“It’s not that simple.”
She shook her head at him reminding him of every teacher he’d ever disappointed with a low grade or work below the standard they held him to. Instead of another reprimand, Esme turned on her heel and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” he called out to her.
“Back to reality,” she said. “Right now, that’s on the other side of the castle, just above the servants’ quarter, on the other side of the nursery. Come find me when you come to your senses.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
She was ruined. Esme understood how a kiss would ruin girls in the Victorian age. How being caught out on a balcony alone with a gentleman was grounds for instant matrimony. She wished she could suffer the consequences of marriage. To leg-shackle Leo into a wedding and have him kiss her like that every night and then on into the day and another taste at lunch.
But they hadn’t been caught. Then she had walked away. And he hadn’t come.
Not later that night. Not early the next morning. Not at all.
Because she wasn’t good enough. Her blood wasn’t royal blue. Just her shirt collar. Esme tugged at the collar of her blouse and dabbed the corner of her eyes with the fabric.
He’d taken just a taste of her, he said. Just a sip to know what it would be like. A morsel to savor in his mind for the rest of his life.
She should’ve been flattered after he’d uttered those words under the moonlight. But she was devastated and bereft in the bright light of a new day.
And teary. Her eyes burned. Her vision fogged. Her nose itched.
Was something burning?
In answer, the pan she had been minding went from smoking hot to engulfed in fire. Esme reached for the pan’s handle. Luckily, before her bare hand could reach the metal, a mitten-clad hand swatted her away in the nick of time before she could add third-degree burns to the list of her complaints.
Jan tossed salt into the pan, ruining the mixture. Then she clamped a lid over top of it. “Esmeralda, why don’t you take a break."
Jan never called Esme by her full first name unless she was exasperated. It was the day of the pie competition; the reason they were there. Esme was meant to be a help, but she was making a mess.
“No, I’m not abandoning you during your time of need,” Esme insisted.
“You’re not helping, sweetie. The way you’re going, you’ll burn the castle down.”
Would a kitchen fire bring Leo down to this level of the castle? Perhaps he’d come to her rescue again if she destroyed a wing of his home. But no, she couldn’t add arson to her list of failings. And so, she took off her apron and headed out of the kitchens.
But once outside the kitchens, she didn’t know which way to turn. Esme looked up at the vaulted ceilings of the palatial estate. For the first time since her stay, she noticed the cracked paint on the walls, a few tiles were missing here and there, and the draft along the corridor told her that new windows would be a welcome addition.
The facade of the castle was the stuff of dreams, but she wanted the reality. She didn’t want to be secluded in a high tower. She didn’t want to be a damsel in distress. She wanted to pick up a sword and go and charge ahead and take back her king.
This tale didn’t need a hero. It needed a heroine. Leo was the one being forced into a marriage he didn’t want because of duty. But that’s not how the fairytales went.
Esme marched up to the first group of people she saw. They were dressed in the uniforms of the maid staff. “Excuse me? Would you happen to know where the king is at this moment?”
“Likely in his office, ma’am.”
Esme nodded. “And which way is that?”
“East wing, second floor.” The maid pointed.
Esme picked up her feet and marched on. Determination in her strides. Dragons guarded treasure. Witches cast spells. Parents imposed harsh rules. Knights in shining armor came to the rescue. In this story, Esme would come to the rescue. She knew enough stories to make this work.
The trek to the east wing was long. Once there, she faced her first obstacle. Instead of dragons or witches, there stood a single guard at the door of Leo’s office.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said. “You can’t go in there.”
“I just need a word with the king,” she said.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but it’s gravely important.”
The man looked unmoved.
“If you just tell him it’s Esme. Esmeralda Pickett.”
The man did not move. But the door did open. Inside, Esme caught a glimpse of Leo. He held an old fashion corded phone to his ear with his shoulder. With one hand, he flipped through documents. With the other hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
He looked stressed and tense and unhappy. Esme took a step toward him, preparing to cross the threshold and get this rescue party started. Unfortunately, one of the bad guys blocked her way.
“Can I help you, Miss Pickett?”
Esme looked up at the imposing, immovable figure of Giles. His nose was pinched even more than normal, his gaze as sharp as glass.
“Giles, can I talk to Leo for just one second?”
“His majesty, King Leonidas,” Giles emphasized each of Leo’s titles, “is busy with matters of state at the moment.”
Esme looked at the gap between Giles and the guard. She was thin enough to slip through them. As though they anticipated her next move, they closed the distance.
She wanted to stamp her foot. She wanted to shout to get Leo’s attention. But she didn’t. She knew that would show the true shade of her blue collared upbringing.
Giles took her by the arm and led her away from the door as it closed. “You might be a guest of the prince, but do not wear out our hospitality, Miss Pickett.”
“What do you have against him being happy, Giles?”
“People’s lives and livelihoods are at stake while you’re caught in a world of make believe.”
“He would choose to be with me if he had the chance.”
