"Impossible!"
As if she were watching a game of lawn tennis, Millicent looked back and forth between them, amazed at the sudden blaze of antagonism.
" I insist," he said.
I don't attend balls," Princess Clarice retorted.
"You're a princess," he answered.
"Her Highness, Princess Peddler." Princess Clarice smiled, but with not quite so much amicability as before. "I fear you'll find most of your guests are willing to take my advice but not willing to socialize with me. I promise, my lord, I'm not offended."
Robert didn't give up. "But I will be if you don't attend."
The princess began to lose her composure. "I have no suitable gowns for a ball, and I have no intention —"
"Millicent will get one for you," he said.
"She most certainly will not," Princess Clarice said indignantly.
"She'll be delighted," Robert answered. "Won't you, Millicent?"
Startled to find herself the focus of two sets of eyes, Millicent stammered, "Aye. I can ... I can easily find one of Prudence's gowns that will suit Princess Clarice. Unworn, I promise, Your Highness. I wouldn't insult you by suggesting you should wear someone's castoffs. Prudence has so many gowns, she'll never miss one."
The princess held out a hand toward Millicent. "You're very kind, and I thank you with all my heart. Please don't misunderstand" — her head whipped back around toward Robert — "but I don't take charity."
At once the sparks sprang to life again. "It won't be charity," he said. "It will be wages earned."
Without finesse Princess Clarice answered, "I'd rather have it in gold guineas."
"I'll pay you whatever you ask." He smiled like a sharp-toothed tiger. "Believe me, you'll earn every pence."
Even to Millicent that sounded like a threat against decency. "Robert!"
The already-high color in Princess Clarice's cheeks blossomed into a vivid pink, and she brought her horse to a halt before the great gates of MacKenzie Manor. "Perhaps I should clarify, my lord. I make people handsome. I'm very good at my trade, but it is my only mission. Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the requirements, I do nothing that will compromise my reputation or my self-respect."
Robert brought his horse around, using Helios to block Princess Clarice's escape back down the road. "I spoke hastily and in an ill-judged manner. Princess Clarice, I have no designs on your royal self."
Millicent hoped he was lying.
"I'll do nothing to harm your reputation." He sounded and looked sincere.
"Peddlers don't have reputations" — Princess Clarice moved edgily in her saddle — "which is why I have such a care for mine."
Blaize turned restive at being confined, and when Robert shifted back to give the young stallion room, he slipped past Robert's confinement and onto the open road.
It had been, Millicent realized, a trick on Princess Clarice's part to free herself from Robert's entrapment. The princess was a match for Robert. Now, if only he would rise from the mausoleum where he had entombed himself and seize her.
Certainly it seemed he would as he swiftly placed himself between her and the village. "Princess Clarice, you're unmarried, so I do excuse your wariness, but even if you don't believe me, think on this. With my two sisters in the house and carriage-loads of female relatives arriving, it Would be unlikely that I could find the time or the place to seduce a guest, beautiful though she might be. And certainly not as honored a guest as you will be."
"The time? Perhaps not. The place?" Princess Clarice patted Blaize's neck. "The gossip in the village is that you live alone in a cottage."
He gave the princess no more explanation of his peculiar behavior than he had given Millicent and Prudence. "Since my return from the war,I desire privacy."
Oh, dear. If he wished to bring the princess around to his way of thinking, using that clipped tone of voice and that aloof expression was not the way to do it.
But for some reason, Princess Clarice seemed reassured. "Very
As if she were watching a game of lawn tennis, Millicent looked back and forth between them, amazed at the sudden blaze of antagonism.
" I insist," he said.
I don't attend balls," Princess Clarice retorted.
"You're a princess," he answered.
"Her Highness, Princess Peddler." Princess Clarice smiled, but with not quite so much amicability as before. "I fear you'll find most of your guests are willing to take my advice but not willing to socialize with me. I promise, my lord, I'm not offended."
Robert didn't give up. "But I will be if you don't attend."
The princess began to lose her composure. "I have no suitable gowns for a ball, and I have no intention —"
"Millicent will get one for you," he said.
"She most certainly will not," Princess Clarice said indignantly.
"She'll be delighted," Robert answered. "Won't you, Millicent?"
Startled to find herself the focus of two sets of eyes, Millicent stammered, "Aye. I can ... I can easily find one of Prudence's gowns that will suit Princess Clarice. Unworn, I promise, Your Highness. I wouldn't insult you by suggesting you should wear someone's castoffs. Prudence has so many gowns, she'll never miss one."
The princess held out a hand toward Millicent. "You're very kind, and I thank you with all my heart. Please don't misunderstand" — her head whipped back around toward Robert — "but I don't take charity."
At once the sparks sprang to life again. "It won't be charity," he said. "It will be wages earned."
Without finesse Princess Clarice answered, "I'd rather have it in gold guineas."
"I'll pay you whatever you ask." He smiled like a sharp-toothed tiger. "Believe me, you'll earn every pence."
Even to Millicent that sounded like a threat against decency. "Robert!"
The already-high color in Princess Clarice's cheeks blossomed into a vivid pink, and she brought her horse to a halt before the great gates of MacKenzie Manor. "Perhaps I should clarify, my lord. I make people handsome. I'm very good at my trade, but it is my only mission. Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the requirements, I do nothing that will compromise my reputation or my self-respect."
Robert brought his horse around, using Helios to block Princess Clarice's escape back down the road. "I spoke hastily and in an ill-judged manner. Princess Clarice, I have no designs on your royal self."
Millicent hoped he was lying.
"I'll do nothing to harm your reputation." He sounded and looked sincere.
"Peddlers don't have reputations" — Princess Clarice moved edgily in her saddle — "which is why I have such a care for mine."
Blaize turned restive at being confined, and when Robert shifted back to give the young stallion room, he slipped past Robert's confinement and onto the open road.
It had been, Millicent realized, a trick on Princess Clarice's part to free herself from Robert's entrapment. The princess was a match for Robert. Now, if only he would rise from the mausoleum where he had entombed himself and seize her.
Certainly it seemed he would as he swiftly placed himself between her and the village. "Princess Clarice, you're unmarried, so I do excuse your wariness, but even if you don't believe me, think on this. With my two sisters in the house and carriage-loads of female relatives arriving, it Would be unlikely that I could find the time or the place to seduce a guest, beautiful though she might be. And certainly not as honored a guest as you will be."
"The time? Perhaps not. The place?" Princess Clarice patted Blaize's neck. "The gossip in the village is that you live alone in a cottage."
He gave the princess no more explanation of his peculiar behavior than he had given Millicent and Prudence. "Since my return from the war,I desire privacy."
Oh, dear. If he wished to bring the princess around to his way of thinking, using that clipped tone of voice and that aloof expression was not the way to do it.
But for some reason, Princess Clarice seemed reassured. "Very
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