Pippin was squatting beneath the fountain, in the middle of something unspeakable.
Crown Prince Bennett blinked rapidly. “Much apologies, Lady Huntington. I’m sure he didn’t mean to...deface your lawn.”
Lady Huntington took a step back, holding a handkerchief to her nose. “Lady Narcissa, if you could please magic this away, it would be much appreciated.”
Insolent woman! Banishing Misty was bad enough, but this? “Lady Huntington, I cannot make excrement disappear from lawns,” I said before I could stop myself.
“Lady Narcissa! A respectable lady of your age ought to mind her manners when speaking to her hostess,” she said sharply.
“My manners only reflect my hostess’s.”
Lady Huntington gaped. I almost thought I shocked her until she gave a little laugh. “Do accept my apologies, Lady Narcissa. With your mother and father’s influence, you certainly haven’t learned propriety. Forgive me for not being more compassionate toward your...situation.”
I clenched my jaw, my face burning with anger and humiliation. How dare she bring up Mother? And how dare she mention Father as if he were anything but good and kind?
Crown Prince Bennett stepped in front of me before I could retort. “I believe there were some interesting vases in the foyer, Lady Huntington,” he interjected. “I would like to see them up close.” His tone was stony despite his words.
He must be angry with me. Crown princesses didn’t have tempers. And they certainly wouldn’t be scolded by their hostesses. I closed my eyes briefly, glad that I could only see the back of his coat and not the disappointment in his eyes. Why couldn’t I pass one day without blundering something?
Lady Huntington gave a nervous giggle. “Of course, I’m happy to oblige,” she said. “Isabelle, show Lady Narcissa around the gardens, will you? And if you happen to see the gardener tell him to take care of...that.”
“But Mama, I’d much rather join you and His High—”
“Isabelle, please.”
“Yes, Mama,” Isabelle grumbled.
Crown Prince Bennett turned and motioned to one of the guards at the gate. “In that case, a guard should join you.”
“Our grounds are perfectly safe, Your Highness, and Isabelle will be good company—”
“A mere precaution. Lady Narcissa must be protected at all times,” the crown prince said. “Now, the vases?”
Lady Huntington pulled on a toothy smile and led His Highness to the foyer. The guard from the gate approached. His blond hair made him instantly recognizable.
I sighed. Just my luck.
Isabelle scowled at Maddox as if he were a crushed bug beneath her boot. “Keep at a distance, will you? Men should not eavesdrop on ladies’ talk.”
“Yes, miss,” Maddox said monotonously.
Isabelle harrumphed, latched onto my arm, and led me to the back gardens. Her grip was unnecessarily tight.
I was no fool. Miss Isabelle Huntington, like half the girls in the kingdom, was infatuated with the crown prince. That infatuation certainly did not extend to me.
First the mother and now the daughter. The only good thing about this battle was that it wouldn’t be witnessed by anyone important.
“Father says His Highness plans to be on horseback for the entire tour,” Isabelle said as we passed a hemlock tree surrounded by blooms. The pansies were abundant, taking over the scene with bursts of inky purple and gold. She gave me a cool glance. “Why won’t he join you in the carriage?”
This was a petty challenge indeed.
Forcing a smile, I picked a yellow pansy and offered it to Isabelle. “This will look lovely in your hair.”
Isabelle accepted the flower, squirming as she tucked it behind her ear. I had disarmed her for a moment.
“The crown prince and I are not familiar with each other. Our union is purely out of obligation,” I said. Perhaps blatant honesty would conclude the battle.
No such luck. Isabelle crossed her arms. “Marriage should be out of love, not obligation. His Highness should be with someone who makes him happy.”
