Some Like it Secret (Going Royal Book 4) (3 page)

“Darling, listen to me. I promise, we will talk all of it out. I
need
to see you.” Music to her ears, but how many times had he said the same thing before? Yet how many nights had she gone to bed alone, thousands of miles separating them and no one, not even her family, knew about the most precious relationship in her world?

“I said no, Bastian.” Gripping the phone tighter, she tried to calm her respiration. Anger, resentment, misery, and joy tangled together in her stomach. An icy cold sweat broke out on her skin.

“Meredith, I am
not
engaged. I understand the false story distressed you, but this is no different than all the others the last few years. Baseless speculation on the part of the press, their attempt to feed—”

“Actually…” She interrupted him before he went down the road of belittling her upset. He wouldn’t mean to—he
never
meant to—but he would because he appeared to know better. He lived in a different world, one she wasn’t even allowed to visit. “It is quite different. This time I don’t
want
to understand. I don’t want to pretend it’s all right you spend half your life gallivanting around the world, dancing, kissing, and in general allowing all those women to be with you…”

His voice sounded tight when he snapped, “
They
are not important.” Impatience fractured his normally calm and playful reserve, a first in their exchanges.

“Can’t you understand?” She almost felt sorry for him, because he didn’t seem to see it. Maybe he couldn’t—maybe his upbringing precluded understanding the role of ‘mistress.’ “
They
may not be important, but they have easy access to you. You’re not ashamed to be seen in public with them, and you certainly didn’t seem to be fending off their affections. I teach math for a living, Sebastian. Maybe I don’t understand protocol and politics, but I understand one plus one. Please respect my wishes, and leave me alone.”

She hung up because if she didn’t, he might keep talking and her traitorous heart would have listened. As she swiped away the tears on her cheeks, the phone began to vibrate again. She depressed the power button and held it down until the phone silenced.

It was over.

The sooner they both accepted it, the better off they’d be.

Sebastian stared at the nearly dead phone in his hand until a single knock on the door interrupted. Slotting it onto a charger, he slid it into the drawer. “Enter.”

His brother’s secretary, opened the door and curtseyed politely. “Excuse me, Prince Sebastian, but His Highness requests you join him in his office.”

“I will be along directly. Thank you, Gretchen.” He turned his attention back to the window and the sprawl of the city below once she’d closed the door. Though he’d expected a summons from Armand, he needed his mask firmly in place before he spoke to his brother.

Another knock announced a new arrival. Discipline schooling his features, he turned. “Enter.”

Eduard Vidal stepped in and closed the door behind him. “O’Connor has Miss Blake under observation, sir. I’ve booked him for the full week and instructed him to keep a twenty-four hour detail for the foreseeable future. He has two men he trusts on rotation for when Miss Blake returns to her home.”

So, she wouldn’t be alone and someone would be looking out for her. The thought provided a small measure of comfort.

“However,” Vidal was not finished. “O’Connor stated that if Miss Blake refuses protection, beyond reasonable measure, he cannot legally force it on her.”

“The man can’t follow instructions?” The last thing Sebastian needed was for Meredith to break away from her protection.

Nonplussed by his annoyance, Vidal shrugged. “Your Highness, without her permission, it becomes stalking. As of yet, Miss Blake has not asked O’Connor to vacate, but it is a possibility.”

Fine.
He would simply have to deal with it before the idea occurred to her. Meredith had never shown any sign of rebelling against his need to see her safe before. Of course, she’d never told him they were over nor refused his calls before either.

Infuriated, he fought to control his breathing and lock down his reaction. “Understood. Please inform O’Connor I would be grateful if he would maintain his position for as long as possible.”

“Do you still want me to make arrangements to send the plane?” Vidal’s tone was careful, but beneath it lurked doubt. Sebastian couldn’t really blame him for the question.

“Have it on standby. I don’t want it going anywhere. Also, inform the staff on St. Christos to ready the house.” What he and Meredith needed was time away from it all. Together. If she felt neglected and underappreciated, then it was on him to fix it. “Please make sure no one else is there.” The family’s private island was one of the few carefully kept secrets guarded against the press and other interlopers. He’d never taken Meredith there, unwilling to share her with anything in his public life, but the only people who lived at St. Christos were trusted members of the staff, making it an utterly private paradise.

Vidal nodded. “I’ll see to it.”

