I pinched my lips, having no wish to recount my attempts at seducing his brother. If it could even be called that. The most I tried was smiling at him, and before that, flirting according to Mother’s instruction. Blazing fires, the man wouldn’t even come to my eighth birthday party. Even with my dedication, every attempt was met with discouragement. I saw little point in trying again.
After all, my capacity for humiliation was not infinite.
The second prince shook his head. “Never mind. Listen. My brother doesn’t trust easily. I reckon he doesn’t fall in love easily. But at least try to befriend him. It’ll do the tour some good.”
“How do I do that?” I said.
“The birthday gift, of course.” Prince Ash gave me a strange look. “There’s nothing that extends the hand of friendship more than a gift. Everyone knows that.”
It made sense. After all, I had given William the same advice. But all gifts came with strings, didn’t they? The only reason I was doing this was to win the crown prince’s favor and thereby sway the public’s opinion about me.
“What should I give him?” I asked.
Prince Ash hummed. “Well. Bennett likes clothes.”
“Clothes?”
He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not sure if he wants people to know. A crown prince has to make a certain impression. Clothes help him do that, and he enjoys it. But on the flip side, you know how the press is. Next thing you know they’ll be saying he’s a dandy unfit to rule.”
Mother always told me to take pride in my appearance—a rare lesson that wasn’t nefarious at its core. It was one of the things I was able to find joy in, no matter how frivolous it may seem. For it to be encouraged among ladies and laughed at amongst men was absurd.
Besides, Crown Prince Bennett’s impeccable dress was certainly a part of his allure.
I winced. What business did I have thinking about his allure when the man wouldn’t even hold a conversation with me?
“Ash, there you are!” Lady Marianna appeared around the corner with her basket full of recipe books. She beamed. “Perfect. We can all go home together.”
***
SQUEEZING THREE PEOPLEinto her horse chaise, Lady Marianna eventually realized, was an impossible feat. Prince Ash opted to stay a little longer at the library.
“Don’t mind me,” he said cheerfully. “I still have to finish my letter to Amarante.”
We left him to compose his love poem—for that was what it was—though the glimpses I caught needed desperate work.
I spent the ride back half listening to Lady Marianna talk about beet stew and half pondering about what gift I should give to the crown prince. It was well into the morning when we returned. Lady Marianna split off to unload her purchases, and I took Cozbi from the groom, hoping to have a quiet time tending to her in the stables.
But I was surprised to see Lady Marianna there, her basket still full. She was standing near the stalls in a hushed discussion with none other than Crown Prince Bennett. I stopped in my tracks. Cozbi’s nose bumped into the back of my head.
What is it?she nickered.
“My boot laces are untied. A moment please,” I murmured. They were not, but I bent down anyhow, hoping the two of them would leave. I wasn’t in the mood to face the crown prince–not when I was thinking about how best to woo him. If we exchanged a word I was sure to give up the idea entirely.
“I don’t see why you can’t ask her for help,” Lady Marianna said, putting her hands on her hips. The bottles in her basket clinked. “She’s a sweet girl as far as I can tell.”
I shuffled behind a bale of hay. It was bad of me to eavesdrop, but there didn’t seem to be another choice if I wanted to avoid the meeting.
“She has her own schedule. I mustn’t disrupt it.” The crown prince’s voice sounded fainter. A peek above the hay told me that he had entered his gelding’s stall.
“You’re afraid to talk to her,” Lady Marianna accused.
“I am not.”
“You’re going to have to sooner or later. She’s the only one who can understand animals around here.”
Crown Prince Bennett withdrew from the stall, taking care to brush off his boots before replying, “Lady Narcissa is not to be used for her magic on anyone’s whim. The stablehands will figure it out.”
I blinked, wholly forgetting to pretend to tie my boot laces. The memory of his anger at Huntington Abbey resurfaced. His eyes had flared when Lady Huntington demanded me to clean up her lawn. Had it been on my behalf? My heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
