Page 9 of Pregnant In The King's Palace

‘He said I had a lucky escape from him and his family.’ He’d said it with such bitter conviction.

Her sister moved to drape the diamond necklace over Angelique’s collarbones. ‘Dear heart, believe him.’

When Theo had promised to change Valentine’s dinner seating arrangements for the better, Valentine had stupidly not seen those words for a threat. Banquet seating was a fine art and Theo’s wife, Moriana, was the best of the best when it came to seating people to their advantage. The arrangements had been thrown out on account of his ex’s departure earlier that morning, but it had been sorted not half an hour later when the Grand Dame of Opera had stepped in to take her place. He truly hadn’t thought Theo’s threat worth worrying about.

But it wasn’t the Grand Dame of Opera who slipped into the seat beside him and turned an almost faultless smile in his direction several minutes later.

Nor was it Angelique.

It was her sister.

‘Luciana,’ he greeted, not the slightest bit tempted to use her shorter nickname. Angelique’s twin had never hidden her utter contempt for him. Loyal to the last. A part of him had always admired that about her. ‘Stunning as always.’

‘I am, rather,’ she murmured. ‘And you...’ her eyes raked him from ceremonial head to toe, and then she shrugged ‘...too. All those sashes and impressive little medals on your breast.’

‘Chest,’ he corrected. ‘You have a breast. I have a chest. Would you like some wine?’

No sooner had he said it than a waiter appeared, but she waved him away with a murmur of thanks and then a no. ‘You can be sure that once the evening is over, I’ll be heading for my brother’s finest wine. Until then, no. I have far too many people to watch over this evening to be doing so with a cloudy mind. And while we’re on the subject of clear minds, how is it that you always know I’m not my sister?’

‘Magic.’ In all honesty, he had no idea how he could so easily tell one from another. But he could.

‘Better that than saying you imprinted on her young and have never been able to wash the essence of her from your soul, I suppose.’

‘Much better. And not nearly as bloodthirsty.’

‘Still. My version’s more romantic.’

‘In what universe are you a romantic?’ Not that he meant to be rude...

‘Oh, okay. I’m a ball-breaker.’

That she was. Luciana might not have always had Angelique’s tarnished reputation to contend with. People had painted her as the good sister for many years, right up until she’d become the mistress of a married nobleman and then refused to marry him once he was free. Once a cheat, always a cheat, she’d declared, and moved on without a backward glance. Moved on to parties with movie stars and billionaires, princelings and sportsmen and cut a swathe through them all. These days, Luciana’s reputation rivalled her sister’s. And Theo’s court was their new playing field. ‘Why are you here?’

‘Sisterly love. The seating arrangements were changed at the very last minute, as I’m sure you were aware.’ She stopped speaking to regard him more intently. ‘Oh. You weren’t aware. That’s very interesting. Anyway, where was I?’

Did the dippy act ever work for her? He thought not. ‘You were speaking of Angelique.’

‘Yes, of course I was. You and your obsessions. It’s almost quaint the way you’ve never forgotten her. Angelique was up before dawn and has spent all day pandering to entitled aristocrats who take one look at her and think she’d like to end the day naked beneath them. She in turn took one look at the changes to tonight’s seating arrangement—which seated her next to you—and said, “I have shovelled more excrement today than any being can be expected to shovel in a day and none of it has come from the rear end of a horse. I can’t do this. I’m too tired.”’ Luciana beamed. ‘And so here I am.’

Charming. ‘And your host knows about this swap?’

Luciana shrugged. ‘Theo does not—in fact—know everything. A disappointment he struggles to contain, I know, but that’s just the way it is.’

‘You’re funny.’

‘Oh, stop with your flirting before I castrate you.’

He’d rather flirt with an angry lioness. ‘And people wonder why the Cordova twins are still single.’

‘No one I know wonders that,’ she said, dry as dust. ‘Do keep up.’

‘Still funny.’ But he could barely bring himself to be amused. That Angelique had taken one look at the seating arrangements and decided she couldn’t abide to be anywhere near him filled him with a strange restlessness. Their earlier encounter had left him wanting...something. Absolution, forgiveness, a spectacular argument—any of that would do. He had bitterness to burn and Angelique had never been one to shirk from confrontation. The stoking of old embers—that too might satisfy.

What was it Angelique had said earlier? If their attraction had been allowed to run its course, it would be done and dusted by now. Or words to that effect. But it hadn’t, and it wasn’t, and maybe it was time to explore what they’d started all those years ago. Put it properly to bed. He needed no royal wife any more, no paragon of virtue and mother to his children. Why not pick up with Angelique where they’d left off and see where it took them?

He stood and studied the half-dozen long tables set up in a banquet hall that sparkled and shone the way only a Liesendaach banquet hall could. He spotted Angelique at the other side of the room, seated with Benedict and her brother and a professional polo player whose on-field play he liked a whole lot more than the easy smile the man was sharing with Angelique. ‘Ah. There she is.’ He turned to her sister. ‘And here you are, and, as diverting as our conversation is, it’s time you returned to your designated seat and let Angelique take hers. Shall you send her over or will I collect her?’

But Luciana had been forced to stand when he had, and her drawling ennui looked to have been replaced by temper, fierce and somewhat familiar. ‘I’ll be nice,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘I’ll be positively delightful. Baiting you is boring anyway. And in return you’re going to leave my sister be.’

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