Page 35 of A Foreign Crown
“Yes, precisely.” She glanced up at the house again and then took his arm.
As soon as they had put a little distance between themselves and the house, and were safely behind several hedges, she relaxed.
“Is something troubling you?”
She thought about his questions before answering. “I didn’t think so—not really—but I suppose I do feel troubled.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“I would, perhaps, sometime. But at this moment I am most distracted wanting to know how your conversation with His Majesty went.”
He frowned.
“Oh dear; not what you hoped?”
“It was everything I hoped, I think.”
She waited.
He seemed to be mulling through the experience. “He seems like a good man. Do you know him?”
Immediately the memory of him shaking the door of the Queen’s chambers startled her heart.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Prince Layton asked.
“Oh, nothing at all. I just had a disturbing memory flash before my eyes.”
“I wish to be a listening ear. Please share, if you think doing so would help.”
“You first, please. Part of my upheaval is not knowing if you will at last have the help you need for your country.”
“That is remarkable to me.” His eyes held regard.
She let it fill her with the happy expectation that she knew she would have to squelch sooner rather than later; for this moment, she would revel in it. “Not so remarkable, I would think.”
“In the throes of your own troubles, your own concerns, here you are, fascinated with mine.”
She waved him away. “Are you going to tell me?”
He laughed. “Yes, of course. I enjoyed talking with him, very much. He is incredibly bright. We discussed many interesting things in our brief walk. I wish I had more afternoons to spend with him.”
“Perhaps you do.”
They paused in their steps. He lifted a shoulder. “I hope I might, but he has been rather elusive.”
She nodded and was burdened that she knew the reason.
The prince continued. “When we at last arrived at the topic of my country and our needs, I explained the situation on our shores. I talked about being willing to enter the war, to side with England, at great risk to ourselves, because we are already being targeted by France and have inadvertently aided Napoleon by allowing it to continue until now.”
“And what did he say?” She tapped her foot, shuffling a little in her desire for him to finally tell her all.
“What he said troubles me.” He lifted her hand in his own, as though studying the back of her glove.
“Oh dear.”
“He said he would help us, that he would talk to his admirals and send two ships to our aid as soon as I leave, with the promise of more to come.”
“That sounds good, doesn’t it?” she said, though her heart sank a little at the mention of him leaving. “Why are you troubled?”
