Page 30 of Ruthless Prince

I took another right down a shorter hall, and I was surprised to see a young brunette woman standing near an old oil painting, rummaging through a purse. Her protruding belly suggested she was around seven monthspregnant.

“Are you lost?” I asked as Iapproached.

She jumped when she heard me, dark brown eyes widening. “Oh!”

I held up a hand. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. I was just wondering who you are and what you’re doing uphere.”

“Oh,” she murmured, lowering her gaze to the floorboards. “Um… yes, I must belost.”

“What were you looking for? Do you work here?” Iasked.

The woman lifted her head to meet my gaze and smiled. “Yes. I’m amaid.”

“A maid?” I narrowed my eyes, looking down at her flawlessly manicurednails.

Not many housemaids bothered to get their nails done, because the work ruined it within hours. I’d learned that little factoid as a child when I asked one of my nannies why she didn’t have her nails painted like mymother.

She nodded. “I know I’m not dressed like one, but it’s my first day, so I don’t have a uniform yet,” she explained. “I was told to meet someone named Rebecca in thekitchen.”

I lifted a brow. “You thought you’d find the kitchen on the topfloor?”

She bit her lip. “Um….”

“It’s on the ground floor. When you come in through the front entrance, take a left and keep heading that way. It’s easy to find afterthat.”

“Well, that explains it,” she replied, letting out a nervous laugh. “I turned right when I camein.”

“And somehow wound up on the top floor.” My lips curved into asmirk.

“Sorry. I get really weird when I’m nervous, and I end up wandering without even noticing,” she said, cheeks flushing. “Anyway, I’ll go to the kitchen rightnow.”

I glanced at her belly and frowned. “Should you even be working in yourcondition?”

“It’s fine. I’m actually only five months along, but my belly popped really early. Must be a big baby,huh?”

“Yeah. I guess so,” I said. “Need any help getting back down thestairs?”

Her eyes went wide as saucers again, as if she thought she’d get in trouble if anyone else in the house saw her with me. “No!” she said. She immediately lowered her voice. “I mean, I’m fine on myown.”

“Okay. See youlater.”

I shrugged off the strange encounter and kept walking down the hall. When I reached my father’s study, I rapped on thedoor.

Dad opened it a moment later. “Yes, you forgot your—” He stopped when he saw me, thick brows rising. “Oh, Logan. This is a surprise. I was just going to callyou.”

I handed him the croissant. “I know. I thought I’d come and see youinstead.”

He stepped aside to let me in. My gaze wandered around the spacious study with its thick carpets, tall mahogany bookshelves and baroque stained glass lamps. A faint hint of cigar smoke and whiskey lingered in theair.

This was my favorite room when I was a child, mostly because I wasn’t allowed in. I used to sneak in and try to steal Dad’s books, but someone always noticed and made me return them before I gotaway.

“I just ran into one of your new hires in the hall. Strange woman,” Iremarked.

My father rubbed his chin. “Newhire?”

“One of the new maids. The pregnantone.”

He coughed and averted his eyes. “I’m not sure who you’re referring to. Anyway, the reason I wanted to call you…” He trailed off, stepped over to his desk and picked up his phone. “You wouldn’t happen to be responsible for this, wouldyou?”