Read Online East of the Sun by Janet Rogers - Free Book Online Page A

the meeting would go today. When they’d met, she’d made it clear that she wasn’t thrilled about being bamboozled and consequently, rather unsurprisingly, their dinnertime conversation had never progressed beyond superficial trivialities. Although she’d known she was being unfair to someone who had apparently also been unaware of the plan, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from blaming him for Mara’s tactics. She hated appearing vulnerable, even more so in the eyes of a stranger, and had kept him at a chilly distance throughout the remainder of the evening. In truth, she was surprised that he had agreed to another conversation.
    Quickly she weaved her way through the tables towards him.
    He stood up and offered his hand. ‘Good morning.’
    With a measure of satisfaction she noticed that he looked uncomfortable too.
    ‘We didn’t get off to the best start, did we? The other night.’
    Briefly, she shook his hand. ‘Yes, well. I hadn’t planned on involving anyone in this, and when you . . .’
    ‘. . . called you “a favour” so tactlessly . . .’
    ‘Forget it,’ Amelia said, still not sure that she wanted to actually forget it. Her pride had been wounded and she couldn’t stop wondering if they’d been discussing her behind her back, but she had made the decision to meet him again and so here she was. She busied herself with unwinding her scarf, unbuttoning her coat and removing her hat, knowing that her hair would be pressed flat against her skull. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t here to impress Nick Sanford.
    ‘Still, I apologise,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I really had no idea what Mara was up to.’
    ‘Forget it, really. Although Mara meant well, she overstepped the line, but I didn’t help the situation by reacting so badly. I’m sorry too. I took it out on you.’ How she hated being in this position. She pressed on, though. ‘Thank you for meeting me.’
    ‘Would you like some coffee?’ Nick asked.
    Amelia glanced at the mercifully short line of people awaiting their turn at the dark wooden counters of what had once been a bakery and was now one of the city centre’s most popular coffee shops.
    ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll go get some,’ she reached for her purse and pointed to the half-full cup in front of him. ‘You?’
    ‘I’m all right for the moment, thanks.’
    As she moved back in the direction of the counter, Amelia’s movements felt stiff and jerky, as if they weren’t very coordinated. She didn’t like being scrutinised and she knew that Nick Sanford would be looking at her as she stood contemplating the list of coffees on the wall menu. In all probability he was also wondering what he was letting himself in for. Perhaps Mara had cornered him again too. Maybe he didn’t want to be here either.
    Aware of the likelihood of his gaze on her, she straightened her back and squared her shoulders, not wanting to give him the slightest impression that she was weak or helpless. She would be the one in charge of the conversation today.
    When she returned to the table, she offered him a brief smile and allowed herself a moment to consider the muscular, fair-haired man seated opposite her.
    Mara had said that that he was a geologist who’d worked in Russia for several years and that he had a good knowledge of the mining industry, that he was American and that he could be trusted. Most importantly, Mara was convinced that he could help her. That was all she knew. At the party she hadn’t really given him a chance to tell her more about himself or his line of work.
    ‘All right, let’s start again,’ she said, wanting to send a clear signal that she would be in control of their interaction from now on. ‘I’ll be fair – despite the dubious methods she used the other night, Mara is generally a sensible woman and she clearly believes I should talk to you. I know that you know the local mining industry and that you’ve worked here for a