“He had the chance. He could abdicate the throne. He didn’t. Because he takes his very real duties seriously. Play time is over.”
Giles showed her to a back door that led to the front of the castle. “Are you kicking me out?”
“I wish it were within my power. But as I said, you’re a guest of the prince. However, you are hereby banned from the east wing of this castle. Trust me, it’s for your own good. You don’t want to embarrass yourself any further. Duty trumps everything with royalty. That’s the job. You’d do well to learn that lesson.”
But Esme was a teacher and not a student. She knew that particular instruction was the wrong answer. She walked through the gardens plotting her next attack on the beasts that guarded her fair king.
It would appear she wouldn’t have to wait long. From a side door, she saw Leo emerge. He was surrounded by a number of other distinguished men, security, and Giles. Before Esme could decide the best way to get his attention, he ducked into the car and was gone.
She needed a way into the city. She couldn’t ask Alex as he and Jan were preparing for the pie competition. Her salvation arrived in the form of a tour bus.
Camera toting and map unfolding tourists clamored off the bus for a look at the castle. Esme hopped on and waited for the bus to take her into town, certain that that was where Leo had gone. Unfortunately, twenty minutes later, she discovered that the tour bus wasn’t headed to town. It was headed to the docks. Her rescue mission was thwarted once again.
But she wasn’t done. She would not let him make a choice that would lead to unhappiness. She loved Leo too much for that.
Yes, that’s what the thing was. It was a full blown case of love. It had taken root when she’d fallen onto his chest as he’d rescued her from a dragon truck. It had begun to grow when they’d battled flour fairies in a hotel suite kitchen. It had blossomed last night when his lips had met hers.
She was in love,
and she was not giving up. She just had to get back to the castle and plot her next move. She had time as the tour bus wouldn’t head back to the castle for another twenty minutes.
Esme took the time to walk along the pier. The waters around the island nation were pristine, which she found fascinating since there was oil in the depths. But Cordoba drilled responsibly. Of course, they did. Leo was their king, and he’d never let anyone get hurt on his watch.
She looked out at the most magnificent yacht she’d ever seen. It was gleaming white with gold trim, something fit for a king. It probably belonged to Leo.
Coming down the pier of the docked yacht was a woman who was as equally glamorous as the boat behind her. From her tailored skirt to her designer heels and the jewels around her neck which sparkled in the sunlight, she looked expensive.
She was also looking down at her phone and not up. She didn’t see the trolley cart that had come loose and was headed her way on a slow stroll. Esme may have failed her first few tasks this morning, but she sprang into action once more.
The trolley crashed into the water just as Esme reached the woman and pulled her to the side. The woman looked from Esme’s hand on her arm to the drops of water on the pier that had splashed up from the drowned cart.
“You just saved my life,” said the woman.
“Well, maybe not your life, but definitely your shoes. I don’t think leather would appreciate salty water.”
The woman laughed. As she did, her head wiggled a bit, and a warm scent hit Esme’s nose. This woman smelled of warm cinnamon apples, much like the poison pie Jan always made for Esme.
“Cell phones are the new villains,” said Esme. “Distracting us from reality.”
“They’re also magic,” said the woman. “Connecting people half a world away. I couldn’t run my business empire without this thing.” She caressed her phone to her chest as though she prized it more than her shoes or her gems.
“Are you in fashion?” Esme asked. “A model perhaps?”
“Gracious, no.” She laughed again. “I take that as a compliment. But I’m in business, mostly maritime ventures.”
“I don’t suppose you’re a modern day pirate, sailing the high seas on a luxury yacht?”
“In these heels?” she grinned. “No. But this is my ship. I designed it myself.”
“It’s gorgeous. I would pay good money to sail around this country. I’ve only seen it from the airplane and the highways. A cruise around the island would be magical. Like a Disney cruise with a royal theme because of the royal family here.”
“A luxury cruise line?” The woman had been steadily tapping on her phone during the entire conversation, but her thumb paused, and she regarded Esme with full attention. “That’s brilliant.”
“Or a family cruise line. Children would love the castles. I hear you can see them from the coast.”
“Even better. I’m going to present this to King Leo.”
“You know the king?”
“Know him. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be married to him by winter.”
She said it so dryly that Esme thought she was joking. But this didn’t look like the type of woman to joke about something so serious. Ruined designer shoes? Maybe. Marriage to a king? Not likely.
Esme stopped breathing. This was her rival? The evil duchess who would ruin Leo’s life with an arranged marriage.
It couldn’t be. This woman was beautiful and successful and … nice. Though a little preoccupied. And she came bearing gifts of business dealings. How was Esme going to compete with that?
“Ah, there’s my knight in a luxury car now.”
The same town car that Esme had seen pull off with Leo inside pulled up. Leo was the first to step out. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Esme.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Leo was exhausted. He hadn’t slept a wink last night, not with the taste of Esme lingering on his lips. Not with the feel of her still resonating in his palms. Not with the smell of her forever imprinted on his brain. He had no idea how he would spend the rest of his life without another taste, another touch, another whiff of her sweetness.
