A Royal Kiss and Tell

It was her own fault, this feeling of disappointment. She’d made a sort of game with herself—how many gentlemen could she get to flock to her? Which of them would inquire after her interests? Or her thoughts about the trade agreement between Alucia and the United Kingdom? Or even something as illuminating as what age she’d been when her parents had died?

But as the years had ticked by, Caroline realized there was something terribly wrong with her game—she continued to attract gentlemen to her, but the game had taken on a new urgency. She used the game as an excuse, to mask her fear, because Caroline didn’t really know what there was to like about her. What if she discovered she wasn’t as pretty on the inside as she was on the outside? What if all her ugliness was tucked away, and would spring free if someone got too close? What if she was completely empty on the inside, and all that she had to offer this world was her fine looks?

Fortunately, Caroline had the luxury of wealth and privilege to play her game and she didn’t have to delve too deeply into the answers. But Ann had no such privilege, and Caroline meant to protect her.

She needed to think how best to deal with the knowledge of the prince’s affair, and until she had determined what to do, she would hold on to this morsel of news and do her level best to keep him from preying on other maids.

He was a rake. A handsome, charming, rake—the most dangerous of them all.

THE WEEK AFTER her visit to Leadenhall, Caroline felt up to accepting an invitation to the home of Lady Priscilla Farrington. Caroline had known Priscilla for an age. She’d married quite young, had three children in quick succession, then watched her husband increase the Farrington holdings with the import of cotton. He’d recently been appointed to the House of Lords.

Caroline had always enjoyed Priscilla’s company. She was jovial and quick with a laugh. She had a growing rivalry with Lady Pennybacker, whose husband had likewise received his seat in the Lords.

Priscilla was keen to have Caroline design her a gown, because Lady Pennybacker would not have one. During her convalescence, Caroline had made a pattern for a gown and needed to fit it to Priscilla’s robust frame.

When she arrived, she was shown to a salon where she was instantly greeted by four small dogs, all of them eager for a pat on the head. Priscilla was lounging on a chaise with yet another dog. The ornate room looked and smelled a bit like a kennel.

“Darling!” Priscilla trilled, waving Caroline over as the footman followed her, carrying the box with the muslin pattern of the gown. “How well you look! You’re recovered from the seasickness, are you? Oh, but you’re terribly thin.”

“A temporary condition,” Caroline assured her. “But I am fully recovered.” She made her way through the small beasts and leaned over to kiss Priscilla’s cheek. She took a seat on a settee across from Priscilla. One of the dogs hopped up, its paws on Caroline’s lap. She carefully pushed it away. It hopped up again.

“You must tell me everything!” Priscilla said. “But not yet! Felicity Hancock and Katherine Maugham are coming to tea.”

Priscilla had not mentioned this fact in the delivered invitation. Katherine Maugham had been very keen to secure an offer of marriage from Prince Sebastian and had not yet forgiven Eliza for getting the offer she’d coveted. Caroline, Eliza and Hollis called her the Peacock behind her back.

“How delightful,” Caroline said, and pushed the dog away once more. But the dog was not to be bested in this, and hopped up and climbed onto Caroline’s lap, circled around, and settled in for tea.

“Is this new?” Caroline asked, looking down at the carpet.

“It is! It was made specially in Belgium and delivered to us just last week. Tom has in mind to hire more servants, too, did I tell you? But only foreign ones. Foreign girls are far better than our domestics, don’t you think?”

Caroline was not pressed to answer that ridiculous question, because a footman walked in at that moment and announced the arrival of the two ladies. Lady Katherine swept in like a stage actress, determined to be noticed first...until she saw Caroline. She slowed her step, blinking in Caroline’s direction. Felicity Hancock stumbled in behind the Peacock, tripping over the edge of the new Belgian carpet.

Caroline pushed the dog from her lap and stood to greet the ladies. “What a pleasure!” she trilled, holding out her arms to both women.

“Lady Caroline, you have returned to us,” the Peacock said. “I thought surely you’d remain attached to the side of your very dear friend. I feared we’d not see you again. Didn’t I say so, Felicity?”

“Who do you mean?” Caroline asked sweetly. “The duchess and future queen of Alucia? Oh, I’ll see her soon enough. I intend to return in the spring. I can call on her anytime I like, you know.”

“Another voyage, really?” Priscilla asked. “But Tom said it made you so dreadfully ill. Very near death, he said.”