Emma and the Earl by Elizabeth Harbison

Author:Elizabeth Harbison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1999-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

The next day, Emma told John she wanted to go to a bookstore to try and find some books on the local environment and history. Because she wasn’t sure when she would next be able to afford a trip to England, she wanted to have as much information about the area as possible for her research.

“I wish I could stay here,” she said, as they walked into the middle of town. “I mean, apart from how beautiful it is, it would just be so much easier to do the research from here.”

“Then stay,” John said simply.

Her heart tripped. Did he want her to stay? Or was he just making the obvious suggestion after what she’d said? “The lab doesn’t have the money to put me up here indefinitely and set up a local lab, and I certainly don’t.” She shrugged, but watched him closely. He gave no sign of what he was feeling. “This whole thing is a crapshoot, really. If the cuttings survive the trip home, then I have to hope they’ll take root in a new environment. It may not work at all.”

John slowed his pace. “What if you could get some sort of, I don’t know, sponsor or something? Someone who would fund a lab here. Then would you stay?”

“In a heartbeat.” Maybe he did want her to stay. “But who would fund such an expensive and uncertain project? Truth is, it’s a risky investment.”

“With you in charge?” He cocked his head. “I doubt it’s too big a risk.”

A smile welled up inside her. “That’s very nice of you, but unrealistic, I’m afraid.”

“Still…given the chance, would you stay?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Given the chance, I definitely would.” She thought for a moment, then amended, “Probably.”

He nodded and continued to look thoughtful as they walked.

“I’m sure the bookstore is right around here someplace,” he said as they got into a square that was heavily populated with shoppers. “Let’s try down there.”

They turned and walked into a shaded alley. There was nothing there but a fancy restaurant and a shop called Gepetto. When she looked in the window, Emma saw that it was full of puppets.

“Oh, John, let’s go in here, just for a minute.”

He glanced up and saw what she was talking about. “Puppets?”

She smiled. “Just for a minute.” Without waiting for the male objection she expected, she went into the store. It was so cluttered with puppets that she felt as though she was standing before a huge crowd of people. She picked up an intricate court jester marionette and examined it closely. The porcelain face had been painted in exacting detail, clearly by hand. The expression was the melancholy sadness that Emma usually associated with clowns. It looked nearly human, right down to the faint laugh lines by its emerald-green eyes. The medieval outfit was blue silk, with embroidered patterns of red and gold. In its small lifelike hand it held a mask, which could be raised to fit perfectly against the face. The mask was bright and colorful, the red mouth drawn up in an exaggerated smile.

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