“What a great idea. Is it just the three of you going?” Sheila wants to know.
“My sister Sophie wanted to come too, but she has another engagement. It was all decided rather last minute.”
“What time are you departing?” Charlotte asks.
“Alistair is meeting us at my cottage at six. Would you both like to join us?”
“Oh no, dear. You young people don’t need us around,” her mother responds before saying, “Plus, Tooty is going to sing for us tonight, and I certainly don’t want to miss that.”
“Okay then.” Bree stands and gives her mother a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“Have fun tonight,” Sheila says before winking at the queen.
As soon as her daughter leaves, Charlotte announces, “This is perfect, don’t you think?”
“It’s certainly an opportunity for them to spend time together. Although, I don’t know how much good that will do with Bree there,” Sheila replies.
Charlotte doesn’t comment. She just picks up the telephone and makes a call. “Grady, this is Queen Charlotte,” she says into the receiver. “I need a favor …”
Lutéce
I cannot believe I got sucked into going on an evening cruise with Alistair tonight. I should have just said that I wasn’t feeling well and needed to turn in early. Why didn’t I say that? At least Bree will be there to act as a buffer.
As it will probably be cool on the ocean at night, I put on a pair of jeans and a cozy pink sweater instead of something more formal. I mean, we’re eating burgers. It’s not like I’ll be underdressed.
I decide to walk over to Bree’s cottage from the palace to get a little exercise. I love hiking the canyons back in LA. It’s the best way to pretend I’m not living in a perpetually traffic-jammed city.
Fall in Malquar is enchanting. The leaves on the trees are starting to change color and the air is so crisp and clean I doubt they ever have smog alerts like we get at home. I don’t know how long I’ll stay here—I have over five months left on my sabbatical— but I do know I’ll enjoy the break from the hustle and bustle of regular life.
By the time I reach Bree’s house, it’s five fifty-five. I’m about to knock on her door when I see Alistair crossing the lawn. The hair at the base of my neck bristles. “Hello,” he calls out.
“Hello,” I reply with the most monotone and uninterested inflection I can manage.
“Is my sister ready?” he asks.
“Don’t know. I haven’t knocked yet.” Don’t look at him, don’t look at him, don’t look at him, I chant in my head. Then I look at him, and heaven help me, he looks good. He’s wearing jeans too, and a gray sweater that appears to have been knit right on him. I don’t have to use much imagination to know how toned his body is underneath. As much as I tell myself I’m not interested, I can’t help the waves of attraction I feel.
“Well then, let’s knock.” He jolts me out of my daze as he pounds on the door.
Bree walks out of her house carrying a picnic basket. “Wait until you see what we’re having for dessert,” she says.
“Chocolate cake and raspberries,” Alistair guesses.
“No,” she answers with a shake of her head.
“Panne Cotta and peaches,” he tries again.
“No. And I’m not going to tell you so quit guessing.
“Maple crème brûlée with a candied bacon garnish …”
“Alistair, stop it,” Bree laughs. “I’m not going to tell you.”
I can’t help but smile at their exchange. It’s clear the royals are a tight-knit family. I have a momentary pang of regret that I don’t spend more time with my own siblings. But Romaine is always on the road, and Claire lives in Oregon, so it’s not like we have an opportunity for impromptu get-togethers.
“Which car are we taking?” Bree asks her brother.
“I thought you could drive,” he says. “We’ll be a lot more comfortable in your SUV than in my car.”
Bree leads the way to her driveway. “Pile in,” she says before getting behind the wheel. Alistair opens the passenger door for me. My stomach clenches as I walk by him and inhale the spicy scent of his aftershave. It smells of oranges and cloves which is my favorite combination. It’s all I can do not to lean in to him.
When we arrive at our destination a few short minutes later, my mouth hangs open like an unhinged door. “That’s the yacht? It looks like a small cruise ship.”
“It has ten bedrooms and twelve bathrooms,” she tells me. She says a lot of other things but I’m not listening.
“I should have worn something nicer,” I decide.
“Why?” Alistair asks as he gets out of the car and opens my door once again. “I assure you the boat doesn’t care what you have on.”
I expect a naughty shrug of his eyebrows to accompany his statement but there’s no such thing. Instead, he picks up his sister’s picnic basket and leads the way to the dock. Following behind him, I can’t help but wish he was just an ordinary guy and, you know, he lived in LA. Against my better judgment, I decide that I’d rethink my opinion of him if that were the case. But he doesn’t live in LA, and he’s so far away from an ordinary guy it isn’t even funny.
But at least I know he wouldn’t be interested in me for my family connections.
As we near the boat, Alistair raises his hand and waves. “Grady, my friend, are we good to go?”
A tall, strikingly handsome man in a captain’s uniform answers, “Yes, sir, we are.”
“You don’t have to act formal in front of Lutéce,” Alistair tells him before introducing us. “Lu, this is my good friend Grady. Grady, this is Lutéce Choate. Her sister is engaged to Geoffrey.”
The captain nods his head. “Welcome aboard, Miss Choate.” Then he turns to Bree and adds, “Your Highness, I have a message for you from your mother.”
