The Fidelity World- Nondisclosure

by Ellie Masters

“I appreciate you letting me see you. I know Sundays are your reading days.”

  His attention shifted to the stacks of books.

  I pressed on. “I need to tell you something important.”

  David hovered nearby, which meant finding a chair as far away as possible and pretending to read while Freddy and I talked. The explanation about Henry wasn’t easy, but I broke it down. Freddy was smart, but if I didn’t present the facts in a logical line of cause and effect, he wouldn’t understand. His world was very black and white. I had to keep it simple and tell him Henry was a bad man who did bad things and that Freddy didn’t need to be speaking with him anymore.

  “Who’s your friend?” Freddy asked. “That’s not the prince.”

  I smiled. “No, he’s not. But David is a good friend of Richard’s.”

  “Maybe you can bring Richard to your visit? He might want to feed Sally.”

  “He’s in England. Did you hear what happened?”

  “I don’t watch the news. It’s depressing.”

  “His brother died.”

  His mouth rounded with surprise. “That means, Richard will be king.”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.” His face clouded over with pain. “Tell him I’m sorry. Is that what I’m supposed to say? That I’m sorry?”

  “Yes, it is, and I’m sure he’ll appreciate you thinking about him.”

  “So, who’s David?”

  “He’s the one who found out about the trust I told you about. Do you understand what that means?”

  “I do. Mom had land and gave it to us when she died.”

  The clock in the library struck six o’clock, and one of the staff entered. “Miss Cartwright, visiting hours are over.”

  I turned, not with irritation, but with gratitude for the privacy she’d allowed. Out of the corner of my eye, I had caught her shuttling residents away from the library while Freddy and I talked.

  “Thank you.” Turning to Freddy, I ran my finger along his sleeve. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “Miss you, too,” he said, mirroring my good-bye.

  During the two-hour flight back to New York, David explained the conditions of the trust.

  “What do we do now? What do I do about Henry?”

  Henry’s text sat on my cell phone, unanswered. There was no way to tell how long before he found out I’d subverted his plans, and I feared retribution. I adored Henry—or had. Now, I didn’t know what to think.

  “Don’t engage with Henry.”

  Chapter 35: To-Do

  Rowan

  Based upon David’s advice, I sent a notice to Freddy’s home, ensuring Henry and anyone from his firm weren’t able to gain access to my brother. Legally, my guardianship sheltered him, but physically? Fear pricked at my gut, and I considered pulling Freddy out of the home. But subject Freddy to a move?

  Richard’s phone burned a hole in my pocket. Too many times, I pulled it out of my purse and flicked it on, needing his guidance. No message. My fingers danced over the keys while I struggled with whether to reach out. The need to feel his touch, if even through the phone, pulled at me. Rubbing my face, I tucked the phone away and let the ghost of a smile curl my lips.

  David didn’t miss much because his eyes angled to my purse. “Give him some time, Rowan,” he said. “You mean more to him than you realize. More than I think even he realizes.”

  “I know.” But it hurt.

  David dropped me off at my apartment, and I headed upstairs to the boxes with Richard’s things inside. If I couldn’t speak to him, at least I could unpack his things and add his presence to this empty home. Most of the boxes contained clothes. I hung them in his closet. There were few personal effects, which I kept in the boxes. The man owned no T-shirts, which was unfortunate because I’d hoped to sleep in one. Denied that, I took one of his dress shirts and put that on, inhaling the dark essence of him. It made a little of the loneliness go away.

  Later that night, I reclined on the sofa and started reading a new book. His phone chirped from inside my purse. My lips twisted with happiness mingled with sadness, but joy won out. My insides quivered when I read his text.

  Sweet Rowan, can you talk?

  Yes!

  The phone rang a few seconds later.

  “I miss you.” The deep notes of his voice filled my ear and soothed the ache in my heart.

  “I miss you, too. How’re you holding up?”

  “I have good and bad moments. The official announcement was made early this morning. I wanted to check in on you.”

  “You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “I do. You’re a part of me.”

  And he was a part of me, one that grew more profound with every passing day.

  “I wish I were with you,” I said, blurting out the words before I had a chance to realize how needy that sounded.

  “I’d like that.” The strain in his voice broke my heart.

  “I know you’re busy. I just wanted you to know, I’m thinking of you.”

  “That helps more than you realize.” He heaved a deep sigh. “I have to admit something very selfish.”

  “Yes?”

  “If it weren’t for Pratt, I’d have you here now. I don’t care what my mother says. I don’t care what protocol demands. I need you.”

  My breath caught in my chest because I needed that, too. An ocean and several time zones separated us. That needed to change. I rubbed my cheek as an idea formed in my head.

  We talked for over an hour, first about inconsequential things and then about David’s visit. There wasn’t much that Richard didn’t already know. Either David had spoken to him before our trip to Savannah or he’d caught him afterward. After some time, Richard opened up about his brother. He shared bits and pieces of their relationship—his love for his brother as well as the difficulties they’d shared. My heart ached with the rawness of his pain and the burden of guilt ghosting in his thoughts.

  As I went to sleep, I made my decision.

