The Medium (Emily Chambers Spirit Medium Trilogy #1) by C.J. Archer Read Free Book Online Page A

squeezed in between. Not a single
one touched on the supernatural.
    "So what
shall I tell this George Culvert when I meet him?" I asked. "I can't
very well ask him about shape-shifting demons straight away. He'll think it odd."
    He paused then
said, "Tell him you have a general interest in demonology and you'd like
to look at his books." He shrugged. "We'll make it up as we go."
    "Very well."
I couldn't see any other way that didn't involve telling George Culvert
everything. And that wasn't an option. Not yet. Not until I'd decided if I
cared whether he thought I was mad for speaking to ghosts. "Give me Mr. Culvert's
address and I'll meet you there after breakfast."
    "Fifty-two Wilton
Crescent in Belgravia." He gave me one more appraisal—a lingering one—from
head to toe then vanished. But not before I saw the same heated flare in his
eyes that had been there when he first noticed me in the dress. It would seem
the gown hadn't lost any of its power.
    Celia had a simple
breakfast of toast and boiled eggs waiting for me in the dining room when I
arrived.
    "I thought
we'd eat in the kitchen since we have no maid," I said picking up a plate.
    "Just
because there's no one here to see us doesn't mean we can let ourselves go. We
have standards."
    Celia had standards. I had a growling stomach and didn't care where I
ate. I buttered a piece of toast and took two eggs from the sideboard and
joined her at the table.
    "What did
he want?" she asked.
    I filled her in
and her interest piqued at the mention of George Culvert. "I wonder what
he's like," she said more to herself than me.
    "He went to
Eton," I said, rapping the knife on the eggshell. "With Jacob."
    I'd thought it
impossible for her eyes to light up even more but they did. "Oh! He must
be a gentleman then. I'm so glad you're wearing that dress, it's perfect. But
you can't go alone. I'll accompany you."
    "I'll be
all right."
    "Emily,"
she said on a sigh.
    "Please,
Celia, I'm old enough." Because our lives were so thoroughly
interconnected, my sister and I usually went everywhere together. We just had
no need to be separate. But of late I found I wanted to go out more and more
without her. It would be nice to have people deal with me as an
individual and a woman rather than as Celia's little sister. The visit to
George Culvert was a perfect opportunity to do so and I wasn't going to let it
pass me by.
    She paused with
her fork in the air, a piece of buttered toast only inches from her mouth.
    "Jacob will
be with me," I added before she could protest. "That's all the
protection I need. Besides, you've got to go to the Clerkenwell school and hire
another maid."
    She seemed to
struggle between the two options. "It's not seemly for a young lady to pay
calls on a young gentleman alone. You know that."
    "His mother
will probably be in at this early hour," I said hopefully. "And
besides, I could be there all day studying his books." Celia's eyes went
blank at the thought, just as I'd hoped. My sister had never been a great
reader. Whereas I'd devoured all of her father's books, even the dull ones, she'd
not been in his study for a long time. "Besides, if you don't find another
maid today you'll have to cook supper. I'm sure I won't be home in time.
And of course there's all the cleaning..."
    Celia sighed. "You're
right."
    I ate the toast
and one of the eggs and left the other. It was too dry. When we'd finished, Celia
collected our plates. "You'd better go or Jacob will be back demanding to
know why you haven't left yet."
    She didn't need
to tell me a second time. I'd avoided both the cooking and the cleaning so far
but I wasn't about to test my luck by staying home any longer.
    "Wear the
hat that matches the dress," she said as I left. "But don't take a
parasol. We don't have one in the right shade of green."
    Five minutes
later, I walked out the door feeling like a perfectly matching green peacock. A
few pairs of eyes followed me down Druids Way and I can't deny that it felt
good to