His grip tightens as we execute a particularly tricky move, and a powerful jolt of awareness shoots through me. For a moment, I let myself get lost in the dance, in the feel of his body against mine. But then reality crashes back.
This is the man who broke my heart.
The final note of the tango rings out, and we come to a stop. For a heartbeat, everything stands still. I step back, breaking the spell.
Henri releases me. “Thank you for the dance!”
“My pleasure.” I nod.
“Hey, why don’t we?—”
“Prince,” I interrupt him. “I must leave you now. There’s somewhere else I need to be. Have a good evening.”
He starts to protest, but I’m already turning away, my mind racing.
Does Henri still think he danced with a stranger?Or does he know it was me? I’m much better disguised than he is, tinted lenses and all. My mask covers more of my face. My voice wasn’t mine. I’m wearing a different perfume now than the one I favored when I was nineteen.
Still, my body language and shape might’ve given me away.
Grr, it infuriates me that I couldn’t tell!
“Hey, Cindy as in Cinderella, lose a shoe so I can find you!” he calls after me. “A card with a phone number will work, too!”
He didn’t recognize me.
As I melt back into the sea of masked figures, I can’t decide if my relief is greater than my disappointment.
CHAPTER THREE
TWO MONTHS LATER
Istep into the green salon that Mother calls her boudoir. It’s one of the coziest rooms in the royal palace, which is an easy win considering how uncozy the palace is. This is also Mother’s favorite place to have tea with friends and family members.
Rich antique tapestries that depict royal princesses with their pet unicorns line the walls of the salon. Plush sofas offer a comfortable embrace. Warm afternoon sunlight of late spring streams in through the windows, adding to the appeal of the decor.
A gossip party is in full swing. Mother and her best friend are nestled in armchairs. The scent of Mother’s favorite tea blend mingles with the floral notes floating in from the gardens. Countess Marie-Louise d’Alenq, daughter to a duke and cousin to my late father, has been Mother’s bestie for decades. Their bond strengthened even more, if such a thing is possible since Marie-Louise’s son Jonas found and brought home the fourth Montevor key.
Marie-Louise sets her teacup down. “I can’t believe you ended things with Nicolas. You two seemed quite smitten.”
Oh no, not that topic again!Can’t she see she’s rubbing salt in a wound that’s still raw? Even my friend Sophie has more tact than Marie-Louise! Sophie never mentions Henri, even though that wound is ten years old now and fully healed. Well, almost fully. I so wish I hadn’t seen him at the carnival back in March!
“Good afternoon, Mother,” I greet as I approach. “Marie-Louise, always a pleasure to see you!”
Marie-Louise stands long enough to drop a curtsy. “Likewise, dearest!”
The woman has known me since birth, but she can’t help it, she’s too much of a stickler for proper manners. At least she doesn’t “your highness” me.
Mother gives her teacup a little swirl.
There’s a forlorn look in her eyes as she reacts to her friend’s earlier comment, “Sometimes, things aren’t what they seem.”
I guess that’s one way to put it. A prominent businessman, Nicolas Emmel had been Mother’s unofficial boyfriend for only six or seven weeks when the Mount Evor Secret Service intervened. Adam Von Dietz, who took over as the head of MESS after Carlo Bodden-Bock’s suicide, is more cautious than his predecessor. Carlo was far from naïve, but he was Uncle Richard’s childhood friend. He trusted the royal family and, by extension, our entourage almost blindly.
Adam has no such qualms. Over the last few months, he’s checked and rechecked everyone in Uncle Richard’s, Mother’s and Grandmother’s circle of trust. The first victim of Adam’s purge was Leonardo “Leo” Xavier di Borbone, an Italian prince and a good friend of my brothers and Jonas. Leo is the nephew of Mount Evor’s archenemy, Kurt Ozzi. For that reason alone, Adam suspects Leo of having been Kurt’s eyes and ears in the principality. Since he cut off Leo, Adam has tagged a few others as potentially untrustworthy.
I sit down while Mother pours me a cup of tea.
Marie-Louise narrows her eyes. “But, Felicia, you practically glowed around that man. What happened?”