  The next two weeks, I raced around town like a madwoman. First stop was my bank. The trust held millions, but none of that was cash I could use. Fortunately, the first payment from Infidelity had cleared. That gave me plenty of options.

  Scheduling time to speak with my professors took several days. None were thrilled with me taking time off, but once I explained my very unique situation, they helped work out a schedule that would allow me to complete the term.

  There was an option to take a year off or delay one term. Without knowing what the future held, I sat with my adviser, and we settled on taking a semester off. I could have taken the full year, but the agreement with Infidelity ran out in the middle of the spring semester. If Richard and I approached the end of our agreement and decided things would end, at least my future plans could resume with minimal interruption.

  Richard and I talked every night. Not once did I reveal my plans. He wouldn’t agree, and by the contract he’d signed with Infidelity, he was bound to accept the limits I had placed at inception.

  One of my stops on my to-do list involved a visit with Ms. Flores.

  She confirmed the contract couldn’t be changed. Various reasons were given, but it came down to concerns Infidelity had with clients pressuring employees to change the terms of the contract.

  “Safety first,” she said, repeating one of many Infidelity catchwords.

  While this frustrated me, she had my best interests at heart. If Richard chose to discard me at the end of our year contract and I had requested the stipulation regarding my studies be lifted, it would have profound repercussions on my future.

  There was little to argue against that even if the financial reasons behind seeking employment with Infidelity no longer existed. If I chose, I could quit Pratt and never return. The trust settled all of that.

  And Henry?

  During those first few days, a flurry of texts had flooded my phone. I’d mentioned it to Richard during our nightly talk and never heard from Henry again.
/>
  While I was pretty certain more was going on in the background, Richard refused to elaborate. I could have demanded answers, but I didn’t. Bottom line, I loved having someone who watched out for me. If anything, Richard was highly possessive—or at least, as much as he could be an ocean away.

  He kept me up to date with his affairs. Edmund had been put to rest on the tenth day after his death. His body had lain in state while the nation mourned. With that completed, Richard had a several months’ long tour of the country scheduled.

  I intended to surprise the hell out of him.

  Chapter 36: Downstairs

  Richard

  Edmund’s funeral couldn’t have been more majestic. Only the heat of tears had pricked at my eyes during the solemn event. Crying betrayed weakness—something I reserved for the one person closest to me. Strange how Rowan drew out my strength when I felt the weakest. She was ever at the forefront of my thoughts and starred in my fantasies late at night and in the mornings during my shower. I invited her into my innermost thoughts, exposed my turmoil, and shared my dreams as well as my fears. Technically, she was the person I knew the least about, but we were slowly rectifying that fault.

  It felt like I’d known her forever.

  During all the disturbance and unrest of the past weeks, her steadfast support had carried me through the long nights when my insecurities whispered the loudest. Our phone conversations would stretch deep into the night where we exposed our secret selves to each other.

  With my thoughts focused on Rowan, I ignored the half-dozen tailors who swarmed around me, making certain the pins and ribbons hung properly on my royal dress. My mother sat in the corner, regal and proper in her grieving black. She would wear the color for several months, whereas I, by necessity, divulged myself of the depressing color. My official tour approached with the glacial surety of fate.

  “You look magnificent,” she said. And, for the first time, the sparkle in her eyes wasn’t from tears.

  I believed she honestly felt pride in her younger son. Of course, I’d been nothing but dutiful these past couple of weeks. I bowed to her every wish. Every request, I treated like a command. Whatever I could do to remove her pall of grief, I viewed as my solemn duty—with one exception.

  “Thank you, Mum,” I said.

  With a brisk wave of her hand, she dismissed the room. The tailors and waitstaff disappeared with barely a rustle of sound, leaving the Queen of England alone with her sole heir.

  “You will be spectacular,” she said, coming to brush nonexistent lint off my shoulder.

  “And you’re certain you won’t be coming?”

  The trip would be a good distraction, and it had been some time since she made an official tour of state.

  Her lips pinched, and I regretted my words. Edmund’s death had aged my mother faster than it should have. I no longer saw the regal monarch from my youth. Instead, a frail, older woman looked back at me, worn and exhausted.

  “I shall remain in London. It’s important for the people to see their Queen going on with normal things now that Edmund…” Her voice caught on his name, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She cleared her throat. “Now that you are filling his shoes, it’s time to show your resolve.” Her eyes narrowed. “You must be on your best behavior. This is not the time for scandal or speculation.”

  “Yes, Mum.” I pasted a smile to my lips.

  She’d remained resolute about Rowan. Despite my explanation of Rowan’s heritage, one of a handful of prestigious founding Southern families, my mother wouldn’t budge. My hope had been to sway her opinion, but I’d accomplished the opposite instead.

  She saw nothing other than a destitute socialite desperate to reclaim social standing by attaching herself to the English monarchy. Her arguments revolved around Rowan’s status as a commoner and her American citizenship. According to English law, neither of those mattered, but my mother didn’t care. The biggest black spot against Rowan was the size of her bank account. Also something that shouldn’t matter. Considering I paid for the privilege of Rowan’s companionship, bringing her to me and not the other way around, I found my mother’s reasoning flawed, but there was no way to use that for Rowan’s defense.

