charm and a pair of brown eyes that examined all of her quite intently. He reached for her hand and kissed the back of it with a smile. “Allow me to introduce the table. I am Jacob Lowery, a pleasure to meet you. This is Leopold Baume, Hugo Côté, Alphonse Moreau, and Michelle Delcroix.” He gestured around the table as he listed everyone off, and she smiled at them, hoping there wouldn’t be a test later. Each of them, as they were introduced, smiled at her with an edge of genuine politeness, the meaning of which probably went right over her head.
“Indeed, a pleasure, mademoiselle,” Michelle, the only woman at the table, spoke next, brushing back a few strands of her noticeably-dyed but still attractive brown hair. “Eric, I cannot believe you did not tell us that you had such a charming guest joining us this morning. Where did you fly in from?”
“Pennsylvania,” Katherine answered, trying to keep her poise as she hoped there wouldn’t be too many questions about her absolute train wreck of a college career. “I’m studying at the university there.”
Eric spoke before anyone else could question her; “I must beg all of your forgiveness for not telling you of Katherine, but truth be told she was a bit nervous about meeting all of you, which I hope she does not mind me saying.” He lifted a brow at her with a deceptively kind smile on his face, and she shook her head slightly. “I had not thought I’d managed to talk her into joining us, but I’m certainly glad I did. Scarce could there be a lovelier guest at a table, I do think.”
The man she was pretty sure was Alphonse Moreau—the youngest of Eric’s guests, Katherine thought—laughed and reached for his cup of coffee on the table. “Are we truly so intimidating then, my dear, that you feel the need to hide from us?”
“Oh, no,” she said quickly, still making herself smile even as she felt the Prince’s hand brush discreetly against her side beneath the edge of the table. It made a shiver run down her spine. “I am just unused to sharing a meal with those of your caliber and prestige. My life in Pennsylvania isn’t terribly exciting.” Why had she brought up Pennsylvania again?
“What is it that you study at university, Miss Katherine?” The last of the men at the table asked. With her heart racing—she had already forgotten his name, and her smile faltered slightly—she forced herself not to otherwise react outwardly.
“Oh, this and that… dipping my toes in a variety of subjects so that I can be certain I am doing something that I love.”
“Ah, always a good strategy,” Jacob told her with a smile. “In my experience, students who select fields of study based solely on what is deemed a strategic career move always end up unhappy. It is far better to be doing something you enjoy than only making money.”
“Not that money hurts, mind you,” Michelle said with a laugh. “But you are certainly right, Jacob, that it isn’t everything.” Not that anyone at this table would know that, Katherine thought as she glanced at them. No, they were all obscenely wealthy people who had probably never had any sort of choice whatsoever in what they would end up doing in their lives, having inherited it from generations of their family all doing the same thing. That was certainly true for Eric, although it didn’t seem like he actually minded the ruling aspect at all; from what little she knew of monarchs, he would be damn good at it once he actually ascended the throne. He was just against the idea of marrying for advantage.
She didn’t really want to talk about herself anymore, however, and so she looked around the table. “I must ask, what is it that you all do? Prince Eric told me that you were landowners discussing trade agreements, but I really have no idea what that entails…”
Much to her delight, the question immediately set the four of them off into conversation, most of which flew over her head but that she tried
“Indeed, a pleasure, mademoiselle,” Michelle, the only woman at the table, spoke next, brushing back a few strands of her noticeably-dyed but still attractive brown hair. “Eric, I cannot believe you did not tell us that you had such a charming guest joining us this morning. Where did you fly in from?”
“Pennsylvania,” Katherine answered, trying to keep her poise as she hoped there wouldn’t be too many questions about her absolute train wreck of a college career. “I’m studying at the university there.”
Eric spoke before anyone else could question her; “I must beg all of your forgiveness for not telling you of Katherine, but truth be told she was a bit nervous about meeting all of you, which I hope she does not mind me saying.” He lifted a brow at her with a deceptively kind smile on his face, and she shook her head slightly. “I had not thought I’d managed to talk her into joining us, but I’m certainly glad I did. Scarce could there be a lovelier guest at a table, I do think.”
The man she was pretty sure was Alphonse Moreau—the youngest of Eric’s guests, Katherine thought—laughed and reached for his cup of coffee on the table. “Are we truly so intimidating then, my dear, that you feel the need to hide from us?”
“Oh, no,” she said quickly, still making herself smile even as she felt the Prince’s hand brush discreetly against her side beneath the edge of the table. It made a shiver run down her spine. “I am just unused to sharing a meal with those of your caliber and prestige. My life in Pennsylvania isn’t terribly exciting.” Why had she brought up Pennsylvania again?
“What is it that you study at university, Miss Katherine?” The last of the men at the table asked. With her heart racing—she had already forgotten his name, and her smile faltered slightly—she forced herself not to otherwise react outwardly.
“Oh, this and that… dipping my toes in a variety of subjects so that I can be certain I am doing something that I love.”
“Ah, always a good strategy,” Jacob told her with a smile. “In my experience, students who select fields of study based solely on what is deemed a strategic career move always end up unhappy. It is far better to be doing something you enjoy than only making money.”
“Not that money hurts, mind you,” Michelle said with a laugh. “But you are certainly right, Jacob, that it isn’t everything.” Not that anyone at this table would know that, Katherine thought as she glanced at them. No, they were all obscenely wealthy people who had probably never had any sort of choice whatsoever in what they would end up doing in their lives, having inherited it from generations of their family all doing the same thing. That was certainly true for Eric, although it didn’t seem like he actually minded the ruling aspect at all; from what little she knew of monarchs, he would be damn good at it once he actually ascended the throne. He was just against the idea of marrying for advantage.
She didn’t really want to talk about herself anymore, however, and so she looked around the table. “I must ask, what is it that you all do? Prince Eric told me that you were landowners discussing trade agreements, but I really have no idea what that entails…”
Much to her delight, the question immediately set the four of them off into conversation, most of which flew over her head but that she tried
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