Page 26 of A Matter of Time
Estella’s adoring gaze had settled on Richard again. “I hope you’ll enjoy them. Are you sure you won’t let me wash your shirt?”
Richard seemed to be having a hard time containing his laughter and Angelina could see the twinkle in his eyes. “I’m sure,” he chuckled.
“Well, then, enjoy the cookies and if you need anything at all, please come and see me.” Estella escorted them to the front door and Angelina saw Harry sit down in his chair, shaking his head at his wife’s antics.
“I’ll talk to you later, Estella. Remember to keep Percy on a leash when you take him out walking near the cliffs,” Angelina reminded her.
“I will.”
The door closed behind them and Angelina and Richard both burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter. “Wow! Estella really has a thing for you. Harry’s going to have to keep an eye on her,” Angelina teased.
“It won’t be the first time that a woman of age has shown an interest in me,” Richard chuckled.
“So, this is a common problem?” Angelina unlocked her door and Richard followed her inside. Setting the cookies on the table, she said, “I think we should have some lunch before we dive into those cookies. What do you think?”
“Agreed,” Richard said. “I could use a clean shirt though. You don’t happen to have one around here, do you?” He eyed the room, as if he expected to find a spare man’s shirt lying around somewhere.
“Hmmm… actually I have some large t-shirts that I use to sleep in. I think one of them might fit you. Let me go get one, I’ll be right back.” She smiled sweetly at him, experiencing a newfound admiration for the handsome Englishman. Not only was he undeniably sexy, but he was also brave and selfless, two qualities she didn’t run across too often. If ever, in fact.
Richard waitedfor her to return to the kitchen, the wonderful aroma of the cookies calling to him until he couldn’t resist for a moment longer. They were a curious creation, like nothing he’d ever eaten before and he was anxious to try them. He picked one up, noting that it was still warm. Breaking off a piece, he noticed that the chocolate chips Angelina had mentioned, or at least, he assumed that’s what they were, oozed from the cookie as he popped it into his mouth. “Mmmm…” He couldn’t believe the amazing flavors exploding in his mouth.
“Here you go,” Angelina said, holding out a navy blue item towards him. “I see you couldn’t wait to try a cookie,” she observed.
“They’re delicious. I’ve never had anything like it before,” he said.
Much to his surprise, Angelina touched her finger to his mouth, rubbing it across his lips. “You’ve got some chocolate on your mouth,” she said, before she looked away shyly.
Richard ran his tongue over his lips. “Did I get it?” he asked.
Angelina nodded. “Try that shirt on. If it fits, we’ll head down the road to the Fish House Restaurant. They sell great fish and chips. You’ll have to see if they’re better than what you can get back home in England.”
He had no idea what she might be talking about, but he agreed. “Alright, give me a moment to change.” He followed Angelina’s directions to the bathroom and headed in to change his shirt. While he was at it, he washed his face and hands, drying them on a soft, fluffy towel, before donning the shirt. He pulled it over his head and found it was a little too tight, but nothing that he couldn’t deal with. “What do you think?” he asked, upon exiting the bathroom.
Angelina surveyed him silently, with her head cocked to one side.
“I really only need to know what you think of the shirt,” he teased, when she hadn’t spoken for a full minute. “Does it fit?”
“It fits just fine,” she agreed, when she finally managed to draw her eyes away from his chest.
“Good. Let’s get these fish and chips you mentioned, so I can come back and eat more of Estella’s delicious cookies.” Richard chuckled knowingly as he headed for the door.
Chapter 13
“Well, what news do you have for me?” Malcolm demanded. He needed to know Angelina’s every move, if his plan was going to work. He didn’t want any screw-ups to ruin everything he’d worked so hard to complete.
“When she left you, she went to Mackall’s house.” Pierce Holmes was Malcolm’s right hand man and the one he trusted above all the others to carry out his orders to the letter and without question. “She spent the night there.”
Malcolm was peeved by this piece of news. He had wined and dined Angelina the night before, but to no avail. She remained friendly, but cool and aloof. What on earth did she see in that Scottish oaf? He shook his head resolutely. It didn’t matter. He could live without her, but he couldn’t live without the sword. “Okay. Where is she today?”
“She left Mackall’s around 9:30 a.m. with that other guy,” Pierce informed him.
“The Brit?” Malcolm asked.
“Yes, sir. They drove down the coast to her home, went for a walk along the cliff and then went out for lunch at a nearby restaurant. They returned about an hour later and they’re still at her house now.”
“Hmmm… I don’t like the fact that this Jefford guy is getting involved here. While Gabe is watching Angelina, I’d like you to watch Jefford. Hopefully, the two of you won’t be tripping over one another. I suppose we should watch Mackall as well, just in case,” Malcolm concluded.
“I’ll assign Dane to him, unless you have someone else in mind.”