Wishing he could already be aboard his plane or, better still, be in Boston, Sebastian made his way to the end of the long, cream carpeted hallway to Armand’s office. His eldest brother of late eschewed their New York, London, and Paris holdings, spending more and more time in Los Angeles. At first, he’d attempted to foster closer ties with their newly-discovered cousin. More recently, Sebastian suspected Armand’s reluctance to continue his usual duties could be attributed to his focus on his new marriage.

Gretchen rose at his approach then opened the doors with only a knock to announce him. Nodding his thanks to her, he entered and closed the doors himself.

His brothers occupied the conversation pit created by two sofas and a pair of upholstered chairs set in a loose circle around a Louis XVI coffee table. Though Armand worked in the space, he also used it for meetings. The casual atmosphere promised by the layout, fabrics, and color usage set his guests at ease—likely intentional on the part of the room’s designers. Sebastian, however, saw past the façade of comfortable elegance to the office’s true purpose.

George rose at his arrival, but Sebastian gestured for his younger sibling to resume his seat. Sebastian executed a half bow to his eldest brother, as was custom.

Armand merely raised his brows. “You’re late.”

“My apologies. I was detained by an unavoidable matter.” He took a seat to Armand’s right, opposite George. It seemed odd to have both of his brothers in the same room without others to play buffer between them. Armand maintained a careful distance since Sebastian admitted to outing his relationship with Anna to the press. Sebastian’s miscalculation created a security snafu and headache, but ultimately worked in the manner he’d intended.

Armand was with the woman he loved. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Sebastian waited patiently for Armand to tackle whatever subject led to his summons.

“George will be leaving for New York with his detail in the next couple of weeks. He begins classes after the first of the year.” Armand didn’t look at George, but their younger brother grimaced, obviously not looking forward to curtailing his lifestyle to procure an education. “As I’m sure you can assume, this will mean changes for your appearance schedule, Sebastian. Gretchen will update your secretary.”

Unacceptable.
“I will be unavailable for any significant appearances in the next few weeks.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Sebastian refused to squirm under the weight of Armand’s stare. “I have other commitments. I have no problem with taking on more duties at a future date, but as for the immediate needs? We’ll have to send a representative or cancel.”

“Or I can just maintain my schedule until Sebastian’s free.” George asserted his preference into the silence. “I can always begin in the fall semester.”

“No.” Armand dismissed the idea immediately. “You already put it off to the spring. You’re
going.
” Turning to Sebastian, Armand frowned. “I looked at your schedule this morning. I found nothing major pending which cannot be rearranged to accommodate George’s appearances.”

“Aside from several events coming in the next few weeks, I also need to make some adjustments for a matter which came up this morning.” Unfortunately, Armand could and would make whatever changes he deemed necessary with or without his approval. Sebastian’s duty was to see his requests carried out. Whether they possessed a country to rule or not, as the head of the family, it was Armand’s call.

“I’ll be damned.” George’s tone spoke of awe. “I think our cousin was right, Armand.”

“So I see. Excuse us, George.” The clipped dismissal didn’t sit well with their younger brother, and Armand spared him an inflexible look. “You need to go over your schedule with Peterson and his men. Do not be difficult.”

Rebellious or not, George obeyed. As soon as the door closed behind him, Armand frowned at Sebastian. “What matter came up this morning?”

“It doesn’t concern you or pertain to our family obligations. What specific items on George’s schedule have to be covered? A presence at the critical appointments should be sufficient, yes?” He didn’t need more responsibilities. His free time had been curtailed severely after an assassin got too close to him with a knife—the attack, along with increased tensions caused by Belarian royalists, demanded limitations to his schedule.

He was making plans to be with Meredith and would damn well not cancel them. Not while she thought herself less important than his duties—the thought so patently ridiculous, it aggravated him all over again.

Armand’s eyes narrowed. “Everything about my family concerns me.”

“Speaking of family, how is Anna adjusting to life as a Grand Duchess?” Bringing up Armand’s new wife worked like a charm. His expression relaxed for a fraction of a second before a frown erased his good mood. No, he clearly hadn’t forgiven Sebastian for his call to the press.

“Brilliantly, but then I expected nothing less. She is a force to be reckoned with when she wants something.” He touched a digital tablet in front of him. “Out of George’s appearances, the one which concerns me most is in Minsk.”

“Minsk?” It was Sebastian’s turn to frown. Though the Andraste family maintained extensive interests around the globe, they rarely ventured personally or with their capital into Belaria. With the political unrest and threats traceable back to the nation— “Why would you let him schedule something there?”

