Free Newport Summer by Nikki Poppen Page A

Violet managed a light laugh that hid
her disappointment. “You’ve missed him. He’s at the
Reading Room this afternoon. What was the other reason for coming?”
    Audrey’s gaze slid in Gannon’s direction. Was he up
to matching her mother’s wit? She needn’t have worried. Gannon reached for the square, wrapped package
he’d set down. “I brought this for Miss St. Clair, with
your permission, ma’am. It’s a book that features Camberly Hall. A few years ago, an ambitious squire in the
area made a study of the great houses in our region and put it all into this volume. The drawings of the homes
are quite well done and accurate”

    Violet nodded her approval, and Audrey smiled, slipping the string off the package. Gannon had scored a direct hit. Her mother’s disappointment had been firmly
overcome. Audrey leafed through the exquisitely-done
book. “What page is Camberly Hall on, milord?”
    Gannon took the opportunity to move beside her and
look over her shoulder, a gesture her mother noted immediately. “Page thirty-eight,” he offered. “That’s drawn
from the garden side. Camberly’s gardens in the spring
are not to be missed, although my favorite time of year is
the fall, when the leaves in the Camberly woods are in
full color.”
    There was a wistful note in Gannon’s voice that caused
Audrey to look up at him. “New England falls are beautiful in that way too,” Audrey supplied. But with luck and if
her plan worked, neither she nor Gannon would be there
to see it.
    The tea tray arrived, and talk turned to gardens and
landscaping. Her mother guided the conversation, no
doubt eager to glean more information about his estate.
Audrey didn’t mind. While her mother focused on the
material aspects of Gannon’s details, Audrey found herself focusing on the passion he conveyed for the topic. It
gave her an idea for getting Gannon alone.
    When tea was finished, Audrey set down her cup. “I
don’t pretend our gardens here can match Camberly’s, but I’d be glad to show you our grounds. Perhaps it
might ease the pain of being away from home a bit.”

    “It’s a splendid idea.” Her mother seconded the thought. “Do go, Camberly, and see the gardens. Make
sure Audrey shows you the roses. They’re particularly
lovely this year.”
    “All right, talk quickly. Tell me everything,” Audrey
said the moment they stepped onto the bricked path that
wound through the gardens.
    “So much for a leisurely stroll,” Gannon commented.
“I thought I was to see the roses and relieve my homesickness.”
    “We can do both” Audrey tilted her head sideways to
look at him with mock severity. “Besides, you knew this
was just a ruse to get some time alone to discuss our
progress. I can’t possibly tell my mother I want to discuss business with you.”
    “And here I was hoping you might like me, just a little.”
Gannon feigned hurt feelings,
    “Stop it. You know I like you. I don’t go to all this effort for just anyone.”
    “No, I don’t imagine you do go to the effort just for
people who can help you get something you want” Gannon’s tone turned serious. “How’s our plan progressing
on your end?”
    They stopped walking, having reached a stone wall
that marked the end of the St. Clair property, separating it from a heavily used walking path that wound between
the great houses of Newport and the Atlantic.

    “You’re doing fabulously. Showing off your home in
that book today was a stroke of genius, equal to Caroline Astor’s brooch box. You’re quite masterful when it
comes to courtship rituals.”
    “I can be,” Gannon said in a cryptic tone that caused
Audrey to look at him strangely. His gaze was intent on
her, and she looked away quickly. He was too handsome for his own good, and they’d both do better to remember that this was a game, only a game.
    “Well, don’t be too masterful. It’s been a short week
since our formal acquaintance, and