Page 84 of A Royal Kiss & Tell

“No? What has happened to you, man?” He poured himself a generous whisky, then turned to face the two of them again, Caroline on the settee, Leo still standing just inside the door. Beck pointed his glass at Caroline and said to Leo, “She’s spurned my friend Ladley.”

Caroline frowned at her brother. “I warned you.”

“But I don’t see why. He’s a good man. You can’t keep turning away all the good men, Caro,” Beck said impatiently, and to Leo, “Can you imagine, Leo, what our poor parents would say if they knew I’d allowed her to remain unmarried for so long?”

“Allowedme?”

Leo didn’t have time for the bickering, and apparently neither did Caroline. She suddenly stood and went to the window to peer out. She seemed unusually restless.

Beck looked at her and shrugged, then turned his attention to Leo. “You, my friend, missed a spectacular horse race,” he said, and launched eagerly into telling Leo of how his Alucian racehorse had performed at Four Corners. The telling took some time, however, as Hawke was determined not to leave out a single detail. Leo made all the appropriate remarks, but he realized that he wasn’t listening at all. The butler wheeled in the tea, and Beck craned his neck to see around him, still talking. Tea was served, and Leo realized he was gripping one hand tighter and tighter until he had a fist worthy of a blow to Beck’s mouth if he didn’t stop talking.

“Caro, the tea,” Beck reminded her, and Caroline came back from the window and accepted a cup from Garrett.

“I’ve the race results,” Hawke said, and patted down his chest, as if he’d pinned them there. “Where are they? They must be in the study. Excuse me,” he said, and strode out of the salon.

Leo put down his teacup and looked at Caroline. “What is the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, clearly.”

She glanced across the room. Garrett was standing patiently at the door. “I need to talk to you,” she said softly.

“And I desperately need to talk to you,” he murmured.

“Here they are!” Beck had returned and was waving a piece of paper in his hand. “You’ll be as proud when you see how the Alucian horse fared.” He sat next to Leo and proceeded to go over the race times of all the horses entered in the race.

Caroline put down her teacup. “Beck, darling, aren’t you forgetting? You’re to dine with Lord Ainsley this evening and ascertain if he intends to offer for my hand.”

Beck started. “Good Lord, I am. Thank you, Caro. Leo, will you please excuse me?” he said. “The time got away from me. My apologies, Leo. I got a bit carried away. Caro, you’ll see the prince out, will you?” Beck asked as he came to his feet.

“Garrett!” Beck called, striding from the room. “Send Jones to me! I don’t want to be late!”

When he’d gone, and the butler with him, Caroline said, “Have you ever in your life known someone more obsessed with horses?” She abruptly stood from the settee and went to the window.

Leo did, too. He didn’t know how to broach this delicate situation with her. “Looking for someone?” he asked, peering out the window. He could just see the top of his coach.

Caroline turned around and leaned up against the window frame.

“Caroline, I—”

“May I ask you something?” she interrupted.

“Je, of course.”

“I’ve heard you’re returning to Alucia quite soon. Is that true?”

He’d long since learned not to question how things were known about him. They simply were. “Who told you so?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, but I—”

“Is it true?”

He stared into her shining green eyes and tried to find words. There were so many bloody emotions bubbling in him. Emotions he needed a drink to dull, but alas, had foregone the opportunity. “Je.It can’t be avoided.”

Something flickered in her eyes. It was like the flame of a candle sputtering out.