Read Online The Bride Spy by Tracey Jane Jackson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracey Jane Jackson
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difficult this morning?”
He didn’t answer. Turning again, Hannah’s heart raced as she lifted her head and asked, “Are you going to stop me from leaving?”
“Of course not.” He ran his hands through his hair.
Hannah pushed at his chest to gain some distance. “Forget it. This isn’t going anywhere. Did you locate my jeans and jacket?”
“I have already answered that, Hannah.”
“Thank you so much for speaking to me as though I were disobedient child,” Hannah snapped.
Gwen stepped into the room.
“Gwen,” Christopher growled.
She turned right back around—Hannah didn’t miss the smile on her face—and walked out the door.
“What is your problem, you big bul y?” Hannah poked a finger into his chest. “Don’t speak to your sister like that.”
“She needs to mind her own business.”
“And you need to be less of an arse!”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t stutter,” she snapped.
* * *
Just outside the parlor doors, Gwen tried her best not to laugh out loud as she listened to the interaction between her brother and Hannah. He’d met his match, and he didn’t appear to like it much. Her subterfuge was interrupted when she heard a knock at the front door. She went to open it.
“Clayton, Emma! This is a nice surprise.”
“Sorry for the sudden visit, but I hoped Christopher might stil be here. I need to discuss something with him,” Clayton said.
“Of course. He’s in the parlor.” She stepped back to let them in. “It’s lovely to see you as wel , Emma.”
“I convinced Clay that I needed to see Maryland,” Emma said as Gwen hugged her. “I missed you.”
“Wel , I’m glad for your company. I missed you too.” Gwen giggled. “We’ve had a bit of excitement around here.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “You have?”
“Yes, a young woman had an accident the other night and we found her in the barn.”
“My word, that’s unsettling.” Clayton looked quickly at Emma.
Gwen was leading them through the foyer when she heard Hannah and Chris shouting.
“Where are my clothes?” Hannah bel owed.
“I told you. They were disposed of.”
“And I told you, they were brand new. I want them back.”
Gwen heard a gasp behind her and stared in amazement as Emma rushed past her, into the parlor. “Hannah?”
* * *
Hannah turned, saw her friend, and faltered. Christopher was standing close enough to her to grab her elbow and steady her. He frowned at the new arrivals. “You know her?”
“Emma?” Hannah pul ed her arm away and Emma rushed to her side.
“She’s a very close friend.” Emma hugged Hannah and then smiled. “Actual y, more of a sister, real y.”
“What are you doing here?” Hannah grasped Emma’s hand. “And why are you dressed like that?”
Emma sat down on the sofa and pul ed Hannah down next to her. “Oh, Hannah, there’s so much to tel .”
Hannah swal owed and bit her lip.
I’m losing my mind!
Christopher frowned down at Emma. “She said your sister died.”
Emma sighed. “It’s a long story, Christopher. We’l tel you al about it some other time.”
“What’s going on, Em?” Hannah whispered.
“So much,” she whispered back, then a little louder said,
“Did you take the wrong train or disembark at the wrong place? You were supposed to get off at Union Station.”
“Eh?”
“Go with me, Han,” Emma whispered for her ears only. She raised her voice again. “Remember? You were supposed to catch the train at Camden station and then get off at Union.” Emma turned and smiled at Christopher. “She’s terrible with directions.” She turned back to Hannah. “When we got the message from your escort—”
“My escort?” Hannah asked.
“Yes , Mr. Porter said…uh…that he’d…uh…stopped for the night…uh, due to some trouble in the area, and after he made some enquiries, he returned to find you gone.”
“Eh?” Hannah choked out. “Um…”
“So you must have found your way here.”
He didn’t answer. Turning again, Hannah’s heart raced as she lifted her head and asked, “Are you going to stop me from leaving?”
“Of course not.” He ran his hands through his hair.
Hannah pushed at his chest to gain some distance. “Forget it. This isn’t going anywhere. Did you locate my jeans and jacket?”
“I have already answered that, Hannah.”
“Thank you so much for speaking to me as though I were disobedient child,” Hannah snapped.
Gwen stepped into the room.
“Gwen,” Christopher growled.
She turned right back around—Hannah didn’t miss the smile on her face—and walked out the door.
“What is your problem, you big bul y?” Hannah poked a finger into his chest. “Don’t speak to your sister like that.”
“She needs to mind her own business.”
“And you need to be less of an arse!”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t stutter,” she snapped.
* * *
Just outside the parlor doors, Gwen tried her best not to laugh out loud as she listened to the interaction between her brother and Hannah. He’d met his match, and he didn’t appear to like it much. Her subterfuge was interrupted when she heard a knock at the front door. She went to open it.
“Clayton, Emma! This is a nice surprise.”
“Sorry for the sudden visit, but I hoped Christopher might stil be here. I need to discuss something with him,” Clayton said.
“Of course. He’s in the parlor.” She stepped back to let them in. “It’s lovely to see you as wel , Emma.”
“I convinced Clay that I needed to see Maryland,” Emma said as Gwen hugged her. “I missed you.”
“Wel , I’m glad for your company. I missed you too.” Gwen giggled. “We’ve had a bit of excitement around here.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “You have?”
“Yes, a young woman had an accident the other night and we found her in the barn.”
“My word, that’s unsettling.” Clayton looked quickly at Emma.
Gwen was leading them through the foyer when she heard Hannah and Chris shouting.
“Where are my clothes?” Hannah bel owed.
“I told you. They were disposed of.”
“And I told you, they were brand new. I want them back.”
Gwen heard a gasp behind her and stared in amazement as Emma rushed past her, into the parlor. “Hannah?”
* * *
Hannah turned, saw her friend, and faltered. Christopher was standing close enough to her to grab her elbow and steady her. He frowned at the new arrivals. “You know her?”
“Emma?” Hannah pul ed her arm away and Emma rushed to her side.
“She’s a very close friend.” Emma hugged Hannah and then smiled. “Actual y, more of a sister, real y.”
“What are you doing here?” Hannah grasped Emma’s hand. “And why are you dressed like that?”
Emma sat down on the sofa and pul ed Hannah down next to her. “Oh, Hannah, there’s so much to tel .”
Hannah swal owed and bit her lip.
I’m losing my mind!
Christopher frowned down at Emma. “She said your sister died.”
Emma sighed. “It’s a long story, Christopher. We’l tel you al about it some other time.”
“What’s going on, Em?” Hannah whispered.
“So much,” she whispered back, then a little louder said,
“Did you take the wrong train or disembark at the wrong place? You were supposed to get off at Union Station.”
“Eh?”
“Go with me, Han,” Emma whispered for her ears only. She raised her voice again. “Remember? You were supposed to catch the train at Camden station and then get off at Union.” Emma turned and smiled at Christopher. “She’s terrible with directions.” She turned back to Hannah. “When we got the message from your escort—”
“My escort?” Hannah asked.
“Yes , Mr. Porter said…uh…that he’d…uh…stopped for the night…uh, due to some trouble in the area, and after he made some enquiries, he returned to find you gone.”
“Eh?” Hannah choked out. “Um…”
“So you must have found your way here.”
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