A Royal Kiss and Tell

“They disappeared behind the hedges,” Hollis whispered. “And when they emerged, her hair was mussed. She is smitten, I tell you. Isn’t it ironic that her husband is rumored to be the next prime minister of England? I hear Peel will be gone soon.”

“If she is smitten with the Alucian prime minister, what will she do when we return to England?” Caroline whispered.

“What does any married lady do when she finds true love? Tell her friends, naturally,” Hollis said. “And then try like the devil to keep her husband from finding out.”

They walked along for a few feet, each of them lost in their thoughts about this new development. “My feet are killing me,” Eliza complained. “I’ve been on them far too much this week. I should like a bench to appear just now.”

“Your Grace.” One of the guards came forward. “If I may, there are benches just there, beyond the bend,” he said, pointing to the path ahead. “There is a small clearing in the hedgerow with a fountain for sitting.”

All three women stopped and stared at the guard as he moved back to stand with his companion, the both of them at attention.

“Ah...thank you,” Eliza said. She turned back to the walk and linked her arms through Hollis’s and Caroline’s and yanked them close. “Have they heard everything?” she whispered.

“I don’t know!” Caroline whispered back. “Lord, how long is this business with the guards to go on?”

“Forever?” Eliza answered uncertainly.

“There you are, Eliza!”

The familiar voice of Prince Sebastian startled them, and they drew to a halt and looked down a path that intersected the one they were walking on. Prince Sebastian was striding forward, ahead of Prince Leopold, Lady Eulalie and the queen. Behind them, more guards.

“Be kind,” Hollis muttered. “That’s her. She’ll be his fiancée.”

“What?” Caroline muttered back as they sank into curtsies before the queen.

“I’ve been looking for you, darling,” Prince Sebastian said. He took Eliza into his arms and kissed her. Caroline’s heart fluttered madly, and she inadvertently glanced at Prince Leopold. He was looking at the ground, his hands clasped at his back. He looked a little green around the gills, she thought. So green that if she poked him, she’d wager he’d fall over. It took Caroline a moment to realize that Lady Eulalie was looking directly at her with a funny little smile on her face.

“How are you, dearest?” the queen said to Eliza. As Eliza began to speak of her good health and whatnot, Caroline shifted her gaze to Lady Eulalie again. “Good afternoon,” she said with a polite nod.

Lady Eulalie serenely nodded her acknowledgment of the greeting but then stepped forward and said to Eliza, “Your Grace.” She curtsied deeply and perfectly, and Caroline didn’t know if she should admire her or hate her for it.

“Oh,” Eliza said, clearly not expecting a curtsy still. “Thank you.”

Not thank you, Eliza. Caroline bit her bottom lip and looked at her feet.

“Have you met our Lady Eulalie?” the queen asked. “She comes from a very good Weslorian family. The sort of Weslorians who consider the Alucians friends and not foe.” She tittered. Everyone tittered with her.

Caroline tittered the loudest—she was no fool. And when she did, she looked again at Prince Leopold. This time, she caught him looking past her, as if he was bored by this meeting. He slowly turned his gaze to her. Caroline arched a brow, flicked her gaze over him, then lifted her hand, palm up, silently questioning why he looked at her.

His brows knit in a disapproving frown, and then, damn him, he gave her a slight roll of his eyes and looked away.

He rolled his eyes.

That was it. Caroline had given that man all the chances she would give him. It was, as Eliza said, his loss. His very great loss.

“Lady Caroline, Hollis...will you allow us to steal my wife away?” Prince Sebastian asked. “We’ve a little surprise for her.”

“A surprise!” Eliza said. “I don’t think I can bear any more surprises.”

“Oh, I think you’ll like this,” the queen said.

“I’ll see her returned to you for tea, on my word,” Prince Sebastian said eagerly, and leaned forward and kissed Hollis’s cheek.

“Your Majesty, here is where I shall take my leave,” Prince Leopold said, and stooped to kiss his mother’s cheek.

“What? Where are you going? Will you not join us?”

“I’ve a prior engagement,” he said, and with a curt nod to everyone, he strode off before anyone else could speak.

The queen watched him go, then sighed and smiled sympathetically at Lady Eulalie. But Lady Eulalie gave the queen a slight shrug as if she didn’t mind at all.