I nod.
"That's something at least," she says."At least he's not about to get a nasty surprise when he arrives at the meeting with Mama."
"I suppose."It doesn't make me feel much better."I should go talk to him.I don't want him to find out about this from Mama."
Veronica nods."I think that's a good idea.If you don't want to make it obvious, we could go for a ride?"
I chew my bottom lip and then nod.I know that I'm not supposed to go down to the kitchen during the day, so it's probably better this way.
"I'll order the horses.You should change into your riding habit and I'll meet you in the courtyard," she says.
I nod.Not because I particularly enjoy riding, I'm actually rather indifferent about it, but because it's a decent suggestion for how to make sure I can have a moment with Nate without drawing a huge amount of attention to it.
Chapter11
The heels of my riding boots click against the ground as I make my way into the courtyard behind the kitchens.Veronica is already waiting for the horses and talking to one of the grooms.I straighten my hat and make my way over, only to be stopped when she nods towards the kitchen door.
I turn around, my heart skipping a beat when I spot Nate waiting there with a small box in his hands.I hurry over, glad that the courtyard is more or less empty.
Confident that no one is watching, and not really caring if they are, I lean in and brush my lips against Nate's.Neither of us lingers long, but the touch is all I need to ground myself a little.
"Veronica said you needed to talk to me?"he asks, his hand brushing against my back.
I bite on my bottom lip, trying to think about the best way to say this.Despite the fact I've thought it over several times since leaving lunch, I haven't managed to come up with a way that doesn't sound like the disaster that it is.
"Evie?"There's a lot of concern in his voice and that only makes it worse.
"Mama is going to summon you to a meeting."My voice comes out strangled, and I know that there's nothing I can do to change that.
"What kind of meeting?"he asks slowly.
I look away, not able to meet his gaze."She wants to talk about what we're serving the visiting suitors."
"Ah."
"I don't know why she thinks it's necessary, I can just talk to you on my own..."I trail off."That's not what I mean.I don't want to have the conversation or the meeting at all.I'd rather be talking to you about what we're going to make, and..."
"Evie, take a breath," he instructs.
I close my eyes and do as he suggests."Sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry."
"But I do.If I hadn't told you that I loved you, none of this would be happening."
He chuckles dryly."The world doesn't revolve around you, Evie."
I blink a couple of times, not having expected him to say something like that
"The Queen is inviting me as a test to see how you react to it," he says."And she'd have done that regardless of whether you told me you loved me."
"You don't know that."
"I do.This isn't the first time she's expressed displeasure about you spending as much time in the kitchen.The meeting is a test for you, and a reminder for me to not think above my station."
I frown, trying to make sense of what he's saying."What do you mean?"
He lets out a sigh that almost sounds like frustration, which isn't very Nate-like.He's normally beyond patient with me, which means there's something obvious that I'm really not understanding."I'm a servant," he reminds me."Servants don't court princesses."
