Strike at Midnight(97)
“I wanted to let you know that I’m going to be overseeing the local law enforcement’s infrastructure and training strategies for a while,” he said, throwing me off once more. “At least until they realize how to do their jobs properly and look after the people of Carena with a more trained eye. I know what you said about change and transition, and I thought this would be a good place to start. Would you mind staying at the castle and helping me look over some of the plans to do that while we wait on the outcome of Lord Peacock?”
“What?” I uttered, not quite believing what he was saying.
“With your experience, we could come up with a training plan that could incorporate the use of the Royal Guards to get them up to scratch. And I would really appreciate your input.”
Oh, this guy really was a heartbreaker.
“Of course I will,” I said, taking the step back onto the steadier ground he had given me. “Anything I can do to repay you for all you’ve done, I will do it.”
His grin was infectious as he took my hand to pull me up to my feet. “Excellent,” he said. “Then I suggest we find you a room where you can clean up and get into some fresh clothes before we get started.”
“Do I smell that bad?” I asked, knowing damn well I did.
“You really do,” he said, and the glint in his eyes had me laughing so much that a warmth hit my cheeks from the pleasure of it.
“Then let’s go get me cleaned up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Well, I'll be Damned...
Several days had passed since Prince Andrew had rescued me from the jailhouse, and I had to admit that I secretly hoped that Lord Peacock’s capture would be delayed for a little while longer.
Between talks of strategy and finding out more about the prince’s upbringing, I’d found myself to be completely comfortable in my new surroundings.
We found out that the more we talked, the more we had more in common at the core than I was willing to admit. Not to mention the similar sense of humor we shared that made light of the things we were complete opposites in. He would often regale me with stories from his youth on an evening—his father sometimes joining in with stories of his own—and I let myself be swept away with it for a time as the inevitable hovered just around the corner. It was an easy friendship that had formed between us, but it was also getting harder and harder to resist the need to touch him or kiss him during the times we were left alone.
It was like a burning flame that grew hotter and hotter when we together, and I knew this was going to hurt like hell when I made the move to go back to my old life.
Marcel and the others had been made aware of what was going on, and from the correspondence he sent to me, it looked like Rem was taking up temporary residence in my room. He had said that the boy was on the mend and taking it day by day, and he had been out to the cottage to see his brother’s grave. After a few more tears he had looked better for it, and he had even joined the search for Lord Peacock. It had given me the itch to want to go out there and hunt Lord Peacock for myself, but I understood the reasons why I couldn’t. I needed to continue the facade of being betrothed to the prince, and me riding out in my tunic and breeches wasn’t going to help with that right now. Not when I was also wanted for murder. But it humbled me that they were all trying to hunt the guy down for me and save my skin.
It had made me question if I could really consider staying here forever and be a good wife to the prince, devoting my life to the kingdom as a princess. And it had made me wonder if I could truly get past the hurt and the pain that held me back when I reached out for happiness. But I couldn’t find the answers to that. All I could feel was the fear of the unknown take hold of me when I thought about it, and that had me clawing back to the comfort of what I knew best.
A knock on the door of the study where I was reviewing some of the prince’s plans made me look up from the documents and shout, “Come in.”
A maid who I knew to be called Prudence came in and gave me a curtsey.
“Hi, Prudence,” I said, and she blushed at my straightforward address.
“Good day, ma’am,” she said. “I just wanted to announce a visitor who has arrived asking for you, if you are willing to accept them?”
“Of course she is willing to accept me,” Mia said as she came charging into the room. “Hello, my dear Rella.”
“Hello, Mia,” I said upon her entrance. I gave Prudence her reprieve and dismissed her from the room with the reassurance that it wasn’t her fault that Mia had bad manners. “What can I do for you?” I shut the door behind me and walked over to join Mia as she sat on one of the two elegant seats that were placed by the large window in the study chamber.
“I came to give my congratulations on your betrothal, my dear. I thought it might be necessary.”
“I’m not really betrothed,” I said, no longer wanting that fact to be true. “We’re just pretending until Lord Peacock is found and my name is cleared enough for me to go back to my old life.” I put up a hand up to stop her from saying anything further. “And why did you think your visit would be necessary?”
“Well, if you would let me speak,” she said with that usual smug grin of hers. She was dressed even more elegantly today in a black-and-green silk gown, and her midnight-colored hair had been rolled up neatly on each side of her head. “I came to tell you a few things about me, and to tell you who was responsible for ensuring the shoddy law-enforcement people caught you in the act at Peacock’s house.”