Cloche and Dagger Read Online Free Page A

less than enthusiastic about having lunch with me: I looked like a refugee and not a well-groomed one. This was going to take a major overhaul.
    When I stepped through the door and back into the shop twenty-five minutes later, Harrison looked me over.
    “I was beginning to wonder if you meant lunch today or Thursday,” he said.
    “Today,” I said. And wasn’t that just the cleverest quip back at him? I blame jet lag. I was definitely not at the top of my game.
    “Shall we then?” he asked.
    I unbolted the front door and led the way out. I turned and locked it after him.
    “The Earl of Lonsdale is just down the road, and it is more of a locals’ haunt,” he said. “Are you up to it?”
    “That’s fine,” I said. “Walking will feel good.”
    We walked side by side. Harrison kept his head up and his gaze at the horizon as if oblivious to my presence. I was getting the sneaking suspicion that he didn’t like me much but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why.
    “It’s weird to be back here,” I said. If he heard me, he didn’t acknowledge it. Undaunted, I forged on. “I’ve changed, but the shop hasn’t and my room certainly hasn’t.”
    I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. I had switched into my wedge heels to be taller but I still only came up to his ear. Still he ignored me. Now his dislike for me was becoming less of a suspicion and more of a fact. As far as I knew it was completely unwarranted, so I kept up my jabber, hoping to goad him into at least blinking at me.
    “No, I guess as much as things change they also stay the same,” I said. “Same old Portobello Road, same old antique shops and bookstores, yep, not many changes of note.”
    “Clearly, you aren’t looking at things very closely then, are you?” He stopped walking and turned to face me, heedless of the other pedestrians who were forced to walk around us.
    “What do you mean?” I asked.
    He looked torn between irritation and amusement, but at least he was looking at me and really seeing me. It was a vast improvement on the man who refused to acknowledge me a few moments before. My vanity really didn’t like for me to be ignored.
    “I was inaccurate with you before. We have met,” he said. “Seventeen years ago, in fact.”
    “We did?” I studied his face. In addition to the pretty eyes, he had a nice square jaw, full lips and arching eyebrows. I was quite sure we could not have met because he was handsome now so he must have been cute back then and I was not one to forget a cute boy, especially back then.
    “Yes, Ginger, we’ve met,” he said. “In fact, I asked you to go for ice cream with me but you stood me up so that you could chase after a dodgy football player.”
    My heart fell into my shoes with the speed of an express elevator. It was the nickname “Ginger” that brought it all back to me. There was only one boy who called me Ginger despite my attempts to get everyone to call me that. Hey, I was a kid and I thought it made me sound cool. I blinked at him as the recognition kicked in.
    “Harry?” I asked.

Chapter 5

    “It’s Harrison now,” he said. His tone was as dry as dust.
    He turned to continue walking, but I grabbed his arm and turned him back to face me. I studied his features closely and then I shook my head.
    “No, seventeen years ago, I was ten. I’m quite sure I could not have had a date with you as I was entirely too young,” I said. This time I was the one who turned and started walking.
    “It wasn’t a ‘date’ date,” he protested. He stopped me with a hand on my elbow. “But it was supposed to be the two of us going for ice cream, but you threw me over so you could stalk some older, and may I say inappropriate, boy.”
    “No, I think you must be
inaccurate
again,” I said.
    His lips twitched as if smacking away the smile that wanted to surface.
    “Sorry but no,” he said. “On this I am perfectly clear. One does remember the first girl who breaks one’s