“Sight?” he asked, wanting to know if Ele needed her security team’s eyes on her.
Drawing another deep breath, she nodded. “Hear no evil,” she joked, so Robert knew she didn’t want anyone in hearing distance.
Robert fought a grin. “What about departure?”
She wanted to say she would leave with Tristan, but it wasn’t true. She could mingle with everyone at the party, but she couldn’t leave with a particular person. So, she smirked instead. “Cinderella?”
Robert’s teeth tugged on the corner of his lip as he maintained his stoic image. “Don’t make me turn into a pumpkin, Your Highness.”
So, she had until midnight before Robert would come to get her.
Ele was good, but she was defenseless against Robert’s one-liners. So, when she turned back to step down onto the beach, she wore a flirty yellow dress, a jaunty straw hat, and a wide, open smile. The moment wiped the fear and the hesitancy away. She looked out at the assembly in front of her—a stone firepit with curved benches circling it, two large wooden picnic tables laden with food, barrels set up around with drinks floating in ice water, and people. Footballers in casual National Team gear, wives and girlfriends sidled up close to their men, children playing with smaller balls while others sat in the sand, sifting for little treasures. Some older people were intermingled with the groups, probably parents. It struck Ele—belatedly—that it was a family party, and the first trickle of unease dripped down her spine. She glanced about for a familiar face, but she didn’t see Tristan. She turned to go, to step back onto the safety of the boardwalk, when a tiny person crashed into her legs.
Startled, she braced herself. When she regained her balance, she looked down at a dark-haired little girl who was peering up at her with intent.
“Oops,” the girl said before she burst into tears.
Ele didn’t think twice about scooping the child into her arms. She foisted the girl onto her hip and swayed side to side. She remembered slinging a tiny Juliana around when she was little. It made her smile, and the skills she’d garnered from mothering her sister came back to her on instinct.
“Hello,” she said, smiling at the girl. “We have the same color dress on.”
The girl peered at her with huge chocolate eyes. “Yellow is my favorite color.”
Ele thought about just agreeing with her, but she didn’t want to lie. “Mine is green.”
She scrunched up her face like what Ele had said was horrible. Dropping her voice, the girl said, “But that’s the color of boogers.”
Ele struggled not to laugh. With a forced serious expression, she whispered, “Yes, but yellow is the color of wee-wee.”
The child’s hands flew to her mouth, and she stifled her giggle. But her eyes lit up, twinkling with mirth.
“Annalise.”
The child and Ele turned in the direction of the stern voice. Nicolas Ramsey stood a few feet away from them, his hands on his hips.
“You were supposed to be eating your dinner,” he reprimanded lightly.
“But we were talking about colors, Daddy.”
Nicolas, whose eyes were fixed on his child, shook his head, obviously concealing a smile. Then, his gaze shifted to Ele and widened in surprise.
“Your Highness,” he began.
But Ele held up her hand and shook her head. “It’s Ele, please.”
Maybe it was the pleading in her voice or the directness of her stare, but Nicolas sent her an understanding smile. “Ele, I hope she’s not bothering you.”
“Not at all. We’re in the middle of color wars right now. And I happen to think green is winning.”
Annalise cracked up in her arms, her little body shaking with each giggle.
“I’ve obviously missed something here,” Nicolas replied good-naturedly.
With a shrug and a wink, Ele said, “Girl stuff.”
“Fair enough. But someone needs to eat.”
“Can Ele come with me?” Annalise pleaded.