Page 54 of Tabloid Princess

“Okay.” I drew out the word, sounding for all the world like Daisy.

His fingers lifted and squeezed the bridge of his nose as though he were struggling through some awful dilemma. When he dropped his hand and opened his eyes, the steely dart of directness in his look told me that whatever he was battling with, he’d just resolved it.

“I’ve been worrying about you. It’s difficult for me, because I know I shouldn’t. Walking away from Bright Futures yesterday and knowing I wouldn’t see you again—it was harder than I thought.”

“You were worrying because you touched my hair and made everyone think I was your girlfriend.” I tripped over the words. It sounded ludicrous that anyone would think I could ever be anything close to something so intimate with him.

“Not exactly.” His eyes flickered shut again. “This is difficult.”

“Hm.” I didn’t know what else to say, didn’t even really know what he was saying, so I went back to my question. “But why was Bill in the same pub as me. The press had been dealt with. Did you ask him to be there?”

“Yes.” His eyes flew open. “I knew they’d only stay away from your road and Daisy’s school.”

“Daisy’s school.” I gulped.

“Yes. Little did I know you were going to merrily go out on a Friday night date. Just as well I covered all bases though.”

His lips flattened into a straight line.

“It wasn’t a date.” I didn’t have to justify it, but I did it all the same.

“No?” His lips lifted just a fraction. “Sure?”

“Yes. It’s not a date if it’s your best friend’s brother and he won’t take the hint.”

“Do you need me to ask Bill to have a quiet word?”

I stared at him in shock until he flashed me a fleeting and almost bittersweet smile.

“Anyway,” I said. “You should be happy if the press thinks I’m on a date with someone else. It would get you off the hook.”

He stared at me, his face a serious mask. “That’s true.”

In a flash he turned. I held in a gasp as his fingers caught mine. “I am sorry. This way I live, it’s not pleasant, especially for someone on the outside. I’d never want to hurt you.”

I mulled over his words for a moment, all the while trying not to stare at our joined hands. “It’s as though the way they hound you, takes a life that is already extraordinary and turns it into something far worse.”

“Turns it into fish and chip wrappings my father always says.”

“Sounds like a wise sentiment.”

That pained expression I’d seen a few times flitted across his features. “It’s different for them though. My father became king unexpectedly early, but he was already married. I’d already been born.”

“As much as I hate rich people, even I know that,” I said.

The left edge of his lips twitched again. I wanted to see that beautiful smile, although I knew it would make that pain in my chest so much worse if I did. “Ah yes. Your dislike of poncey people.”

My face exploded with heat.

“Anyway, here I am, a couple of days away from being thirty, but I can’t seem to offer my family any prospect of stability at all.” He glanced out of the window at the dark city.

“Happy birthday for the day.” I sounded like a geek.

“You can tell me yourself at the ball.”

Our hands were still lightly tangled together.

“Your Highness.”