Kathleen’s name. Anna turned to see Kathleen’s father beckoning her from across the room. Kathleen gave Anna a look that spoke volumes before turning and crossing the floor to where her father stood. At the sound of Lord Hobart’s voice, the prince, who was standing close by, glanced over his shoulder. He turned when his gaze fell on Anna, and in a moment he was making his way towards her.
“Mistress Anna,” he said.
“Your Highness,” she said, dropping a shallow curtsey, surprised he remembered her name.
“I thought you had left the city.”
“I did. And I leave again tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” He walked towards a spot near the wall where fewer people stood, glancing back with raised eyebrows when she did not follow. She sighed before joining him. “Where do you live?” he asked.
“I’m staying with friends in the country.”
“In the country? Where, exactly?”
“About thirty miles away.”
“Mistress Anna,” he said, a hint of irritation coloring his tone, “what is the name of the place where you are staying?”
“Drake Manor.”
“That’s better. Drake Manor, hmm? And do you come into Civitas often?”
“No, not often.”
“More’s the pity,” he said. He stared at her narrowly. “And are you enjoying living at Drake Manor, with your sister’s kinsmen?”
Anna’s eyebrows rose slightly. “I am, Your Highness. The Drakes are kind people, and we are not too far away. And we receive news from the city when people pass by. In fact, I’ve even heard …” She stopped, chagrined, and the prince pounced.
“Yes,” he said, “you’ve heard …?”
“Um,” Anna glanced at the floor, looking for inspiration, but found none. She looked back up at him. “I’ve heard you’ve been busy,” she said. At her words, Rupert’s eyebrows lifted, and Anna held her breath, waiting for an explosion of anger, but after a moment he gave a dry laugh.
“That’s one way to describe it,” he said. He tilted his head. “Tell me, Mistress, do you always speak your mind so freely?”
“My apologies, Your Highness,” Anna said. “I often speak before I think. I should not have been so bold.”
“Actually,” he said, “it is refreshing to hear someone speak plainly.”
“In that case,” Anna said, “perhaps I should tell you that purple does not become you.” This time the prince’s eyebrows rose even higher, but then he laughed. It was a sound of genuine amusement, and for the first time she saw his features soften slightly from the hard planes that usually lined his face.
“I will tell my Lord Hindley.”
“Lord Hindley?”
“One of the lords of my chamber. He has been nagging me to wear something more becoming to my station, and I confess I gave in to get him off my back. The man has known me since I was in the cradle, and refuses to take no for an answer. I will tell him that the ladies concur with my position and I will make sure these damned clothes are burned.”
“Only one lady,” Anna said, glancing around the room. She was startled to see quite a few pairs of eyes trained on them. “The other ladies seem to appreciate what they see.”
The prince glanced around and his expression hardened. “They’re looking at you.”
“Only because you are talking to me,” she said. He nodded.
“True.” He gave her a slight nod. “Excuse me, Mistress.”
“Of course,” she said, but he was already striding away from her. The people who had been watching her averted their eyes and returned to their conversations. Cathryn glanced her way with a smile, motioning her over.
“This is Mistress Bradshaw,” she said, introducing the older woman she was talking to. “She is a friend of Margaret’s.” Anna smiled and nodded, listening as Mistress Bradshaw and Cathryn conversed a little longer. When the lady moved away, Cathryn turned to Anna with an expression of concern.
“You need to be careful,” Cathryn said softly. “The prince’s good favor is not
“Mistress Anna,” he said.
“Your Highness,” she said, dropping a shallow curtsey, surprised he remembered her name.
“I thought you had left the city.”
“I did. And I leave again tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” He walked towards a spot near the wall where fewer people stood, glancing back with raised eyebrows when she did not follow. She sighed before joining him. “Where do you live?” he asked.
“I’m staying with friends in the country.”
“In the country? Where, exactly?”
“About thirty miles away.”
“Mistress Anna,” he said, a hint of irritation coloring his tone, “what is the name of the place where you are staying?”
“Drake Manor.”
“That’s better. Drake Manor, hmm? And do you come into Civitas often?”
“No, not often.”
“More’s the pity,” he said. He stared at her narrowly. “And are you enjoying living at Drake Manor, with your sister’s kinsmen?”
Anna’s eyebrows rose slightly. “I am, Your Highness. The Drakes are kind people, and we are not too far away. And we receive news from the city when people pass by. In fact, I’ve even heard …” She stopped, chagrined, and the prince pounced.
“Yes,” he said, “you’ve heard …?”
“Um,” Anna glanced at the floor, looking for inspiration, but found none. She looked back up at him. “I’ve heard you’ve been busy,” she said. At her words, Rupert’s eyebrows lifted, and Anna held her breath, waiting for an explosion of anger, but after a moment he gave a dry laugh.
“That’s one way to describe it,” he said. He tilted his head. “Tell me, Mistress, do you always speak your mind so freely?”
“My apologies, Your Highness,” Anna said. “I often speak before I think. I should not have been so bold.”
“Actually,” he said, “it is refreshing to hear someone speak plainly.”
“In that case,” Anna said, “perhaps I should tell you that purple does not become you.” This time the prince’s eyebrows rose even higher, but then he laughed. It was a sound of genuine amusement, and for the first time she saw his features soften slightly from the hard planes that usually lined his face.
“I will tell my Lord Hindley.”
“Lord Hindley?”
“One of the lords of my chamber. He has been nagging me to wear something more becoming to my station, and I confess I gave in to get him off my back. The man has known me since I was in the cradle, and refuses to take no for an answer. I will tell him that the ladies concur with my position and I will make sure these damned clothes are burned.”
“Only one lady,” Anna said, glancing around the room. She was startled to see quite a few pairs of eyes trained on them. “The other ladies seem to appreciate what they see.”
The prince glanced around and his expression hardened. “They’re looking at you.”
“Only because you are talking to me,” she said. He nodded.
“True.” He gave her a slight nod. “Excuse me, Mistress.”
“Of course,” she said, but he was already striding away from her. The people who had been watching her averted their eyes and returned to their conversations. Cathryn glanced her way with a smile, motioning her over.
“This is Mistress Bradshaw,” she said, introducing the older woman she was talking to. “She is a friend of Margaret’s.” Anna smiled and nodded, listening as Mistress Bradshaw and Cathryn conversed a little longer. When the lady moved away, Cathryn turned to Anna with an expression of concern.
“You need to be careful,” Cathryn said softly. “The prince’s good favor is not
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