“It may be every girl’s dream, but I never would have guessed that it was your dream,” I mused. “Knowing what I do about you, I’d assume that your dreams are a little more…unique.”
Gwen backed away from me. She looked vaguely disgusted with me, and I had no idea why.
“Oh, yeah? Well, did you ever ask me what I wanted? What I like to do? Hell, do you even know if I have a job?”
I was flabbergasted. “Shit. Have you been missing work the whole time you’ve been here?”
She shook her head and glared at me. Then she raised her voice and continued, “No, I haven’t been missing work. And you wanna know why? Because I got laid off and I don’t even have a fucking job. So apparently, I have all the time in the world to hang out with some random prince in a random kingdom no one’s ever heard of. Oh, and by the way, I studied art history!” She pointed angrily at one of the portraits on the wall. “So I probably know a lot more about these paintings than you think!”
Gwen took a few heaving breaths. She’d worked herself up to the point that her face was turning red.
In response, the only thing I could do was try to stay calm. I couldn’t yell at Gwen, even if I wanted to. I never wanted to make her cry. I felt bad enough knowing that I’d unwittingly hurt her so badly.
“You’re right. I’m selfish,” I said matter-of-factly. “I should have stopped thinking about myself for a moment to find out more about you. You’re completely right.”
She seemed a little surprised by how quickly I’d admitted wrongdoing, but she definitely wasn’t satisfied with my cool response. After a few beats, she added, “And for the love of God, stop pretending you’re so concerned about this country. We all know you’d much rather be in New York, enjoying your money and fucking every woman in sight. The only romantic relationship you can handle is a fake one.”
Gwen may as well have punched me in the chest a hundred times. Actually, that probably wouldn’t have hurt so much. I felt like I could barely breathe. Never in my life had anyone cut me so deeply with words alone. She had just distilled everything unpleasant about my personality and served it to me straight, no chaser. For a moment, I had no idea who I really was: a well-intentioned but flawed human who was trying to change his ways, or a selfish monster who didn’t deserve all the happiness his upper-class lifestyle had afforded him?
She must have seen the pain in my eyes, because she took me by the hand. “I probably shouldn’t have said that out loud, and all at once. I know this has been a crazy week for you, Carter…I’m sorry for bringing this up right now.”
“No. No, Gwen,” I said, shaking my head. “It needed to be said. Listen, I didn’t mean to get you tangled up in my stupid life problems. And you may not believe it, but I can’t think of anyone else in the world who I’d rather have with me here. Who else would have jumped on a plane for me? Who else would have pretended to the cousin of some random duke?” I took a deep breath. “I guess I’m so used to pushing women away, when one finally wants to be near me, I do and say all the wrong things.”
“You didn’t say or do all the wrong things,” she argued. There were tears in her eyes. I reached out to gently stroke her face, which only made her get more upset. When she regained her composure, she went on, “Somehow, in spite of all the craziness, I knew you wouldn’t let anything happen to me. But Carter, you have to understand that we’re not equals. I’m starting to feel like a pawn in your family’s game, and I don’t want to be in that position. I need to start living my own life again.”
I grabbed her and pulled her against me, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. “When I said you could leave any time, I meant it. You can go today if you want.”
She hesitated. “I think I’ll leave the day after the ball. I know how important it is for me to be there. After all that trouble they went through making me a gown, and giving me dancing lessons…”
“They gave you dancing lessons?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
Gwen nodded. “Just one, yesterday. Luckily, I did a little swing dancing back in my undergrad days, so I think I can handle a waltz or two with you.”
“Well, I’m happy that you’ll be able to enjoy one good party here. One more night of fun, and then…” I didn’t know what to say because I had no idea what was coming next. Would I ever get to see Gwen again?
She didn’t know what to say either. I was about to give her a kiss when I heard my brother’s voice echoing down the hallway.
“Hey! Carter! I got something for you…”
I turned and saw that Blake running towards us. He was holding a set of ancient skeleton keys in his hand.
“Shit, how’d you get them so fast?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It was pretty easy. Jasper’s been hanging around all week, so I asked if he knew where we kept the old tennis rackets — you know, the ones our grandparents played with back in the day — and he said they were in the vault. I asked him if he had an extra set of keys, and sure enough…” Blake jingled the keys. “I hope they work. They’re covered in rust.”
He suddenly noticed Gwen’s tear-streaked face.
“Oh, sorry…I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.” He flashed me a worried look. “I’m gonna go down there and see if I can find what you’re looking for. See you two later!”
As Blake headed back down the hallway, Gwen put her hands on her hips. “What the hell was that about?”
“Blake is looking for the piece of paper that will tell us everything we need to know about the rules of succession. We’re trying to get it before the ball because…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to stress Gwen out anymore than I already had, and if I told her that my father planned to make me king at the ball, I didn’t know how she’d react. Hell, I still didn’t know how to handle the situation myself. But the last thing I wanted to do was rope her into my family drama for the umpteenth time.
“Because what?”
“Because that could be my way out of here. If we’re lucky.”
“Well, then…I wish you luck,” Gwen said, kissing me on the cheek. “I’m going to go take a nap. Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day, and I want to be well-rested for it!”
