dance.’
‘But Seb I really want to go to a ball.’ She looked at him beseechingly, her eyes wide and guileless. ‘I was sick the week of my Senior Prom and I didn’t get to go. I had a beautiful dress, a bunch of us had booked a limo and it was supposed to be the night of our lives. And instead I had to hear about what a great time everyone had, while I missed out! Do you know what that was like for me?’
Her eyes misted over, a feat she was quite proud of. ‘A Regency ball would go a long way to making up for that.’
Seb gazed into her big, brown puppy dog eyes and knew he was a goner. ‘Fine. But that’s the last time I’m letting you choose anything .’
‘Thank you, thank you, thank you, Seb!’ She grinned, but he looked so unhappy she had to look away… and instead met David’s knowing eyes. His hand was covering his mouth and she knew he was trying to hide his smile at the way she had played Seb. Emilia was as healthy as a horse and hadn’t been sick in years!
David cleared his throat. ‘Well now that’s settled, you two will need to spend the next few days doing detailed research on your destination. While this isn’t a mission as such, you still need to be careful. No one must know you don’t fit in.’
Some of Emilia’s excitement disappeared. ‘Research? Are you telling me I have to spend my summer holiday studying?’
Her obvious disappointment restored some of Seb’s good humour. ‘You didn’t think it was going to be all fun and games, did you Angel?’
‘Not exactly,’ she muttered, but she kind of had.
He got up and ruffled her hair. ‘And since this particular journey is close to your heart, I’m going to get out of your way so you can make a head start on the research. It will probably take you most of the evening to find an appropriate ball to attend, not to mention what our cover story is going to be to get into said ball. You can fill me in on your progress tomorrow afternoon.’
‘I’ve got plans with Justin tonight, so I haven’t got time to work on it all evening.’
Seb’s amusement fled. ‘Maybe you need to work out your priorities, Angel,’ he said quietly.
David stood up and headed back towards his study. ‘I’ll leave you two to work out the logistics, but you need to be ready to travel by Friday.’ He paused and said over his shoulder, ‘Oh and Emilia, we’ll need to spend some time together so I can teach you how to use the device.’
Emilia nodded glumly. So much for lazy days sailing and sun-baking on the lake.
Seb rinsed out the coffee mugs in the sink and put them in the dishwasher. The flowers on the windowsill caught his eye. He picked them up, turned to the table and plucked Justin’s roses out of the vase with his other hand, replacing them with his colourful arrangement. He dumped the roses in the trash with a great deal of satisfaction.
Emilia’s head snapped up. ‘Hey!’
His crossed his arms over his chest. ‘You like mine better.’
She opened her mouth to argue, but since he was right she tried another angle. ‘What have you got against Justin anyway?’
His eyebrows shot up in disbelief. ‘You mean aside from what happened on Friday night?’ he asked sarcastically.
Emilia flushed but looked him square in the eye. ‘He’s not usually like that. He has a lot of really great qualities.’
‘Yeah, he’s a real Mr Nice Guy, I bet.’ He sighed and ran his hand through his thick black hair. ‘I just think you can do better than him, that’s all.’
She looked surprised. ‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ she said quietly.
He wasn’t, but since he was supposed to be keeping her at a careful distance he decided not to argue the point.
‘Look, just be careful tonight. If he tries anything funny, call me.’
‘What, and you’ll turn him into a frog?’ she teased.
‘You have no idea how appealing that sounds,’ he replied without a
‘But Seb I really want to go to a ball.’ She looked at him beseechingly, her eyes wide and guileless. ‘I was sick the week of my Senior Prom and I didn’t get to go. I had a beautiful dress, a bunch of us had booked a limo and it was supposed to be the night of our lives. And instead I had to hear about what a great time everyone had, while I missed out! Do you know what that was like for me?’
Her eyes misted over, a feat she was quite proud of. ‘A Regency ball would go a long way to making up for that.’
Seb gazed into her big, brown puppy dog eyes and knew he was a goner. ‘Fine. But that’s the last time I’m letting you choose anything .’
‘Thank you, thank you, thank you, Seb!’ She grinned, but he looked so unhappy she had to look away… and instead met David’s knowing eyes. His hand was covering his mouth and she knew he was trying to hide his smile at the way she had played Seb. Emilia was as healthy as a horse and hadn’t been sick in years!
David cleared his throat. ‘Well now that’s settled, you two will need to spend the next few days doing detailed research on your destination. While this isn’t a mission as such, you still need to be careful. No one must know you don’t fit in.’
Some of Emilia’s excitement disappeared. ‘Research? Are you telling me I have to spend my summer holiday studying?’
Her obvious disappointment restored some of Seb’s good humour. ‘You didn’t think it was going to be all fun and games, did you Angel?’
‘Not exactly,’ she muttered, but she kind of had.
He got up and ruffled her hair. ‘And since this particular journey is close to your heart, I’m going to get out of your way so you can make a head start on the research. It will probably take you most of the evening to find an appropriate ball to attend, not to mention what our cover story is going to be to get into said ball. You can fill me in on your progress tomorrow afternoon.’
‘I’ve got plans with Justin tonight, so I haven’t got time to work on it all evening.’
Seb’s amusement fled. ‘Maybe you need to work out your priorities, Angel,’ he said quietly.
David stood up and headed back towards his study. ‘I’ll leave you two to work out the logistics, but you need to be ready to travel by Friday.’ He paused and said over his shoulder, ‘Oh and Emilia, we’ll need to spend some time together so I can teach you how to use the device.’
Emilia nodded glumly. So much for lazy days sailing and sun-baking on the lake.
Seb rinsed out the coffee mugs in the sink and put them in the dishwasher. The flowers on the windowsill caught his eye. He picked them up, turned to the table and plucked Justin’s roses out of the vase with his other hand, replacing them with his colourful arrangement. He dumped the roses in the trash with a great deal of satisfaction.
Emilia’s head snapped up. ‘Hey!’
His crossed his arms over his chest. ‘You like mine better.’
She opened her mouth to argue, but since he was right she tried another angle. ‘What have you got against Justin anyway?’
His eyebrows shot up in disbelief. ‘You mean aside from what happened on Friday night?’ he asked sarcastically.
Emilia flushed but looked him square in the eye. ‘He’s not usually like that. He has a lot of really great qualities.’
‘Yeah, he’s a real Mr Nice Guy, I bet.’ He sighed and ran his hand through his thick black hair. ‘I just think you can do better than him, that’s all.’
She looked surprised. ‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ she said quietly.
He wasn’t, but since he was supposed to be keeping her at a careful distance he decided not to argue the point.
‘Look, just be careful tonight. If he tries anything funny, call me.’
‘What, and you’ll turn him into a frog?’ she teased.
‘You have no idea how appealing that sounds,’ he replied without a
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