Of course, he would ask about the one topic Hugo preferrednotto talk about. And he couldn’t even be bothered to recall how Hugo had saved him from injury and embarrassment.
“Oh, it’s nothing important.” Hugo set down his utensils and dabbed his mouth with a linen napkin.
“Really?” Prince Everand opened his tired eyes a little wider and cocked his head at Hugo. “Come on. What happened? Get caught sneaking off to the gardens with one of my cousins? One of mymarriedcousins?”
“No! Definitely not! It was a misunderstanding regarding something that was said at the gala and overheard by Lady Hawthorne.”
The tiny spark of interest that lit up in Prince Everand fizzled, and he slumped in his chair. He resumed picking at his food. “Huh. That could be any number of boring, ridiculous things if Lady Hawthorne is involved. At least your punishment was relatively benign. You could have been forced to lunch with Mother instead of me.”
“Actually, I was wondering what you could have done to be punished with having to eat with a commoner like me,” Hugo replied without thinking. He was about to babble out an apology when the prince’s sharp, surprised laughter sliced through the room.
“That’s pretty astute!” Everand banged his hand on the table and grinned at Hugo.
It wasn’t fair. That smile made the prince even more stunning, but it did nothing to cancel out the fact that he’d been an inconsiderate boor since he’d entered the room. It was for the best that he wasn’t handsomeandcharming. Then Hugo would have been hopelessly infatuated.
“Honestly, Mother is annoyed presumably with my wastrel lifestyle of gambling, drinking, and embarrassing lovers. She probably thought a nice man like you might finally set me straight and convince me to clean up my act.”
The prince heaved an enormous sigh and tossed his napkin onto the table. As he moved to rise, a servant jumped to slide out his chair. Hugo awkwardly rushed to his feet as well, but he doubted the prince even noticed.
He waved a hand halfheartedly in the air as he strolled from the room. “Finish serving all the courses. See that he is well fed and send him on his way.”
Hugo dropped into his chair and simply blinked for a moment. Prince Everand wasn’t what he’d expected. Handsome, sure, but he was no prince charming. At least there was no chance of them ever meeting again.
Seven
Hugo choked back a cry of relief when the carriage rolled along the lane and his house with the faded blue shutters and the sketchy roof came into view. As he’d stood in front of the queen a day ago, he’d been sure that he would never set eyes on it again. A footman alighted and opened the door for him. Hugo climbed down and politely thanked the man, clutching his other set of clothes to his chest. The kind maid had seen to it that his suit had been laundered and pressed. Someone had even mended the cuff where the stitching had been coming loose.
The door to the house flew open, and Augustine ran full speed at him. Dorian was only a few steps behind. Their mother was nowhere to be seen, but Hugo suspected she might have taken to her bed in a fit of remorse.
Augustine collided with him, nearly knocking him off his feet, gripping him in a fierce hug. Dorian joined him, grabbing Hugo from the other side.
“You’re alive! How are you still alive?” Augustine shouted in his ear.
Hugo winced and leaned closer to Dorian, who was speaking at a normal volume.
“Impossible. We were sure we’d receive word that you’d been executed. That the carriage had come to deliver your body.”
Hugo freed a hand and awkwardly patted Dorian’s arm and then Augustine’s, getting his brothers to release him.
“It’s fine. Everything worked out. I’m still alive, and we’re all safe,” Hugo murmured.
At least he hoped they were all safe. Surely the queen would forget all this spinning straw into gold nonsense. He’d never be summoned for a repeat performance. He hoped.
“Where’s Mother?” Hugo demanded, praying he could distract his brothers from exactly how he’d gotten out of the palace with his head still attached to his body.
“She’s in bed, crying about how she killed you and that the queen was coming for her next,” Dorian grumbled.
“And how ungrateful the queen was after father made her wedding cake,” Augustine added.
Yes, a service paid for and provided twenty-five years ago.
Hugo fought the urge to roll his eyes.
“I don’t understand. How did you get out of the palace?” Augustine pressed.
“What? You’re not glad I’m still alive?” Hugo shot back.
“Huuugoooo,” Augustine whined and clung to his arm. “Don’t be like that. Tell me what happened.”