As she walked away, I called out, “Hey! One more thing…”
She turned around immediately.
“Do you mind if I visit you tonight in your chambers, Lady Gwendolyn?”
“Please do,” she said, putting on a surprisingly convincing Ocaurian accent. “I look forward to seeing you again, Prince Carter!”
She blew me a kiss before spinning around again. Although Gwen wasn’t so angry at me anymore, I sensed that our time together was limited, and I was determined to make the most of it.
19
Gwen
On Saturday morning, I woke up wrapped in Carter’s arms. I had a little flashback of our first “morning after” encounter, and for a brief moment, I couldn’t remember where I was. For some reason, his presence in my bed took me back home to New York. But unlike the first time we woke up side-by-side, I wasn’t in a state of shock today. I rolled over to face him and I realized that I was still completely enthralled by his good looks. How the fuck did Carter manage to be at his sexiest first thing in the morning? The man defied logic.
As I thought back on our difficult conversation yesterday, I felt a strong sense of relief. I was happy that I told him everything I was thinking and that I knew exactly where we stood now. I was glad that Carter hadn’t simply dismissed me from the palace after my long, heartfelt rant. If he had been a different type of man, he might have taken the opportunity to discard me. But deep down, I knew he meant well, and that on some level, he did care about me.
I was also glad to be on good terms with him because the sex was consistently fantastic. Naturally, we spent the night making love. As great as it was, I was worried that it might have been the last time for us.
There was a gentle knock on the door. “Breakfast is served!” I heard Dahlia say as she opened it. I didn’t want
to wake Carter up by shouting at her, so I let her come in.
“Dahlia, could you come back a little later?” I asked sleepily.
Dahlia quickly noticed that I wasn’t alone in bed.
“Oh, my!” she gasped, her voice squeaking. “I’m terribly sorry, Gwen.”
All the noise caused Carter to stir. He let out a little grunt, rubbed his eyes, and sat up in bed. In spite of our surprise visitor, he wasn’t perturbed. He waved hello to the shy woman in the doorway. She blushed furiously at the sight of his bare, toned torso. Carter decided to put on a show for her, flexing his muscles as he stretched.
“Just leave the food here. We’ll eat it,” he said warmly.
Dahlia practically threw my breakfast tray on the floor and hurried away.
“Have a nice day!” she called. I heard her laughter echoing as she ran down the hall.
“I’m sure I won’t hear the end of this the next time we talk,” I muttered. “She’s a great girl…just a little innocent. Younger than her age, in a way.”
“Oh, I can see that,” Carter said.
“But there’s more to her than that. You should get to know her better,” I insisted.
Carter smiled. “I probably should. I don’t know any of the servants well enough.”
We ate our breakfast together in silence, and at around half past nine, we decided that it was time to part ways. Before Carter left my room, he gave me a sweet kiss and murmured, “I can’t wait to see you all dressed up. I’m sure you’ll look beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you, Prince Charming,” I joked. “Can’t wait to see you in your crown.”
He gave me an odd look when I said that, and I wasn’t sure why. It was only a silly joke.
Once he was gone, I slowly packed my suitcase. I didn’t know when I would be leaving, but I wanted to be ready. I zipped up the suitcase and made my way downstairs, ready to receive my instructions for the evening. There was suddenly a tight knot in my stomach. The future appeared grim in my mind’s eye. Tonight would be a celebration of love and fabulous wealth and family honor. And tomorrow? Only time would tell whether this little trip to Ocauria would mark the beginning of the rest of my life or simply be remembered as an unexpected high point once I returned to my dull existence in New York.
But there was no time to fuss and fret over the future. I needed to start getting ready for my first and final royal ball.
“Miss Beckett, you look phenomenal!”
“Stunning!”
“Brilliant!”
The three women who had transformed me from a cute girl next door into a regal future princess stepped back to take a look at their creation. I barely recognized my own glamorous reflection. Auburn ringlets framed my perfectly-painted face, and my gorgeous gown had been adorned with tiny gold beads since the last time I tried it on, making it shimmer in the light.
The only problem was that the velvet pumps on my feet were killing me. I didn’t know how long I’d last in them.
“Somebody pinch me,” I murmured.
A servant I had never met suddenly entered the room. “Miss Beckett, Jasper Alliston would like to have a word with you.”
I recoiled at the mere mention of his name. The women who were with me must have noticed my visceral, negative reaction to the thought of talking to Jasper.
“He probably wants to congratulate you on your engagement,” one of them said comfortingly. “Just be polite and brief with him.” I could tell that she hated him as much as Carter and I did.
I nervously followed the servant down the hallway, my shoes stabbing my feet with each step, and headed after him into another spacious meeting room I’d never seen before.
“Mr. Alliston, Miss Beckett has arrived.”
Jasper, the cartoon villain himself, was seated behind a desk. “Please, Miss Beckett…have a seat.”
The servant snatched a hard wooden chair from the corner of the room and pushed it over towards the desk. To my chagrin, that man scurried out, leaving me alone with Carter’s ill-intentioned uncle. I knew that this couldn’t end well.
