Free Jenna Petersen - [Lady Spies] by Love, From London Page A

emotions were required for this exchange. “But then you’ll soon have grandchildren and all will be right again.”
    Her ladyship’s eyes lit up in delight and they fell into pleasant conversation as they ate their breakfast.
    Meredith glanced around while she finished her last few bites. The only people missing were Tristan and his mother. The rest of the party was there, their talk growing louder as the plates emptied and were cleared away. Even Augustine Devlin was among the chattering crowd. He nodded to her in recognition as he talked to another man who looked far too stupid to be involved in any plots.
    “I wonder what we could be doing today?” one young lady asked, loudly enough that the rest of the table was included in her conversation.
    “A picnic,” came a voice from the door.
    Meredith froze as the comfort she had regainedfled. She knew that deep, sensuous voice anywhere. Tristan. Indeed, when she looked up, he stood in the entryway, his mother on his arm. He looked around the crowd, barely sparing her a second glance.
    “And then kite flying,” he continued.
    Meredith nodded in time with the other guests and murmured, “How lovely.”
    It was lovely, but somehow she couldn’t think about that. She could only wonder what Tristan thought as his gaze fell on her. He hardly acknowledged her, let alone behaved like a man who had kissed her senseless less than twelve hours before. But then, hadn’t that always been his way? After he saved her that night so long ago in the pub, he had pushed her away, far away. She winced at the pain that memory brought up. But it proved that Tristan had always been hotter than fire, then colder than ice when it came to her. It made gauging him all the more difficult.
    He smiled, but there was little warmth in the expression. As always, it seemed he was simply going through the motions of a host, not truly relating to his guests.
    “If we gather outside in half an hour, we can begin our day.”
    Loud agreement echoed as the gathering began to depart to their various chambers for final preparation. Meredith attempted to put herself in the middle of the crowd to avoid contact with Tristan,but in the shuffle she was pushed to the doorway beside him.
    As she passed by, he looked at her. “Lady Northam?”
    She held her breath. “Yes, my lord?”
    “Perhaps you’ll find a moment to speak with me today?” His calm, almost flat voice betrayed nothing of his feelings.
    She swallowed past her suddenly dry throat. Despite the fact that she needed to keep up contact with Tristan for her investigation, the idea of spending time in his company made her quiver. And she never quivered.
    “Y-Yes. Of course.”
    He nodded once as Meredith moved away, and she couldn’t help but notice the broad smile on Lady Carmichael’s face. Her legs felt unsteady as she trailed behind the others up the wide staircase to the guest quarters.
    As she entered her chamber, she muttered, “Pull yourself together, girl.”
    Her lady’s maid cocked her head as she came into Meredith’s dressing room. “I beg your pardon, ma’am?”
    “Nothing,” she said with a wince.
    But as the maid made the final preparations for her outing, Meredith couldn’t help but think of all the possible outcomes of an afternoon with Tristan. One thing was certain: While there were many scenarios that were good for her case, nonewere good for her heart, which was increasingly demanding that she follow its desires.
     
    Meredith stood at the end of the lake, staring up at the swaying branches of a tall willow tree. Her sketch pad clutched in her hand, it appeared she was innocently drawing while the others in the party mulled about.
    Of course, she couldn’t have cared less about the tree. It could have pulled its roots from the ground and skulked three paces to the left and she wouldn’t have noticed. Her position gave her the perfect opportunity to watch Tristan.
    He was sitting on one of the picnic blankets,