‘Yes,’ I told her. ‘Actually, there is.’
*~*~**~*~*
Giggling like little girls, Adaira and I sank onto a sofa only a few feet away from a pack of the most vicious hyenas, Lady Eveline, Caroline and Dorothea among them. They ignored us - or at least me - with disdain worthy of three grand duchesses. But as we kept giggling, whispering, and every now and again throwing glances over our shoulders at Karim, standing in the corner, you could practically feel curiosity beginning to gnaw at them.
Finally, they snapped. Literally.
‘Pardon me!’ Lady Caroline snapped at me. ‘We are engaged in serious pursuits. Please quiet your stupid antics, or at least share what it is that you find so highly entertaining.’
We looked at her, then looked at Karim, and burst into another excited fit of giggles. Eyebrows raised - they never would have gone so far as to actually frown and put wrinkles onto those perfect faces of theirs - the ladies followed our glances and took in the huge, turban-wearing stranger in the corner.
‘Unbelievable.’ Lady Eveline shook her head. ‘What can there possibly be that could be so fascinating to a proper lady about a savage like that?’
I had to admit, I was impressed. Twice now, she had fished for information, both times without posing a direct question to either me or Adaira.
But she wouldn’t need to.
‘Well…’ Adaira began, just as we had discussed.
‘Don’t tell them!’ I hissed at her, sending her a quite impressive glare, if I do say so myself. ‘They don’t deserve to know!’
‘What don’t we deserve to know?’ Eveline’s voice was sharp as a knife. Her eyes narrowed into slits.
‘That-’
‘Don’t!’ I interrupted Adaira again, shaking my head. But the three hyenas glared at me, and I shut up. How could I not be intimidated by three pampered society beauties? It was such a terror to behold.
‘Tell us,’ Lady Caroline commanded - never mind that she was a guest in Adaira’s house.
Adaira’s eyes flashed for a moment, betraying her real feelings - but just for a moment. The next she was smiling an impressively genuine ‘oh, I’m just a silly little girl’ smile, and leaned forward conspiratorially.
‘You know, I shouldn’t tell you this, but…’
‘Adaira, no!’ Jumping up, I took a few dramatic steps back. ‘How could you? I thought you were my friend!’
And, whirling around, I marched away.
But not all the way away. Instead, I slid behind a screen, still within comfortable hearing distance.
‘What is the matter with her?’ Lady Caroline asked.
‘Oh, she is just worried she’ll get some competition.’ Another silly girlish giggle from Adaira. Dear me, that girl was good. She should try getting a job as an actress.
‘Competition?’ Now, Lady Caroline sounded truly interested. ‘For Lord Ambrose?’
‘What, my brother?’ Adaira gave a dismissive snort. Somehow I had a feeling that this time, she wasn’t acting. ‘No, he’s old news.’
‘Old news?’
‘Yes. Who cares about a little lordling-’ conspiratorially, she lowered her voice, ‘-when there’s a prince to catch?’
Stunned silence filled the room. Absolute, complete silence. The talent must lie in the Ambrose family.
‘A…a prince?’
Lady Dorothea sounded only slightly breathless. Impressive. One might almost think that she wasn’t salivating.
‘You didn’t know?’