Read The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin (Books of Unexpected Enlightenment Book 1) for Free Online

vulgar. If she had such a figure, she would wear baggy robes. The idea of being ogled by boys terrified her. Still, Sigfried’s reaction intrigued her. Rachel knew her own ideas of decorum were in a minority. She had spent her early childhood with her grandparents, who had been born during the reign of Queen Victoria. How had a boy raised in a horrid mundane orphanage developed such an old-fashioned sense of propriety?
    “Were there any girls at the orphanage?” she asked curiously, as she zoomed toward the walled garden.
    “Only the nuns.”
    “Really? What order were they with?”
    “Hestia, Goddess of Home and Hearth,” he replied bitterly. “They weren’t home-like at all. They were horrid.”
    “Do you like girls?” she inquired teasingly.
    He answered indignantly. “I like ladies. What knight would risk life and limb and third-degree burns to slay a dragon for a trollop?”
    “Did the nuns teach you how gentlemen and ladies should act?”
    Siggy snorted disdainfully. “Are you kidding? They never talked to us except to shout or hit us with a ruler. I learned about knights and ladies from a book I stole from the library and hid under my mattress so that the nuns would not confiscate it.”
    “What was the book about?”
    “King Arthur and his knights.”
    The corner of Rachel’s lips kept quirking upward despite her efforts to restrain her amusement. He spoke of knights and ladies and hid books under his mattress. “Sigfried Smith, I believe we shall be very good friends indeed.”
    • • •
    Rachel landed in the courtyard. Sigfried leapt from the broom, threw himself down on the mosaics, and kissed the ground repeatedly. The two blond girls stared at him in fascination.
    “Never rode a broom before,” Rachel offered by way of an explanation. Both girls nodded. From their reactions, she surmised that Miss Hunt had never ridden a broom either, but that the other young woman had. “You’re Valerie Hunt, right?”
    The short-haired girl flashed a pixie grin. “That’s me. Valerie Hunt, fearless girl reporter and amateur rock hound.”
    “There’s a man looking for you!”
    “Really?” She began gathering her magazines. Her collection consisted of Photo Pro Magazine , Rock & Gem , and Blade Magazine , which sported a picture of a huge, jagged edged knife. Siggy stared at this last one with interest. “Where is he? Is he one of the tutors? That’s what they call professors here, right?”
    “No!” Rachel waved her arms, barring Valerie’s way. “I mean, yes—tutors. But, no…don’t go looking for him! He’s not a good man. He’s bad. I sent him off, but I’m rather sure he’ll be back when he discovers I lied to him. You’ve got to hide.”
    “How do you know he’s bad?” The second girl looked up from the pages of Wise Wear , her large luminous eyes fairly dancing with curious amusement.
    “Because he was impersonating an Agent.”
    “But he wasn’t an Agent?” asked the second girl.
    “No.”
    “Are you sure?” she asked, even more curious.
    “If he were an Agent, I would have known,” Rachel replied firmly.
    “Oh-kay,” she drawled, glancing at Valerie. “What do we do now?”
    Rachel blinked. She had only thought as far ahead as warning Valerie.
    “Who are you?” Siggy asked the second girl, averting his eyes so as not to stare at her enticingly-displayed charms.
    Seated on the bench, Valerie watched his efforts and pressed her lips together, amused.
    “Salome Iscariot.” Rising, the lovely blond jutted out her hip and rested her fist upon it.
    “Of Iscariot Enterprises?” Rachel stepped closer, intrigued.
    “Of course.”
    “You’ve heard of her?” Siggy said, but he looked at Valerie, who gave him a pretty smile. He returned it with a blindingly bright smile of his own. She blinked, a bit dazed.
    “Of her family’s business,” Rachel said. “She’s the richest girl in the world.”
    “Very likely.” Salome’s smile showed perfect white teeth.