A Royal Entanglement: The Young Royals Book 2 (11 page)

I plucked two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray and headed in her direction.
 
She saw me coming and smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing as she caught the look in my eye.
 
I stood in front of her and she dipped in a small curtsy, which I responded to with a quick bow before handing her the extra glass and then taking her free hand in mine to place a kiss on her knuckles.

“You are stunning,” I said and my voice sounded strange to my own ears.

“Thank you,” she said shyly.

“I love this dress,” I said.

She flushed again, “Savannah picked it out for me.”

“Then I will need to thank her,” I said with a wink.

She turned slightly away from me and took a drink of her champagne.
 
I followed her gaze and looked over the party.
 
Alyssa and Will were in conversation with a neighbouring country’s royal couple and everything else seemed to be going well.

“Dance with me,” I blurted and her eyes widened.
 
Before she could say no, I took the champagne glass from her hand and handed them off to a waiter before catching her around the waist and leading her to the dance floor.

“I didn’t say yes,” she said with a laugh as I spun her around the floor.

“You didn’t say no, either,” I said.

“Freddie, you’re incorrigible.”
 
She was laughing and relaxed and more beautiful than I had ever seen her.

“So, have you had enough time to think about my proposal?” I asked as I pulled her close, my hand low on her back.

Her breath hitched as she looked up at me and for a moment I got lost in the depth of her eyes.
 
Then I saw a sadness in them that didn’t bode well for me.

“Freddie, I can’t,” she said, breaking eye contact and looking over my shoulder.

I steered her off the dance floor and out the doors.
 
I took her hand and led her off the patio and down into the rose garden.
 
She shivered and I realised she must be freezing out here, October in Merveille was not exactly balmy.
 
I slipped off my suit coat and draped it around her shoulders before putting my arm around her and continuing walking along the path.

“You’re saying no?” I asked, just to clarify her response on the dance floor.

“I have to say no,” she said.

“Are you going back to Bradley then?” I asked, my voice gruff.

She stopped and turned to me, resting her hands on my chest and looking up at me.

“No, of course not,” she replied.

“Then why?”

She sighed and looked away.
 
“My family,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” I said, “They wouldn’t approve?”

She chuckled humourlessly and shook her head, “The exact opposite,” she said, “They would be all over this, it’s what they live for.”
 
She turned her head back to me, “I couldn’t put you or your family through that.”

I scoffed, “Don’t be silly.
 
They can’t be that bad.”

She sighed, “They’re worse,” she said sadly.

“I don’t care,” I said, determined not to let this opportunity pass me by.

She smiled up at me.
 
“You’re sweet, Freddie,” she said, “But I really have to say no, for both our sakes.
 
This would be a PR nightmare for not only me, but your family as well, not to mention what it could do to the Queen.
 
My family are professionals when it comes to creating scandals and I can’t, in good conscience, drag you into one.”

She stretched up and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek before slipping off my coat and handing it to me.
 
Then she turned and walked away from me.
 
But I wouldn't give up that easily.
 
I’d give her tonight and then I would step up the Freddie charm until she couldn’t do anything but agree to a fake relationship with me.

“Good morning Lord Frédéric,” Dalton the butler said as I walked into the breakfast room.
 
“You may want to read the papers before you eat.”

“Thank you Dalton,” I said as I took the paper out of his hand.
 
This was not a usual occurrence, Dalton did not hand me the morning paper, nor did he suggest I read it before breakfast.

I sat in my chair and flicked the paper open as Perry poured me a cup of coffee and it all became clear.
 
On the front page of the paper, where there should have been a photograph of our beautiful Queen Alyssa, was a photo of me dancing with Alex and the headline ‘The New Romantics - Romance sweeping the Palace’.

I swore under my breath and stood to my feet.

“I need a car, Dalton,” I said, “And Dayne.”

“They’re waiting for you out front.”

I strode through the halls and out the door.
 
Dayne was waiting for me and slid into the back seat beside me.

“There’s more,” he said opening the paper to the two-page spread that had photos of me and Alex standing together throughout yesterday.

I swore again.
 
