“You’ve decided to accept your title?” Alex looked at me with interest.
“Yes.” I met his eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. My decision had nothing to do with Alex. At least that’s what I kept telling myself over and over.
“Good. Will your father be joining us?”
“He has to finish his current course of treatment.”
“Excellent. I’ll make a call to Dr. Bielefeld and see that he is aware of your father’s case.” Alex leaned back in his seat.
“Thank you.” I was trying to not be bothered by his behavior, but I found myself wishing the friendly, flirty man I had spent the day with yesterday was sitting next to me. He’d pulled back and I knew it was my fault.
I looked back at Rose, who was watching us with a small smile. When Sarah came back into the room, she brought a small notebook to Rose. “It took some arranging, but Chadwick is delighted to help Lady Rousseau.”
“Chadwick?” I asked.
“Chadwick is a member of the royal household staff. He has agreed to become your personal assistant, at least until you find one that suits you better. But I think you’ll get along with him quite well.” Rose smiled. “His mother is Lilarian, but his father is American, so he will be able to help you adjust to the customs better than some might.”
“Oh. How does one pay a personal assistant? Is it an hourly thing or a salary?” I ran my fingers over the folder in my hand. Not sure what to expect when I opened it.
“He’s currently employed by the crown, which means he’s being given to you as a courtesy since we invited you to the country. However, if you decide to take him on as part of your staff, you’ll be able to make whatever arrangements suit you.” Rose stood up and I set my teacup back on the table. “I need to make a phone call, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Go ahead and open it.” Alex nodded at the folder in my hands. “You need to know what you have.”
I looked from him to the folder and frowned. There was a crest pressed into the paper and I ran my fingers over it. Was this the Rousseau crest? I went ahead and opened the folder and peered at the papers. There were credit cards attached with paperclips inside and several papers were bank statements I had to look at several times. My eyes rose to meet Alex’s, only to find him with a small smile.
“This is… mine?” I literally couldn’t wrap my mind around the numbers. There were millions in each account. There were so many zeros I thought my eyes would cross. I needed a calculator.
“Yes.”
There was a map with a highlighted area and several spots marked in another color. I traced them with my finger, not sure what they meant. While the other papers had been in English, the map was in Lilarian.
“What are these?” Alex scooted closer on the couch so he could look at the paper.
“That is a map of your estate. It is roughly four miles by two.” He traced a finger along the green line before tapping one of the red dots. “And this is one of your oil wells.”
There were four red dots on the map and I stared in disbelief. “They’re all active?”
“The two with orange around them are active. The others are closed right now. The blue dot is the village or township that belongs to the Rousseau family.”
I looked up at Alex, my eyes wide with fear. Suddenly those bank accounts didn’t feel as big. “I’m responsible for an entire village?”
He laughed, some of the amusement from yesterday creeping back into his eyes. “They pay a tax to your family, and you in turn take care of them.”
“Take care of them from what?”
“Think of it as a town where you’re the mayor. If there is a natural catastrophe, you help find a way to take care of it. If it’s too big for you to handle, you would plead the crown, who would take it to the parliament. If they needed a new road or a new school, you would take care of that through your taxes.”
“Oh, sweet baby Jesus.” I looked at him in horror. “I have no idea how to do any of that!”
“I promised I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He leaned his head closer to me and I took a deep breath, enjoying his scent. “As the crown prince, it’s my job to help you understand your duties. Eventually, I’ll be the one you’re reporting things to, so it only makes sense.”
“I see.” I lowered my voice so no one could hear me. “Alex, I’m a wildlife biologist. I’m in way over my head.”
“You’re a smart woman who will rise to the occasion.” His eyes dipped down to my lips and I fought the urge to lick them.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.”
“You were right.” He frowned. “I should know better. I’ll be good if you are.” His eyes glinted with the dare. “Just know if you feel like changing your mind, I’m right here.”
“I’ll remember that.” I couldn’t help smiling at the challenge in his eyes. “Does this mean we can be friends for now? I have a feeling I could use some people on my side.”
“I’ll try for you.” His eyes ran over my body and I shook my head. “For now.”
“Friends don’t ogle friends.”
“I said I’d try. I didn’t promise anything.” Sitting back in his seat, he chuckled. “I have a feeling our friendship will have a shelf life.”
“A shelf life?”
“You’ll either end up hating me or in my bed.” His eyes grew dark. “And I know which one I’d prefer.”
Heat raced over my body and I had to take a deep breath. Unfortunately, that meant inhaling more of his delicious scent. His eyes narrowed and he leaned a little closer to me.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re not going to even be able to pretend to be friends.” His voice was husky and the room seemed to narrow around us. Like tunnel vision I forgot there were members of the detail and the maid in the room. It wasn’t until Rose cleared her throat that I came back to my senses.
“This is going to be an interesting challenge.” Alex smiled as he leaned back in his chair.
“Well, I think they’re ready for us to order.” Rose looked at me with a suspiciously bland face. “I hope you’re hungry, Samantha.”
I stood up and brushed my hands on my jeans, embarrassed to be caught in the staring contest with Alex. I took the menu Sarah handed me and took a seat at the table.
Alex sat next to me, his knee brushing mine. I should have moved my leg but I didn’t. Apparently I felt like torturing myself today. When Rose sat down across from me, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of my life. Sarah joined us for lunch, discussing the itinerary for the next two days.
“So we leave on the Friday?” I picked at my salad, pushing the cucumbers out of the way.
“I know that is soon, but I have several engagements coming up.” Rose tore a piece of bread in half and put a little butter on the slice.
