I took a deep breath.Smoothed my dress.Reminded myself that I'd survived lessons with Madame Delacroix, so I could survive one conversation with my future husband.
I opened the door.
The library was beautiful, all dark wood and leather-bound books and the kind of old-world elegance that made you want to speak in hushed tones.A fire crackled in the hearth despite the mild evening, casting warm shadows across the Persian rugs and antique furniture.
And standing by the window, silhouetted against the evening light, was a figure I recognized instantly.
My brain short-circuited.
Because that was Peter.
Peter, my riding instructor.Peter, who had taught me to canter and made me laugh and almost kissed me by the fountain.Peter, who was currently wearing a formal military uniform complete with medals and a sash that screamed "I am royalty."
He turned to face me, and the expression on his face was nothing like the easy smile I'd grown used to.This was something else entirely.Guilt, maybe.Or dread.
"Betty," he said, and even his voice sounded different.More formal.More princely.
"Peter?"My voice came out strangled."What are you doing here?Why are you dressed like that?"
"Betty, I need to tell you something, and I need you to let me explain before you react."
The pieces started falling into place.Horrible, impossible pieces that I didn't want to assemble.
"No," I said, backing toward the door."No, no, no."
"My name is Archibald Peter Constantine Falcieri.Peter is my middle name.I've been going by it since I started the riding lessons because I wanted to get to know you without the complications of titles and expectations."
I stared at him, my brain refusing to process what he was saying.
"You're Prince Archibald," I said flatly.
"Yes."
"The man I'm supposed to marry in three days."
"Yes."
"And you've been pretending to be a riding instructor this whole time."
"Betty, please let me explain."
"Explain what?"The hurt was starting to break through the shock, hot and sharp."Explain how you lied to me every single day?How you let me think I was doing something wrong by having feelings for you?How you sat there and listened to me talk about how nervous I was to meet Prince Archibald while knowing you were him the entire time?"
"I wanted to get to know the real you."
"The real me?You mean the me who was honest with you about everything while you were lying through your teeth?"
He flinched.Good.
"I was going to tell you," he said."I tried to tell you today, but Captain Steiner interrupted us."
"Oh, you tried.How heroic.You tried to tell me the truth after days of lying, and when it didn't work out, you just...what?Figured you'd ambush me at a formal reception instead?"
"I asked for this private meeting specifically so I could tell you before you found out in front of everyone."
"How considerate.Really.My hero."I could hear the venom in my own voice, and I didn't care."All those things you said about Prince Archibald.How he cared about authenticity, how he'd rather have someone genuine than someone perfect.Were you just describing yourself?Patting yourself on the back for your own excellent qualities?"
"I was trying to reassure you."
