Reluctantly Royal (12 page)

I just looked up at him. I wasn’t sure I knew how to let other people help me.

“Go take a hot shower.” Gently he placed his hands on my shoulders and steered me toward the door. “Take a long hot shower and let other people help you for once.”

I let him guide me through the hallway and to the stairs. “Are you going home now?”

The light in the foyer was dim and his face was cloaked in shadow as he looked down at me. “No.”

“What will you do?” I shivered. I was more worn out than I had realized.

“Stay.”

With that one word, relief crashed over me. How could this man, whom I barely knew, make me feel safe?

“Thank you.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

He turned just enough so that I could feel his breath on my own cheek. “Get some rest, Meredith.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” I trudged up the stairs with a backward glance over my shoulder. He was watching me, one hand on the stair rail, but my barb had made him smile just a little.

I stopped by Marty’s room. He was sitting on his bed, playing his video game.

“Did you get your pajamas?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He glanced over at me.

“I think Katie’s going to come give you a bath. Is that okay?” I leaned against the door frame.

“Ah, I can bathe myself.” He scrunched up his nose. “I don’t want her to see my butt.”

I laughed. “Okay. She can stay in the other room and just make sure you don’t drown. How’s that?”

“Works for me!” He turned back to the television.

I crossed the room and kissed the top of his head. “Good night, monster.”

“ ’Night, Mom.”

It only took a moment to swing by Katie’s room and ask her to handle Marty’s bedtime routine. She was reading a book and folded the page to mark her spot. I couldn’t detect any annoyance at being interrupted. Instead she seemed happy to help.

“Do you need help with anything else?”

“No, I’m going to call it a night.” I tugged at my shirt.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll see to it that Marty gets to bed.” Katie smiled.

“Thank you.” When I got to my room, I closed the door and leaned against it. There was a prince somewhere in my house, doing God knows what. I let someone else handle my son’s bedtime routine. And I was very close to falling apart.

I stripped as I walked to my bathroom and turned the water to scalding. Without thinking, I stepped in and let the water run over my body. It only took a few minutes before the tears started and mixed with the water running over my face.

There was a sense of relief, knowing that no one was waiting on me, there was nothing that I had to do right that moment, and I just let myself cry. I cried until the water turned cold and then cried some more.

By the time I dragged myself out of the bathroom, I could barely hold my eyes open. I wanted nothing more than to fall on my bed, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I checked on Marty one more time.

Grabbing one of the throw blankets from a chair, I wrapped it around my shoulders and tiptoed down the hallway. Holding my breath, I opened the door and hoped that it wouldn’t creak. Sticking my head in, I listened to his steady breathing and sighed.

I could sleep now.

Back in my room, I crawled on top of the blankets and let myself fall into oblivion.

TEN

S
OMETHING
NUDGED MY
foot and I jerked awake.

“Don’t you have a castle of your own somewhere?” Meredith’s father stared down at me.

“Yes, sir, I do.” I sat up and chose to ignore his sarcasm.

“Then why are you sleeping on my sofa?” He sat down in the chair across from me.

“It was rather late last night for me to make the drive home.” The butler had offered me a guest room, but I had declined. I didn’t want Meredith to feel like I was trying to move in and take over. Though I had accepted a room for my bodyguard.

“And what? You just came for a visit?”

The last few times I had seen this man, his eyes had been blurry and his voice had been heavy. Right now, he was alert, if irritable.

“Yes, sir. Marty and I went fishing.” I tugged at the collar of my shirt. The couch hadn’t exactly been the most comfortable place to sleep.

“Fishing.” He grunted. “Boy would spend his life fishing if he could.”

“He certainly seemed at home out there.” I looked around on the floor for my shoes. I had kicked them off at some point during the night.

“Why are you really here?”

“What do you mean?” I tried to keep calm, but I wasn’t known for being overly sociable. Especially in the morning.

“Did the queen send you to make sure we didn’t do anything wrong?” He grunted. “Keep the dirty cousins from making a scene?”

“No, I’m here to help Meredith.” I paused for a moment. “And you.”

“Help us with what exactly?” He ran his hand along the arm of the chair he was sitting in.

“Helping with the ceremony, keeping Marty busy . . .” I was running out of polite explanations. I didn’t care if the old man wanted to make an ass out of himself, but I did care about how it affected Meredith and Marty.

“That’s it?” He drummed his fingers on the chair.

“I also agreed to be a pallbearer.” I shrugged and ran a hand across the back of my neck. Having a conversation with the man who tried to hit Meredith was pushing my patience.

“Where’s your bodyguard?” He leaned back in his chair.

“I don’t require him all the time.” I narrowed my eyes.

“Huh.” He grunted again and his eyes flicked toward the liquor cabinet in the corner of the room.

