Page 68 of Ardently Yours

My smile turns a little wooden. Maybe his babysitter fell through at the last moment, but it’s after eleven at night. It seems odd to bring her here.

“Well, I’m happy to meet you,” I say.

“My name is Clare. I like your dress.”

“Thank you, Clare. I like yours too. My name is Charlotte. I have a little girl I’ll bet is just your age.”

Her eyes light up. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“I like books and sparkles and kittens. Does she like kittens?”

“She loves cats and dogs and pigs and cows.”

Clare giggles. “Cows?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You look like Barbie.”

I take it for the compliment she clearly intended. “Thank you. You look like a princess.”

Clare fluffs her skirts. “I know,” she sighs. “But it would be better to pet a cow.”

From the tone and quiet laughter of the conversation happening above us, I’d guess Arden and Clare’s father are friends. Which of Arden’s friends has a daughter?

It must be Marcus Harcourt.

Clare turns to tug her father’s pant leg, and I rise to my full height.

When Marcus picks her up, she rests her cheek on his shoulder. “I’m sleepy, Daddy.”

The man’s lips curve upward, but there’s something broken in his eyes, as if he’s holding on to the only thing left that matters in the world, and he’s convinced she’s about to be torn from his arms at any moment. He rubs her back. “I know, Clare-Bear. You can close your eyes.”

I force my face to remain neutral. When he and Clare walk away after a brief conversation, I send Arden a concerned look. “She was the one who was kidnapped?”

He nods.

“Is it normal for him to take her everywhere with bodyguards so close?”

Arden’s mother smiles. “Does it concern you? That a child in this life requires protection? Clarissa Harcourt will one day inherit the Harcourt empire. Compromises must be made.”

“Compromises, yes. But you don’t think that his behavior goes a little far?”

Arden frowns. “There’s no such thing as too far when it comes to safety for our children. We hire the experts, they perform risk assessment, then we trust their recommendations.”

“Her kidnappers died more than two years ago. I doubt it’s the team’s recommendation to flank her every step in a place like this. If so, why wouldn’t he leave her safe at home? He’s using her as a security blanket.”

“You were in his presence for less than five minutes. He loves his child, and she needs him around for her to feel secure as she recovers from her trauma. You’re making snap judgments without all the relevant facts,” Arden says.

The exact thing I hope Arden never does to me. “That’s fair.”

Arden’s mother tucks my arm into hers. “Walk with me, Charlotte.”

When Arden steps forward to join us, she lifts her chin. “Don’t hover, Arden. I’ll bring your friend back to you after we’ve made our rounds.”

Arden catches my eye in silent question.

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