How to Pursue a Princess by Karen Hawkins Page B

on our way to his cottage when his men caught up with us.”
    “Cottage?” The duchess smiled indulgently. “As his highness has seen Floors Castle, I’m sure his estate seems smallish to him, although I wouldn’t use the term ‘cottage.’ ”
    Lily wondered how much land had come with the prince’s cottage. Perhaps it consisted of several acres. “The prince said he was the po—” She caught the suddenly intent gazes of both women and she bit her lip. “I’m sorry, but that’s not for me to repeat.”
    The duchess leaned forward, her red wig slightly askew. “Of course it is! What did he say?”
    Lily wasn’t sure why she felt she needed to protect the scant information she possessed about the prince. After all, she barely knew him. Furthermore, she didn’t suppose he’d told her anything that wasn’teasily discovered. “I don’t suppose it matters. He said he was the poorest of his brothers.”
    “Ah! So he has no funds.” Lady Charlotte’s needles clacked along. “I’m not surprised. Europe is crawling with supposed princes, and not a farthing to be had between them.”
    The duchess sniffed. “There would be more wealthy princes if foreigners didn’t breed like rabbits.”
    Lady Charlotte agreed. “They should take after the English Crown; we have only one, perhaps two heirs to the throne at a time. It makes things so simple. Otherwise, what would one do with all of them? I suppose that’s why Prince Wulfinski is here; his family simply felt there were too many princes wandering about, and so they sent him off.”
    “Perhaps.” The duchess shrugged, then glanced at the open doorway. Once she was satisfied that none of her guests were lingering in the foyer, she scooted her chair closer to Lily and said in a low tone, “My dear Miss Balfour, as we have a few moments, I should mention that your father wrote me a most interesting letter. I received it just this morning.”
    Lily’s stomach sank. What has Papa done? “Papa wrote you?” Why would he do such a thing, unless—
    “There’s no reason to look upset. He merely wished to thank me for attempting to help your family out of your predicament.”
    Lily wished she could sink into the ground. “He told you everything ?”
    Her grace nodded.
    “So tragic,” Lady Charlotte said. “Lord Kirk always seemed like such a gentleman, too. Or he was before his accident. I hear he’s horridly changed since then, and not just physically.”
    “He’s a cold and calculating man,” Lily said. “Poor Papa didn’t have a chance.”
    The duchess nodded in apparent sympathy. “I’ve had commerce with Lord Kirk before. A land purchase, I think it was. Your father is quite right in thinking that Kirk would never give him a respite on a debt owed. The man can be inflexible.”
    Lady Charlotte tugged more yarn from her basket, frowning when she saw that it was tangled beneath a sleeping pug. She put out a slippered foot and nudged the dog out of the way. Its eyes opened slightly, but otherwise it gave no indication of moving. “It’s good that your father explained the depth of your predicament. Her grace and I suspected it, but now we know that you must marry a wealthy man and quickly.”
    Face heated, Lily nodded. “I hate these circumstances.”
    “Nonsense,” her grace said in a bracing tone. “It’s unladylike to pursue a career or even obtain a decent education, so what else is left us?”
    “I—I cannot imagine marrying without love, but I suppose I must.”
    “My dear, I’ve married no fewer than five times, all of them to men of great wealth, and all of my marriages have been for love. There’s no reason you couldn’t do the same.”
    Lily didn’t want to marry five times. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to be married once. The pug at Lily’s side snuggled against her and she absently patted it. “I had no idea you’d been married so many times, your grace.”
    “The first four passed away of natural causes; they were