“A little early to be hitting the drink, isn’t it?” I didn’t regret the words¸ which was probably a bad thing.

“Don’t come in my home and judge me.” He smacked his hand down on the chair arm. “What I do in my own home has nothing to do with you.”

“It does when it endangers Meredith and Marty.”

“They are only here for the funeral, then back to England they go.” He scratched at the scruff on his chin. “Bet they’re dying to get back.”

“It might be easier on them if you cut back on your drinking while they are here.” I sat up straighter and put my hands on my knees. “You could try actually spending time with them, instead of being passed out in your room.”

“They can spend time with me anytime they want.” His eyes darted back to the cabinet.

“Not if they’re afraid you’re going to hit them.” I ground my teeth together.

“I wouldn’t have hurt Mere.” He rolled his eyes, and it took all of my willpower to keep from leaping across the table between us.

“If I hadn’t been there, you would have hurt her.” There was no disguising the anger in my words.

“Ah. I see. You want to champion my daughter.” The old man leaned forward, just begging to be punched. “Be her knight in shining armor and steal her away from this horrible life.” His laugh made my muscles tense.

I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. I did want to whisk Meredith and Marty away. Whisk them right back to their place in England, where they would be safe. He made it sound wrong, dirty somehow.

“Let me tell you something, boy. My daughter is using you. Trailing you along like she does all the men that come sniffing around her door. She’ll use you, get what she wants, and never look back.” His smug smile made the hair on my arms stand up. “I don’t know what you have that she wants, but there’s something. Fuck, you’re a goddamn prince. She might want to be queen.” His mirthless laugh filled the room. “Or she wants to use you to get attention for her singing career. I don’t know. But I can tell you this; this family isn’t anything but trailer trash. You can give us a title, lands, and money, but it doesn’t change a thing. Deep down, we’ll always be the poor neighbors.”

I stood up and stared down at the miserable man across from me. “Meredith has more breeding, backbone, and strength than anyone I’ve ever met. You, on the other hand, are exactly what you say you are.”

“High-and-mighty, aren’t you?” Arthur stood up and walked to the liquor cabinet. “You’ll see.”

“Dad?” Meredith’s sleepy voice came from the hallway.

“In here.” Arthur turned around with a smug expression. “With your boy toy.”

“Stop that.” Meredith rounded the corner and pulled her robe tight. “Prince Maxwell is a friend.”

“As you say.” He motioned with his full tumbler.

“For the love of God, Dad. It’s barely eight o’clock in the morning.” Meredith put a hand on one hip. “We have company coming today.”

“I didn’t invite anyone.” The old man shrugged and took a sip of his drink.

“The royal family is coming to pay their respects.” Meredith glanced toward me and then back at her father.

“Looks like he’s already done that.” Her father raised an eyebrow. “Kicked him out to sleep on the couch when you were done with him?”

“Father.” The warning in her tone was ignored.

“You could have at least let him have one of the guest rooms.” He leered.

“I offered to stay and help this morning.” I stood up straight and glared at Arthur. “Nothing inappropriate happened.”

The old man grunted. “Play the game all you want.”

“Can you manage to stay sober for a few hours?” Meredith’s mouth turned down. “It’s your job to host the visitors.”

“And again I say, I didn’t invite them.”

“It’s customary in Lilaria for people to stop by the deceased’s home and offer their respects.” I said the words as calmly as possible. “When a person of title passes away, the royal family always comes to pay their respects.”

“Please.” Meredith said the word quietly. “If we can just get through the next couple of days, everything will be fine.”

“Leave me be, Meredith.” Her father’s eyes narrowed. “I have to bury my father tomorrow and if I need a little drink to get through it, so be it.”

She froze in place, her eyes the only indication of her anger. “Do what you want, just be sober enough to help carry the casket in the morning.”

“Who the hell decided to do the funeral in the morning?” He tipped his drink back. “Why wasn’t I consulted?”

“You were passed out in your room. As the next of kin, I had to make the decisions alone.” Meredith dropped her hands to her sides. “The royal advisor suggested holding the funeral early so that the township could have a day of mourning.”

“Royal advisor.” He chuckled. “The queen sent someone to take over, huh?”

“Her Majesty sent someone to help you during a difficult and confusing time.” I said the words calmly, aware that the tension in the room had continued to mount despite the cool words.

“Well, where are they?” He looked around the room. “What are they doing to make sure everything goes smoothly?”

“She will be here this afternoon.” Meredith’s shoulders tensed. “Did you know that Granddad left a will?”

“What?” Arthur froze, his glass halfway to his mouth. “The old man made a will?”

“He entrusted it to the crown.” Meredith’s knuckles whitened from how hard she clenched her fists. “There will be a reading the day after the funeral.”

