Page 32 of A Royal Mistake
“Finally. I thought they’d never leave,” Lena said, propping her chin up on her hand. She wore a bold fuchsia sundress and her dark hair was knotted on top of her head and held in place with a pencil. Pippa envied Lena’s confidence. She didn’t seem to give a damn what Their Majesties thought of her, and Pippa aspired to the same level ofI-don’t-give-a-fuck-about-royal-protocolcool. “What’s the deal with you and Henry?”
“Yeah, we want all the details,” Evie chimed in, eyes shining bright at the prospect of a good story. Evie was a writer, a former gossip blogger, and the best thing to ever happen to her brother. “Xander wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“That’s because there’s nothing to tell,” Pippa declared, willing her cheeks to remain neutral.
“That’s what you’re going with?” Evie asked, rolling her eyes. She grinned at Pippa and tossed her napkin on the table. “You know I can smell bullshit a mile away, right?”
“Besides,” Lena added. “We know for a fact it was Henry who took you for the midnight ride. Liam recognized his bike.”
Pippa sighed and wiped her hands on her napkin. She was stalling, but what was she supposed to say? She adored Lena and Evie, but it was best for everyone involved if she kept her mouth shut. Besides, they hadn’t actually kissed. “There’s nothing going on with Henry and me. It’s strictly business.”
Lena and Evie exchanged a look and then the women broke out into peals of laughter. They laughed so hard there were tears streaming down their faces when they finally came up for air.
God, did everyone think she was a joke?
“What’s so funny?” she demanded, pushing her chair back from the table with a screech that would’ve put Miss Cartwright’s teeth on edge.
“Ay bendito.” Lena swiped a tear from her cheek and sucked in a deep breath. “Only the fact that I said the same thing when I first met Liam.”
“Ditto Xander,” Evie chimed in.
Flames licked at Pippa’s cheeks, spreading down the back of her neck and over her chest as she stared at her sister-in-law and future sister-in-law. “Well, he is rather attractive, isn’t he? At least the populars got that part right.”
* * *
Henry reviewedhis proposal as he waited for Prince William to join him. The prince’s secretary had advised the prince was running late and would be along shortly, which was just fucking perfect. A week had passed since their first meeting, and he had yet to have a conversation of material consequence with the prince. Now his time was being cut short again?
If he didn’t know better, he’d think the prince was jerking him around on purpose. But to what end? There was no benefit to delaying negotiations. If the prince was going to decline the offer, then best to just be done with it. At least then he could call in his deal with Pippa and get back to doing what he did best: helping people.
Frustration stirred in his gut as the minutes ticked by.
Not that his time in Valeria had been unpleasant. He was actually looking forward to spending more time with Pippa. She was a breath of fresh air in the otherwise stuffy palace. And he’d rather enjoyed crashing her speed dating experiment, which was the only explanation for the fact that he’d foolishly agreed to help with her schemes to drive off the unwanted suitors.
A smarter man would have refused.
Getting involved was reckless. An unnecessary complication. A risk.
But when she’d looked up at him with those big brown eyes, he’d been unable to deny her.
Henry shifted in his seat, trying to focus on the proposal before him. He needed to get his head on straight. The last thing he needed to be thinking about was the prince’s little sister while they were negotiating terms.
Scheisse. Had Prince William seen this morning’s headlines? If so, this meeting could get awkward fast. He’d been a fool to put himself in this position.
There was a quietsnickand the door to the office opened. He rose to his feet, depositing the proposal on the desk, and turned to greet Prince William. The prince crossed the small office in a few quick strides.
“Henry, it’s good to see you,” the prince said, extending his hand in greeting.
“And you, Your Highness.” He accepted the proffered hand and gave it a quick, firm shake.
“I apologize for the delay.” Prince William circled the desk and took his seat. “I’m up to my arse in economic policy with the development of Spartan HQ2.”
He remembered seeing the announcements in the papers. It had been big news when the retail giant had chosen their new European headquarters. The deal would bring jobs and economic stimulation to Valeria, and Prince William had been credited with negotiating the agreement.
“I don’t envy you those discussions,” he said, chuckling good-naturedly. “Economics isn’t really my strong suit.”
Prince William arched a brow. “Somehow I doubt that, given your success with VDRI.”
Henry shrugged. The actions of his former CFO would suggest otherwise, but he wasn’t about to open that can of worms. “We all have our strengths. Mine lie elsewhere.”