The Bride Spy Read Online Free PDF Page A

her shoulder, Hannah opened it and pul ed out her cel phone. She powered it up, relieved to see the logo flash on the screen. However, no bars. Not even part of one showed on the display.
    Just how far out in the wop-wops am I? I should have switched carriers months ago.

    With a scowl, she turned the phone off and slipped it into her back pocket. She sat down on the bed with a frustrated sigh. She intended to wait until the house quieted but didn’t know how long that would take.
    Twenty minutes passed, and although she didn’t hear any movement in the house, Hannah wasn’t sure if that meant everyone was asleep. She made her way to the door, poked her head into the hal way, and noticed the sconces were stil lit. She decided she probably shouldn’t risk it.
    She quietly closed the door and began to pace. Her fire had final y died down, so she blew out the lamps and waited for complete darkness. It took almost an hour, and by then she was growing sleepy. If she didn’t go now, she would lose her nerve. With one last look around the room, she put her coat and gloves back on and wrapped the scarf around her neck. Securing her bag over her shoulder, she slowly pushed the window up, grateful it didn’t stick.
    Throwing her leg over the windowsil , she climbed out onto the roof and crawled to the edge.
    Trellis! Yes! Okay, I can climb this and be off.

    Her immediate plan was to travel north, certain she would find someone with a car or perhaps even flag down a cab.
    She went back and closed the bedroom window quietly and then made her way back to the trel is. The snow on the roof had frozen and it crunched under her feet as she crept over the roof.

    Reaching the edge, she lay down on her stomach and wiggled, feet first, over the side. She felt her foot hit the first rung of the trel is. It seemed strong enough to hold her, so she kept going. She was deathly afraid of heights, and it seemed a long way down, but if she kept her eyes on the sky, she should be fine.
    Taking a deep breath, Hannah stepped down, then stepped again. Knowing she must be almost at the bottom, but not wanting to look, she closed her eyes tight and stepped again. Al of a sudden she felt large, strong hands grasp her hips. She squealed as she was pul ed off the trel is, rather inelegantly, into the arms of the painting.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” Christopher growled.
    “You could have been hurt.”

    * * *

    When he’d heard the scraping noise on the roof, Christopher knew Hannah was going to try something stupid, but his heart lodged in his throat as he watched her back down the unsecured trel is. It took every ounce of patience for him to wait for her to reach the bottom rather than to climb the lattice and col ect her.
    “Put me down,” she ordered.

    “Not until you tel me what you were doing.”
    “I was going to try and find my way home!” She pushed at his chest with a groan. “What else would I be doing? Now put me down.”
    Christopher stared at the beauty in his arms.
    “Please. Let me go,” she whispered.
    He gently set her on her feet but didn’t release her completely. He kept an arm around her waist as he watched her eyes dart everywhere, obviously looking for a place to escape to. “You could have been hurt, Hannah.”
    She dropped her head but didn’t comment.
    “Hannah?” He slowly lowered his hand from her waist and crossed his arms.
    She bolted.
    Christopher swore. “Come back here!” he yel ed, and gave chase.
    She got a good half-mile before he even started closing in on her.
    “Hannah!” he yel ed again.

    * * *

    Looking frantical y around, Hannah saw nothing other than snow and trees. She didn’t know which way to turn next. A white canvas surrounded her, and she had no idea in which direction she even headed. She reached for her cel phone, flipped it open, and held it up as she continued to run from the house. No signal.
    Crap! Have they got cell phone blockers out here?

    Realizing she was