Page 28 of A Foreign Crown
“Four months. And you?”
“I am here until I can secure help from the Royal Navy for my country, and then I long to return home to continue my duty to guard our shores.”
The thought saddened her already, though she had only just become acquainted with this handsome prince. “And so you will live in Brittiny Castle when you marry?” She had never been so bold with a man, hadn’t spent much time talking to any man.
“Yes. When I have someone to share the castle with, I shall then call it a true home. I look forward to the day in some ways. It is one of the most stunning spectacles I have ever seen.”
“It sounds lovely. And I’d love to hear you describe it in such a way that I feel I have been there.”
“I find that prospect quite the most pleasant idea I’ve heard since arriving. Shall we talk of it more some evening?”
“I’d like that.”
As they drew closer to the Queen’s house, Aribella squeezed his arm and whispered, “Perhaps I should continue on from here alone.”
“Do you not wish to alert the house to your activities?”
“I do not think it would be wise.”
“Perhaps you are correct.” He dipped his head. “I thank you for your company this evening. You’ve made all of my moments since my arrival more pleasant than they otherwise would have been. I look forward to my summons to Windsor so we might encounter one another again.”
She curtsied and battled within herself. Was she courageous enough to say what was in her heart? Did she dare arrange such a thing? They stood together, neither taking the first step away until she spoke quickly. “I suspect we might find ourselves in these very gardens more often than not.”
His eyebrow raised, and a certain light flickered in his eyes. “I do believe you are correct. Can you see the gardens from your window as I can from mine?”
She nodded and then indicated the section of the house where he could see her window.
“Then, perhaps we might see each other sooner than my summons.”
“Perhaps. If I were the master of my schedule, I would know better.” She already felt like quite a hoyden in mentioning secret meetings, but she hadn’t precisely arranged to meet him, had she? Only alerted him to their mutual appreciation of gardens. “And perhaps a promenade in the park? I do believe Princess Mary mentioned such a thing.”
“Then, I am all the more pleased.” He bowed. “Until we meet again.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles as he had when he’d greeted her.
Then she hurried to the side servants’ door, looked back over her shoulder one more time to his watching form, and closed the door behind her.
Chapter Eleven
The days blended together. Laytonstarted to fear he would be stuck at court, attempting to speak to the King, for the rest of his life. He spent this particular morning writing letters to seek his family’s counsel about matters of the English court. As he finished the letter he’d started to Mother, he paused, wondering if he should mention Lady Aribella or the princesses. Mother would appreciate that kind of missive, but he wished to keep such information to himself lest his parents exert influence one way or another when he would have chosen otherwise.
He decided against sharing anything just yet. He knew so little about Lady Aribella. Perhaps she was promised to another. Perhaps she was not interested in him in that way. Perhaps he would not get on well with her over time.
Though, he somehow knew they would always get on. They seemed remarkably well suited. But perhaps he was forgetting his purpose in coming and should focus more on his efforts to support his navy. While Lady Aribella was a soft respite from the ways of the royal court, he could not let her become his focus for being in England. And hopefully, were any good fortune to come his way, he would be leaving the country sooner than it could possibly take to know her or any lady well enough to consider anything further.
He rang for a servant, asked that his letters be delivered to a ship heading to his nation, and then sought out a carriage to go and leave his calling cards at various homes, the admiral of the navy’s being one.
Upon his return, Godfrey alerted him to the day’s activities. Layton would be paying a visit to the Queen’s house and then attending a local private ball that evening.
His heart skipped. “A summons from the Queen at last.”
Godfrey nodded. “It seems Her Majesty and her daughters have taken a great liking to you.”
Layton nodded. “That is good news, isn’t it?”
Godfrey did not respond for a moment. Then he said only, “It would depend on your goals, Your Highness.”
“I have one purpose only: to ask for the aid of His Majesty’s navy for my country.” Layton considered his valet’s wise words and felt a renewed energy to focus more on his true purpose. A friendship with the princesses was provident if it aided him in his true goal, which was to return home with British naval ships.
“When is my presence requested for an audience at the Queen’s house?”