Alex wasn't going to like this, not one bit.

“Who’ve you spoken to this morning?” I asked Dayne.

“No one,” he replied, “I wanted to speak with you first and get the official statement.”

“She’s going to kill me,” I said.

“It’s true then?” Dayne asked trying to sound casual and unsurprised, but I knew him too well for him to hide it from me.

“I want it to be,” I replied truthfully.

“And Alex?”

“She has… reservations.”

Dayne smiled and then tried to hide it but I saw it and I scowled at him.

“She was worried about the publicity,” I growled at him.

He nodded, not looking me in the eye, his face carefully blank.

“Does the Palace know we’re coming?” I ask changing the subject.

“Of course,” he replied.

“It’s early.”

“You know that Alex is in her office hours before anyone else.”

“I don’t want anyone to show her the papers before I can explain.”

“What’s there to explain?” he asked, “Did you leak them?”

“Of course not, you dolt.
 
You would’ve known if I were going to leak something like this.”

“So…”

“So?” I turned to him, an eyebrow cocked.

“I was just wondering how long it has been going on.
 
I know you flirt with her, but you flirt with everyone.”

“Nothing’s been going on,” I said frustrated, “I was trying to get her to go out with me and she turned me down.”

Dayne was looking down at the photo on the front page.
 
We were dancing and she was looking up at me, seemingly lost in my eyes and there was a crooked smile on my face.

“It doesn’t look like she was turning you down,” Dayne said.

I turned away from the paper and looked out the window as we arrived at the Palace gates.
 
A few die-hard paparazzi were camped out and started snapping away as the car drove through towards the Palace.
 
It wasn’t unusual for me to turn up at the Palace, I’d been working here for months, but the time of day was unusual and bound to be commented on.

I barely held my temper as I exited the car and strode through the doors towards the Queen’s office.

“Lord Bingham!”

I turned at the frantic call.

“Lady Alexandra is still in her suite,” the footman said.

“Take me to her.”

He nodded and led me in a different direction.
 
I had never been to Alex’s suite before, so I followed diligently, making note of the directions.
 
Eventually we arrived and the footman knocked on the door before opening it to a well appointed sitting room.
 
A lady’s maid was waiting for me.

“Lord Bingham,” she said executing a curtsy, “Lady Alexandra will be out presently.
 
May I pour you a cup of tea?”

“Is there coffee?” I asked brusquely.

“I’ll bring some,” the footman said and disappeared back out the door.

Dayne had followed me in and looking around the room.

“Please have a seat,” the maid said, “I will let Lady Alexandra know—”

“Let Lady Alexandra know what?”

I turned to see Alex exiting, what must be, her bedroom.
 
She looked fresh and put together and I could tell that she hadn’t yet seen the papers.

“Lord Bingham,” she said, surprised.

“I apologise for the intrusion,” I said, turning to face her and walking towards her.
 
“I needed to speak to you—”

“This is highly irregular,” she cut me off, her eyes flashing.

“I know,” I said, “But—”

“I thought we’d said all we needed to say last night.”

“Alex, you’re not listening to me.
 
I have something—”

“Tea please Margot,” she said walking past me to sit at her breakfast table.

“Alexandra, please,” I said, finally fed up with her trying to avoid me.
 
“You need to listen to me.”

The room fell quiet and all eyes were on me.

“I need to make you aware of some photographs that are in today’s paper.”

“Oh God,” she said, her hand going to her mouth and her skin paling.
 
“It’s not my sisters is it?
 
Or my mother?
 
Please tell me my mother is not on the front page of the paper.”

“Your mother is not on the front page of the paper,” I said and she relaxed slightly, “You are.”

“What!” Alex stood to her feet knocking over her tea, the contents spilling across the small breakfast table and dripping onto the carpet below.

“There are photos—”

“Oh God.”

“Of you and me—”

“Oh God!”

“Dancing at the cocktail party last night.”

She looked at me, puzzled.
 
“What?
 
Why?”

“And there are other photos of us together.”

“Oh my God Freddie!
 
Did you do this?
 
Did you leak these photos to force me into dating you?”