Page 82 of A Royal Kiss & Tell

“The men who done this,” Isidora said.

“They said they’d kill us if we told the truth,” the boy said.

“What? What is your name there, lad?” Leo asked.

“Bobbin,” he said softly.

“Bobbin, they willnotkill you,” Leo said. But the two women started talking to him at once. “Ladies!” he said loudly. “Have you no faith in me? In my word?”

Isidora steadily held his gaze, but Jacleen looked to the floor. And Bobbin looked frantically at his sister. How old was he? Seven? Eight?

“So that’s the way of it,” Leo said flatly, inexplicably annoyed with them. “I am a prince of Alucia. Has that escaped your attention? I have a certain amount of power and integrity.”

“But...but what can you do, milord?” asked Isidora. “If we speak, they’ll send us home and they’ll find us there. They’ll find our families—”

“No,” Leo said firmly, holding up a hand. “They will not.” God, he hoped he was right about this. “Is this the life you want?” he asked Jacleen. “Is this what you want for your Bobbin? I thought you were relieved to flee Arundel.”

She flushed. “Aye,” she whispered, and wrapped a protective arm around the boy.

“And you, Isidora? Were you not relieved to leave Mrs. Mansfield’s den?”

She quickly nodded her head and took a small step backward.

“More important, ladies, do you want other young women—or children,” he added, gesturing to Bobbin, “to discover what awaits them in England?”

“No,” Isidora muttered.

Leo rubbed his nape. He looked at them again and said solemnly, “I understand. I know I’m not the prince you want to come to your rescue. I am not a hero. And I have a certain reputation that should not recommend me to any part of society.”

Jacleen nodded along as if that was fact.

“But you have my word that you and your families will be protected. If you don’t believe me, then believe my brother.”

Isidora perked up. “Prince Sebastian?”

“Je, Prince Sebastian,” Leo said. “He will assure you are all protected. But you must help me. What has happened to you is an abomination, and those responsible must be held accountable. Such a despicable practice can’t be allowed to continue, and the only way to end it is to bring down the men who have arranged it. We, my brother and I, will need your cooperation.”

The women looked at each other.

“Do we have it?” Leo asked.

“Aye, Your Highness,” Isidora said, and looked starkly at the other two, as if daring one of them to argue.

After a suitable amount of silence, Leo nodded. “But I must find a way to free Rasa, and even then, we won’t leave without Eowyn and Nina. How do I find them?”

“Mrs. Brown,” Jacleen said.

“Who is Mrs. Brown?”

“The cook, Your Highness.”

“Whose cook?” Leo asked, confused.

“She’s the cook here, Highness. She’s the one who readies them to send.”

A wave of nausea went through Leo before he even understood. Something in the back of his mind told him he was the biggest fool to have ever lived. “What,here? Mrs. Brown readies women from Wesloria—”

“And Alucia,” Isidora interjected.