Page 98 of The Secret of Flirting
“Just... nervous,” she said.
The count reached forward to pat her knee. “Relax, niece. It’s almost over now.”
His faux kindness was too much to be borne, given all that had happened and the way she was strung tight as a wire over the stage. “Almost over foryou, perhaps, Uncle.” She couldn’t hide the resentment in her voice. “But if the delegates vote for one of the other candidates, I will be returning to Dieppe forthwith, no better off than I was before.”
At least that was what shewouldhave been doing, if not for Gregory.
A flush rose in his cheeks. “Actually, I should have told you before, but... well, I still intend to bring you back to Chanay once this is done, no matter what the vote is. I always did.”
She gaped at him. “What?!” Then she shot Lady Ursula an accusing glance. “Did you know this?”
“No, I swear!”
The count crossed his arms over his chest, looking sullen. “I had to make sure you saw the charade out to the end. That you put the full force of your ability into it.”
Rage roared up inside her. “You mean you only threatened to abandon me and Grand-maman tospur me on? To make sure you got your money’s worth out of me?”
He shrugged. “You could look at it that way.”
Oh, that was... She couldn’t believe... She was going to kill him! All of this had been avoidable! If she’d known that the count was predisposed to help her, no matter what, she could have told him about Gregory from the beginning, and they could have worked matters out to determine how best to proceed. If Gregory had known the reasons for her masquerade, he might better have countenanced it. He might not right now be preparing to lose everything, if necessary, to gain her.
That brought her up short. She couldn’t regret that. Or the circumstances that had led to her finding love with Gregory. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t still furious with her great-uncle.
“What a truly awful thing to do,” she snapped. “I don’twantyou to take care of Grand-maman. She would be better off in a garret somewhere than with the likes of you, damn you!”
“Now, niece—”
“No! I shall not listen. When this is over, I want nothing more to do with you. I shall marry Lord Fulkham, and Grand-maman will live withus.”
Lady Ursula smiled, having obviously already figured out how things were going with Gregory.
But the count scoffed. “Marry Fulkham? He would never marry an actress. It would hurt his career.”
“But I’mnotjust an actress, am I?” she said bitterly. “I’m third in line for the throne behind Grand-maman and some great-aunt of mine.”
She had the great satisfaction of watching him blanch before his gaze shot to Lady Ursula. “Youtoldher?”
“Not I. Lord Fulkham told her.”
Confusion clouded his features. “But then he would have had to know—”
“My true identity,” Monique finished. “Yes, he knew from the beginning, because he’d met me years ago. And I was too afraid to tell you because of your stupid threats. Instead, I lived in terror that he would expose me.”
She glanced out to see them pulling up in front of the assembly hall where the conference had been held. “Oh, why am I even bothering to tell you? It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“But truly, niece,” her uncle said. “He means tomarryyou?”
A footman opened the door to the carriage and bowed to her. “Your Highness. They’re waiting for you inside.”
She paused to stare at her uncle. “Yes,marry me. But before then, he means to risk everything for me. So just stay out of our way, will you? Because if you ruin this for him and me—”
“No, no, I won’t,” he said hastily.
“Good. Because if you do, Uncle, I swear I shall never speak to you again.”
Then, lifting her head and taking on the mantle of Princess Aurore for the last time, she descended from the carriage and went to meet her fate.
Twenty-Four
