Her Leading Man Read Online Free Page A

wished him luck. “Er, I
see.”
    Finally he smiled, too, and Christina felt her heart hitch. How strange.
Her heart didn’t do things like that on a normal basis. She hoped she
wasn’t catching something.
    “ If your grandmother won’t let me help her,
may I
walk with you, Christina? If you’re going to the restaurant, that is.
That’s where I was headed when I spotted the two of you coming
downstairs.”
    Gran muttered something under her breath. Christina didn’t
hear what it was, but she was pretty sure it was rude. She didn’t care. “Thank
you, Martin. I’d like to ask you about something in the picture, if you’d care to
take your meal with us.”
    “ I’d
love to, thanks.”
    “ It’s all balderdash,” Gran declared. “The
whole thing.” She’d achieved balance by this time and took off at a pretty good
clip toward the hotel’s restaurant. Once she got her feet and her cane
coordinated, she could make excellent time.
    Christina watched her fondly. “She’s such a dear,” she murmured, and
wasn’t surprised when Martin looked dubious.
    “ Is
she?”
    Christina laughed. “She really is. But she has this reputation as a hellion to maintain, you see, so
you can’t be
expected to get by unscathed on first meetin g her.”
    “ I see.” A pause. Then Martin added, “At least
I think I do.”
    With another laugh, Christina said, “I come from a long line of
extremely independent women .
Matriarchs, if you will. Gran’s only the latest of a whole string of them.”
    “My word.”
    “ She’s a
mathematician, you know.”
    “ A
mathematician? Good Lord.”
    “ Yes. Astonishing, but true. She and my
grandfather used to work together, although Granddad got all the writing
credits. He solved some spectacular problem back in the 1870s with Gran’s help, and is quite famous in
mathematical circles.”
    “ My goodness.” Martin chuckled. “I fear I
don’t go around much in mathematical circles.”
    With a sigh, Christina said, “No, you probably don’t. Not many
people do.” She wished it weren’t so, but there you were.
    The world turned the way it turned, and not many people in it were as
smart as the people in Christina’s family. Finding people with whom she could
communicate comfortably had always been an effort since she wasn’t
interested in fashions, babies, boys, and things deemed appropriate for
females. It was a shame, too, because she really did like Martin. If
it turned out
that he had a brain, he might even be perfect.
    It had been a long time since Christina had actively searched for a
companion in intellect, however. She’d been disappointed so many times that
she’d finally quit looking. But at least Martin knew about
Egyp t. Egypt was interesting.
    Gran had entered the restaurant by this time, and Christina urged
Martin to hurry up a tad. “It doesn’t do to let her start talking to the
waiters, because she always makes them mad,” she explained.
    “ My word. Your grandmother is, ah, an
exceptional woman, Christina.”
    “ I suppose she is. And I love her for it.”
She’ d never admit to wishing Gran didn’t try
quite so hard to live up to her reputation as an eccentric
individual. Christina supposed the old lady wouldn’t be the Gran she loved if she
were like other people’s grandmothers and baked pies and knitted sweaters and
did other grandmotherly things of a like nature.
    “ I can see that you do,” Martin said. He
smiled at the old woman, who glared back at him as if
challenging him to offer to help her again.
    “ There’s no need to frown, Gran. Mr.
Tafft wouldn’t dare try to take your arm again.” Christina grinned at Martin to
let him know she was kidding.
    Martin grinned back. “Absolutely. I’m scared to death of you
already, Mrs. Mayhew,”
    Although she didn’t go so far as to
smile , Gran did twinkle to a degree. Christina
considered this a good sign. She’d like it if Gran took to
Martin Tafft,
because Christina already had. One