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Back The Runaway Heiress Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR MEG TILLY AND HER NOVELS
  3. TITLES BY MEG TILLY
  4. Dedication
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. Excerpt from SOLACE ISLAND
  70. 1
  71. 2
  72. 3
  73. 4
  74. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  75. What’s next onyour reading list?

Auntie Jane shook her head. There was the sound of running feet, pounding at the door. Auntie Jane gently placed the teapot down. Straightened her spine and sailed into the main hall as if she were in a comportment class and had a stack of books on her head. Never mind that she’s muddy as hell, Sarah thought, unable to hold back the smile even though the consequences were dire. Mother was right when she said Auntie Jane had class bred into the very marrow of her bones. Well . . . Sarah stood and plopped Lilly on the chair. There was no way she was going to let Auntie Jane deal with the police on her own. “You stay here, okay? I’ve got to go talk to the people at the door for a second.” She dug into her sticky soda-soaked purse. Her fingers closed around the little mason jar of gummy bears. She pulled it out, tore off the plastic seal, opened it, and placed it on the table in front of her daughter. “You see that clock on the wall?”

“Yes.”

“You see the big hand?”

“I can tell time,” Lilly said proudly.

“Wonderful. This is what I need you to do.” Sarah reached across the table and slid the scattered crayons and paper over to Lilly. “While you are drawing, out of the corner of your eye, I’d like you to keep an eye on the clock for me. When the big hand moves to the next number, then you get to gobble up a gummy bear.”

Lilly’s little face lit up. “Okay,” she said with a happy wiggle. “You can count on me.”

“Wonderful!” Sarah dropped a kiss on the top of Lilly’s head. The little girl already had a purple crayon clenched in her fist. “Stay put. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” Sarah said, and then swiftly left the room. She could see the slender figure of her aunt at the end of the hall, her hand on the door. “Wait for me,” Sarah called, but her voice was drowned out by another thundering volley of knocks.

60

The door fell away from Mick’s fist. Standing in the opening was a fragile-looking elderly woman. Her gaze skittered past him, taking in the helicopter on the front lawn. It seemed as if she had expected to see something else. Something unwanted. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “Yes?” she said in a cultured mid-Atlantic accent. “May I help you?” The woman reminded him of Sarah, how she carried herself like royalty despite the fact that there were streaks of mud across her face, on her knees and thighs.

“I was told Sarah Rainsford is here.” Mick had to work to keep his voice steady, when all he wanted to do was charge inside and rip the place apart until he found her. “I’ve come to fetch her.”