Page 61 of His Royal Request

I laughed. “No, she loves dahlias. This garden is over a century old.”

She blushed. “Of course. I forget how old this place is.” We took a few more steps before stopping. “What’s your favorite tree?”

The question caught me off guard. “I like aspens.”

She smiled like she had a secret.

“Why do you ask?”

“I get your code names now.”

I laughed. “The guards are supposed to be discreet.”

She looked over her shoulder to the two following behind us. “They are. I’m just smart.”

“That you are.”

17

Charlie

I thought after going through half a dozen dresses I’d get used to the luxury, but Isla kept impressing me. We were getting ready for the bridal dinner when a knock interrupted us.

“Come in,” I called and the door opened to reveal a woman holding a garment bag.

“Thank you, Patty,” Isla said. “You can leave it on the bed.”

The woman nodded and moved to the bed before turning and leaving as quickly as she’d come.

“What’s that?”

Isla propped the curling iron on the dresser and hurried over to unzip the bag. “This is your dress for tonight.”

She carefully removed the cover and held up a shimmery sea green dress with long, sheer sleeves and a pleated skirt that looked like it would flow almost to my ankles.

“Isla, that’s beautiful!”

She smiled with pride. “I saw it in a magazine yesterday and called to have it sent over.”

My jaw dropped. “You mean, you called the shop?”

She laughed. “No, I called the designer and mentioned that my brother’s date was desperately in need of a dress. He jumped at the chance to have you wear his design.”

“But why?” I stepped forward letting the fabric slide between my fingers.

“There were already rumors that someone was here with Aiden. The people love involving themselves in our relationships. He was smart enough to realize the potential of having you say his name.”

“But I’m no one.”

She winked. “Not for long.”

I shook my head. “Isla, we’re barely even a couple.”

She laid the dress down and placed both hands on my shoulders. “Charlie, listen to me because I will only say this one more time. Aiden has never brought anyone else home. He may get heckled for being single, but it’s never been enough to bother him. He may have used that as an excuse to get you to come, but it’s not the real reason. He saw something in you that he couldn’t ignore. You’re here because he wants you to be, and clearly, you want to be here just as much. Now, stop the talk of you not being anyone important. You’re the most important person to him right now, and that matters. You’ve also become my friend and that matters. My parents already trust and adore you, and that missy means quite a lot.”

Wow. She wasn’t holding anything back.

As hard as it was for me to accept, she was right. I might be too shy to admit it, but I was here for a reason.