He mumbles something about seeing a friend and flees.I watch with satisfaction; glad I paid attention in my history classes to people other than my maharajas.
Leo dances back into my line of sight.He didn’t seek public office, or any other highly publicized position.He also didn’t make enough of a splash that I could see the ripples in the twenty-first century.
My life would be easier if he had.
Maybe knowing he’s going to marry some heiress and save his house, sister, and tenants would help me keep my distance.It would be hard to lust after the man if I had studied him and his family in detail.Or if I had analyzed all the negative traits he had and the bad choices he made.Watch his children squabble over his estate when he died.
But he’s a mystery to me.And in a place where I know a lot about everyone, that’s…refreshing.
CHAPTER14
Charles was right about one thing: I am the shiny new object.Now that I’ve been at multiple events with Her Majesty and her godchildren, and been seen doing fashionable things with Leo, people feel much more comfortable coming up to me and talking.
So.Much.Talking.
“Are you the Hindoo princess?”
“Sure.Yeah.Umm-hmm.”Why not?
“You don’t talk funny.”
“Some would say you do talk funny.”
“I say…” *unintelligible sounds of British affront*
“No, yeah.Like that is funny.”
That man goes off in a huff, mumbling further British sounds of indignance.But I can’t understand what he’s saying, beyond general unhappiness at me, so I don’t think it’s as effective as he thinks it is.
“Do you have tigers?”
“No.”But I can’t be mad at that one, because, honestly, if having Rajah was a safe, ethical option, I would have a cuddly big cat.
“Why aren’t you wearing Hindoo clothes?They’re so pretty.”
“They fell off the boat.”I’m getting so good at lying.And talking to strangers.
In the meantime, Leo has danced with three other women who aren’t named Meera.But after that he remembers he’s courting someone and comes back to me.All flushed with excitement.Over other women.
Great.
“This night is going so well.”He reclaims my hand and walks me around the room.
“Yeah.”Because it is, if you judge it by the metrics of our deal.No one has outed me as a fraud from the future and he’s getting the attention he needs to marry rich.
I have no reason to be upset.
Which makes memoreupset, actually.
“Want to play cards?”Leo asks when we find ourselves in the card room.
“Sure.”These shoes do pinch.Some things haven’t changed after all, despite the giant advancements in other arenas.
In the card room, Leo teaches me whist, another thing I know only in theory.I’m delighted that it goes better than him trying to teach me how to dance.Not that it could have gone worse than that, as I am very uncoordinated.But like every time I go out with Leo, this is the most fun I’ve had in a while, and he even makes losing easy to take.
Not that we lose much; we do surprisingly well.And even win some money by the end of the night.But then one of the footmen tells me that the queen wants to leave, and I say my goodbyes.
“My lady.”Leo elaborately bows to me in front of the carriage while Queen Victoria is finishing her goodbyes.
