The Princess & the Pea Read Online Free PDF Page B

returned her attention to Jared. "You've explained how it's supposed to work, but does it?"
    "Naturally it works." Quentin said with a huff of wounded pride.
    A slow smile spread across Jared's face. "Would you care to see for yourself?"
    Excitement surged through her. "A ride?" He nodded. "I'd love it." She turned to her sister. "Emily?"
    "No, thank you." Emily shook her head vehemently. "I should think the most difficult horse alive preferable to that metallic beast."
    Cece sighed tolerantly. "Em, you have absolutely no sense of adventure." Cece often wondered how the same parents could have raised such different daughters. Her sister's nature was no doubt the product of the finishing school both girls had at one time attended, although Cece had resisted all attempts to mold her own character into something considered more acceptable. And obviously Cece had shirked her duties as an older sister and failed to show her sibling life was far more interesting when one was not as concerned with behavior as excitement. She definitely needed to do something about that.
    Emily crossed her arms over her chest. "Perhaps not, but I have a highly developed sense of safety." She eyed the vehicle skeptically. "Is that safe?"
    Quentin and Jared exchanged glances.
    "Relatively." Jared said.
    "More or less." Quentin added.
    "I suspected as much." Emily stared pointedly at Cece. "Are you certain you want to risk your neck in that thing?"
    "This is to be my first venture in a horseless carriage and I—"
    "Automobile." Jared said.
    Cece pulled her brows together in confusion. "Pardon me?"
    "We call it an automobile." He pronounced the word slowly, as if he was unaccustomed to its sound. "Or a motor car."
    "I see. Automobile." She rolled the word around in her mind. "How appropriate. Very well. This is my first venture in an automobile and I'm not going to miss it." Cece extended a hand to Jared. "Mr. Grayson?"
    He took her hand and helped her into the vehicle. His innocent touch sent a current of lightning skating up her arm and down her spine.
    "It's Jared," he said firmly, gazing into her eyes.
    "Jared," she repeated, noting with surprise the somewhat airy quality of her voice. She drew a steadying breath that even to her own ears sounded more like a sigh, and reluctantly withdrew her hand. "Since we are obviously not going to be formally introduced ..." She tossed Quentin a look of chastisement.
    He groaned. "I hate formal introductions."
    "Apparently." Jared sank down beside her. The seat was small, with barely enough room for the two of them, and her hip crushed against his in a most intriguing manner. She smiled. "If it's Jared, men you must call me Cece."
    He regarded her for a long moment and nodded, as if she had somehow passed some kind of test. "It suits you."
    "I know," she said primly.
    "No introductions. No chaperons. First names." Emily released an exasperated sigh. "This is all so completely improper."
    "Well, it just seems to me that modern inventions require modern behavior, not old-fashioned rules," Cece glanced at Jared. "Don't you agree?"
    "Indeed," he said solemnly.
    "You'd best put these on." Quentin handed her a heavy pair of leather and glass goggles.
    She struggled into the cumbersome eyewear. "What are these for?"
    Jared too sported a pair of the ungainly glasses. "Bugs," he said, his manner matter of fact.
    "I'm so glad I asked." She cocked her head to one side and surveyed the odd picture he presented. "You look quite a bit like a frog in those. It suits you."
    He laughed. "I know. Ready?"
    "Ready." Her voice rang with confidence, but her heart fluttered in her throat. Excitement sparred with apprehension. After all, she had never ridden in a beast like this before.
    Quentin carried a large metal crank and stepped to the front of the automobile. Like the wind-up key to a child's toy, he inserted the crank and turned it.
    The contraption shivered and coughed and sputtered like an old man with the ague. She tensed in