Read Online Ristèard Unwilling Empress by S.E. Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: S.E. Smith
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tightly together in disapproval at his tone. “It isn’t safe for you to be roaming the ship,” he muttered when she stopped a short distance from him.
His eyes swept over her, taking in every minute detail. Her hair was back into the familiar, upward twist that she always wore. His fingers actually twitched and he had to clench them into a fist to keep from reaching out and pulling it loose again. She had smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress and had her matching carry bag on one shoulder. His gaze swept over her willowy figure, pausing on the tablet in her hands. It looked suspiciously like his. His gaze returned to her face and he almost winced when she released a heavy sigh. How the release of a breath could say so much, he would never understand, but he could almost feel her exasperation with him in it.
“How do you do?” Ricki asked, turning away from him to focus on Manderlin. “I’m Ricki Bailey. I hope I’m not interrupting anything too important, but it was imperative that I speak with Grand Ruler Roald. I hope you'll forgive my intrusion.”
Ristèard folded his arms across his chest as he watched Ricki. She was shaking the bemused councilman’s hand and chatting with him, asking him what his position was and where he was from. She even asked him about his family! Irritation and frustration flashed through him when he saw the crusty old bastard smile at her in return. He was about to say something when she turned to look at him.
“I truly am sorry to have interrupted your meeting, but what I have to say couldn’t wait. I read the report that was sent to you and several things reminded me of some recent information I had read about back on Kassis,” Ricki explained, looking him in the eye with a very serious expression. “While I don’t have a clear picture yet, I believe it might be relevant to the situation at hand.”
“Situation?” Ristèard asked, frowning. He glanced uneasily at Manderlin. “Which report are you talking about and how did you get access to my login?”
He watched Ricki calmly reach up and adjust her glasses. A silent curse flashed through his mind when his fingers twitched again. What was it about this female that made him want to mess up her cool, touch-me-not, composure?
“You’re looking like a little boy denied a chance to put a frog down the front of a girl’s top,” she murmured, pressing her lips together when his eyes immediately zoomed in on the front of her dress. “I would not recommend it.”
“Recommend what?” Ristèard asked in a husky voice.
He reluctantly dragged his eyes away from the modest cut of her dress and back to her face. A slight, unfamiliar flush stained his cheeks when he saw the amusement fighting with a tint of worry.
She shook her head. “I came because I read a section in the report that triggered a memory of something else I had come across when researching the history of Kassis,” she explained. “Is this information I should share with you in private, or can the other gentlemen also be included? Personally, I think it might be better if Councilman Manderlin were to remain as it pertains to an area he might be more familiar with than you.”
Ristèard glanced over his shoulder where Andras was leaning back against the wall, silently watching everything that was happening, before he turned his attention back to Manderlin. The elderly councilman was staring at Ricki with an awed expression on his face. Curiosity fought with his natural instinct for privacy. A surprising sense of admiration filled him when he saw that she was patiently waiting for his answer. In the short period of time since he had first met her, he was discovering more and more about her personality and character that he not only admired, but trusted, something reserved for only a few select people close to him. She did not try to convince him, but instead waited for his decision.
He nodded, surprising himself. “Go ahead,” he replied with a jerk of his
His eyes swept over her, taking in every minute detail. Her hair was back into the familiar, upward twist that she always wore. His fingers actually twitched and he had to clench them into a fist to keep from reaching out and pulling it loose again. She had smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress and had her matching carry bag on one shoulder. His gaze swept over her willowy figure, pausing on the tablet in her hands. It looked suspiciously like his. His gaze returned to her face and he almost winced when she released a heavy sigh. How the release of a breath could say so much, he would never understand, but he could almost feel her exasperation with him in it.
“How do you do?” Ricki asked, turning away from him to focus on Manderlin. “I’m Ricki Bailey. I hope I’m not interrupting anything too important, but it was imperative that I speak with Grand Ruler Roald. I hope you'll forgive my intrusion.”
Ristèard folded his arms across his chest as he watched Ricki. She was shaking the bemused councilman’s hand and chatting with him, asking him what his position was and where he was from. She even asked him about his family! Irritation and frustration flashed through him when he saw the crusty old bastard smile at her in return. He was about to say something when she turned to look at him.
“I truly am sorry to have interrupted your meeting, but what I have to say couldn’t wait. I read the report that was sent to you and several things reminded me of some recent information I had read about back on Kassis,” Ricki explained, looking him in the eye with a very serious expression. “While I don’t have a clear picture yet, I believe it might be relevant to the situation at hand.”
“Situation?” Ristèard asked, frowning. He glanced uneasily at Manderlin. “Which report are you talking about and how did you get access to my login?”
He watched Ricki calmly reach up and adjust her glasses. A silent curse flashed through his mind when his fingers twitched again. What was it about this female that made him want to mess up her cool, touch-me-not, composure?
“You’re looking like a little boy denied a chance to put a frog down the front of a girl’s top,” she murmured, pressing her lips together when his eyes immediately zoomed in on the front of her dress. “I would not recommend it.”
“Recommend what?” Ristèard asked in a husky voice.
He reluctantly dragged his eyes away from the modest cut of her dress and back to her face. A slight, unfamiliar flush stained his cheeks when he saw the amusement fighting with a tint of worry.
She shook her head. “I came because I read a section in the report that triggered a memory of something else I had come across when researching the history of Kassis,” she explained. “Is this information I should share with you in private, or can the other gentlemen also be included? Personally, I think it might be better if Councilman Manderlin were to remain as it pertains to an area he might be more familiar with than you.”
Ristèard glanced over his shoulder where Andras was leaning back against the wall, silently watching everything that was happening, before he turned his attention back to Manderlin. The elderly councilman was staring at Ricki with an awed expression on his face. Curiosity fought with his natural instinct for privacy. A surprising sense of admiration filled him when he saw that she was patiently waiting for his answer. In the short period of time since he had first met her, he was discovering more and more about her personality and character that he not only admired, but trusted, something reserved for only a few select people close to him. She did not try to convince him, but instead waited for his decision.
He nodded, surprising himself. “Go ahead,” he replied with a jerk of his
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