Chapter Two
‡
Walking away, Gillforced himself not to glance back if only to prove seeing the American had been a figment of his imagination. What was going on? He’d been told a distant cousin would be one of Sophie’s bridesmaids and Kat wasn’t attending the wedding.
Yet, here she was.
Not his imagination.
Gill would have never pictured her growing so nicely into her model height, or that her fresh-faced farm girl look would be so pretty with dark circles under her eyes, or that her mussed dark brown hair would be so sexy—like she’d just crawled out of a lover’s bed. One thing had stayed the same. Her wide blue eyes still pierced him to his very core.
But he wasn’t impressed.
Gill preferred women with flawless makeup, hair, and clothing. Kat was the antithesis of flawless.
He needed her gone.
From the castle and from Alistonia.
For the past fifteen years, she had caused nothing but trouble by leading Sophie astray. Kat’s advice had put his sister at odds with the family’s wishes and her royal duties. He wouldn’t let Kat cause more problems.
And she would if she remained.
Gill needed to keep his sister safe.
Circling through the garden so he could enter the castle through another door and avoid Kat, he pulled out his cell phone and called Sophie. His sister owed him an explanation.
She answered on the second ring. “What is it now, Your Serene Royal Highness?”
Her nickname for him bristled. He’d been content as the spare heir. He’d never wanted to be the crown prince or the future king, but when his older brother Jacques renounced his title to become a priest, Gill had no choice. He’d been twenty-two when his plans for the future disappeared, and duty took over.
Daily itineraries ruled his time. His mother’s requests—more often demands—determined his priorities. His mother had even asked to approve any woman he dated because the queen was legally required to consent to whomever he married.
He wanted to be the perfect crown prince and son, but balancing his responsibilities and royal duty while trying to find time for himself was a continuous struggle that left him feeling torn between what was required and what he wanted to do. His life was no longer his own. Unlike his younger sister, who was able to do whatever she wanted.
“Are you still on the line?” she asked.
“Your friend from camp has arrived,” Gill said.
Sophie screeched, a sound full of delight and anticipation. “I can’t believe Kat’s finally here. I have one meeting to attend, and then I’ll be home straight away.”
As she spoke about her plans for Kat’s visit, Sophie’s excitement poured through the phone. Normally, he would smile and join in her bubbliness. He loved Sophie and would do anything for her, but her American friend was a bad influence.
While the family had wanted Sophie to focus on her royal duties, Kat had encouraged Sophie to follow her heart and become a social worker. When Sophie was asked to be on a ridiculous reality TV show, the family had said no. Kat, however, convinced Sophie to participate.
With disastrous results.
Sophie fell in love with the rakish Prince Luc of Alvernia. When he decided to marry someone else—an American—her heart was broken. Granted, Sophie had met her fiancé Bertrand because of that show, but still…
Had Kat come to console Sophie after the trouble she’d caused?
No.
Helping Sophie through her heartache had been left to Gill and her circle of friends. That only reaffirmed what he’d always known to be true.
Kat Parsons was trouble.
“Won’t this be fun?” Sophie asked.