“How did you know?” Arthur slammed his glass down on the table. Amber liquid splashed over the edge and ran down the leg.

“The assistant that the queen sent told me.” She shook her head. “I didn’t know anything about it.”

“Everything passes to me.” He said the words like there was no question. “I’m the Duke of Thysmer now.”

“Then you should act like it.” I raised an eyebrow. “Stop leaving your daughter to shoulder everything by herself.”

“Max.” Meredith widened her eyes.

“Get out of my house.” Arthur raised his hand and pointed at me. “Get the hell out. And don’t come back.”

“The house isn’t yours until the will is read.” I kept my voice calm. “And don’t think for one minute that the crown can’t take away what has been given.”

“The hell it isn’t my home. I’m the duke.”

“I’m more than happy to leave, but not while you are drinking. It is my responsibility to make sure that your family and staff are safe from abuse.”

“I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. You may be a prince, but you don’t dictate what I do to my liver.” As if to demonstrate, he picked up his glass and downed the rest of the contents.

“Then I will dismiss your staff and find suitable arrangements for your daughter and grandson.” I could feel Meredith’s glare, but I didn’t look her way. I never used my title, never forced anyone to do anything. I never expected anyone to treat me differently, but I’d be damned if I was going to let this man hurt anyone else.

“You can’t dismiss my staff.” He shook his head.

“Your father took an oath that gave me that power.” I stepped forward. “It is my job to see to the safety of my citizens, and if that means taking measures to remove them from a duke’s bad decisions, then that is what I will do.”

“Then go. I don’t need them.” He laughed. “I can take care of myself just fine. Been doing it my whole life.”

“Meredith, please go pack some things for you and Marty.” I turned and looked at her. The anger in her eyes was intimidating, but she didn’t say a word, just turned and stalked out of the room.

“I will be letting the queen know that I’ve dismissed your staff and take care of their pay while things are handled.” I started to turn, but paused. “If you show up for the funeral inebriated, I will make sure that you regret it. That is an order from the crown.”

I walked out of the room and was roughly yanked by small hands to a dark corner.

“What the hell are you doing?” Meredith hissed. “Having a pissing contest with my father! Why? What good is this going to accomplish?”

“I can’t leave you here with him.” Wasn’t that obvious?

“The hell you can’t. I thought you were going to help, not make things worse!”

Her words felt like a slap. “Of course I’m trying to help.”

“Jesus. If the staff is gone, if I’m gone, then there will be no one here to make sure he doesn’t do something terrible.” She ran a hand through her hair.

“He is a danger to everyone around him.” I fought my frustration. She was obviously panicking.

“Where the hell am I going to stay? A hotel? Don’t you think that’s going to make the town talk?”

“You can stay at D’Lynsal or the palace. There is plenty of space at both.” I shrugged. “I have an apartment in town if you want to stay there.”

“I can’t just go stay at your place, Max. People will talk.” Her cheeks were pale.

“Stay at D’Lynsal. It’s only two hours from your township and we can say that it was an invitation from my sister. She won’t mind. You can say that you and Marty needed some time away from Thysmer. People will assume that it’s grief.” I reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone. “I need to call them and tell them that we’re coming there. Okay?”

“Damn it. Stop making decisions for me.” She turned away from me and I could hear her mumbling under her breath. When she turned back around, she poked me in the chest. “Fine. We’ll go to your family’s home, but you better start asking me what the hell I want. No more making decisions willy-nilly. Got it?”

“I didn’t make the decision ‘willy-nilly.’ ” Her robe had come open and I couldn’t help but notice the tops of her breasts exposed by the tiny tank top she was wearing. Damn it, now was not the time for that shit. “I meant every word I said in there.”

A glass tumbler flew out of the door and exploded against the wall across from us. Meredith jumped and I reached out to steady her.

“I’m going to go get Marty.” She looked up at me. “It’s just going to get worse.”

She turned to leave and I reached out to grab her hand. “Meredith.”

“What?” Her eyes looked from me to the open doorway and back.

“I’m sorry.” I really was doing what I thought best. “I really am trying to help.”

“Later. We’ll talk later.” She pulled out of my grasp and took the stairs two at a time.

I turned my phone on and headed down the hall to where some of the staff were standing. Dodging the liquid and broken glass, I motioned for the staff to move back.

“I’m putting you on leave.” I held up my hand to stop questions. “You will be paid by the crown while not working until things are cleared up. Someone will contact you when it’s time to come back.”

“Sir, I’d like to stay.” The butler stepped forward.

“I think it best that you leave.” I started to turn but he cleared his throat.

“I made a promise, sir.”

“To who?”

“The late Duke of Thysmer.” He stepped forward and lowered his voice. “He requested that I make sure his son didn’t do anything to hurt himself.”