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“Let’s hear it then. How long have you known him?”
“Five years.”
He sipped his tea. “His family? Perkins looked him up but found nothing.”
“He isn’t titled.”
“Then he wants one?”
I made eyes at my dad. “He’s a pilot, actually. He works hard and is self-made. He flies and drives, unlike either of us.”
My father appeared unconvinced but picked up the last bite of food from his plate and finished it. He was eating well, then. There was colour in his cheeks, and he had a snarky attitude about him that suggested he was in better health.
“Self-made or not, he’ll need to change his game in order to marry you, Alexandra. In the old days, he’d need a title.”
I resisted a disrespectful eye roll. “He hasn’t asked, so don’t jump the gun. Plus he doesn’t need to change anything. It isn’t necessary. All that matters is that he’s important to me, and I wanted you to meet him, among other things. Stop making wedding plans.”
My father hummed. “Well, I suppose he’s a better choice than that nephew of Norway you run around with. I confess I’m relieved it won’t be him who will come to me for permission.”
My nerves left me, and I rounded the seat to drop into it. “You love Dori. He’s on his way here, actually.”
Dad brightened. “Is he? Think he’ll join us at whist?”
My mind slipped to the mission Dori had taken on with Raphael’s team. To the whole drama that brought me here. I stiffened my spine. “Perhaps. There’s something I need to talk to you about. You have to promise not to rage about it.”
“Well, spit it out, then.”
“Over the summer, the king asked me to step in to carry out some public appearances while he was away.”
Dad’s lips thinned. “The nerve. Off sunning himself while he set you to task. No, no. I never wanted that for you. You have your art, plus you always hated public speaking. No, Alexandra. Absolutely not.”
“Calm or I won’t continue.” My throat clogged at his referencing my art and my aptitude. I never knew he’d noticed.
My father reached for a plastic pill dispenser on the table. He popped one of the compartments, extracted a small yellow pill, displayed it to me, then swallowed it. “Proceed.”
This was the hard part.
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell him about the security leaks or the danger I’d been in with the drink spiking. Though Dad looked well, another stroke could ruin him.
I dropped his gaze and half of what I could’ve said. After our conversation, I’d go out and make the appearance that would make the press lose interest in me. Dad didn’t need to be any the wiser about that. The only part I couldn’t handle myself was Sir Reginald’s threat to put my father to work or defund him.
“They want me to do more, and I don’t mind helping out our family, but there were concerns over how it was being managed…”
“What kind of concerns?”
“Raphael’s team are bodyguards. Their advice was for me to stop. But if I’m not the one doing it, it was suggested that you?—”
“Perkins,” my father bellowed. “Fetch me my telephone.”
Perkins stepped through the door. “At once. Please be advised that we have another guest arriving. I’m informed a second helicopter recently touched down.”
My father grouched about who that might be, but I was already on my feet. With any luck, my lure had worked, and I had to get in there first to control this mess.
Chapter 37
Raphael
Arm in arm with the prince’s girlfriend, I crossed the lawn outside the palace in no particular hurry.