Page 34

“Hello, again. Nice to see you.”

He turns his nose up at that and starts down the hall. “His Highness is already in the south gardens. We’ll go there at once.”

By the tone of his voice and quickness of steps, you’d think I was late. But Lock is the one that sent the car, so I try not to get in my head about it as he weaves us through the numerous halls and back out in the sunshine.

Lock stands near a thistle of rosebushes while gardeners and landscapers bustle around a vast spread of greenery. Flowers and hedges go as far as I can see, with a winding gravel path throughout the way.

Good thing I wore flats today.

Lock smiles when he sees me, and I wait for my heart to race. “Thank you for coming. We didn’t get a chance to talk much last night with everyone else around, so I thought it might be nice to take a walk together this morning.” He’s dressed casually, or as casually as I assume the heir to the throne does. He’s in khaki slacks and a white button-up shirt. The sleeves aren’t rolled to his elbows, like Beau frequently does, but the top button is popped open. His brown cropped hair turns golden in the sun.

He looks handsome, but yet my stomach doesn’t drop the way it has before. “That was very thoughtful of you,” I say. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been in the gardens before.”

“No?” He offers his arm. “Well allow me to show you around.”

Before we can take off, Edwin clears his throat. Lock glances over his shoulder at him. “Sir, remember you have a meeting in thirty minutes that you cannot miss.”

Lock nods curtly. “Come find me when it’s time.”

Only thirty minutes? These gardens would take over an hour to explore, more if you got lost in the towering hedges and forest of trees that seem to surround the perimeter. I’m sure they were planted in those exact spots for privacy.

But in his world, I should just be grateful for any spare time he’s willing to give.

The summer breeze ruffles my skirt as we begin a leisurely walk. Lavender bushes perfume the air, and I would love nothing more than to stick my whole face in them. But I settle for a few deep inhales as we pass by.

We make small talk, a bit stilted, but easy enough as we weave around a stone fountain. Water spurts high into the air, creating a fine mist on the flower petals that surround the base. We cover easy topics like the weather, how we each take our tea, and I try to convince him to watch the baking show I’m obsessed with, but he quickly shuts that down, claiming he doesn’t watch television. I ask him how he unwinds from all the stress at the end of the day, to which he answers that he runs. Just runs and runs until he exhausts himself to the point of sleep.

I tried the same not long ago, and it was enough to remind me that I’m not much of a runner, or one for physical exercise in general, so that line of conversation quickly dies out.

He shifts gears as we reach a grouping of trees with weepy branches. “As Edwin pointed out,” Lock says, keeping his attention fixed on the path in front of us, “we don’t have much time this morning, so please forgive me if this sounds too direct.”

I brace myself for what he may say.

“It is no secret that our arrangement is not traditional. But I do wish, Briar, to pursue you as I would any relationship and for us to get to know each other better. This is a lifelong decision, and one I don’t take lightly.”

I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I don’t either,” I agree. “And I would certainly enjoy getting to know you more. I understand why you were not able to work with the Caulfield-Penner Scholarship this summer, but I must admit that I was disappointed. I was hoping we’d be able to use that time together.”

“That is what I had intended as well, but as you will learn as we move forward, it turns out a Prince does not have as much say over his time or schedule as you would think.”

I think that was his attempt at a joke, so I chuckle softly. The corner of his mouth piques.

“It must be challenging.”

“It is my duty.”

“Well, your presence is missed, but I’m grateful for this morning and your invitation last night to accompany you so that we may spend more time together.”

“Last night was fun, was it not?”

My steps falter, and I quickly regain my composure. I’ve been waiting for an opening, and here it is. “May I speak candidly?”

Lock gestures to our surroundings. “We are alone. I would expect you to.”

Something about that rubs me the wrong way, but I don’t pick at it. “Last night with Mr. Genrey…” I wring my hands together. “I understand I may have misspoke, but what he was saying about the event, and seemingly implying about the incompetence of the team, I couldn’t stand by. I’m aware he’s an important man, and likely used to getting anything he wishes, but I just… I couldn’t stand it.”

I also didn’t like the way you silenced me either, but I keep that to myself. It wasn’t my place to speak anyways, so I can’t fault him for that.

Lock rubs his brow. “I understand where you are coming from. And please know, I am aware of Mr. Genrey. It’s not the first time he complained about not feeling taken care of enough or special. But he is a very wealthy man, and very influential. His word carries weight.”