‘Fi—’
‘You don’t even know each other.’ Fi was clearly stunned.
‘That’s where you’re wrong. Again,’ he muttered. ‘We know each other far better than you think.’
‘But...’ Fi looked from him to Hester and that frown deepened on her face. ‘No way.’
He glanced at Hester and saw she’d paled. She shoved her hands into the horrendously practical pockets of her cotton drill trousers and stood eerily still, her façade determinedly uncrackable.
‘Hester?’ Fiorella gazed at her assistant, a small frown formed between her brows. ‘I know you’ve been distracted lately and not as available...’
Alek glanced at Hester and saw she’d gone paler still. His instincts were engaged—what had been distracting her? The whisper of vulnerability prickled his senses.
‘She works for me.’ Fifi pulled his attention back with her quiet possessiveness. ‘And I don’t want you to...mess her around.’
Hester’s eyes widened and colour scurried back into her cheeks. But to his astonishment, a pretty smile broke through her tense, expressionless façade. His jaw dropped and for a moment he had the oddest wish that he’d been the one to make her smile like that. She’d suddenly looked luminous and soft. But then the smile faded and her self-contained neutrality was restored.
‘I’m a big girl, Princess Fiorella,’ Hester said in that careful, contained way she had. ‘I can take care of myself.’
Alek realised Hester had feared Fi disapproved of her. And she was hugely relieved to discover she didn’t.
‘I know you had no idea,’ Hester added as she gestured towards him. ‘But we had our reasons for that.’
Instinctively he reached out and clasped her hand back in his. A stunningly strong ripple of possessiveness shimmered through him. Again acting on instinct, he laced his fingers through hers and locked his grip. For the proof in front of Fifi, right?
His sister now stared again at their interlinked hands, her eyes growing round before she flashed a hurt look up at Alek. ‘Is this because of that stupid requirement?’
‘This is because it is what both your brother and I want.’
Hester’s faintly husky emphasis on the ‘want’ tightened his skin.
‘I’m so sorry to have kept this from you, but it’s been quite...tough.’
‘And I’m sorry for the short notice,’ Alek added as Hester faltered. ‘But I’m taking Hester back with me immediately.’
‘To Triscari? Now?’ Fi clasped her hands in front of her chest. ‘You’re for real? Like really for real?’
That light flush swept more deeply across Hester’s face as Alek confirmed it with a twinge of regret. His sister was young and unspoiled but he found himself watching Hester more closely for clues as to what was going on beneath her still exterior.
‘It’s like a fairy tale,’ Fifi breathed. ‘Oh, Alek, this is wonderful.’
Hester’s hand quivered in his and he tightened his hold.
‘You’re really leaving right away?’ Fi asked.
‘It’s been difficult,’ Alek said honestly. ‘It’s best we get back to Triscari. There’s a lot for Hester to take in.’
Worry dulled the delight in Fi’s eyes.
‘It’s okay. Everything’s in your diary and you can always text me with any problems,’ Hester said earnestly. ‘I can keep answering your correspondence—that’s the bulk of what I do for you and there’s no reason why I can’t continue.’
Alek bit his tongue to stop himself interrupting with all the reasons why she wasn’t going to be able to keep working for his sister.
‘Are you sure?’ Fi’s relief was audible.
‘Hester can help train someone up to take over from her quite quickly.’ He sent Hester a shamelessly wicked smile. ‘After all, you’ll be busy managing your own mail shortly.’
A mildly alarmed look flickered in her eyes before she smiled politely back.
‘Well.’ Fi drew breath. ‘I have to go, I’m late to meet my friend. I only called in to tell Hester I need her to...never mind. I can do it. I’ll leave you to...go.’ She glanced again between him and Hester. ‘I still can’t believe it.’
Fi stepped in and Alek gave her a one-armed hug.
He met Hester’s gaze over the top of Fi’s head and saw the glint of amusement in her eyes. She was very good at managing her emotions and at managing a volatile Fiorella. A volatility he knew he had in common with his sister on occasion.
When Fi left, he released Hester’s hand—with a surprising amount of reluctance.
‘Thank you,’ he said. He needed to focus on the important things. Like fabricating their story. ‘You’re good at lying.’
‘I’m good at saying what’s necessary for self-preservation,’ she replied. ‘That’s a different skill.’
His senses sharpened. Self-preservation? Why was that?
‘You really want us to maintain this “relationship” in front of Princess Fiorella?’ she asked too calmly.
‘For now.’ He nodded. ‘I don’t want to risk any inadvertent revelations and I don’t want her to worry.’
‘She’s your sister, she’s going to be concerned about your happiness.’
‘I thought she seemed more worried about you than me.’ He shot her an ironic glance.
‘She doesn’t need to worry about me.’ Hester gazed down at her desk. ‘I’m fine. I can handle anything.’
He had the odd feeling she could but that didn’t mean that she should. ‘It seems the pretence is under way, Hester. This is your la
st chance to back out.’
She was silent for a moment, but then lifted her serene face to his. ‘No, let’s do this. You should be crowned.’
Really? He didn’t think she was in this for his benefit. She’d become rich; that was the real reason, wasn’t it? Except he didn’t think it was. What did she plan to do with the money?
He frowned. It shouldn’t matter, it wasn’t his business.
But what had she been so ‘distracted’ with lately? Not a man, or she’d not have said yes to him. He’d bet it was someone else, someone she wanted the money for.
He huffed out a breath and willed his curiosity to ebb. He didn’t need to know any more. She was palace employed, therefore palace perfect. Contained, aloof, efficient. She even maintained a polite distance from Fi, who he knew was physically demonstrative. He now realised part of Fi’s shock—and reason for her eventual belief—had been because he and Hester were touching. Fiorella hadn’t hugged Hester when she’d left. He was sure the reserve came from Hester—strictly observing her role as employee, not confidante or friend. Doubtless she was all about ‘professional boundaries’, or something. It was evident in the way she dressed too. The utilitarian clothes and sensible black canvas shoes were almost a services uniform from the nineteen-forties. But her hourglass figure couldn’t quite be hidden even by those ill-tailored trousers. Her narrow waist and curving hips held all the promise of soft, lush pillow for a man...that stability she’d made him think of.
But she made him think about other things too—like why did she live in that prison-like cell of a bedroom? Why was it so lacking in anything personal other than a mangy stray cat, a broken wooden box and a pile of second-hand books?
She was like a walled-off puzzle with several pieces missing. Happily, Alek quite enjoyed puzzles and he had a year to figure her out. Too easy—and there was no reason they couldn’t be friends. He could ignore the unexpected flares of physical interest. If his desperate speed-dating of the last month had proven anything to him, it was that the last thing he wanted was anything remotely like a real relationship. Definitely not a true marriage. Not for a very long time. As for that vexed issue providing his kingdom with an heir...that he was just going to put off for as long as possible. Somehow he’d find a way to ensure any child of his didn’t suffer the same constraints he had.