Page 36 of Heavy Crown
Desmond knocks on the door before entering. This meeting is on my calendar, but I’ve done so little today, I lost track of time. Yesterday, I didn’t let myself get sucked into Rory’s orbit with Desmond and Kane as my buffers.
This morning I couldn’t resist seeing what people were saying, and then I took a peek at the press conference. My brief tangent was hours ago, and I’ve circled back over and over.
“I have not been very productive,” I admit.
He takes a seat across from me and flips open a notebook on his lap. “You’re fishing for a conversation I do not want to have.” Desmond gives me a pointed look. “Tonight, you’re meeting Poppy George for drinks at the back of Camden Pub.”
I rub my face. “Can I hit pause on this wife bullshit until I return from Europe?”
“Europe is also the wife bullshit. Your coronation is less than a year away. Before you can become king, you must be married. Before you can be married, you must have a partner. Before you can have a partner, you must find one. I’m concerned we’ll be down to the wire at your brother’s wedding with no suitable woman in sight.”
“There’s that word again,” I mutter.
We sit in silence for a beat. We both know I’ll go to the meeting with Poppy and that I’ll make an appropriate effort to gauge her interest and intentions. The monarchy comes before any tantrum I’m tempted to throw. Whoever I decide to offer a marital contract to, they’ll understand they aren’t getting either of the charming playboy princes, but me. The more serious one. The one with the weight of the country on his shoulders. There will be no illusions about love or romance. Instead, I offer wealth and influence.
“I heard you bought some new luggage.” Desmond sighs.
I perk up at the opening he’s given me. “I did. Did you happen to hear how that purchase went?”
Desmond flips a page in his notebook. “Yes, I went to see her this morning, as you requested. Yes, she was upset about her visit with her ex-boyfriend yesterday. Yes, she’s taking her medication for her concussion. Yes, she’s feeling much better today in comparison to the other days.” One side of his lips quirk up. “She also makes an excellent cream tea. If I keep visiting her, I’m going to get fat.” He levels me with an intense stare. “No, you do not need to see her yourself.”
I frown and shift my gaze from his. “Hadn’t even crossed my mind. My plate is full, and I don’t need to add her drama to it.”
“We can all agree on that.” Desmond nods. “Do you want the prep material for Poppy?”
I hold out my hand across the desk, and Desmond slides a folder into my palm. “Duty calls.”
“Just close your eyes and think of Bellerive.” There’s a hint of a smirk on Desmond’s face before he rises and heads for the door. “I’ll have your itinerary for Europe firm for tomorrow. A few appointments needed to be rearranged. We can go through the prospects in the afternoon.”
“Before you go,” I say, and Desmond turns to face me again. “Your meetings with Rory are between us. Do you understand?” Unlike some of the other employees, Desmond has more to gain by being loyal to me.
Desmond purses his lips. “She’s lovely, but you’re playing a dangerous game. You shouldn’t need me or anyone else to tell you that. I’ve never given your secrets to anyone before, and I’m not about to start now.”
“Is Poppy my last appointment before I leave for Europe?” My working hours are filled with the press tour to give the public accurate information for the referendum and fulfilling coronation items on Julia’s list. In four days, I’ll be in European countries meeting royalty in hopes of finding a wife. Neither of those brings me any joy. It must be possible to have a single aspect of my life that doesn’t feel like work. One piece, one person who has no connection to my duties or the monarchy or being a prince, is all I need. A wedge of normalcy, just for me.
“Poppy is your last matchmaking date until you return from Europe and we decide to dig deeper into Bellerive society or make an offer to a royal,” Desmond agrees from the doorway.
While I am prepared to accept my clinical, emotionless marriage, I hate dwelling on the details. “Dr. Bennett is checking on Rory tonight?”
“He went to see her this afternoon. He’s pleased with her progress. She went to the concussion assessment center today, and she’ll go again before she begins working in the kitchen.”
“Excellent. I’m glad to hear we’re taking care of her.”
A small smile touches Desmond’s lips, and he shakes his head. Since we’ve worked together for the last eight years, we’re in tune. His warning about Rory will go unheeded, and we’ll both pretend that’s not the case.
After all, no matter what he believes or the current king and queen think, I’ll be sitting on the throne within the year. They’ll bow to me.
My meeting with Poppy proves to be a bust. She’s four years older than me, and she came highly recommend by the elder Secretary Jensen. Her family are well-connected and own several wineries here and across the world. In our discussion, she was ambitious in the wrong ways. She kept drawing us toward monetizing the Bellerive Royal brand. Maybe she thought her progressive ideas might win me over, but as far as I’m concerned, the Bellerive Royals are political figures first and tourist attractions second. I want someone seeking to make a difference in the world, not someone who wants to make money off it.
When I returned to the estate, I told Kane I was going for a walk rather than heading to my wing. Now, I’m standing outside Rory’s ground-floor cottage door, and there’s a knot of anticipation mixed with dread in my belly. Bad idea or not, I’m carving out my slice of life away from the royal obligations.
Before I can second-guess myself, I knock.
“Coming!” Rory calls from inside.
She opens the door, and the sight of her blond hair in a loose braid, her green eyes wide with surprise, and a broad grin on her face causes my heart to kick. I rub my chest with the heel of my hand, and I don’t take my gaze off her pleased expression. There’s an exuberance to her that creates an answering lightness in me.
“I wasn’t sure you’d ever come back.”
