Alexander Emerson,”
Rudolf said, holding her tighter. “I will take care of you.”
“Are you offering marriage?” Samantha asked, looking into his eyes for the first time.
His expression shuttered like a curtain falling and became impossible to read. The gesture reminded her again of the Duke of lnverary and her brother-in-law, the Marquess of Argyll.
“I cannot marry anyone at the moment,” Rudolf told her, his hand beginning a slow caress.
With a sob escaping her throat, Samantha pulled out of his embrace. She rolled over and turned her back on him.
“Princess, do not turn away from me,” the prince said, his hand on her back.
“Leave me alone, Your Highness.” She stiffened when she felt him trace a finger down the column of her spine.
“Think of the lovely gowns and geegaws that will be yours tomorrow,” Rudolf coaxed.
It was the wrong thing to say.
Samantha moved quickly, catching him off guard. In one swift motion, she bolted up in the bed and slapped his face with all the strength she could muster.
“My virginity was worth more than a few gowns,” Samantha told him. “If you hadn’t coerced me to leave London, I wouldn’t have needed them.” Her voice rose in anger. “And I would never have had to leave London if you hadn’t got me abducted and nearly killed. I saved your royal arse by stealing the key from Igor’s pocket. You have repaid me by stealing my dream.”
At that, Samantha turned away in a huff and flopped down on her side of the bed. She waited for his angry response, but none came.
“You are correct,” Rudolf said in a voice filled with regret. “Unfortunately no apology will restore your dream to you. It seems I cannot make anyone happy, not even myself.”
Samantha wondered at his last pain-filled statement but said nothing. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she determined to face her bleak future bravely. She hurt too much to care about his pain.
Chapter 5
“You look lovely in your purple gown.”
Samantha glanced sidelong at the prince. “The gown is amethyst, not purple.”
“There is no difference,” Rudolf told her. “Amethyst and purple are the same color.”
“Amethyst is a bluish violet,” Samantha corrected him. “Purple is true purple.”
“Is amethyst a false purple?”
Her irritation rising, Samantha lifted her nose into the air and turned her head to look at the passing scenery. The prince was baiting her because she hadn’t spoken to him since climbing into the coach that morning. Apparently, His Highness couldn’t bear to be ignored.
“Are you angry with me?” Rudolf asked.
Samantha sighed. “I am angry with myself,” she said, without taking her gaze off the view outside.
“Do not be angry.” Rudolf inched closer. “Your reputation was already ruined.”
Samantha snapped her head around to stare at him. Only a dead man would have missed her displeasure.
“Are you going to strike me again?” Rudolf asked, obviously feigning fear.
Samantha’s lips twitched with the urge to laugh. She gave herself a mental shake. Losing one’s virtue was no laughing matter.
“Admit it, Princess,” Rudolf said. “You enjoyed the intimacy we shared.”
“If you wanted to have fun,” Samantha told him, lifting her nose into the air, “you should have abducted my sister. Tory adores fun.”
“I did not abduct you,” the prince corrected her. “Tell me what you adore.”
Samantha gave him her sweetest smile. “I adore boring gentlemen. I adore people who keep promises. I adore being left alone when I’m not in the mood for company.”
“I apologize for bothering you.” Rudolf folded his arms across his chest, turned his head, and looked out the window.
Samantha watched him, a wave of guilt surging through her. The prince hadn’t forced her to do anything. She was the one with the weak moral character, not he.
“Rudolf?” Samantha touched his arm. When he looked at her, she said, “I apologize for my
Rudolf said, holding her tighter. “I will take care of you.”
“Are you offering marriage?” Samantha asked, looking into his eyes for the first time.
His expression shuttered like a curtain falling and became impossible to read. The gesture reminded her again of the Duke of lnverary and her brother-in-law, the Marquess of Argyll.
“I cannot marry anyone at the moment,” Rudolf told her, his hand beginning a slow caress.
With a sob escaping her throat, Samantha pulled out of his embrace. She rolled over and turned her back on him.
“Princess, do not turn away from me,” the prince said, his hand on her back.
“Leave me alone, Your Highness.” She stiffened when she felt him trace a finger down the column of her spine.
“Think of the lovely gowns and geegaws that will be yours tomorrow,” Rudolf coaxed.
It was the wrong thing to say.
Samantha moved quickly, catching him off guard. In one swift motion, she bolted up in the bed and slapped his face with all the strength she could muster.
“My virginity was worth more than a few gowns,” Samantha told him. “If you hadn’t coerced me to leave London, I wouldn’t have needed them.” Her voice rose in anger. “And I would never have had to leave London if you hadn’t got me abducted and nearly killed. I saved your royal arse by stealing the key from Igor’s pocket. You have repaid me by stealing my dream.”
At that, Samantha turned away in a huff and flopped down on her side of the bed. She waited for his angry response, but none came.
“You are correct,” Rudolf said in a voice filled with regret. “Unfortunately no apology will restore your dream to you. It seems I cannot make anyone happy, not even myself.”
Samantha wondered at his last pain-filled statement but said nothing. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she determined to face her bleak future bravely. She hurt too much to care about his pain.
Chapter 5
“You look lovely in your purple gown.”
Samantha glanced sidelong at the prince. “The gown is amethyst, not purple.”
“There is no difference,” Rudolf told her. “Amethyst and purple are the same color.”
“Amethyst is a bluish violet,” Samantha corrected him. “Purple is true purple.”
“Is amethyst a false purple?”
Her irritation rising, Samantha lifted her nose into the air and turned her head to look at the passing scenery. The prince was baiting her because she hadn’t spoken to him since climbing into the coach that morning. Apparently, His Highness couldn’t bear to be ignored.
“Are you angry with me?” Rudolf asked.
Samantha sighed. “I am angry with myself,” she said, without taking her gaze off the view outside.
“Do not be angry.” Rudolf inched closer. “Your reputation was already ruined.”
Samantha snapped her head around to stare at him. Only a dead man would have missed her displeasure.
“Are you going to strike me again?” Rudolf asked, obviously feigning fear.
Samantha’s lips twitched with the urge to laugh. She gave herself a mental shake. Losing one’s virtue was no laughing matter.
“Admit it, Princess,” Rudolf said. “You enjoyed the intimacy we shared.”
“If you wanted to have fun,” Samantha told him, lifting her nose into the air, “you should have abducted my sister. Tory adores fun.”
“I did not abduct you,” the prince corrected her. “Tell me what you adore.”
Samantha gave him her sweetest smile. “I adore boring gentlemen. I adore people who keep promises. I adore being left alone when I’m not in the mood for company.”
“I apologize for bothering you.” Rudolf folded his arms across his chest, turned his head, and looked out the window.
Samantha watched him, a wave of guilt surging through her. The prince hadn’t forced her to do anything. She was the one with the weak moral character, not he.
“Rudolf?” Samantha touched his arm. When he looked at her, she said, “I apologize for my
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