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“Hello, Duke Mondego,” said the little princess. “I should warn you. Uncle Alex flew in a chef to win the baking competition, and she’s very good.”
The man’s blue eyes landed on Esme. “Oh, no. It’s not me.”
Beside Esme, Jan gave a little wave.
“Well,” said the duke, as he looked Jan up and down, “if her cooking is as lovely as her face, then I’m toast.” He reached for and kissed Jan’s hand.
But before Zhi’s lips could make contact with Jan’s palm, Alex swatted them apart. “None of that. Don’t let him get into your head.”
“I would do no such thing,” said the duke. “And because my sworn frenemy here doesn’t possess the manners to introduce us properly, may you allow me to present myself. I am Diego Zhi Wen den Bernadino, the Duke of Mondego.”
“Wow, that’s a mouthful. I’m Jan.” Jan pressed her hand to her chest. “Jan Peppers of Jersey City. Um, may I present my friend; Esmeralda Pickett of Long Island.”
The Duke reached for and kissed Esme’s hand. Thankfully, Alex didn’t swat them apart. When Zhi’s lips touched Esme’s skin, she felt a hint of warmth, but not a tingle. Definitely no sparklers.
“Low blow putting someone in the kitchen as beautiful as this, your highness.”
A lesser woman would’ve blushed and batted her eyelashes at the praise. Jan was not a lesser woman. If Esme knew her best friend well, and she did, she knew Jan would think the reference to her looks instead of her culinary skill was an insult.
“Well, it just so happens I’ve hired a ringer myself,” Zhi continued when he didn’t get the response he was looking for from Jan. “A certain James Beard award winner.”
Alex snorted. “Which is why you’ll lose. Again.”
“I suppose Chef Peppers is a fusion foodinista?”
“She’s a sorceress with spices.”
“Well, I can’t wait to give your food a try.” Zhi winked at Jan, but still got her game face. He frowned and turned back to Alex, who was smiling with glee at his friend’s failure to entice his chef. “In the meantime, I hear wedding bells may be heard soon?”
Jan and Esme looked to Alex.
Alex’s smug grin dropped, and his hands went up as though a fire sprang to life before him. “Oh, no. Not me. He’s talking about my brother.”
That knocked the wind out of Esme. “Leo’s engaged?”
“Not yet,” said Alex. “But he is looking.”
“King Leo needs to have a male heir,” said the duke. “Or our wayward prince here will take the throne when he kicks on, heaven forbid.”
“You’re next in line after me,” said Alex.
“Egad,” said the duke. “We all know that Pen is best suited for the job.”
Penelope, who was leaning into Esme’s side nodded in agreement. The little girl was likely tired from all the day’s activity and needed a nap.
“Speaking of the Pea,” said Alex, swooping Penelope up into his arms and rallying her, “we need to get her inside before she turns into a pumpkin.”
“Uncle Alex, that’s make believe. And it was a carriage that turns into a pumpkin.”
“I thought you said you didn’t read fairytales,” said Esme.
Penelope shrugged. “They’re hard to avoid. I may have glanced at one or two.”
Alex deposited the three girls in the capable hands of the Head of Housekeeping, Mrs. Dolevitt. The woman had a warm smile and a crown of fluffy white hair that bounced as she walked. She sent Penelope up with a maid and then turned her attention to Esme and Jan.
As Mrs. Dolevitt led them down the hall of the old castle, Esme kept stopping and touching and looking and even sniffing things like a curious little puppy. The housekeeper was tolerant. She appeared to love the castle as much as Esme was falling in love with it.
“How long have you worked here?” asked Esme.
