Royal Pain in the Ass (7 page)

“
Boarding school?
”

“Yes,”

“I can
’
t really imagine it.
 
I mean, the shenanigans that went on in Harry Potter seemed cool, but I would have missed my mom being away months at a time.
”

Ben shrugged.
  “
Of course you miss home, but you just deal with it.
 
Besides we sent letters and there
’
s this new invention called a telephone.
 
We rang each other all the time.
”
Ben teased.

“
I don’
t get most of this lifestyle.
”
I admitted.
 

“
I don’
t know how to explain it.
”
Ben laughed.
  “It
’
s just the way we are.
”

“
Well, what else is there to you, other than just a stable boy?
”

Ben laughed at that.
  “I
’
m stable boy to you then?
”
he chortled.

I rolled my eyes.
  “I
’
m pretty sure you know what I meant.
”

“
What do you want to know?
”

“
This is going to sound really weird, but what can you tell me about James?
”

Ben shrugged.
 

“
What kind of a person is he?
”

“
I don’
t know if I
’
m the best person to talk to about this.
”

“
Why not?
”

“
Juliet, he
’
s my employer.
 
He employs most of my family.
”

“
I didn
’
t even think about that.
 
Sorry, I understand.
 
How about you tell me a little about you instead?
”

Ben smiled.
  “
What would you like to know, love?
”

I thought for a moment and shrugged.
  “
Can you swim?
”

He cocked an eyebrow.
  “
Yes, why?
”

I smirked and pushed him in.
 
I was looking down at the water waiting for him to surface.
 
All I saw were bubbles.
  “Ben?” 
I looked around frantically.
  “Shit,” 
I jumped in and started searching, when I felt like my lungs were about to burst I surfaced and looked around and heard howling laughter.
 
Ben had been hiding under the dock.
 
I shot him a glare.
  “
I take it you didn
’
t drown then,
”
I sounded disappointed as I swam for the edge of the lake.

“Sorry,”
he shrugged and swam over to me.
  “
Give a guy a little warning next time.
”

I shrugged.
  “
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
”

“
You aren
’
t like them, that
’
s for sure.
”
Ben said after a moment.
 

“
Is that a good thing?
”

“It
’
s not a bad thing.
 
I don’
t know if they
’
d agree, but I think so.
”

I shrugged. How could I be like them?
  I
’
d hate myself if I was like Angelica.
 
I had to work for everything I had.
 
I had earned all of it myself.
 
I couldn
’
t imagine something just being handed to me.
  “
No, I don’
t think I am.
”

Ben stood up and offered me a hand.
 
I accepted and he pulled me to my feet.
  “It
’
s getting late.
 
They
’
ll be serving dinner soon.
 
Millie is strict about meal times.
”

I smiled and nodded.
  “
Are you going to walk me back?
”

“
Of course,
”
Ben gave me a leg up onto my horse and we continued laughing and joking all the way back up to the main house dripping wet.

“
Where have you been?
”
came a shrill scold.
 
I looked up to see Millie glaring at me, arms crossed and her anger surrounded her like a cape.
 

“
I was looking around my father
’
s grounds.
”
I smiled back up at her.
 
I had a funny feeling we would never get along.

“
Benjamin, take these horses back to the stables immediately.
”

“
Madame Eastgate,
”
Ben bowed and smiled.
 
I looked back at him, and his smile turned to an impish grin.
  “Lady Juliet,”

“Now, Benjamin.”

“
As my lady commands.
” 
Ben took both horses by the reins and led them back towards the stables, I watched him until Millie cleared her throat.
 
I turned back to her.

“
We need to have a very serious talk.
”
Millie started.

“Do we now?”

“
I don’
t know who you think you are, but I am willing to pay you whatever it takes to get you back on a plane today.
”

I took a step back.
  “
Excuse me?
”

“
You heard me.
 
How much money will it take to get you to go back to wherever you came from?
”

“
Are you kidding me?
”

“
I am not one for kidding.
”

“
Then you disgust me.
”

“Pardon?”

“You disgust me. 
That
’
s insulting. 
You think you can buy me?
”

“
Everyone has a price.
”

“
No, you
’
re wrong.
”

“No, I
’
m not.”

“
Oh, yes, you are.
 
Everyone like you has a price, but I
’
m not like you.
”

“I
’
m sure there
’
s something.
”

“I
’
m not in this for money.
 
I never was.
”

“
Then what are you in it for?
”

“I
’
m curious.
”

“
About?
”

“
About who my father is.
 
About this life I never knew.
 
About the man my mother fell in love with.
”
I shot back.
  “
If you
’
ll excuse me, I need to go change.
”

“
There
’
s something we agree upon.
”

I flipped Millie the bird as I walked past her into the main house.
 
I was fuming and didn
’
t realize until I
’
d wondered down several corridors that I still had no idea how to get to my room.
 
I looked around and realized not only was I lost, but I was also still wet and tracking mud throughout the house.
 
I pulled off my dripping socks and shoes and started shivering.
 

“
Ah, Juliet there you -
”
James started, but stopped as he caught sight of me.
  “
What in the world have you been doing?
”

I shrugged.
  “I slipped.”

“You
’
ll catch your death.
 
Where were you going?
”

“
Trying to find my room.
”

“
Ah, you still haven
’
t been given the tour of the main house have you?
 
Let me show you to your room.
 
It looks as though there is a story behind all of this.
” 
James started navigating the manor.
  “
Millie seems rather put out by our discovery.
”
He started after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“
Does she now?
  I hadn
’
t noticed.
”
I muttered rolling my eyes.

“It
’
s a new idea to her.
 
Give her time to adjust.
”
James consoled.
  He
’
d caught my sarcasm.
 

I sighed.
  “
James, I don’
t think she
’
s going to adjust to me.
  I
’
m not like her.
  I
’
m not part of your world.
  It
’
s cool that I
’
m your daughter and everything, but I
’
m illegitimate.
  Isn
’
t that kind of a big deal in this world?
 
Everything is all about who belongs to who and so on and so forth.
”

“
Juliet . . .
”
James sighed.
  “
This is your room.
”

“
James, it
’
s cool we found each other, but I don
’
t know if anyone else needs to know.
”
I offered.
 
If he wanted out, he had this chance.
 
I wouldn
’
t hold it against him.
 

“
Juliet, you
’
re my daughter.
  I
’
ve only just found you and I have no intention to get rid of you.
” 
James smiled.
 

“
It would make your life easier.
”

“
I have rarely chosen the easy way.
 
That is part of why you are here today.
” 

I smiled at that.
  “You
’
re making your life a lot more complicated than it has to be.
”

“
I understand the risks I am taking.
 
You are taking risks here too, do you understand them?
”

I shook my head.
  “
I have no idea what this world is that I
’
ve just stepped into, but I know I won
’
t be welcomed in with open arms.
”

James nodded sadly.
  “
I won
’
t ask you to decide something of this gravity in such a short span of time.
 
If anyone asks you are a relative visiting from America.
 
Tell no one who you really are until you are sure this is what you want.
 
If we announce you, there will be no turning back.
”