Page 41 of The Lovers (Echoes from the Past #1)

TWENTY-NINE

Quinn was in much better spirits by the time Rhys left in the late afternoon.

He’d walked her to the door but declined her invitation to stay for dinner, claiming that he already had plans in London, which was just as well.

The time they spent together felt almost like a date, so Quinn was relieved when he said goodbye, kissed her on the cheek, and headed back to town.

She liked him enormously and felt at ease in his company, but she had no wish to send any misleading signals.

The few hours she spent with him distracted her from thoughts of Elise and, more importantly, Gabe.

If she didn’t tread carefully, she’d lose Gabe for good, and her resolution not to get romantically involved with him in order not to risk their friendship now seemed pointless.

She wasn’t ready to face her feelings for him just yet, but deep down she knew that Gabe was the person her soul instinctively reached out to.

Whenever she was worried, elated, or simply in need of a chat, it was Gabe she longed to talk to, to share with.

She’d realized over the past two weeks that she hardly thought of Luke.

She missed him from time to time, simply because they’d spent eight years together and he’d been intricately woven into the fabric of her life, but it was Gabe she most often turned to when she needed a friend.

Luke could be dismissive and aloof when preoccupied with his own thoughts, but Gabe always found the time to listen and to help Quinn work things out without actually telling her what to do, the way Luke frequently did when his patience ran out.

Quinn shrugged off her coat, put the kettle on, and studied the contents of her fridge.

She wasn’t hungry enough to make a large meal, but she was feeling peckish and a little light-headed.

Perhaps an omelet with fontina cheese and mushrooms. It was quick and easy.

She was suddenly tired. Perhaps she’d overdone it a bit so soon after her injury.

Quinn whipped up her omelet, made a piece of toast, and retreated to the sofa to enjoy her meal.

She’d make a fire later, but for the moment, she felt too worn out.

As Quinn popped a forkful of fluffy egg into her mouth, she suddenly wondered about Rhys’s private life.

He didn’t wear a wedding ring, and she was fairly certain that he wasn’t married, but that didn’t mean he was single.

A man in Rhys’s line of work probably met many interesting women.

She’d felt a frisson of attraction on his part, but perhaps he was naturally flirtatious and attentive to all women.

It’d been a long time since she was single, and the rules of the game had certainly changed since she was twenty-two.

She’d found other men attractive, of course, but had never allowed her thoughts to stray any further, her loyalty only to Luke.

Now she was single for the first time in nearly a decade, and she was no longer the starry-eyed girl who’d been easily seduced by good looks and a veneer of charm.

She’d have to get out there whether she liked it or not.

Quinn was distracted from her thoughts by the ringing of the phone. She set aside her plate and went to retrieve her mobile. She’d left it on the nightstand and now noticed that she had seven missed calls.

“Quinn. Where’ve you been? I was about to come down there to see if you’re all right,” Gabe chastised her. “You should be taking things easy.”

“I walked to the village with Rhys. Sorry, I forgot my phone,” she replied in a conciliatory manner, but this was clearly the wrong thing to tell Gabe.

“Rhys was there?” Gabe demanded, his tone suddenly cool .

“Yes. He came by to see if I was all right and brought me canelés. He likes to bake,” Quinn added lamely.

“Does he, now?”

“Gabe, what exactly are you upset about?” Quinn demanded, going on the offensive. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and Gabe’s ill-disguised jealousy was unnerving.

“Nothing. Never mind. Glad you’re OK. I’ll ring you tomorrow morning.”

“I’m coming to London tomorrow. I plan to visit several churches in Mayfair. I’m going to look through their archives for any mention of Elise.”

“Want some company? I have the morning off,” Gabe suggested eagerly, his earlier pique forgotten. Gabe liked nothing more than doing research, especially if it culminated in a nice pub lunch.

Quinn actually cringed before answering. “Rhys is coming with me. He didn’t think I should be wandering about on my own after being hit on the head.”

“Right,” Gabe growled. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.” And with that, he hung up.

Quinn replaced the phone on the bedside table and returned to the living room.

Her earlier good mood had dissipated, leaving her tense and upset.

A part of her wished that Gabe was coming with her tomorrow so that they could recapture their easy camaraderie and delve into this project together as they had so often done in the past, but a part of her was annoyed with his attitude.

He had no right to be angry, nor did he have any cause to feel threatened by Rhys Morgan.

Rhys’s canelés still sat on the table, their aroma enticing Quinn to eat one.

She was normally very strict about what she ate, but she felt she deserved a treat to lift her spirits.

She reached for a canelé and took a bite, savoring it.

She couldn’t help smiling at the thought of Rhys baking these for her. He really was something of an enigma.