e didn’t of course, she simply kept her expression neutral,
Karim was the enemy. So, then, was anyone he employed.
“And this is little Ethan. Oh, His Highness was right! He’s a beautiful child.”
Rachel was surprised.
“Is that what he said?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. He told us the baby was—”
“Us?”
“Ah.” Mrs. Jensen wiped her hands on her apron and pressed a button on the wall phone. “Sorry, ma’am. Prince Karim asked me to be sure and introduce you to the others.”
“What others?”
“Why, the rest of the household staff. There’s me. And the housekeeper, Mrs. Lopez. The prince’s driver—well, you met him at the airport last night. And we’ve an addition. My granddaughter Roberta. She’ll be here within the hour. To help with the baby,” the cook added, when she saw the puzzled look on Rachel’s face.
“I don’t need any help with my baby,” Rachel said quickly, drawing Ethan closer.
“You’ll like Roberta, ma’am. She’s a professional nanny and she adores babies.”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Ethan myself.”
“Of course you are, Ms. Donnelly. But His Highness asked if my Roberta was available—just, you know, just to help you.”
“To keep an eye on me, you mean,” Rachel said coldly.
“No, ma’am. Certainly not. To help you, is all.” The cook’s tone was indignant. “He knows my Roberta’s an excellent nanny.”
Rachel’s voice turned frigid. “Oh, yes,” she said, the words heavy with sarcasm. “He’d surely know that.”
Mrs. Jensen eyed her with distaste.
“His Highness put Roberta through school, Ms. Donnelly. She’d floundered a bit and he paid for her to have a tutor, and then for her college tuition, until she decided she wanted to work with little ones, so he sent her to a school for nannies.”
“Because?”
“I don’t understand your question, ma’am.”
“Why would he do all that?”
“Because that’s how he is,” the cook said, her voice almost as chilly as Rachel’s. “He honors what he sees as his responsibilities.”
“He meddles in people’s lives, you mean.”
The cook’s expression hardened.