Free The Time Keeper (The Guardians of Time Book 1) by Kate Harre Page B

She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her overlapping hands, her face suddenly animated.  ‘And I’ve found our patrons.’
    Despite his best efforts, Seb wasn’t immune to her excitement.  ‘Oh?’
    ‘It turns out one of my French ancestors married an English noble.  You and I are from the American branch of the Delcourt family.  We are cousins of the Countess of Wexworth!’
    ‘I’m thinking Angel might not be appropriate; maybe I should start calling you Princess seeing as how you’re practically royalty!’
    ‘Not quite,’ Emilia responded dampeningly.  ‘But this is the really good bit… the Earl and Countess were known to be absent from England during the entire 1811 Season.  They were touring the Continent with the Countess’ parents, so it’s extremely unlikely that anyone would be in regular contact with them.  Because they were moving around so much, letters wouldn’t have been able to reach them.  Which means –‘
    ‘We have an almost fool proof cover story,’ Seb finished in reluctant admiration.  ‘Good work, Em.’
    ‘Why thank you, kind Sir,’ she responded cheekily, with a bow and flourish of the hand.
    Seb chuckled.  ‘Anything else I need to know?’
    Emilia chatted on for a while longer, filling him in on some of the smaller details.  As she talked she watched him carefully.  He was lounging back in his chair, one arm hooked over the back, his long legs stretched out under the table.  On the surface he looked relaxed, but knowing what her father had said about him, she kept searching.  Sure enough, he couldn’t quite hide the tiny lines of tension around his eyes.  It made her ache to think of the strain he was under at the prospect of taking any kind of journey with her and she vowed to somehow make it easier for him.  The first opportunity she got to show him she could look after herself, she was going to take.  Then, maybe he would truly relax.
    Time had passed more quickly than she realised and she started in surprise when she saw Justin wending his way through the tables.  Seb noticed him just seconds after she did and glanced at his watch.
    ‘I’ll see you Friday afternoon; rest up tomorrow, okay?’ he murmured quietly and rose gracefully to his feet. He slipped the manila folder inside his sketchbook and dropped his shades back over his eyes.
    She nodded.  He ruffled her hair as he passed her, a gesture she was pretty sure he’d done to deliberately provoke Justin.  Judging by the tightening of Justin’s jaw, it worked.
    Justin slid into the seat Seb had vacated and pushed aside Seb’s empty coffee mug.  ‘What was he doing here?’
    ‘I’m doing some work for Dad over the summer and Seb is helping me.’  It was a necessary lie; there was no way she could explain what she was really up to.  He would think she’d lost the plot!
    ‘What kind of work?’ he asked doubtfully, darting a suspicious look at Seb’s departing back.  Emilia followed his gaze.  Seb had crossed the road, but had stopped to talk with a young woman around his own age.  She had bleached blonde hair, makeup that even from this distance Emilia could tell was heavily applied and a skirt so short it only just covered her butt.  She was hot in a trashy kind of way, Emilia acknowledged, and she wondered if that was the kind of down and dirty girl Seb had referred to the night he’d rescued her and Stace.
    She forced herself not to stare and returned her eyes to Justin’s handsome features.  ‘Just some background research,’ she replied, with what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug.  For once she was grateful Justin was generally uninterested in anything that didn’t directly involve him.
    Justin scowled.  ‘I know you’d never go for someone like him – he’s too rough – but there’s something about him I don’t like.  He hasn’t tried anything on you, has he?’  He nodded over his shoulder.  ‘Mind you, if that’s the kind of girl