“What is it, Grady?” Bree is much more formal with the captain than her brother is.
“She asked me to give it to you in private.”
“Why?” Bree demands. But before Grady can answer, she concedes, “Fine, I’ll meet you on the starboard deck in five minutes. I need to take my basket to the kitchen.”
Grady raises his hand to another crew member and tells him, “Please take the princess’s basket to the galley.”
Bree doesn’t seem to be pleased about relinquishing her dessert. She snaps, “That was rather high-handed, Grady.”
He looks at her with an expression akin to indifference. “Just doing my job, ma’am. The queen was most insistent that I give you her message before we disembark.”
“Fine, lead the way to wherever you’re going to tell me this mysterious message.” Bree trails behind the captain rather haughtily.
When they’re out of earshot, I say, “I don’t think your sister likes the captain very much.”
“They have quite a history,” Alistair replies.
“Really?” This sounds like an interesting story.
“Grady’s dad used to be my father’s secretary before he retired. Hence, he grew up practically living at the palace with us. He’s like another sibling.”
“Your sister doesn’t seem to think so,” I say.
“Bree used to have the biggest crush on Grady and would follow him around everywhere he went,” Alistair says with a laugh.
“Did they ever date?” Because if they had and it didn’t go well, that would explain her antipathy toward the captain.
“They did not.” Alistair leads the way up a short flight of stairs to the first deck. “Not because my sister didn’t want to, mind you.” He explains, “Grady is very proper and has always felt that his station is too far below hers for anything of a personal nature to occur between them.”
“Does he want to date her?” I ask, knowing this isn’t any of my business, but still wanting to hear the answer.
“Grady has always had a soft spot for Bree. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had feelings for her.”
&
nbsp; “But he’s never said so?” I push.
“For someone who dislikes being flirted with, you certainly seem to be interested in other people’s romances,” he says.
I feel myself blush. “It’s not that I don’t like to be flirted with. I just don’t want to be toyed with. There is a difference,” I tell him.
“Who’s toyed with you? Because if you’re talking about me, I did nothing more than appreciate a beautiful woman. But now that I know how distasteful you find me, I promise to keep all my future opinions to myself. How does that sound?”
“That sounds fine,” I say, even though I’m inexplicably filled with disappointment at the very idea. I don’t find Alistair distasteful; I just can’t let myself fall for one more unavailable man.
Alistair leads me over to a loveseat which is facing the sunset. “Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get us something to drink. How does champagne sound?”
“That would be fine, thank you,” I tell him primly.
As he walks away, the yacht starts to pull away from the dock. I can’t suppress the rush of excitement that flows through me. This is a beautiful boat, and I’m lucky to be here. Staring out as the first pink starts to creep up into the horizon, I am determined to have a good time tonight, regardless of who I’m here with. Plus, it’s not like Alistair and I are alone. Bree is with us. She’ll be a great buffer for any tension.
Alistair comes back with two champagne flutes. He hands me one before toasting, “To a lovely evening.” Instead of sitting next to me, which I assumed he would do, he sits down on a chair adjacent to me. He proceeds to watch the sunset silently.
Part of me wants to say something to fill the air around us, but I don’t know what that would be. I’m saved from uttering something stupid when Grady joins us.
“Would you like to sit down and have a drink with us?” Alistair asks him.
“No, thank you. I just wanted to tell you that Princess Aubrey had to leave the boat and she won’t be able to join you for supper, after all.”
“What?!” I practically scream. I can’t be trapped here alone with Alistair.
“The queen needed her to return home,” Grady says.
“I hope nothing is wrong,” Alistair says.
“I’m sure everything is fine,” the captain responds as a hint of grin crosses his lips.
I look out toward the dock and see Bree waving wildly at us. I return the wave while simultaneously surmising that she doesn’t look very happy about being left behind. “Bree doesn’t look very pleased,” I say out loud.
“She’s probably not, but I assure you,” Grady replies, “I’m just following the queen’s orders.”
Chapter Twenty
Queen Charlotte
“Grady said you had a message for me and that it would be delivered on the dock,” Bree tells her mother heatedly. “Then he drove off without me!”
“Really, a message from me?” Charlotte asks before saying, “I can’t imagine.”
“So, you didn’t request that I be left behind?”
“Darling, why would I do that? I know how much you were looking forward to tonight’s cruise.”
“What is wrong with that man?” Bree demands with her hands on her hips. “I want him fired.”
“I’m not going to fire Grady because of some little misunderstanding,” the queen tells her daughter.
“Why not? You could find ten captains to take his place by tomorrow morning.”
“Grady is like family, dear. I’m sure there’s a very logical explanation for what happened.”
“I doubt it,” Bree tells her mother. “He just doesn’t like me, and he didn’t want me around.”
“That’s ridiculous. Grady thinks of you like a little sister.” The queen doesn’t seem to notice the look of disappointment that crosses her daughter's face. She adds, “I know how much you’ve always liked him, so I’m sure you can find it in your heart to forgive him.”
