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They were driven through the castle gates, the guards professional enough to not take a second glance at their white powdered appearance, but they certainly took a first.
They thanked Joseph and climbed the stairs to the front doors. Entering the foyer, he hoped nobody was around—until they hurried up the first two sets of stairs and heard voices.
He met Ellery’s gaze and gave a put-on grimace. “Shall we hide?” He was teasing, but her eyes widened with uncertainty. The white powder was creasing in her darker skin and made her green eyes more pronounced. He thought she was beautiful, but she probably didn’t want to run into anyone right now.
His dad, T, and Prime Minister Henry Shule, a lifelong friend of his father’s, came down the hall. Derek had heard from T that things were a little strained since William Rindlesbacher, apparently the biggest donor of Henry’s political campaign, had killed a man and tried to frame their sister-in-law Hattie for it. It was the reason Hattie and Steffan were in Haiti and Chief Jensen and Ray had faked Hattie’s death. Henry of course promised he wasn’t affiliated with Rindlesbacher and couldn’t control who contributed to his campaigns. T had told Derek they all trusted Henry, but they were cautious not to talk about Hattie to anyone, lest something slipped inadvertently. The fewer people who knew she was alive and that she and Steffan had quietly married, the better.
The three men spotted them before Derek could direct Ellery up the steps to their suites.
“What happened to you two?” T asked, laughter in his voice.
“I gave Elle a driving lesson and apparently I stink as an instructor.”
All three men looked bemused.
“Oh, I apologize. Ellery Monson, this is Prime Minister Henry Shule. I’d hug you hello, Henry, but …”
The prime minister chuckled at that. He offered his hand to Ellery first. “It’s wonderful to meet you. My wife and I watch you and Derek as often as we can. Next season, you’ll beat him for sure.”
“Thank you.” She shook his hand and smiled more warmly.
“Derek.” Henry shook his hand. “Wonderful to have you back.”
“Thank you. We’re thrilled to be here.” He looked to Ellery. She didn’t look too thrilled at the moment.
There was an awkward silence.
“Ellery?” his dad asked softly. “Were you injured in the crash?”
“No, thank you for asking. I’m just embarrassed that I wrecked your car, and I’m a mess.” She gestured to her white-coated dress. She looked at Derek’s dad and her lip quivered. “Sir, I am terribly sorry about your car. I will pay for any damages.”
Derek’s own eyes widened. “Elle.” It came out almost as a reprimand.
She glanced up at him, and her soft lips tightened. Her green eyes held a challenge, similar to right before they were about to compete but then she’d cheer for him as she always did.
“Elle,” he tried again, more softly. “The crash was all on me. I should’ve instructed you better and then I distracted you. The car is the least of any of our worries.” He gestured toward his dad and T. “I’m sure it’ll be an easy fix. Just the air bags and maybe the front fender.”
She’d been worried about crashing before his driving lesson, and now she was embarrassed and trying to pay for damages. He respected her independence and sense of responsibility, but from what he’d seen, she could barely afford to take care of her mom and all the medical bills. If she hadn’t received that commercial offer right before they came, he knew she wouldn’t have come to Augustine. She wouldn’t ever accept handouts from him, and sometimes he wondered if that was why she’d turned down every dinner invite. He didn’t have any answers to that, but she was not paying for that car.
“I’m betting it was one of Curt’s cars anyway, and he loves the challenge of fixing something up,” his dad said.
Ellery stared at the king, her mouth opening slightly.
“Or maybe it was Steffan’s car,” T said, his blue eyes glinting with humor. “He won’t need it for a while.”
“I’m betting it was Macey’s car.” The prime minister took up the joke. “I’ve never seen a young lady who loves vehicles like that one. She might be upset at you, and that girl can throw a mean punch.” He grinned to show Ellery they were teasing. “But just challenge her to a salmon ladder climb and you should be in the clear.”
“I can’t … you don’t even know whose car it was?” Ellery demanded.
T spread his hands wide. “We each claim one or two of the vehicles, but they’re all fair game. The garage is open for any of the family and even some of our friends, except Henry.” He winked at the prime minister. His face crinkled with his smile, but the scars on the left side didn’t move. “Unless it was Pops’ Lamborghini Aventador that you took for a spin. He does love that car. Almost as much as he loves me.”
The king laughed. “Not true. I have five other sons. You I could replace. That car …” He shrugged. “They stopped making them, you see.”
Everyone but Ellery laughed loudly at that. She tried to give them a smile, but it came out very tight. As the laughter died, she said in a very solemn tone, “Please. I have to pay for the damages, or at least your insurance deductible. Please.”
Derek had never met someone as fiercely independent as Ellery. It was one of the many things he admired about her, but how in the world did she imagine she could afford to pay for the car, and how could he convince her it wasn’t her fault and none of them were going to hold her responsible?
“Elle…” He scrambled to think what to say to convince her to not worry about it.
