Page 37 of The Prince Falls First
She curtsied. “Your Highness. Thank you again for the invitation.”
“Of course. Shall we go?”
“One more moment, Your Highness. I brought a gift for you.”
He’d been wearing his ‘official’ smile but it deepened to a genuine one. “Oh?”
“Yes, some chocolates from Le Petit Pavé.”
“Oh!” Gen’s mother cried out, then began fake laughing. “Oh, you’ll never believe it, but I believe those were not delivered on time.”
Gen frowned. She had picked them up herself yesterday, and left them in the fridge to keep from melting. If her mother was making up stories, either she or Henrietta had eaten them, despite the note she’d left on the box.
Gabriel, of course, didn’t miss anything and jumped in to save her. “Probably for the best. We royals are selective about the food we eat, as I’m sure you understand.”
Gen shot her mother a look. “Of course, Your Highness.”
“Let us be on our way then. Good day, Mrs. Ruffin.” Gabriel put a hand to Gen’s back and gestured for her to proceed him out of the room.
Her mother followed close behind. “Don’t be too late coming back.”
“Of course, Mrs. Ruffin. Though it may storm tonight, in which case we may be delayed. Worry not, she’s in safe hands.”
“Oh, of course, Your Highness.” Her mother curtsied at the door to him, gave her a scathing look, and then turned her smile back on.
As they walked the short distance to the waiting car and security staff, she took in a deep breath of the humid summer air. A haze had settled on the day, and the sun was bright above them. If there was a storm coming, it wasn’t visible yet.
“You look beautiful, my dear.”
She looked up at him, squinting slightly. “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.” He was dressed the most casually she’d ever seen him, but still clearly very rich and royal. Pressed slacks, (likely comfortable) boat shoes, and a navy jacket over a simple white collared shirt. He gestured for her to enter the carfirst, then he walked around and entered from the other side, giving her mother a final wave as he did.
As soon as the car pulled away and was through the gate, he tucked her close. “May I kiss you?”
The privacy screen was up but she couldn’t indulge him. “No. You’ll ruin my makeup and people will know what you were doing since all my makeup would probably end up on that white shirt of yours.”
He nuzzled her neck, his mustache tickling her pulse. “I can be careful. Very, very careful.”
“I’m sure you can, and have been in the past. But I’m still saying no.”
He sighed but pulled back, then brought her hand up to his lips. “Maybe after the picnic then?”
She couldn’t help laughing at his hopeful expression. “Maybe. Is that why you invented a storm to delay us back?”
“No, it is supposed to storm tonight. We should make it through the picnic fine, however.”
“Oh. Well, I hope it doesn’t.” She gestured to the road they just turned from. “That road always floods if it rains too much. You’d have to drop me at the Kaur’s instead.”
“Nonsense. You’ll stay at the palace. We have many guest rooms.”
She laughed again at his grin. “You cannot be trusted.”
“Certainly not with you, at any rate.” He kissed her hand again. “Are you nervous? About the picnic, I mean?”
She nodded. “It’s nerve-wracking meeting royalty.”
“They’re only my siblings.”
“Easy for you to say.”