“I do not like him!” Bree snaps. “Why would you say that?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Aubrey. You followed that boy around like he was the Pied Piper through your entire childhood. Of course, you like him.”
“Maybe I used to, but not anymore.”
“I don’t really have time to get into this now,” the queen tells her daughter before asking, “Why don’t you join us for supper?”
“No, thank you,” Bree replies. “I don’t think I’d be very good company tonight.”
The queen shakes her head as her daughter storms out of her chambers. She mumbles, “What a mother won’t do for her children. But just you wait, young lady. I’ve got plans for you, as well.”
Alistair
As I’ve been warned away from any sort of liaison with Lutéce, I have no idea why my mother would entice my sister off the ship. I know one thing, though. Bree did not appear too happy being left behind.
“We’ll eat our supper out here,” I tell the bosun, who acts as the boat’s butler.
“Maybe we should go back,” Lu suggests with a note of panic in her voice. Who does she think I am, the Big Bad Wolf?
“My dear Miss Choate, Lu,” I tell her, “I quite love being out on the water, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves even though my sister isn’t present.”
“What will we do?”
“We’ll do exactly what we’d planned to do when we thought Bree was joining us.”
“You’re going to help me plan my sister’s bridal shower?”
“Well, no,” I tell her. “But we can still have dinner and maybe then we’ll play backgammon or something.”
“I don’t know how to play.”
“I could teach you.” My God, I’m starting to get the feeling she’d rather jump ship and swim through shark infested waters than spend any time with me. It quite crushes a bloke’s ego.
“How long do you think we’ll be out here?” she demands.
“I’ve instructed Grady to circle around once we reach the old lighthouse up the coast. We should be gone for about four hours.” My companion looks horrified by the news. “Lu,” I tell her, “I’m not going to molest you. I’ve quite taken the hint that you aren’t interested in me, and I assure you, I’m no glutton for punishment. With that said, do you suppose there’s a way we can simply enjoy the night without any weirdness?”
Her head bobs up and down and then side to side undecidedly. She looks like she’s having a stroke. “Yes. Fine. Sure. As long as you know that I’m not looking to be romanced.”
“Perish the thought,” I tease. “Now, what would you like on your burger?” I signal the waiter standing nearby.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she replies.
“You know the way I like it, Thomas.”
When the waiter walks away, Lu asks, “Do you come out here often?”
“At least twice a week. I feel like a different me when I’m on the water.” Now why would I go telling her something as personal as that?
“How so?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I answer, “I can be myself without having to worry how others perceive me. The ocean doesn’t care how royal my blood is. It doesn’t expect me to be impressive.”
Lu doesn’t respond right away. Instead, she seems to drift off into her own thoughts for several moments. When she breaks the silence, it’s to ask, “How old are you?”
“Thirty-two,” I tell her, wondering at the oddity of her question.
“I’m thirty-six.”
What am I supposed to say to that? If I go with, “You look great for your age,” she might take it that I’m calling her old and no woman appreciates that. I decide not commenting is the best course of action.
“Men in Los Angeles tend to shy away from women my age because of our biological clocks.”
“Really?”
“They don’t want to feel pressured to have children right away, and let’s face it, if a woman wants to have a baby, her window of opportunity is closing by the time she
’s in her mid-thirties.”
“Do you want to have a baby?” I ask her.
“Very much.” Her throat sounds constricted by emotion.
“Don’t men in Los Angeles have biological clocks?”
She looks at me like I just suggested the earth is not only flat but still full of dinosaurs. “No. I mean, yes, some of them are dads. It’s just that there’s no urgency for them.”
“Nature is unfair.”
There is little talking when we dig into our supper. It’s not an uncomfortable silence. In fact, I find it very pleasant enjoying one of my favorite pastimes with someone who doesn’t feel the need for constant chatter.
After our dishes are cleared, Lu announces, “The last date I went on was with a fourteen-year-old boy.”
I nearly choke on my champagne, which causes a bit of a coughing fit.
“I know, right?” She giggles as she rolls her eyes.
“Isn’t that illegal?” I finally ask when my airway clears.
“I met him online. He was using his dad’s information so he could find a woman to teach him the ways of love.”
“Industrious fellow. Did you have any tips for him?” I imagine what my fourteen-year-old self would want to do with a woman like Lu and realize it’s very similar to what my current self wants to do. To start, I’d like to pull her into my arms and kiss her for hours on end.
“My last date before Benedict was at a taco bar with a man who hated tacos but forced himself to eat them anyway. He had a purple goatee that he forgot to mention.”
“Lu,”—I pick up the bottle of champagne and refill her glass—“I think the problem may not lie with you, but with the men in that city you call home.”
“I’ve begun to think that as well,” she replies. “Which is why I’ve decided to go ahead and have a baby without a husband.”
“How’s that?” I ask, wondering if she’s planning on hooking up with random men in hopes of getting pregnant. Try as I might, I can’t see her doing that.
“IVF. There's a place near where I live that has quite a good track record.”
You're So Vain: A Royal Haters to Lovers Romance (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers Book 4) Page 10
