Free The Bride Spy by Tracey Jane Jackson

Emma clasped her fingers together. “We’ve been looking al over for you.”
    Christopher raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
    Emma grinned, which didn’t help ease Hannah’s nerves.
    “Emma, stop.”
    “Christopher?” Clayton said.
    “Yes?” Christopher stil watched Hannah closely.
    “I need to speak with you.”
    “Yes, al right.”
    “Now,” Clayton pressed.

    “Right.” Christopher shook himself out of his trance. “We’l go to my father’s office.”

    * * *

    The men made their way down the hal to the office and Clayton sat as Christopher closed the door. “What’s going on?” Christopher leaned against his father’s desk.
    “Thomas is asking more questions.”
    “No, I mean with the missing woman,” Christopher snapped.
    Clayton’s eyes widened. “Oh, right. Yes, it’s exactly how Emma said. We received an urgent missive from Mr.
    Parker—”
    “—I thought she said Mr. Porter?”
    “Yes. Mr. Porter.” Clayton waved his hand in the air. “Never mind that. She’s obviously safe, and I’l deal with Mr. Porter some other time. I came here to discuss the issue with Thomas.”
    Thomas Burkett had been recruited into the war offices from New York. He’d begun to ask questions that raised several flags for Clayton, but Christopher was stil unconvinced he was anything other than what he represented.
    “I thought you said you came here looking for Hannah?”
    Christopher asked in suspicion.
    “I was planning on coming anyway when we received the urgent wire.”
    Christopher crossed his arms. “Were you?”
    “I was.” Clayton frowned. “And you were the one who said you wanted to know about any new developments while you were here.”
    “Yes, I was.” Christopher pushed away from the desk and paced the smal room. “Fil me in.”
    “Joseph received another message from General Sherman that appeared to have been opened before it was delivered. Thomas is the one delivering the messages, but we can’t prove he’s the one tampering with them.”
    Christopher pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mm-hmm.”
    “Joseph also saw Thomas leaving the records room, which as you ordered, has limited access.”
    Christopher continued to pace. “Mm-hmm.”

    “We have discovered a new species of horse that can live under water.”
    “Mm-hmm.”
    Clayton chuckled. “Tel me about the girl.”

    * * *

    In the parlor, Emma hugged Hannah again. “Are you okay?”
    “I’m knackered,” Hannah said, a little pathetical y.
    “I’l bet. Don’t worry, you’l have plenty of time to rest when we get home.”
    Hannah frowned. “Home? Where is home?”
    “As I said before…” Emma squeezed her hand.
    “Washington, D.C.”
    “What? Seriously?” Hannah whispered.
    “I’l get some tea and sandwiches,” Gwen offered and rose to her feet.
    Once Gwen left the room, Hannah stood and started to pace. “Emma? What is going on? I happen to have an impeccable sense of direction. It’s you who can’t find your way out of a cardboard box.”
    Emma raised a hand. “Don’t freak out.”
    “Freak out?” Hannah whispered furiously. “Tel me… right now!”
    Emma stood and closed the distance between them.
    “We’ve been sent back in time.”
    “No.” Hannah waved her hands in the air and shook her head. “No, no, no, no, no.”
    “Han-Han, it’s true.”
    “Is it real y 1863?” she whispered. Emma nodded.
    “Sophie’s obsession, 1863?” Emma nodded again.
    Hannah bit her lip. “Who’s tal , blond, and handsome that you came in with?”
    Emma smiled and let out a quiet sigh. “He’s my husband.
    Clayton.”
    “Shut. Up.”
    “No, you shut up.” Emma laughed.
    “You’re putting me on.”

    “I’m not. He real y is.”
    Hannah started to pace again. “This can’t be happening.”
    “I know it’s a lot to process. But we can talk more in the carriage on the way home.”
    “Carriage?” Hannah’s head whipped up. “You can’t be serious.”
    Emma pursed her lips.