Page 26 of Her Royal Houseguest

Ah. Not a courtesan then but a woman who meant to tempt him into marriage with a false show of outrage. He knew this game. Sheltered girls who teased a man, flirting and begging for an intimacy who then protested loud enough for their families to hear. If this were Siam, her father or brother would now appear and demand marriage.

He smiled, waiting for her to gather her skirts and run to her father. He’d already considered the pros and cons of marrying an English princess and had decided to further the connection.

It was unlike him to be so impulsive but she intrigued him. Plus, she was beautiful and her restlessness would settle as soon as she had children. That was enough for a political marriage. So, he had kissed her.

Except she did not gather her skirts and run away. She did not scream for her father. Instead, she stood before him, her body vibrating with the force of her emotion.

That confused him. If she were truly an innocent, she would have run from him by now. If she were angling for marriage, she would scream for her father. If she were like the female warriors in the Siamese court, then she would have followed up her attack with a brutal assault on his person. In this way, he would learn to never insult the warrior woman again.

But Lady Anna stood there, her breath tight and her nostrils flared, neither running nor attacking. He did not know what to do with that.

‘Why would you do such a thing?’ she demanded.

‘You said you needed marriage. Then you presented yourself to me.’ He lifted his chin. ‘Marriage to an English princess is acceptable to me.’ Indeed, it would enhance his political position. A princess—even an English one—was better than his lacklustre options at home.

‘I said I’m on the shelf!’ When he clearly didn’t understand what that meant, she huffed. ‘I am not looking for a husband!’

‘But you want one. And children. You said so.’

‘No, I didn’t! And even if I did, why would you think I would want you?’

He reared back. That was just insulting. ‘I am a prince of Siam. I am a prized husband,’ he lied. She did not need to know how he struggled at home. ‘Why did you present yourself to me?’

‘I didn’t present anything!’ Her cheeks were flushed pink with her outrage and he found himself distracted by the shift in colouring. And by the tiny marks on her skin. The English called them freckles. He had learned of it from the white sailors hired to replace their lost crew.

He lifted his hand to touch those dots but she flinched back. So confusing!

‘You aren’t screaming for your father. You aren’t attacking me as a warrior. And still you stand right here!’ His hand fell open before her face. She was close enough to grab.

‘Where else should I stand?’

He pointed to her feet. ‘Right there. If you want marriage.’ Directly in front of him.

She stepped sideways. ‘And what about here?’ she taunted. ‘Is this the “no marriage” spot?’

He threw up his hands. ‘You should not be here at all!’

‘This is my room! In my house!’

She had a point but he was angry and insulted. He dropped his hands on his hips. ‘You want a husband,’ he snapped. Then he spread his arms wide. ‘I am a husband to want.’

‘You are an arrogant ass!’ she cried. ‘We just met. Whyever would I want to marry you?’

He shook his head, his fury for himself as much as her. Why was he arguing with her?

‘You are illogical. I am a prince of Siam. I have a boat filled with wealth. I am blessed by my king and Buddha. What more is there to know?’

She gaped at him, holding up her hands as if she could not begin to shape an answer. Of course she couldn’t. There was no logical response to his assets, which were numerous. He continued, listing her assets.

‘You are a respected lady of England. A relative to the king, yes?’

‘Yes, but I’m not going be queen or anything.’

‘But you are royal.’

She winced. ‘I am the daughter of a duke. So yes, I am a woman of status.’

‘The only way to gain in rank is to marry a prince, yes?’ He thumped his chest. ‘Me.’