Read Online The Magic Between Us (Faerie) by Tammy Falkner - Free Book Online
Authors: Tammy Falkner
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“My feet hurt.”
“Mine do, too,” Cecelia admitted, settling down beside Ainsley.
Marcus leaned close to Cecelia’s ear so that only she could hear. “If we were married, I’d feel led to rub your aching feet for you,” he murmured. His eyes looked down the bodice of her dress. “Among other places.”
Cecelia was certain she’d flushed scarlet, if the look on Ainsley’s face was any indication. Ainsley picked up a hand and started to fan Cecelia’s face. “Goodness.” Ainsley laughed. “What did he say to you?” she asked.
“Nothing that bears repeating,” Cecelia replied. He’d been doing this all afternoon as they scoured the streets of Paris for the elusive Earl of Mayden, who was nowhere to be found. Not a single person had recognized the miniature.
Marcus had started out by brushing her elbow, and then he’d drawn her to his side and told everyone they met who spoke English that he and his wife were searching for her long-lost cousin. He’d slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, and had kissed her soundly on the cheek. And all it had served to do was make Cecelia angry. How dare he? She picked up a rock from the ground beside her foot and threw it at him. He deflected it with a laugh.
“Perhaps another time,” he suggested with a cheeky grin. Cecelia almost smiled along with him, but then she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to find him charming. But he was charming. No matter how much she dearly didn’t want him to be.
They’d met up at the bench across from Sainte-Chappelle at dusk, just as Claire had instructed, but Claire and Finn were nowhere to be found. “Do you think they’re all right?” Ainsley asked.
“As long as she has Finn with her, you needn’t worry,” Marcus said. Finn had laid down his life for Claire’s the year before and would do so again. And again. And again. “Maybe they stumbled upon some important information about Mayden?”
Ainsley’s brows drew together as she asked, “What if this isn’t the place where Claire sent him? He could be anywhere by now.”
“He could,” Marcus admitted. “But I’ve seen with my own eyes the damage Mayden could do. He’s hurt enough people, countless people. We’ll have to keep searching if he’s not here.”
The sun was setting, and Cecelia was hungry. Her stomach protested loudly, and she laid a land over her belly to stifle the noise.
Marcus chuckled. “It’s getting late. We need to get you fed.”
“I’ll survive,” Cecelia replied. It was too late for him to try to take care of her now.
“I won’t,” Ainsley complained, which made Allen smile. “I’m going to swoon and fall into the dirt due to excessive hunger.” She blinked her dark lashes at Allen. “Will you catch me if I do, Allen?” she asked.
“As a gentleman, I would be obligated to catch you, Ainsley,” he said with a wink.
“Obligated?” Ainsley complained. “That’s the only reason you’d do it?”
Allen’s cheeks colored. The man had blushed more today than he probably ever had in his life. “That’s not the only reason,” he admitted quietly. And Ainsley suddenly grew as somber and quiet as he was. What was that all about? Ainsley and Allen? Already?
Marcus grunted. “I’m a little hungry myself.”
Allen said blandly, “I doubt there’s a soul here who would try to catch you if you swooned, Marcus. So buck up.”
“I would let him fall,” Ainsley said with a grin.
“So would I,” Allen admitted.
Cecelia raised a hand slowly, as though being called on by a tutor. “I would feel inclined to do the same.” She shouldn’t have said that, but she couldn’t help it.
Marcus feigned pulling a knife from his chest. “Remind me not to call on any of you if I’m ever in trouble.”
Allen grumbled. “I suppose I’m honor bound to catch you if you swoon.” He looked put out by the thought. “Mother would be cross with me if I didn’t.”
“Father might take away your
“Mine do, too,” Cecelia admitted, settling down beside Ainsley.
Marcus leaned close to Cecelia’s ear so that only she could hear. “If we were married, I’d feel led to rub your aching feet for you,” he murmured. His eyes looked down the bodice of her dress. “Among other places.”
Cecelia was certain she’d flushed scarlet, if the look on Ainsley’s face was any indication. Ainsley picked up a hand and started to fan Cecelia’s face. “Goodness.” Ainsley laughed. “What did he say to you?” she asked.
“Nothing that bears repeating,” Cecelia replied. He’d been doing this all afternoon as they scoured the streets of Paris for the elusive Earl of Mayden, who was nowhere to be found. Not a single person had recognized the miniature.
Marcus had started out by brushing her elbow, and then he’d drawn her to his side and told everyone they met who spoke English that he and his wife were searching for her long-lost cousin. He’d slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, and had kissed her soundly on the cheek. And all it had served to do was make Cecelia angry. How dare he? She picked up a rock from the ground beside her foot and threw it at him. He deflected it with a laugh.
“Perhaps another time,” he suggested with a cheeky grin. Cecelia almost smiled along with him, but then she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to find him charming. But he was charming. No matter how much she dearly didn’t want him to be.
They’d met up at the bench across from Sainte-Chappelle at dusk, just as Claire had instructed, but Claire and Finn were nowhere to be found. “Do you think they’re all right?” Ainsley asked.
“As long as she has Finn with her, you needn’t worry,” Marcus said. Finn had laid down his life for Claire’s the year before and would do so again. And again. And again. “Maybe they stumbled upon some important information about Mayden?”
Ainsley’s brows drew together as she asked, “What if this isn’t the place where Claire sent him? He could be anywhere by now.”
“He could,” Marcus admitted. “But I’ve seen with my own eyes the damage Mayden could do. He’s hurt enough people, countless people. We’ll have to keep searching if he’s not here.”
The sun was setting, and Cecelia was hungry. Her stomach protested loudly, and she laid a land over her belly to stifle the noise.
Marcus chuckled. “It’s getting late. We need to get you fed.”
“I’ll survive,” Cecelia replied. It was too late for him to try to take care of her now.
“I won’t,” Ainsley complained, which made Allen smile. “I’m going to swoon and fall into the dirt due to excessive hunger.” She blinked her dark lashes at Allen. “Will you catch me if I do, Allen?” she asked.
“As a gentleman, I would be obligated to catch you, Ainsley,” he said with a wink.
“Obligated?” Ainsley complained. “That’s the only reason you’d do it?”
Allen’s cheeks colored. The man had blushed more today than he probably ever had in his life. “That’s not the only reason,” he admitted quietly. And Ainsley suddenly grew as somber and quiet as he was. What was that all about? Ainsley and Allen? Already?
Marcus grunted. “I’m a little hungry myself.”
Allen said blandly, “I doubt there’s a soul here who would try to catch you if you swooned, Marcus. So buck up.”
“I would let him fall,” Ainsley said with a grin.
“So would I,” Allen admitted.
Cecelia raised a hand slowly, as though being called on by a tutor. “I would feel inclined to do the same.” She shouldn’t have said that, but she couldn’t help it.
Marcus feigned pulling a knife from his chest. “Remind me not to call on any of you if I’m ever in trouble.”
Allen grumbled. “I suppose I’m honor bound to catch you if you swoon.” He looked put out by the thought. “Mother would be cross with me if I didn’t.”
“Father might take away your
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