But there was only one way she would agree to accompany him, and he knew what that meant. He also found himself strangely at peace with the notion. The thought of wedding and bedding her had been a maggot in his brain from the moment he had first conceived it, refusing to let him go. The more he turned it over in his mind, the more natural and necessary it felt.
“I recommend remaining here under the watch of my own men,” Tierney said, frowning, “but if you wish to go, I have no means of stopping you. All I can say is that you should take great care. Inform your bodyguard of what I’ve learned concerning Levering. And perhaps return to your homeland as soon as you are able to travel.”
There would be no returning to Varros. At least not until he had what he wanted most.
A smile crept over Nando’s lips. All he had to do was convince Eleanora to marry him.
“Allmy trousers?”Princess Emmaline demanded, her countenance a commingling of outrage and dread that would have been amusing were not the circumstances so dire.
Eleanora sighed, keeping her tone gentle, for she well understood the princess’s fury was not directed at her. “I am afraid so, Your Royal Highness. The choice is your sister’s and not mine. I am merely following her edict.”
Her efforts at remaining sympathetic to the princess’s plight went unappreciated.
The younger woman crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive pose, eyes flashing with defiance. “I won’t do it. I won’t give up my trousers. They are mine, and she cannot take them.”
Eleanora resisted the urge to dig her fingers into her temples in an effort to relieve the dreadful ache in her head, which had been omnipresent throughout the day and was growing worse the longer she spent enduring Princess Emmaline’s tantrum.
As it was, she’d spent the night before tossing fitfully in her narrow bed, unable to sleep for thoughts of Nando and the pleasure he had given her, tormented by longing and guiltin equal measures. And then she had returned to her duties by morning, dark circles beneath her eyes, utterly exhausted, contending with a charge who had somehow slipped from the town house without alerting the watchful eye of any of Mr. Tierney’s guards and had gone riding.
Alone.
But that had not been the worst of it—oh no.
For the headstrong Princess Emmaline had also chosen to wear trousers for the occasion.
Eleanora had only made the discovery of Princess Emmaline’s misadventure too late, when the princess had returned, sneaking through the halls like a thief intent upon filching the silver. Eleanora had known she needed to go to Princess Anastasia with her discovery for Princess Emmaline’s own safety. It was a miracle that an unchaperoned woman in trousers hadn’t been attacked or absconded with. All London was atwitter with the presence of the princesses and their outlandish ways. An enterprising criminal would have only had to take one look at the lovely woman in trousers and recognize her as one of the wealthy Boritanian princesses.
The result had been a stern admonishment for Princess Emmaline, followed by banishment to her room whilst Princess Anastasia decided how best to punish her sister for her misdeeds. Eleanora had been relieved when Princess Anastasia had reassured her that her position was not in jeopardy after the princess’s antics.
And now, that punishment was finally being delivered by Eleanora—Princess Anastasia wanted every pair of trousers her younger sister owned.
“Princess Emmaline,” she tried again, keeping her voice calm by miracle only. “You must understand how deeply worried your sister is by your actions today. There is great danger for a womanalone, particularly when she is dressed as you were and when she is easily recognized as a woman of great wealth.”
Princess Emmaline’s chin went up. “I will own that what I did was foolish. However, I would not have had to resort to such desperate measures had she and Mr. Tierney not chosen to keep me here as if I am a prisoner. I lived in a prison in Boritania under my evil uncle’s rule, and now it would seem as if I have traded one gaoler for another. Furthermore, I fail to understand what my trousers have to do with any of this. They are not hers to take. They are mine.”
“As you have said, my dear.” Eleanora approached the furious princess, placing a gentle hand on her arm. “Your sister loves you and only wants you to remain safe during your time in London.”
“No, what she truly wants is for me to marry some English fop so that she can forget all about me and carry on with her beloved husband,” Emmaline countered. “She wants to wash her hands of me.”
The princess was vibrating, such was her dudgeon. It didn’t bode well for Eleanora’s headache or her ability to collect the trousers.
Heaven save her from sisters. Eleanora found herself thankful in that moment that she had been her mother’s only child.
She gave her charge another commiserating pat. “I understand it may seem that way, but I can assure you it is not. Your sister only wants your happiness, Princess Emmaline.”
“If she wants me to be happy, then she will not take my trousers! They are perfectly acceptable in Boritania and the height of fashion. I’ll not be forced to adhere to the silly rules of empty-headed aristocrats.”
Eleanora winced. “What you did was reckless and foolish. If you will but calm yourself, you will acknowledge that youractions require an answer from your sister. What else is she to do? What wouldyoudo, if you were in her position?”
“I would allow me to keep my trousers because I would understand how terribly burdensome these English gowns are.” Princess Emmaline issued a shout of pure, unadulterated rage that bordered on animalistic as she stomped her foot and clasped her fists. “May all the saints preserve me.”
Eleanora’s head throbbed with increasing insistence. Her day had been nothing short of terrible, from the moment she had risen from her bed to now. Dinner had been no better. She had been invited to accompany the family—sansPrincess Emmaline—for their meal. Eleanora had been astonished to find Nando in attendance, looking unfairly dashing and quite as if he had never suffered a bullet wound. His unflappable charm had been firmly in place, and he had lavished attention upon everyone at the table.
Including Eleanora.
Every time their gazes had connected, she had felt it as viscerally as a touch. Of course, she had been thinking about what had happened between them every second since she had run from his chamber in disgrace the night before.
But she had to concentrate on the furious princess before her now and the unwanted task awaiting her.