“You look radiant!” he said, his eyes moving slowly from my face down to my chest.
“Thank you,” I said in a cheerful voice, all the while wishing I was wearing a bulky sweaty and not a tight bodice. I hastily crossed my arms to obscure his view of my body.
“I know what you’re thinking…why would I want to speak with you?” He chuckled. “People have told me that I have a knack for knowing what people are thinking, Miss Beckett. And you’re an open book.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. Yeah, I was an open book. I obviously hated the dude’s guts, as evidenced by my body language and posture.
“I wanted to have a chat with you about a few important matters, now that you’re planning to join the Alliston family. First of all, I must congratulate you on your…unexpected engagement. How long have you known Carter?”
“About a year,” I said immediately. I needed to stay calm, cool, and collected so he had no idea how afraid of him I was. Then again, this ballgown was so heavy, sweat stains were inevitable, and those would surely betray my fear.
“So it was a whirlwind romance. And what are the odds…you happen to be a cousin of Duke Henry! What an incredibly small world…isn’t it, dear?”
“Incredibly small!” I said, nodding slowly.
Jasper gazed into my eyes and said coldly, “It’s a shame that none of this is true. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Um, what are you implying?” Shit. I couldn’t afford to get pit stains on this gown before the ball even started.
“I’m not implying anything, dear. I’m simply stating the facts.”
And with these words, Jasper placed a crumpled up ball of paper on the desk in front of him. I nearly passed out as he unfolded it. Somehow, Jasper had come into possession of the note that Carter had written to me that day in the cab. At the time, writing out his plan to give me a fake identity had seemed like a wiser choice than telling me out loud. Unfortunately, like an idiot, I’d failed to destroy the evidence, instead shoving the paper into my purse and then proceeding to leave my purse in a place where Jasper could access it. This was all my fault.
“It was a brilliant plan. Poor execution, but a brilliant plan nonetheless,” Jasper said, reading the paper again to himself. “I knew you were a commoner, Miss Beckett. You don’t have an ounce of noble blood in that pretty body of yours.”
Again, he gazed lecherously at me.
“Did you take anything else from my bag?” I asked, my voice shaking.
He shook his head, amused at my despair. “Only the one thing I needed. Of course, I did verify your identity from your passport. I’m surprised that you were bold enough to use your real name. Hadn’t you considered the fact that there might be consequences for your actions?”
I was speechless. This was the last thing I ever expected to happen.
“I know that you’re excited to go to the ball,” he sneered, “so I’m not going to send you out of the country yet. Just know that you’re going to be making a big announcement tonight.”
I gulped. “You want me to confess to lying?”
He laughed. “What a smart girl you are, Gwen! Bravo. You’re going to tell everyone the truth right after Carter announces your engagement. And if you don’t…then I will.” Jasper leaned back in his chair. “Once this scandal erupts, I don’t think anyone in Ocauria is going to believe the king and his idiotic sons ever again. I hope your bags are packed, because you’re not going to be hanging around the palace much longer.”
Now that I had nothing left to lose, I decided to give this man a piece of my mind. “Once I get back to New York, I’m going to do everything I can to get the word out about what’s happening here. You think you can manipulate an entire country from the shadows…well, I hope you know that you won’t be able to do that forever.”
Jasper shrugged. “Good luck with that. I can just as easily destroy your reputation by telling every
one that you slept with Carter’s uncle on the day of the ball.”
I shuddered at his vile threat. “You think people would actually believe that I’d sleep with you?” I couldn’t hide the disdain in my voice.
He smiled serenely. “In this hypothetical scenario, who do you think people would believe: the man who helps rule a nation, or the whore who lied her way into the royal palace and would probably sleep with anyone to climb the social ladder?” After a brief pause, he added in a biting tone, “I’ll bet you made a pass at the king, too. No wonder he likes you so much.”
I wished Carter was in the room with me. He would have punched his asshole uncle in the face for calling me a whore, threatening to blackmail me, and accusing me of sleeping my way to the top. Instead of resorting to violence myself, though, I slowly stood from my chair and said calmly, “We’ll see about that.”
I left the room and walked down the hall slowly, as if in a trance. I felt completely deflated. Tonight, I would have no choice but to reveal our stupid lie to the entire country. Instead of sneaking out of the country gracefully after piquing the interest of the populace, I would leave with my head hung in shame, and I would never be permitted to return. Meanwhile, Carter’s reputation would be in shambles, and his father would never trust him to rule Ocauria.
There had to be a way out of this.
20
Carter
After hours of preparations, the Alliston family ball was about to begin in earnest. The ballroom was decorated magnificently, and there was even a live orchestra to serenade us all evening. The palace chefs and the servers were setting up banquet tables filled with all kinds of rich foods. Distant relatives, various aristocrats, and bigwigs from all over the world began to file in around six o’clock, along with members of the press. “Gwen” was the name on everyone’s lips. People were dying to find out who my new lady was (everyone had already seen her on TV), and they guessed correctly that tonight was the night they would find out.
Playboy Prince: A Royal Romance (The Brothers of Ocauria Book 1) Page 9
