretched across the fourth wall. She peeked out and saw the dimly lit street with cars parked along each side. It seemed so quiet and peaceful. Hard to believe there were people out there who wanted her dead.
She heard voices in the foyer. Female voices. She moved toward the door. She had to admit, she was curious about these mysterious ladies who watched television in Roman's parlor. She peeked around the doorjamb.
There were two beautiful women approaching the parlor. The first one, dressed in a black spandex catsuit, looked like a model and moved like an anorexic panther. Her hair was long, black, and loose down her back. Sparkling rhinestones studded the black belt around her tiny waist. Black polish gleamed on her long fingernails, and each nail boasted another rhinestone.
The second woman was petite, with her black hair cut into a bob. She wore a tight black sweater to show off her generous cleavage and a black mini-skirt to reveal her pencil legs encased in black fishnet stockings. She was cute and tiny, but her clunky black shoes made her walk like a water buffalo.
The woman in the catsuit was gesturing angrily, her fingernails glittering under the foyer chandelier. "How can he treat me like zis? Does he not know I am a celebrity?"
"He's very busy, Simone," Miss Clunky Shoes replied. "He has a million things to do with the conference starting tomorrow."
Simone flipped her black silky hair over her shoulder. "But I came early so I could see him, zat rat!"
Shanna winced at the way the French catwoman pronounced her r's. It sounded like she had phlegm stuck in her throat and was trying to cough it up.
Simone huffed. "He is so h-rude!"
Shanna gritted her teeth. Definitely something in her throat. Probably a furball.
Simone flung open the double doors to the parlor. The room was filled with women lounging about on the three maroon couches. They were drinking something from crystal wineglasses.
"Good evening, Simone, Maggie," the ladies greeted the two women in the foyer.
"Has our show started yet?" Maggie clunked into the room in her enormous black shoes.
"No," one of the ladies replied. She was sitting on the middle sofa, so Shanna could see only the back of her head. Her short, spiky hair was dyed such a dark red, it was more like purple. "The news is still on."
Shanna took note of the widescreen TV. An ordinary-looking male newscaster was on the air, mouthing words. In the corner of the screen a red mute sign glowed. Obviously, these ladies didn't concern themselves with current events. Beneath the mute sign, the black bat logo was displayed.
They were watching DVN.
Shanna counted a total of eleven women, who all appeared to be in their twenties. Well, what the heck. If she was going to pursue a relationship with Roman, she needed to know why these women were here. She stepped into the foyer.
Simone filled a wineglass from a crystal decanter on the coffee table. "Has anyone seen ze master zis evening?" She perched in the far corner of the sofa on the left.
The purple-haired woman was admiring her long, purple fingernails. "I heard he's seeing another woman."
"What?" Simone's eyes flashed. Leaning forward, she plunked her glass down on the table. "You are lying, Vanda. He could not possibly want anozher woman when he could have moi."
Vanda shrugged. "I'm not lying. Phil told me about it."
"The daytime guard?" Maggie sat beside Simone.
Vanda stood. She was also wearing a black catsuit, but her belt was made of braided leather strips.
She shoved a hand through her purple spiky hair. "Phil has a crush on me. He tells me everything I want to know."
Simone sank back into the couch, her gaunt body in danger of being swallowed up entirely. "Zen it is true? Zere is anozher woman?"
"Yes." Vanda turned her head and sniffed. "What is that?" She spotted Shanna in the foyer. "Well, speak of the devil."
All eleven women stared at Shanna.
She smiled and stepped into the room. "Good evening." Shanna looked the women over. Black clothing was normal for New York City, but still, some of these outfits seemed a bit odd. One of the ladies was wearing a gown that looked medieval. Another gown looked Victorian. Was that a hoop skirt?
The one called Vanda circled the coffee table and struck a dramatic pose by the television. Whoa. The neckline of her catsuit plunged all the way to her waist. Shanna was seeing a lot more of Vanda than she really wanted to.
"My name is Shanna Whelan. I'm a dentist."
Vanda narrowed her eyes. "Our teeth are perfect."
"Okay." Shanna wondered what she had done to make these women glare at her. Though there was one, sitting apart from the others, who was giving her a friendly smile. She had blond hair and modern clothes.
The one in the Victorian dress spoke, her accent making her sound like a Southern belle. "A lady dentist? I do declare, I don't know why the master would invite her here."
The one in the medieval gown agreed. "She does not belong here. She should leave."
The friendly blond spoke up. "Hey, it's your master's house. He can invite the pope if he wants."
The other women shot the blond a vicious look.
Vanda shook her head. "Don't make them mad at you, Darcy. They'll make your life miserable."
"Some life." Darcy rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm so afraid. What could they possibly do to me? Kill me?"
The medieval one lifted her chin. "Do not tempt us. You do not belong here, either."
What a strange group. Shanna retreated a step.
The Southern belle glowered at Shanna. "Is it true, then? You're the master's new lady friend?"
Shanna shook her head. "I don't know who this master is."
The ladies chuckled. Darcy winced.
"Bon." Simone curled up like a contented cat in her corner of the couch. "You will leave him alone, zen. I came all ze way from Paris to be wiz him."
Maggie leaned close to Simone and whispered in her ear.
'Wow" Simone's eyes widened. "Zut alors! He did not tell her?" She huffed. "And he is ignoring me. To zink I wanted to have sex wiz him, zat bastard!"
Maggie sighed. "He never has sex with us anymore. I miss the old days."
"Me, too," Vanda said, and all the ladies nodded in agreement.
Jeez. Shanna grimaced. This master character had had sex with all of these women? He was downright creepy.
"He will have sex wiz me," Simone declared. "No man can resist me." She eyed Shanna with disdain. "Why would he want zis woman? She must be size fourteen."
"Excusez-moi? " Shanna glared at the rude Frenchwoman.
"Oh, look!" Maggie pointed at the TV. "The news is over. It's time for our soap."
The ladies forgot about Shanna as they turned to watch the television. Maggie punched the mute button on the remote control to restore the sound. There was a commercial on with a woman praising the yummy, rich flavor of a drink called Chocolood.
Vanda slinked around the couches and headed for Shanna. Upon closer inspection, Shanna realized Vanda's belt was actually a whip. And on the inside curve of one breast, Vanda was sporting a tattoo of a bat. Purple, of course.
Shanna crossed her arms, refusing to be intimidated.
Vanda stopped beside her. "I heard the master fell asleep in someone else's bed."
"No!" The other ladies forgot about the television. They turned to stare at Vanda.
Vanda smiled, enjoying all the attention. She patted her spiky purple hair. "That's what Phil told me."
"Whose bed?" Simone demanded. "I will scratch her eyes out."