A Royal Kiss and Tell

There were servants in the hallway, and a pair of retiring rooms for the ladies, judging by how many of them were coming and going from the two rooms. There was also a linen closet. Hollis turned him about so that his back was to the main hall and said, “Pretend we are speaking of our sister and brother as we would, and I’ll keep an eye—Oh! Here she is.” She suddenly stepped away from him and blocked the path of a maid with red hair and a cap that was slightly askew.

“Pardon,” the maid said.

“Excuse me, miss, I should like to introduce you to Prince Leopold of Alucia. He has something he would like to say,” Hollis said smoothly.

“Pardon?”

Hollis took the maid by the arm and dragged her to stand in front of Leo. “Hurry,” she urged him.

“Good evening, Rasa,” he said in Weslorian.

She dropped her towels. Hollis quickly scooped them up and pressed them back into her arms. “Step into the linen closet!” Hollis insisted.

The girl looked frantic. “But I—”

“Step inside, darling,” Hollis said more firmly.

The girl stepped inside the narrow closet. Leo didn’t attempt to crowd in with her, but he blocked the entrance. “Forgive this intrusion, but I’ve come to collect you,” he said in Weslorian.

“Collect me for what?”

“I’m taking you and the other women who came to London with you to Alucia.”

Her mouth gaped. She clutched the towels to her. “But why?”

She was not understanding him. “Rasa...you’ve been poorly treated. You’ve been sold into slavery and I mean to free you. If you will gather your things and meet—”

“I don’t want to go!” she exclaimed. “I like my post here! Lord Pennybacker, he gave me his daughter’s clothes she’d outgrown.”

Leo was confused. “But doesn’t he... I beg your pardon, but I must speak plainly. Doesn’t he want something...and by that I mean, you...in return?”

She didn’t seem to understand at first, but when she did, she gasped. “No!”

“Come now, Your Highness,” Hollis whispered. “We have company.”

Leo stepped closer. “Do you understand, lass? You were bought and sold by powerful men.”

“I wasn’t! I begged my father to accept the offer, Your Highness. He’s ill, and my mother has to feed my brothers and sisters. How are they to survive? I like London. I’ve my own room, my own shoes, my own bed.”

Leo stumbled over the idea that she had not had her own shoes.

“Please leave me be,” she begged him. “I don’t want to go back to Wesloria. I want to stay here.”

He hadn’t anticipated this and didn’t know what to say.

“Ah, Your Highness!” Hollis said suddenly. “Are you lost again? Come, I’ll show you the way to the ballroom.”

Leo ignored Hollis and leaned forward. “Rasa, please reconsider.”

She shook her head and stepped deeper into the closet.

“You must be looking for the gaming room,” Hollis said, her voice at a high pitch.

Leo reluctantly stepped back and turned to Hollis. He was surprised and annoyed to see Lady Katherine Maugham in the hall, watching them curiously. He said to Rasa, “Thank you. Mrs. Honeycutt has rescued me and will return me to the ballroom.” He smiled at Lady Katherine. “I seem to have lost my way.”

Lady Katherine was no fool. She stared at him shrewdly.

Hollis looped her arm through his and said, “You’ve had a bit too much ale, haven’t you, Highness?”

He hadn’t had a drop. “Je, too much,” he said jovially.

Lady Katherine curtsied. “Good evening, Your Highness.”

“Mrs. Honeycutt, if you will kindly direct me to the gaming room and the nearest tankard of ale, I should be delighted.” He pretended to stumble and Hollis called out a cheery, “Good evening, Katherine.” The two of them headed for the main hall.

“Well?” Hollis whispered as they strode down the corridor.

“She refuses to leave. She likes it here. She claims Pennybacker treats her well.”

“Oh,” Hollis said, surprised. “Well...perhaps if she is happy?”

Leo didn’t understand how a woman could be happy under those circumstances. She had no freedom. She was a commodity. Because she was comfortable now didn’t mean she always would be. But he didn’t want to debate Hollis. She’d done enough for him, and he didn’t want to involve her further. When they reached the gaming room, he bowed to her. “Thank you, truly, for your help. If you would be so kind as to pass the news along?”

“Of course.” Hollis smiled sympathetically. “You tried, and that’s what matters.”

Leo wasn’t sure of that. Trying didn’t seem quite enough to him.

He watched Hollis disappear into the crowd, then walked into the gaming room and found Beck. His friend had had entirely too much to drink and was feeling very verbose.

Leo sat, his head spinning, his thoughts whirling around, grappling over what he should do next...until Pennybacker came into the gaming room and demanded in a loud whisper what Leo wanted with his Weslorian maid and asked him to take his leave.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN