Free The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright Page B

in that old woman’s eyes, they looked familiar. Is that weird?”
    Edmund shrugged. “There’s obviously a reason your mum wanted you to come here. Maybe the duchess has something to do with it.” He reached out and brushed my hair over my shoulder.
    I closed my eyes and shivered as his fingers softly brushed against my cheek. Such a simple touch from him and my thoughts completely derailed. With a shaky breath, I turned and headed out the door Edmund held open.
    Stopping, I looked at him, my eyes squinted. “Then the little girl in the family picture . . .” I shook my head, not sure what I was saying. Maybe I just didn’t want to give a voice to my suspicions.
    What if the little girl in the painting was my mother?
    That would explain why she sent me here. Does that mean I’m related to a duchess? I shook my head. Impossible, there had to be some other explanation. Some other reason.
    I can’t be related to the dragon duchess, can I?
    Squeezed together with Edmund in the open doorway, his breath whispered across my face. “If you want, I’ll try to help you figure this out.” He reached up and cupped my cheek. “Just say the word and I’m there.”
    I managed to get out a nod. His hand was so warm and we were so close, that if I leaned ever so slightly, my lips would find his.
    If I am related to the duchess, can I have him?

Chapter Eight
Jane Austen Would Be Proud
    Jaunty music filled our little corner of the commons. The girls and I were watching
You’ve Got Mail
. Every time I watched it, I wanted to pack up and move to New York. My laptop supported on my legs, I glanced from one screen to the other.
    “So, the party’s only two weeks away. What are your costumes?” Caroline plopped on the couch across from mine, making Marissa bounce.
    “Not a clue.” Suzy looked up from the rug. “What about you?”
    Tuning out their conversation, I continued to multitask. Abby and I instant messaged as I struggled to finish my European Art paper. I was such a slacker, a fact Edmund had reminded me of just this morning. He’d finished his paper ages ago.
Overachiever.
My body exhausted and my brain on the verge of shutdown, I was frazzled.
    My paper wasn’t the only thing I’d been dragging my butt on. I still hadn’t dealt with the fourth quest letter. I wasn’t ready to. And it was a simple task: research the Elliot name.
Elliot, with one t.
Easy peasy. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. After Welsington, I was terrified of what I might uncover.
    “Hello? Earth to Evie.” Suzy waved her hand in front of my computer screen.
    “Huh? Sorry.” I smiled. “What’s up?”
    “Just wondering if you’ve figured out your costume?”
    “Not yet. I was thinking maybe Rapunzel or Guinevere.” I shrugged and closed my computer. “I’ll figure it out when we get to the costume shop tomorrow.”
    “Oh, Rapunzel would be fun; I’d get tangled up in the hair, though.” Marissa smiled as she stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
    “What does Edmund want you guys to go as?” Caroline asked.
    I looked at her, confused. “Um, we’re not going together.”
    “Really? But you spend so much time together. I thought you guys had progressed to something more.” Caroline’s face scrunched.
    “Hasn’t Jax even backed off? I thought she was lying low because the two of you were secretly dating.” Suzy pushed up her tortoiseshell glasses. She looked fabulous in them, but she didn’t agree. She rarely wore them.
    “No, we’re still just friends." I traced the glossy white apple on my laptop.
    “Wait, you mean to tell me the two of you have been going to museums and gallivanting all over England, but you haven’t been on an actual date?" Caroline sat up straighter.
    “That would be what I’m telling you,” I said with a tight smile.
    She scoffed. “Aside from Welsington, we haven’t tagged along because we thought you two wanted to be alone.”
    I looked around the deserted commons and then at