But they were compromising. They were giving him what he wanted, even if they were hedging their bets. And honestly? Darragh didn’t think he’d need those other three interviews. He’d known within ten minutes of meeting Finn that he was different. In his head, Finn was special and worth pursuing. One week would be more than enough time to confirm what his gut was already telling him.
“Fine,” he said. “One week. But I get to structure how that week goes. No interference, no ‘tests’ you’ve designed to make him fail.”
“Agreed,” Helena said. “Though we reserve the right to observe and provide feedback.”
“Observation, I can live with. Feedback...” Darragh smiled slightly. “I’ll consider it.”
“Your Majesty…”
“That’smycondition. Take it or leave it.” Darragh stood. “Now, if we’re done here, I need to figure out how to convince Finn to come back to the castle without making it sound like I’m completely infatuated with him after one conversation.”
“Are you?” Thomas asked. “Completely infatuated?”
Darragh paused at the door. “Ask me again in a week.”
He left before they could argue further, his mind already racing with possibilities. One week. Seven short days to figure out if what he’d felt during that interview was real, and if Finn could adapt to royal life, if the attraction was mutual.
More importantly,Darragh thought as he headed back to his study,seven days to convince Finn to take me seriously. To see past his own doubts and give marriage a real chance.
Because Darragh knew something his advisers didn’t. Something he’d learned from watching his parents, from hisown five years as king, from every hard decision he’d ever made. Sometimes the right choice wasn’t the obvious one. Sometimes it wasn’t the one that looked good on paper or made logical sense. Sometimes it was just the one that felt right, deep in a man’s gut, impossible to ignore, no matter how much everyone else told that man - or foolish king - it was a mistake.
Finn felt right, and Darragh was going to prove it.
Chapter Six
Finn was halfway through replacing the hinges on the village hall door when Jeremy, one of the estate messengers, found him.
“Lord Finn.” Jeremy was breathing hard, like he’d run the entire distance from the main house. “Your brother wants you. Immediately.”
Finn’s stomach dropped. “Which brother?”
“Lord Jericho, sir. He said to tell you it’s urgent.”
“Did he say why?”
“No, sir. Just that you should come right away.”
Finn looked at the door, at the tools scattered around his feet, at Trent who was holding the replacement hinge steady. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“I’ll finish it,” Trent said. He was grinning. “Go on. Maybe the king wants to knight you or something.”
“More likely he wants to ban me from the capital for wasting his time.” Finn wiped his hands on his work trousers. “Fine. Tell Lord Jericho I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Jeremy nodded and hurried off.
“You don’t think…?” Trent started.
“No,” Finn said firmly. “I don’t think this has anything to do with the castle, or the king, or anything like that at all. It’s more likely Jericho has got the drawer stuck on his dresser again. You know how finicky that thing is, and to Jericho, that would be an emergency especially if the drawer held his favorite shirt.”
But his hands were shaking slightly as he gathered his tools. Hopefully Trent wouldn’t notice.
/~/~/~/~/
Jericho wasn’t in his bedroom, he was waiting in the library, standing by the window with a letter in his hand and an expression that could only be described as supremely smug. More than his typical smugness - this was the type of smug Jericho reserved for when he secured a dance with a lady he liked, or he’d managed to complete some political maneuver Finn didn’t understand but knew it made his brother happy.
“Stop looking like that,” Finn said as he walked in. “You’re making me nervous.”
“You should be nervous.” Jericho held up the letter. “This arrived from the castle an hour ago.”
