I took the cup and peeled back the lid.The foam art was indeed more blob than horse, but the smell was incredible: sweet maple, warm cinnamon, rich espresso.
"This is amazing," I said after the first sip.And it was.Not just good coffee, but something special.Something that tasted like care and attention and Betty.
"You sound surprised."
"I'm not surprised.Chef Auguste said you impressed him, and that man is not easily impressed.But this is..."I took another sip, trying to find the right words."This is really good."
"Three years of practice and one nightmare boss who demanded perfection."She watched me drink with an expression that was half pride, half nervousness."So it's okay?"
"Betty, if you made this for the prince on your wedding day, he'd probably propose to you all over again."
She laughed, the sound bright and genuine."That seems like overkill.We'd already be married."
"Some things are worth proposing twice for."
"Ready for your riding lesson?"I asked, changing the subject before I said something I couldn't take back.
"More than ready.At least with horses, I only have to worry about falling off.Not falling short of centuries of royal expectations."
As we walked back toward the stables, I told myself that I'd tell her the truth after the wedding.Once the alliance was secure and the treaties were signed, I'd find a way to explain everything.I'd make her understand why the deception had been necessary, why I'd had no choice.
But watching her laugh as she greeted Celeste, seeing the way her whole demeanor changed when she was doing something she actually enjoyed, I knew I was lying to myself as much as I was lying to her.
The truth was, I was a coward.And the longer I waited to tell her who I really was, the harder it was going to be to face the disappointment in her eyes when she realized that the man she was beginning to trust was just another royal lie.
But God help me, I wasn't ready to give this up yet.These stolen moments where I was just Peter and she was just Betty and nothing else mattered except the way she smiled when Celeste nuzzled her shoulder.
My wife, I thought again, watching her stroke Celeste's neck with gentle hands.In five days, she'd be my wife.
And I was already dreading the moment she found out what that actually meant.
CHAPTER 7
Betty
Iwas developing anextremely inconvenient crush on my riding instructor.
