Page 103 of The Heart You Kept

“Excuse me.” I fake a smile. I march into the aisle that Helene is hiding in. “Oh my god,” I whisper as I pull her farther away out of sight. “That fuckwit won’t stop playing the piano and Jonty is poisoning Edward with cheap wine and bad cheese. Do something.”

She throws her head back and laughs harder. “That wine is really bad.”

I hold my temples. “Get rid of them.”

“Who?”

“All of them, especially Piano Man.”

“Go talk to them and then they’ll leave. I’ll handle Piano Man.”

“Good thinking.” I fan my face. “Are you hot?”

“No, are you?”

“Fucking volcanic.” I wipe my forehead with my sleeve and walk out of the aisle, I make my way over to Edward and his friends. “Hello.” I act calm. “How are you?”

“Hello, Alora,” Prince Theodore says, he leans in and kisses my cheek. “Your store is incredible.”

Eeep!

“Thank you.”

Nicholas and the other man both kiss my cheek. “Hello.”

“Thanks for coming.” I smile.

Edward hangs back watching, why he didn’t kiss my cheek is what I want to know.

“What brought you all out tonight?” I act interested. “Do you like antiques or…?”

“We had dinner with Prescott around the corner and he wanted to call in on the way home.”

“Oh.” I smile. I glance between them just to catch Edward bite his lip to stop himself from smiling.

That was a lie.

“We’re going soon, though,” Theo says. “I’m buying this painting on my way out.”

“Okay.” This is so awkward. “Thanks for coming, it was nice to see you again.”

“You too.”

What’s the etiquette here, do princes pay full price for stuff or is there a royal discount I don’t know about?

Jonty rings up the painting and I serve another customer, though my mind is in overdrive. Why did he bring his friends here?

He seems different tonight, perhaps a little better behaved, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking. I mean, coming to my market night is kind of an effort.

Nearly….

I serve a few more people and they wave. “Bye,” they call as they leave.

I let out a sigh of relief and turn to see Edward still here, he disappears into an aisle.

What is he doing?

I finish serving and go off in search of him, I find him in the taxidermy aisle. “Hello,” I say.