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‘We’re finding out what we’re having today,’ Julius said once Tobias had left.
‘Sorry?’
‘That was a little joke, Beatrice.’
She frowned.
‘I meant we’ll all know tomorrow if it’s a boy or girl. The royalwe...the officewe...’ He gave in, clearly remembering that Beatrice didn’t joke. ‘Tobias is worried,’ Julius admitted. ‘Apparently they’re discussing a stint in rehab for me in there.’
‘Where did he hear that?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘Well, it does, because I’m hearing it too.’
‘From...?’
She shook her head.
‘I have an ear in the stables...’ he said. Then, ‘Why does that make you smile?’
‘It’s fine. I think we might have the same ear.’
Clearly Jordan had confided in both of them. Beatrice must have let her initial worry about Jordan’s loose lips show on her face, because he added, ‘It’s okay. Seriously, you don’t have to worry.’
Beatrice said nothing.
‘You have to know who to trust, Beatrice,’ he told her.
‘I do,’ Beatrice responded. ‘And I’ve never let myself down yet.’
‘I love your constant cynicism, Beatrice.’
‘You’re relying on it,’ she told him. ‘While I might be “Limited Access”, I know there’s more going on.’
‘Very well. The palace want to let it be known that I haven’t been dealing well with Claude’s death.’
‘No.’ Beatrice shook her head. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘I agree. It’s just a threat so that I’ll relent.’
‘Relent?’
‘I’ve told them I won’t marry on the orders of my father. I don’t like being told what to do. It might get a bit heated in there,’ he warned. ‘And by “it” I mean me.’
She had never seen him nervous, no matter what the scandal—and there had been many. He was usually insolent or arrogant. But he seemed different this Monday afternoon.
She looked at his jet-black hair and the dark brown eyes and the sulky mouth as he examined the portraits that lined the Great Hall; he arched his neck, which she had noticed was his habit when he was tense.
‘Julius...’
‘Not now,’ he said.
‘Let me speak first in there.’
‘No, thank you.’
He went and sat on one of the polished benches and stretched out his long legs, then he nodded his head at her, indicating for her to join him.