“No, I understand. I just have a lot to take care of by then.”
“I’d be happy to help make any arrangements.” Sarah smiled at me over her food. “It would really be no problem. Just let me know what you need.”
“I’ll have to make a list. I’m not sure I’ll think of everything.”
“That’s part of my job. I’ll sit down with you before you leave. Do you have a passport?”
“I do. I need to pack and talk to my roommate. Thankfully, I’m paid up on rent for the next few months.” The waitress whisked away my half-eaten salad and replaced it with a plate of small sandwiches. It had seemed like the safest choice, but now I was regretting not ordering something heftier.
“Is there anything we need to address in particular with the press release?” Sarah opened a notebook next to her plate.
“No matter what we say, they are going to latch on to the story.” Alex sipped from his water glass and watched me over the rim. “Another reason to make a hasty exit.”
“Why are they so interested?” I looked around the table. “So what if my ancestor was a royal? It’s another country. It has nothing to do with anyone over here.”
“You don’t get it. You’re like an American Cinderella.” Alex laughed at my expression.
“Last time I checked, I didn’t own any glass slippers.” I scoffed at the idea. It wasn’t like I was being rescued by the prince. Or whisked away to be married. Not that I would say that part out loud. “No wicked stepmother forcing me to sleep at a hearth.”
“It’s the idea of it all. A young woman who’s been working hard finds out she’s the long-lost descendant of a royal family. It’s exciting. Even in Lilaria, you’re going to be an object of interest.” Rose sighed thoughtfully. “There isn’t much to be done about that.”
“There have been other families, right? You said other families left Lilaria and the queen was looking for all of them.”
“You’re only the second to come back. Two of the other lines have ended.” Rose frowned. “And while you’re the second to reclaim your title, Duke Thysmer is quite a bit older than you.”
“You mean he is almost seventy years old.” Alex laughed. “No, you’re going to be far more interesting because you’re a young American. People will be curious about your background, how you adjust to your new life, and if you make any waves.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” I frowned at him, wondering why he seemed to think I would.
“Sometimes waves are a good thing. Rock the boat a little.” Alex’s smile was entirely too sexy to be in the friend zone, so I looked back at my food and tried to ignore him. I wouldn’t mind rocking a boat with him.
“You’re going to do fine, dear.” Rose smiled at me. “And we will make sure you have someone to help you every step of the way.”
After lunch, Alex had to leave for some diplomatic engagement I was entirely too overwhelmed to even think about. He lifted my hand to his lips and I felt my breath catch at the feel of his mouth on my skin again.
“I hope to see you soon.” I didn’t respond, just nodded my head. Words had failed me.
Once he was gone, Sarah had me cornered on the couch and was giving instructions on what to pack.
“You won’t have to worry about any immunizations, just your passport. Do you speak any Lilarian?” When I shook my head she sighed slightly but didn’t look too put out. “That’s fine. I will get you one of the audio programs to listen to. For the most part, we are a bilingual country, but all the formal ceremonies will be held in Lilarian.”
“Of course.” I swallowed and questioned my decision for the umpteenth time.
“Samantha, I have to meet with the Governor tonight. If you need anything, let Sarah know. We’ll send you a copy of the press release in the morning. The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can try to keep things in check.” Rose came out of her room dressed in formal wear.
“You look spectacular.” She was wearing a small diadem in her hair and a long, plum-colored dress that made her silver hair shine.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Rose smiled, pleased with my compliment. She patted her hair gently. “I hate wearing these, but since it’s a formal event it’s part of the uniform.”
“Is it heavy?” I eyed the diamonds.
“This one isn’t too bad, but even after an hour it starts to weigh on you.” Sarah stood up and helped Rose into a dressy winter coat. “You’ll have to practice at home so you learn how to hold your neck and get used to the weight for your ceremony.”
“Excuse me?” I looked at her like she’d grown a second head.
“You will have a choice of jewels for the ceremony, but the Rousseau family jewels would be the most appropriate.” Rose picked up a small purse from a table and laughed at my expression. “You look like I told you you’d have to wear a bear head, not a crown.”
“You guys don’t wear bear heads, do you?”
“Only for the secret ceremonies.” Rose winked at me as she left in a whirlwind of purple and black.
“She was kidding, right?” I looked at Sarah but she only smirked.
Chapter Twelve
The Weight of a Crown
—New York Constant
“You’re going to Lilaria?” Jess sat on the couch next to me.
“Yeah. I think I need to do this.” I looked over my shoulder to where Becca sat in the kitchen. “Jess, there are millions in the bank accounts. And there’s a specialist to work with Dad.”
“What did Geller say?” Jess crossed her legs and leaned toward me.
“He gave me the name of someone he knows in Lilaria and seemed to understand. It’s not like I can teach any of the classes right now. It was a fiasco.”
“It could calm down.” Jess frowned. “Okay, not any time soon, but it just seems like a huge decision.”
“I know.” I picked at the blanket over my legs.
“Look, if you think this is a good idea then you should do it.” She sighed and flopped back on the cushion.
“I thought you would be excited. You told me I needed to know more about my family.” I leaned my head against the armrest and closed my eyes.
“I’m playing devil’s advocate. I just want to make sure you’re happy.”
“You really need to stop hanging out with Bert so much.” I opened my eyes and glared at her.
She just laughed at me. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me. Who am I going to torture?”
“I’m sure you’ll find ways of bugging me.” I chewed on my thumbnail for a minute. “Are you going to have someone else move in?”