London Loves - Book 3 - Love's Great Adventure Series Read Online Free PDF

pocket to realize I’ve forgotten my papers I had the speech written on!” Max exclaimed.
    “He had this look of sheer panic on his face,” Penny added.
    “I was in a panic. I’ve been juggling so many charities, I couldn’t remember the name of those I was supposed to thank.”
    “Luckily, I noticed the speech lying on the floor under his chair.”
    “It must have fallen out of my pocket.”
    “So I decide to walk up to the podium and hand it to him. Just as I hit the top stair, my heel got caught in the hem of my dress and…”
    “Penny starts to fall, face first and…”
    “Maxwell rushes over and catches me before I hit the ground. Utterly embarrassing!”
    Mattie sat wide-eyed witnessing the verbal banter. There was definitely more going on than met the eye, and Sebastian couldn’t wait to get Penny alone to find out what that might be.
    An hour later, the clock on the mantle chimed. “Mattie, we should be going. I’m sure Aunt Penny and Uncle Max have things to discuss.”
    Max stood. “Sebastian, here’s my card. Ring me. I’d like to have lunch with you soon,” he said, pulling it from the inside pocket of his suit.
    Sebastian accepted the card. “I’d like that, Maxwell. It was good to see you again.” Next he kissed Penny on the cheek and whispered in her ear, “We’ll talk about this later.”
    Penny merely grinned as she walked Sebastian and Mattie to the front door.
     
    Tess made it home around six o’clock. They sat at the dinner table and Mattie proceeded to tell Tess about her meeting with Uncle Max. Tess listened with great interest while she stole glances at Sebastian to gauge his reaction.
    They put Mattie to bed at eight o’clock and finally they were alone. “Lily and your brother on the same day, the first week we move to London. Are you okay?” Tess asked with concern.
    “Max was nice. He invited me to lunch so we can talk. He seemed genuinely happy for us.”
    “That would be the perfect opportunity to ask him about your father.”
    “Exactly. Only now that I have the chance to get some answers, I’m nervous,” he admitted.
    “It’s only natural,” Tess reasoned. “You’re going to try to find a man that doesn’t even know you exist.”
    “The first step is to assemble information. There’s no saying I have to meet him if he’s found.”
    “That’s true, but isn’t the whole point of the exercise to find him, meet him, see if you can have a relationship?” Tess asked.
    Sebastian held up his hand as if to stop her. “One step at a time, please.” He leaned his head back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m more curious to know what Max was doing in Penny’s home. I know you joked about them dating, but I can’t help but feel there was some sexual tension there.”
    “I know—you can ask Max and I’ll corner Penny. Maybe we can play matchmaker after all,” Tess said, excited by the prospect.
    “Brilliant, now you and Mattie are ganging up on me,” he smirked.
    “Countess Penelope has a nice ring to it.”
    “Technically, you would address her as Lady Penelope, the Countess of Sutton.”
    “Why do you English have to make things so complicated?”
    “Would you prefer we say ‘hey you’ in a New York accent?”
    Tess laughed. “Could you imagine Lily’s expression if you did that?”
    Sebastian had to laugh, too. “Let’s not put the cart before the horse. Penny’s on several charity boards, and I imagine Max is too, now that he’s retired from Irons Electronic to become the Earl of Sutton.”
    “Do you think he’s living in the castle?”
    “I would think so—most likely in the fall and winter. He’s probably spending the spring and summer in London due to all the events he needs to attend during the social season.”
    “You’ve sort of lost me,” Tess admitted.
    “You should have watched more Masterpiece Theatre,” Sebastian joked.
    “Why should I watch TV to learn about the English upper crust when I have you