“I didn’t.” The quiet snap of the words rebuked him for suggesting otherwise. “However, with the unrest and the royalist movement and George’s previous involvement, it seemed the most politically expedient way to put certain rumors to bed while mollifying both sides of the argument.”

“And a good way to get him shot.” Sebastian couldn’t believe Armand even entertained the idea. “George is not the right man—” He stopped. “You never intended to send him.”

“No. He started the mess.” Armand sighed. “And I cannot be the one to go.”

“No, since you’re the one they want to crown, it has to be me.” He’d walked right into the decision. As the second son, he was also Armand’s heir, though George meant Sebastian remained somewhat expendable. If Anna gave birth to Armand’s child, the family line would be secure and Sebastian’s importance would diminish.

Thank God.

“You’re the reasonable compromise. You are unmarried, personable, and your reputation for being
bon vivant
makes you far less suitable to rule. Fortunately, despite one or two questionable choices, you have better impulse control than George.” Somehow, the words didn’t sound remotely like a compliment.

Belaria would be a security nightmare. The press was already primed for the Andraste family to make some kind of move. Their laser focus transferred from Armand to Sebastian with Armand’s marriage—particularly since Armand and Anna denied the press a feeding frenzy by pulling off a very private wedding ceremony.

“You will, of course, receive additional security. Peterson will work out the specifics with Vidal, but I expect you to take every necessary precaution. We will double your security here and I’ve authorized the expenses to triple the force on the ground there. It will be three days in—one for an arrival and state dinner, a second for visiting key sites and the third for charitable foundation work.”

Armand continued and Sebastian barely heard him. Certainly, three days in Belaria, but it would take weeks of prepping. The additional security and focus meant he wouldn’t get anywhere near Meredith.

“Armand, I can’t commit to this.” He interrupted his brother mid-sentence, and Armand frowned. “I mean it. I have another crucial matter …”

“
This
is crucial. These people are persisting in their attempts against our family. They haven’t targeted Mother yet, but I wouldn’t put it past them. If Anna is right, Alyx will be announcing her pregnancy soon, and when she does…”

Sebastian’s right eye began to throb. “The speculation begins.” Alyx was a member of the family, but both her position as their cousin and her marriage to Daniel Voldakov removed her from the immediacy of inheritance. Armand’s marriage, and his close ties to Alyx, made the speculation unavoidable. “Everyone will want to know when a royal baby will be in the offing.”

“Exactly.” Armand’s stern mask relaxed and he leaned forward. “I have to protect Anna.
We
have to make this situation go away before the possibility occurs to them. The Belarian separatists think they want a royal presence and her military definitely doesn’t want us there. Currently they believe it far more expedient to eliminate our family line. Sebastian, I need you to do this for us. I
need
you to help me protect our family.”

He could hardly say no, but Meredith needed him, too. How could he merge the tasks? He couldn’t afford to ignore her repudiation. Meredith was a reasonable woman, but as long as several thousand miles separated them, he couldn’t ensure she understood how much he cared for her. “I understand, brother, however, I need something as well.”

“Name it.”

It was a gamble, but perhaps after all these years, Armand would understand. “Her name is Meredith Blake…”

Freezing drizzle slicked the windows with the promise of ice by the time Terry pulled up in front of her brownstone. He’d insisted on driving her home, though she was less than a ten-minute walk from the campus. The proximity to the campus was one of the reasons she’d purchased the house when she’d accepted a tenure upon completion of her doctorate. “Thank you, Terry.”

“You’re welcome.” He’d parked the vehicle and circled around to open her door before she’d gotten her seatbelt loosened. The man was almost preternaturally fast, but she’d gotten used to him over the years. Once, when she’d delayed meeting Sebastian because Terry hadn’t been able to accompany her, Sebastian suggested replacing the man. She’d refused. Strange enough to have an escort in the first place, worse if the chaperone were a stranger. Terry was more than just a guard; he’d become her friend. Sadly, she and Sebastian’s first real disagreement erupted over the issue.

Icy wind whipped around the side of the building and cut through her thoughts. She needed to stop dwelling on Sebastian and all the
could have been
s. Terry tugged her backpack from her fingers. He locked the truck up and walked her up the steps, one hand on her elbow. The steps weren’t quite iced over, but if the weather forecaster was correct, dawn would be frigid.