Page 30 of A Torn Allegiance
“Can’t you see how infuriating the whole situation is for me?”
He tilted his head. “No, I cannot.”
She puffed out a breath.
“But do hurry if you wish to explain,” Duncan said, “or you will miss an opportunity to see who he might speak with next.”
“Of all the ridiculous...”
He leaned closer, but before he could counter with another tease, she blurted, “He was on intimate terms with Lord Everly.”
“They were seated together at the table. I’d hardly call that intimate.”
Though his words spoke calm to her fears, she persisted. “They seemed overly interested in each other, talking in low voices.”
“But they were smiling, and the others joined in. Hardly secretive.”
She decided to switch tactics. “What if he is aiding Lord Everly in his work to evict tenants?” Even as the words left her mouth, she knew they were unlikely.
“What excellent spy work, Sister, to notice such things.” His mocking expression served to both further aggravate her and inspire doubt.
“Even if he hasn’t yet, what if he were to begin? I heard him say he would like to consider sheep for his country. He thought the idea had merit. He might be fooled into thinking Lord Everly is doing good by his tenants.”
“Lord Everly is not doing good by his tenants, but you can see Prince Hayes’s point, surely. What is his country to do when the land doesn’t produce?” He shook his head. “You need to consider such questions yourself, Sister.” He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you wish to attend the tour simply to see what the man is up to, which was what Father directed we do? What if he has a secret mission with the Scots and you miss seeing the others he approaches, all because you can’t handle a slip of competition?”
She gasped.
“Come, Sister. You don’t think you could win over Prince Hayes, pull him away from Lady Annabeth’s clutches if you so desired?”
Her brother’s challenge, given as only a brother could, struck home.
She stood taller. “I do believe you are correct. I am the person for this task. I can’t have him colluding with heaven knows who else without our knowledge, particularly now that we have to save the Scots as well, and as for Lady Annabeth, only a man of very small brains would be distracted by her for too long.”
He tipped his head in great laughter. “I’ve never heard you speak so harshly. Careful, Sister, or others might guess what I already know about you.”
“And what is that?” She crossed her arms.
“That your heart has been well and truly caught by one Prince of Oldenburg.”
She whipped around, her skirts swishing against her legs lest he see the heat on her cheeks.
His laugh at her back as she hurried from him only served to further heat her face.
She approached the nearest servant, who escorted her back to the group. Prince Hayes stood near the front, with Lady Annabeth still on his arm. Lady Elsie willed her inner debate to quiet, but it raged on, so much so that her feet would not move, not for many moments. Did she stoop to the level of so many of the other women of theton, chasing after men of their acquaintance, throwing themselves into the game of marriage? They made her ill. Her hands clenched. And to throw herself onto Prince Hayes’s arm? What man respected such a woman?
His laugh as he answered some snippet or something Lady Annabeth had just said made Elsie cringe. Her inclination was to run again, to leave such a scene and wait for him to come to her. And if he didn’t come, then she would celebrate that she’d missed association with a man less than she deserved. But a tiny part of her also wished to be the woman on his arm. The other part of inner dialogue that battled for her well-being knew her father wanted to know the prince’s purpose here in England, wanted to know if he was to be trusted. And she herself wished to understand Prince Hayes’s new inclination toward Lord Everly, of all the people in the world with whom he could associate. She sighed. She knew what she needed to do. And it wasn’t going to be enjoyable in any way.
She lifted her chin and held her head as high as she could. As the group was preparing to move on, she stepped up to Prince Hayes’s other side. “Oh, Your Highness, I apologize for keeping you waiting.” She rested her hand on his arm. “Lady Annabeth.” She smiled at the woman at his other side, glanced up into his face, almost laughed at his amused reaction, and then faced forward. “What have I missed?”
He shifted his arm so that her fingers were touching his side for a moment, as if in greeting. She assumed it was so, or rather hoped. It was a form of intimate interaction, at any rate, which comforted her in the midst of such a brash move. The next breath left her, lessening the tightness across her shoulders.
“Lady Elsie, I did not know you were acquainted with Prince Hayes.” Lady Annabeth’s tone was tight.
“Oh yes, we are close family friends.”
His mouth twitched, but he said nothing to contradict her.
“I see. Sometimes wearewilling to associate with others simply because of a family acquaintance,” Lady Annabeth said with a smug expression.
