Page 100 of Her Royal Houseguest

Very well. She would spend the time learning the details of Siamese harem life from the abbot. This was not an easy conversation, especially as it had to be done through Clarke. The abbot would not even look at her but nevertheless managed to answer her questions.

It all boiled down to one thing. Harem life was not for her. She would not share her husband, she would not manage the political manoeuvring of wives who could be as young as eleven and she would not crawl on the floor like a dog whenever her husband sat down.

She could bend, she could compromise but some things were beyond her.

And so she made other plans.

Life as a spinster could still be full and happy. Especially if she shared it with a friend like Phoebe. She spent the rest of the day sorting through what she would take with her on her life as a single woman. She was so absorbed in the task that she lost track of time.

The sun set.

Her mother returned from a discussion with her father, no doubt planning Anna’s future, and retired to bed.

The princes returned from wherever they’d been.

She sent her maid to bed as the house went quiet.

Then he knocked on her bedroom door. He was still dressed in his Siamese finery. Loose pants, a sash wrapped around his torso but his thick woollen socks peeked out beneath. It made her smile even as he spoke with grave words.

‘You have quarrelled with your father,’ he said.

‘I have. But it was bound to happen. No parent likes to see their child as an adult.’

‘No father of a beautiful daughter.’

She smiled at being called beautiful. ‘He is hurt but he will come around. I don’t think I’ll be disowned.’

‘No,’ he agreed. ‘You will not.’

She arched her brow. How would he know that? But then she decided she didn’t care. Whatever her father might or might not have said this day, only time would tell what his ultimate disposition would be.

She chose a different topic of conversation.

‘I’m glad to see you tonight. I don’t know if Father will throw me out tomorrow morning. I may leave to stay with Phoebe no matter what he decides but I wanted to talk to you about what you said today.’

‘You mean my offer of marriage?’

She nodded. ‘Yes.’ She watched as his eyes lightened, no doubt thinking she meant yes to his proposal. She did not. She held up her hand to stop him from coming closer. ‘I cannot accept. You do me great honour, Prince Deva, but…’ She shook her head.

‘But what?’ he prompted, his face tightening. ‘Do you think a prince of Siam is unworthy of you?’

She gasped. ‘No! Of course not!’ She lifted her chin and forced herself to speak plainly. ‘I think I will hate living in a harem. I think sharing you will be impossible for me. I think that I would rather live without a man than to be less than an equal with my husband.’

His eyes widened. ‘You ask for a great deal.’

‘I am worthy of it. You taught me that.’

He grunted, clearly annoyed.

‘But,’ she said, her voice finally trembling as her nerves betrayed her. ‘But I would like to experience love once—the, um, physical kind—before I retire as a spinster for ever.’

Chapter Thirty-Six

Deva was not used to being rejected. Neither was he used to being propositioned so boldly after being rejected. But English women were different. And this woman was exceptional. So he should have expected an exceptional reaction to his proposal.

Fortunately, he too was exceptional and he had thought this situation through. Indeed, he had spent many, many nights thinking about the differences between England and Siam and how he could find a union between the two.

And so he meant to tell her. Indeed, he opened his mouth to speak, only to be stopped as she reached behind her and pulled the buttons of her gown apart. It was an awkward movement, one where she had to lower her head but when she finally straightened, her shrug brought the dress off her shoulders, trembling on her breasts, before slipping down to the floor.