  It took everything not to share the truth behind Rowan’s finances. Following David’s advice, we kept that a tightly held secret. He had friends investigating Henry Porter while I placed several of my security team into looking into the details surrounding her father’s death. Rowan knew nothing about my investigation or the depths of my mother’s disapproval. It was a good thing an ocean separated them.

  My phone rang, and my mother’s lips twisted. “Her again? I thought you’d severed ties?”

  “You judge too harshly. Once you meet her, you’ll understand why she’s caught my eye.”

  “I’m not certain it’s your eye she’s caught.”

  “Mum!”

  “Oh, I may be Queen, but I’m not daft. I know what drives a young man.”

  “You have no faith in me?”

  “In you, I have all the faith in the world. That girl is another matter. Have you even glanced at the list I gave you?”

  “You mean, the list of desperate socialites who want to wed a prince? You judge Rowan when you should turn your attention to that list. Seriously, Mum, did you even look at it?”

  “They come from respectable families.” The twitching of her eyelids confirmed what I’d already guessed. Her advisers had compiled that list, no doubt being paid handsomely to add this name or that, in hopes that a suitable candidate found her way to a crown.

  “As does Rowan.” But my words fell on deaf ears.

  “They’re not soiled by scandal,” she insisted. “The crown cannot be attached to—”

  I couldn’t handle it anymore and let my anger surge to the surface. “Enough! What happened to her father has no bearing on Rowan. Please agree to meet her before you cast her aside based upon the crimes committed by another.”

  “End it with that girl. The time you spend with her is time you’re not securing the future of our family.”

  My phone rang again. “I’m going to take her call.”

  She tsked her disapproval.

  I glanced at the phone.

  Are you free to talk?

  Those were the words we used to ensure privacy.

  Mum is here, but she’s leaving.

  That’s a shame. I’d love to meet her.

  My heart slammed against my chest.

  Meet her?

  Yes. I’m downstairs.

  Chapter 37: Union

  Rowan

  My heart fluttered with the nervous energy it pumped into my veins. With no outlet, my skin buzzed as my body came alight. I barely held it together.

  David and my bodyguard, Mark, had orchestrated this meeting, all without Richard’s knowledge. I hoped my presence came as a welcomed surprise and not something else. I refused to consider what might happen if Richard said no.

  Somewhere along the way, I’d endeared Mark to my cause—either that or David had roped him into the role of coconspirator. Mark had arranged our travel plans and greased my way through multiple layers of security. David had filled me in on royal protocol and regaled me with stories of him and Richard growing up. Limitations would be placed upon me, he’d explained, but I didn’t care. If all I could do was sleep by Richard’s side, I would happily stay in the background during the day.

  A hopeless romantic, David had affectionately dubbed the trip Operation Royal Union. Without him, I never would have made it through the front door. He’d seemed able to gain intimate access to Richard, but then I’d come to find how close the two of them were. The snippets of Richard’s life told through his best friend’s eyes had filled my heart with joy.

  The three of us waited in the parlor of a grand estate. Like most buildings belonging to the royal family, it carried a name weighted with history. Richard’s world wasn’t the place for someone like me, but that was okay. I only wanted the tiniest
bit. David tried to soothe me, but I stuck out like a sore thumb with my American accent and dress. It didn’t bother him. He had grown up in London as the son of an ambassador, but the haughty stares and suspicious whispers gnawed at me.

  What the hell have I done?

  “Did he answer?” David asked.

  “Yes.” I shouldn’t feel the beating of my heart, but it pounded like a kettledrum and sent a roar of my blood surging past my ears.

  “And?” His brow lifted, seeking more of an answer.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? He didn’t answer, or he didn’t see the text?”

  “He saw the text.”

  Maybe coming here was too bold of a move. Maybe Richard had been debating on how to get rid of an overly needy woman he no longer had time for in his life. Because, really, wasn’t that exactly what I was?

  A commotion drew my attention out of the tangle of my thoughts. Taking two stairs at a time, Richard raced down the majestic staircase.

  “Rowan!” His voice boomed.

  Security and waitstaff snapped to attention, heads swiveling to see what the disturbance might be.

  My heart swelled in my chest until I thought it would burst from joy.

  “Richard.” My voice came out a soft and tentative whisper.

  His gaze swept the parlor. I stood in the middle, hands clasped tightly beneath my chin. I wanted to run to him, but David’s fingers brushed my elbow, reminding me not to directly approach the Prince of Wales. Otherwise, I would activate his security shield.

  My hesitation didn’t matter because Richard closed the distance in ground-devouring strides. My cheeks filled with a grin, and my lips curved into a smile. I didn’t know what proper decorum dictated, but it didn’t matter. His strong arms wrapped around me and yanked me hard against his chest. Before I could take a breath, his lips crushed mine, and the urgency of our reunion drove all my insecurities away.

  David took a step back, giving us space. I curled my arms around Richard’s neck and let his passion carry me away.

  This was where I belonged.