bastard.” She’d punched him hard on the arm and stormed away.
While Duncan would have preferred not to have the scene play out in front of onlookers, he was relieved that the worst of it was over. Still, he berated himself for letting things slide for so long. He’d talk to her, once she’d cooled off, he thought. Try to make amends.
“More coffee, Your Highness?”
Duncan glanced up in surprise because Crawford was holding the coffee pot. “Why are you doing a waiter’s job?”
Crawford smiled serenely. “I like to keep my hand in. It never hurts to multitask.”
Bemused, Duncan studied the dignified retainer. Crawford had always been like a second father to him. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Should there be?”
When Crawford started answering questions with questions, he was up to something. “Don’t make me work for it. What do you want?”
“Hmm, well, since you’re going to the new mine today, I thought you might like to take a picnic lunch with you.”
Duncan studied the older man speculatively. “That’s it. You’re here to suggest a picnic when you know I always eat in the location-catering tent.”
“Exactly, I thought you might enjoy a change.”
“Why?”
“Because I assume Miz Monroe will be accompanying you, and you might like to share the picnic with her.”
Reflexively, Duncan glanced in Brig’s direction, then back into Crawford’s shrewd amber gaze. “Matchmaking, eh? That’s a first for you. You’ve never approved of the women I’ve…” He started to say dated and stopped. He wasn’t sure what category Monroe was in, but she wasn’t leaving Nevis until he’d figured it out.
“Very well,” Crawford continued, as if Duncan had agreed. “The picnic will be ready when you are ready to leave.”
Duncan knew better than to argue.
Moving away, Crawford murmured loud enough for his prince to hear, “Try not to muck up.”
Smiling at the last, Duncan glanced back at Monroe, watching her rise from the table and walk toward the windows while she continued talking to the man she’d been sitting with—who, Duncan suddenly realized, was the same person she’d sat next to last night. He narrowed his gaze on the other man’s face. It was clear he was interested in Brig. With a startling surge of jealously, Duncan turned and signaled to a staff member.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Please inform Miz Monroe—” he pointed toward her— “that I wish her to accompany me this morning.”
As the attendant hurried off to deliver the message, Reid appeared in the center of Duncan’s field of vision. “I think we should talk, Duncan. It’s important.” He tipped his head toward the door. “Out of earshot.”
Duncan mentally sighed as he stood and followed his cousin out to the corridor. He imagined he was going to get another earful of Reid’s perceived slights against him. It usually involved a servant who had looked at him in the wrong way, or someone had failed to obey his orders in a timely fashion. As tiresome as it was to listen to Reid’s complaints, Duncan made allowances because he believed Reid was compensating for his lack of self-assurance over the fact that he was adopted. “Yes, Reid, how can I help?”
“You mentioned that you were going out to the new mine today. If you plan to take that Monroe woman with you, I think you should watch your back.”
Duncan was surprised. “What reason do you have for the warning?”
“Instinct, she’s acting strangely, and she’s throwing her weight around. For instance, what was she doing giving orders to the palace guards last night, as if she had the right to command them?”
“She thought she saw an intruder and gave warning.”
“From what I heard, she ended up embarrassing everyone when she stumbled into a romantic tryst.”
Duncan glanced at his watch. He wanted to be at the site when they tried out the new drilling unit he’d designed. “Okay, but how does any of that
While Duncan would have preferred not to have the scene play out in front of onlookers, he was relieved that the worst of it was over. Still, he berated himself for letting things slide for so long. He’d talk to her, once she’d cooled off, he thought. Try to make amends.
“More coffee, Your Highness?”
Duncan glanced up in surprise because Crawford was holding the coffee pot. “Why are you doing a waiter’s job?”
Crawford smiled serenely. “I like to keep my hand in. It never hurts to multitask.”
Bemused, Duncan studied the dignified retainer. Crawford had always been like a second father to him. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Should there be?”
When Crawford started answering questions with questions, he was up to something. “Don’t make me work for it. What do you want?”
“Hmm, well, since you’re going to the new mine today, I thought you might like to take a picnic lunch with you.”
Duncan studied the older man speculatively. “That’s it. You’re here to suggest a picnic when you know I always eat in the location-catering tent.”
“Exactly, I thought you might enjoy a change.”
“Why?”
“Because I assume Miz Monroe will be accompanying you, and you might like to share the picnic with her.”
Reflexively, Duncan glanced in Brig’s direction, then back into Crawford’s shrewd amber gaze. “Matchmaking, eh? That’s a first for you. You’ve never approved of the women I’ve…” He started to say dated and stopped. He wasn’t sure what category Monroe was in, but she wasn’t leaving Nevis until he’d figured it out.
“Very well,” Crawford continued, as if Duncan had agreed. “The picnic will be ready when you are ready to leave.”
Duncan knew better than to argue.
Moving away, Crawford murmured loud enough for his prince to hear, “Try not to muck up.”
Smiling at the last, Duncan glanced back at Monroe, watching her rise from the table and walk toward the windows while she continued talking to the man she’d been sitting with—who, Duncan suddenly realized, was the same person she’d sat next to last night. He narrowed his gaze on the other man’s face. It was clear he was interested in Brig. With a startling surge of jealously, Duncan turned and signaled to a staff member.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Please inform Miz Monroe—” he pointed toward her— “that I wish her to accompany me this morning.”
As the attendant hurried off to deliver the message, Reid appeared in the center of Duncan’s field of vision. “I think we should talk, Duncan. It’s important.” He tipped his head toward the door. “Out of earshot.”
Duncan mentally sighed as he stood and followed his cousin out to the corridor. He imagined he was going to get another earful of Reid’s perceived slights against him. It usually involved a servant who had looked at him in the wrong way, or someone had failed to obey his orders in a timely fashion. As tiresome as it was to listen to Reid’s complaints, Duncan made allowances because he believed Reid was compensating for his lack of self-assurance over the fact that he was adopted. “Yes, Reid, how can I help?”
“You mentioned that you were going out to the new mine today. If you plan to take that Monroe woman with you, I think you should watch your back.”
Duncan was surprised. “What reason do you have for the warning?”
“Instinct, she’s acting strangely, and she’s throwing her weight around. For instance, what was she doing giving orders to the palace guards last night, as if she had the right to command them?”
“She thought she saw an intruder and gave warning.”
“From what I heard, she ended up embarrassing everyone when she stumbled into a romantic tryst.”
Duncan glanced at his watch. He wanted to be at the site when they tried out the new drilling unit he’d designed. “Okay, but how does any of that
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