Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(70)
“Surely there is no need for me to go.”
I wag my finger at him. “Don’t underestimate your charisma, Your Highness. What better incentive to draw the girls to school than having the prince of Athelia substitute as a teacher for a day? Besides, don’t you want to have a date—I mean, spend some quality time with me?” I bat my eyelashes and attempt a saucy wink.
Edward doesn’t fall for my pitiful attempt at flirting. “It’s not as if we are alone—”
I shut him up with my lips. Using what moderate experience I have, I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. Amazingly, there is no sound from Krev this time. I’ll take it that I have again conquered the goblin’s enchantment. Excellent.
When I pull away, there’s a slightly dazed expression on his face, like he can’t believe what I just did.
“May I request the pleasure of your company for an outing, Your Royal Highness?”
“Huh? Right, but . . .”
Grinning, I sweep him a graceful (for my standards) curtsy. “Now that’s settled, I’ll find George and have him add the event to your schedule. I’ll also hop over to the kitchens and ask them to prepare food baskets. I’ll pay for the expense out of my own pocket so the lord chamberlain won’t complain.”
“Kat . . .” he growls, perhaps irritated that I got him to agree by seducing him. Score one, Kat. My first step toward becoming a femme fatale.
I hurry away before he can change his mind. Maybe I shouldn’t have kissed him, but it’s so rare that I initiate any intimacy that I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Anyway, it should be fun. With this outing, the girls will have an informative lesson and be enticed to continue learning at school, and Henry and Elle will get to spend some time together. Really, with so many objectives, at least one of them will succeed.
* * *
“What is the name of this queer-looking thing, Your Highness?”
“It’s a tulip bulb,” Edward says. He is wearing his princely mask of utter politeness and zero emotion—is this the same man who whispered in my ear that he wanted to seduce me? Really, I could award him an Oscar.
“Uncle Ed doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself,” Rosie whispers.
I glance at my husband. Edward does seem to be in a resigned mood as he patiently explains the various colors a tulip can have. I probably shouldn’t have dragged him to this outing, but I didn’t expect that he’d be this reluctant.
Seems like only the schoolgirls are having fun. Half of them surround Edward, all wearing identical expressions of starry-eyed adulation. The other half are gathered around Henry, pestering him with questions about being a duke and a doctor at the same time, and if it’s possible he’ll come back to teach. The difference is that Henry is more affable. There’s a benevolent smile on his face as he explains how he must undergo more training at the university. Edward, however, looks like a cubicle worker prepared to commute on Monday morning.
It doesn’t help that Parliament rejected the Minimum Wage Act (though they did pass the Food and Drugs Act). Edward had used my notes and did his best to convince the members otherwise, but it was no use. In fact, I have a suspicion that some Members of Parliament oppose to Edward’s ideas simply because they know I am the instigator.
“He’ll be all right,” I whisper back. “Was he also like this when he used to visit you, Rosie?”
Rosie considers a moment. “Uncle Ed is always nice to us. But I think he wants us gone.”
“He doesn’t want you gone. He isn’t used to the role of a teacher,” I say, though I know that I’m not entirely being truthful. Edward doesn’t like being surrounded by chattering, giggling schoolgirls, even if they are vastly different from the ladies who had been scheming to claim the coveted honor of princess. “By the way, how are you getting along at school now?”
Rosie gives me an account of how lonely she feels and how empty the building is. The second and third floor used to be filled with students, but now only a few classrooms are occupied.
“Why did the others leave, Aunt Kat? They seemed to be having fun.”
“It’s complicated,” I say, squeezing her hand. “But I promise you I’m doing my best to get them back.”
“Do you know when that will be?”
I pause. “I really don’t know, sweetheart. What we’re trying to do now is not to lose anyone else.” The last thing I want is to have all students dropping out of Princess College, leaving the place an empty shell. It took Elle months to locate a suitable place and convince the seller to let us purchase the building. I imagine Bianca moving in, populating the rooms with maids and footmen, replacing the books and desks and blackboards with her fine gowns and jewelry, and I curl my fingers into a fist.
A rumble from my stomach reminds me it’s time for lunch. Because I went to Princess College today to fetch the students, I didn’t join the king and queen for lunch. I only had a piece of buttered toast and a cup of coffee, which is more like the breakfasts I had in Portland.
The students are still gathered around Edward as he introduces them to some new species. Elle and Henry stand a little way off. It seems that they want to talk to each other but aren’t daring to. I remember what Elle told me about the duchess needing Henry to inherit the dukedom. Maybe it’s not the right thing to do . . . but I walk up to them anyway.