He’d paced the halls of the east wing for a few hours. Somehow, after midnight, he ended up on the west wing just down the hall from the nursery. His steps halted there on the last step of the staircase.
He felt like a ghost haunting the castle; unable to rest with an unquiet need for human contact. Like any spirit unable to let go of their old life, Leo was having trouble moving on to the next chapter of his life.
So much so, that the next morning he mixed up the names of all his cabinet members. He spent five minutes speaking in French to the Japanese Prime Minister before the man politely interrupted him. Then he’d begun hallucinating.
While talking to a French member of Parliament, in French, about Cordovian wine, Leo could’ve sworn he saw Esme standing outside his office. When he’d gotten into the car later, he could’ve sworn he saw her standing by the beheaded dragon statue.
And now it was happening again.
He saw Esme standing beside Lady Teresa out on the pier. But, of course, it wasn’t her. It was just his mind wishing it was her.
So why was Lady Teresa talking to the dream Esme as though she could see her too?
“Leo, darling, there you are.”
Teresa leaned forward and kissed Leo on both sides of his cheeks. When Leo turned his head to receive a kiss on his left cheek, his gaze caught Esme’s. It was the real Esme that stood before him.
He knew because he watched as the sparkles in her eyes dimmed. He watched the smile that had been on her beautiful face fade. He watched as her chin that had always been high and defiant, sank into her chest.
Leo’s voice caught in his throat. The smell of warm cinnamon burnt his tongue and made his belly turn.
“I nearly lost my head a moment ago,” Lady Teresa was saying. “This wonderful woman saved me. I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t,” said Esme, her voice barely above a whisper. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Do you need a ride?” asked Teresa. “It’s the least I can do.”
“No.” She shook her head slowly. “I’d rather not intrude on …”
Esme waved her hand between Leo and Teresa. She didn’t look at him. She wouldn’t look at him. Her gaze turned faraway, well beyond his reach.
She was the ghost now. Just an apparition of her former, bright, spirited self. This vision of her would haunt Leo for the rest of his days.
“I’ll call you a car,” said Leo.
“No.” Her tone was sharp. Her gaze lifted, pinning him with a glare that turned his heart into knots. “I’ll find my own way.”
It took everything for Leo to reach for Lady Teresa and not Esme. Even more will power for him to leave her standing on the pier. His gaze stayed fixed on the rear-view mirror until long after she was a dot on the horizon.
He watched her get farther and farther away from him. His hands clenched and unclenched until she was gone. It was truly over.
The tiredness hit him in full force. His head thumped back against the car seat. His every muscle ached and felt stiff at the same time. His throat felt like it was on fire.
“Leo? Did you hear me?”
He turned to Teresa. She regarded him with a quirk to her lip and a raise of her eyebrow. He had no idea what that expression meant? Was she angry with him? Amused by him?
If it had been Esme, he would’ve known that she was amused by his divided loyalties and would likely weave some imaginative tale to recapture his full attention. But Teresa wasn’t Esme. He would have to get to know her quirks and eccentricities if she had any.
“How was your trip?” he asked.
“I got a lot accomplished,” said Teresa, looking down at her phone instead of at him. “I closed a deal with the company that builds ships for the Royal Navy. I also managed to work on our deal.”
Teresa was smart and ambitious. Leo’s h
ead knew those were great qualities for an addition to the country’s government. This was why she was the best decision for Cordoba. But, in his heart, he couldn’t help asking, was she the best decision for him?
“And I just got a great idea from that young woman back there,” Teresa was saying.
“Esme?”
“Oh? Is that her name? You two know each other?”
“I … We … What was her idea?”
“A cruise line.”
“A cruise line?”
“I’d initially thought of a luxury line when she brought it up. But she mentioned a family line, which is brilliant because most families are parents with children. And sometimes extended families. That multiplies the income. Brilliant.”
“Yes, she is.”
Leo had no idea what had brought Esme out to the waters that afternoon. She would likely call it fate.
It was fate that brought them together on the streets of New York. It was fate that had Penelope poke her head into Esme’s class and then invite her to dinner. It was fate that Alex asked Esme’s best friend to be his pie making champion this weekend. And now, again, it was fate that brought Esme face to face with the woman he’d intended to marry and put on the table an idea that could secure the future of his country.
“We can add it to our original plan,” said Teresa. “I think the cruise line will be faster to implement and be more profitable in the long run. I’d like to take it on and partner with you on the project. I feel certain it’ll be a huge success.”
“You feel certain about Esme’s idea.”
Teresa nodded, tapping notes into her phone. “When you know, you know.”
“I do know.”
Leo looked down at Teresa. She had never once reached for his hand. It was always occupied with her phone. She had only twice looked him directly in the eyes before something else called her attention away. Meanwhile, when Esme was in the same room as him, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. His hand itched even now to be filled with her.
The King And The Kindergarten Teacher (The Rebel Royals Series Book 1) Page 12
