The Royal and the Rebel (Royally Pitched 2)

15

2 March

Xavier Hall

Juliana woke with an unease lodged firmly in her belly. It was the prickle of something coming, a proper premonition, even though she didn’t believe in things like that. She tried an antacid, hoping it would dissipate in the chalky residue. Then, she tried flat ginger ale, which she’d pilfered from the small refrigerator in her suite.

But when she finished getting ready and the niggling still weighted her down, she reached for Fernet-Branca. Chilling it like a shot, she poured the cold liquid into a tumbler. Without ceremony, she threw it back, like it was midnight instead of eight in the morning. Yet, as she slipped on her booties and took a final look at her hair, she still couldn’t kick the feeling and she wondered if her instincts had been trying to prepare her for something coming her way.

Today was Shrove Tuesday. There was another parade through the square and then a reception and dinner for fifty people following mass. Juliana wanted to do none of those things. Rowan had gotten her “excused” from the parade, but the luncheon was supposed to be their official debut. She’d not returned any text messages yesterday, and she was stupidly afraid to even look this morning.

After Rowan’s little chemistry class last night, she was more nervous than before to be in public with him. Sure, he’d proven he could make her want him despite her hatred of his stupid arrogance, but he hadn’t come close to assuaging her worries over their compatibility. Perhaps she was thinking of it all wrong though. Was anyone, other than her brother and sister, going to be searching for little hearts circling Rowan and Jules? And with Rowan recovering, she imagined most people would excuse him anything.

She sat on the chair in her sitting room and looked out over the hedge maze again. She was really quite fascinated with it. She tried to plot a course with her overhead view, like it was a paper maze and she held a pencil.

Noah came into the room and cleared his throat.

Juliana looked away from the window.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Brace—”

His words were interrupted by rapid knocking. Juliana looked at him questioningly, and he nodded his head.

“Bullocks,” she muttered.

She stood and walked to the door, trying to take Noah’s advice to brace herself.

Opening it, she just managed to keep her mouth closed at what awaited her. Millie stood in front, obviously doing the knocking. Her face gave nothing away—not shock, surprise, or rampant questions. She was merely Millie.

“Hello, Your Highness,” Millie said before she walked into the apartment, her ever-present iPad in her hand. “I am here in an official capacity,” she remarked. “You can thank Ele for that. The queen wanted to send Margaret.”

“Bugger,” Juliana whispered.

Behind her was Ele, looking like the cat that ate the canary. There were no nervous glances, no recriminating looks. She leaned forward and kissed both of Juliana’s cheeks.

“Hello, love,” she said before she followed Millie. “This is quite an estate. Like its own stronghold.” Ele looked splendid in a bright red coat and a jaunty hat, which was perched at an angle on her head. “We are so happy to see you.”

Then came Jamie. Juliana couldn’t help it when her eyes widened. Even though Noah had warned her, she hadn’t been prepared for both of them to show up. It was still so rare for them to travel together, and that they came here for her, well, her heart tripped a bit.

Jamie’s hand touched her cheek, and he studied her with his all-seeing eyes. “You okay, Jules?” he said softly.

Juliana loved her brother and sister, but she loved Jamie just a bit more than she loved anyone in the world. He never judged. He never made her feel like less. Juliana knew she could tell Jamie the truth, and he would support her. That she had to lie to him hurt her heart.

“I am.” Incredibly, Juliana’s eyes shimmered with tears.

“Well, we were sure you were. Okay, that is. But—and I hope you aren’t going to be offended—we just needed to be here with you. To make sure you were good.”

Damn him.

The tears spilled over. It wasn’t the hoax with Rowan or even her anxiety about pulling it off. It was just Jamie and Ele rallying around her that pushed her over the edge.

Jamie placed a kiss on her forehead and swiped the tears away. “No need for that,” he said.

Embarrassed, Juliana stepped back, about to close the door, when something stopped its momentum. She peeked around Jamie to find Robert standing there.

Juliana blinked up at him like a newborn first learning to open his eyes. On the day of the gala, Juliana had learned that Robert was Prince Edward’s firstborn son, Ele and Jamie’s half-brother. But not Juliana’s. They shared no blood between them. Robert had never approved of Juliana. Her antics and independence made him twitchy when he was Ele’s bodyguard so they’d never really got on. Finding out he was more royal than she and the father she loved and wished with all her heart she could claim, was Robert’s father had broken her heart. She knew she had a place in the family because she shared Ele and Jamie’s mother, but she would never truly belong. She had learned to live with it. But now, Robert had more of a claim on her family than she did, and it made her unsteady.

He stepped through the door and closed it behind him. Then, he pulled Juliana into a hug that warmed her all the way through.

“I didn’t approve of this plan. You coming here and getting embroiled in what could be a dangerous situation. I have to say, I’m relieved to know Rowan will have your back. He’s an arrogant fuck but a decent one.”

Juliana wrapped her arms around Robert and laughed. His chest shook with his own silent chuckles, and she could hear the rest of the room join in.

Robert set her away from him. “Now, you need to tell us what the hell is going on.”

Robert had always been bossy with Ele—gentle but bossy. Now, with his background unearthed, he felt he could boss all of them around because he was the big brother.

Juliana rolled her eyes.

Robert yanked on her ponytail. “I saw that.”

“Saw what?” she asked, turning toward him.

“You rolled your eyes.”

“You are behind me. You couldn’t have seen anything.”

“Body language, lassie.”

“Pure rubbish, Rob,” she countered. She’d never heard anyone call him anything other than Robert, but she didn’t care.

Ele snickered. “You know not to tease her, Robert.”

He tugged her ponytail again. “Let’s talk.”

Then, as everyone shifted to get comfortable, Robert walked to Noah and shook his hand. Juliana knew there was some secret-agent language exchanged between the two men, but she ignored it.

Ele and Jamie sat together on the sofa. Robert left Noah and leaned against the wall, his eyes constantly moving. Off duty but always on alert. Millie set up at the table. Juliana thought about standing, but it would look like she was making a presentation for class, so she sank down in the chair near the window. A few moments ago, she’d been staring blankly outside. Now, she was surrounded by her family, and she was stronger, surer because of it. She had a legacy to protect, and she would do what she had to do to protect it. Even if it meant dealing with Rowan Beckwith.