Page 45 of Rivals

“I’ll get some drinks.” Teddy retreated, clearly sensing that he wasn’t needed, and Beatrice turned back to her sister.

“Is everything okay?”

“Not really.” Sam bit her lip, then admitted, “Marshall isn’t as serious about our relationship as I am.”

“What makes you say that?” Beatrice asked. Honestly,though, she hadn’t quite realized that Sam was serious about Marshall, either.

“I heard him say so to his grandparents! He told them that it isn’t a big deal and they don’t need to worry about me. What does thatmean? Why are they opposed to me dating their grandson?”

“I’m sure they’re just concerned that Marshall has a lot on his plate, being the future duke.”And you’re the princess.

Beatrice understood where Marshall’s family was coming from, if they were opposed to his dating someone higher-ranking—someone whose title and needs would come first. She just wished she had a kernel of wisdom to share. The only thing worse than grappling with a fundamental issue in your own relationship was watching that very same issue plague the people you loved.

As much as Beatrice hated to admit it, maybe the Duke and Duchess of Orange had a point. What were Sam and Marshall going to do if they ever got truly serious?

Things were hard enough for Beatrice and Teddy, and she was thequeen.

“Béatrice, Samantha! There you are.” Louise flitted over, dropping a European double kiss on their cheeks. In tight black leggings and a black top, Louise almost looked like she was ready for another run along the beach, except that she was still wearing her earrings and tiara from the state dinner. There was something blithely discordant about the contrast between her deliberately casual outfit and the near-priceless diamonds.

“How do you like our cups?” Louise asked, lifting one of the Solo cups. Beatrice saw that it was filled with red wine—probably a very expensive red wine. “Bharat ordered them for next-day delivery! Aren’t they fun? It’s like arealAmericanparty!”

“Yes! It reminds me of college.” Beatrice looked over, expecting Sam to chime in, but her sister was typing into her phone.

“Come join us outside, both of you?” Louise asked, positively crackling with energy.

Samantha slipped her phone back into her clutch. “I’ll wait here. My boyfriend is on the way.”

“Oh yes, Marshall!” Louise declared. “Come find us when he arrives. We’ll be out by the firepit.”

“Sure,” Sam replied, distracted. Louise started back toward the main crush of the party, but Beatrice hesitated.

“I can wait with you…”

“Go,” Sam insisted. “You don’t have to babysit me, I promise. I’ll be fine.”

Beatrice nodded, then hurried to catch up with Louise. She caught sight of Teddy near the fireplace with Rudolph and Rupert, the Austrian and Hungarian crown princes. He looked up, meeting her gaze, and waved jauntily. From the snatch of conversation she overheard, it sounded like they were talking about the World Cup.

She headed out onto the terrace; the pool lights made the surface seem to shimmer with gold flecks, as if someone had dropped a bucket of glitter onto it. Beatrice watched Prince Juan Pablo of Spain holler, then cannonball into the deep end fully clothed.

“It’s getting a little too rowdy out here.” Louise put a hand on Beatrice’s shoulder, steering her toward a firepit tucked around the side of the cottage, with a circle of wooden folding chairs ranged around it. “Welcome to therealparty,” she added with a wink.

“Beatrice! We wanted to wait for you before we got started.” Bharat had a bottle of wine in his hand, which he lifted to his lips, drinking straight from the bottle.

“Before you started what?” Beatrice asked.

“Our game,” Louise said, as if it were obvious.

For a moment, Beatrice wondered why they’d gone to the trouble of planning a party if they were just going to spend that party hiding from everyone, playing a game in their own exclusive circle. Maybe they liked the notoriety that the party brought them. Whatever their reasons, Beatrice didn’t really care—not now that she was part of that inner circle.

“Truth-or-dare?” Sirivannavari suggested.

“I’m not really in the mood for dares.” Louise made eye contact with Bharat and, understanding, he passed her the wine.

“God Save the Queen?” Alexei suggested. Beatrice had never heard of that game; was it British?

“No, I was thinking something a little more intimate. Like…kiss-marry-kill.” Louise hesitated a beat beforekiss,and Beatrice suspected that she’d been about to use a more profane word, then changed it at the last minute.

“What are our choices?” Sirivannavari asked.