Page 58 of The Princess and the Fraud

“I—” I began, but stopped. I blanked on a response, too shaken up. It took me a moment to start back up. “I would never do anything that would make things uncomfortable, Mr. Holland. For anyone.” Underneath the table, I squeezed the pads of my fingers, wishing I could feel the callouses.It won’t be uncomfortable for anyone but myself.

Mr. Holland held onto his poker face, raising his mug for another sip of coffee. “Do you have any family, Lovisa?”

“I—I’m sorry?”

“Any family. I know about your mother, and that she’s passed, but anyone else?” Mr. Holland gestured vaguely with his other hand. “Anyone else you’d like an all-expenses paid vacation to visit?”

To get me off the premises for the duration of his son’s stay, he meant. “It’s just me.”

His chuckle was unamused.

A part of me thought of telling himI’d always wanted to go to Disney World, to take advantage of the free offer of a vacation, but I didn’t. Instead, pinching my fingers even tighter, I leaned forward. “Mr. Holland.” I forced my body to still, to stop trembling, and stared at him. “I was the one who ended things… with Grant. I was the one who was finished with the relationship. It’s in the past for me.”

I made sure to not to look away, not to flinch underneath his flat stare, no matter how much I wanted to. I wanted Mr. Holland to see the sincerity in my eyes, because I meant it.

He leaned back in his seat, eyeing me differently. “I like you, Lovisa. I think you’re a great worker here on the estate. You know how to keep your head down. How to blend in.”

Mr. Holland spoke politely, but I struggled to take it as a compliment.

“However,” he went on, turning to look out at the golf course. “I do think you allow yourself to get too friendly.”

I dropped my gaze to the tabletop, and almost immediately, I found a streak of what looked like dried tea that I’d missed wiping down. I stared at it, heat pooling in my cheeks.

“I understand it, to an extent. Without your mother, without family—you must be lonely.” He let out a soft sigh. “But it’s best to remember where we all stand, Lovisa. Foundations crack when you add too much weight.”

Mr. Roberts had said practically the same thing before.It’s best to create a divide. In time, you’ll see that.It took everything in me to sit still.“I’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Holland.”

“As for Grant?—”

“I’m sure our paths won’t even cross.” I shouldn’t have cut him off, but in that moment, the idea of listening to him prattle on further was unbearable.

“If you could make sure they don’t, Lovisa, that would be spectacular.” He then pushed back his chair and rose, reaching into the pocket of his jacket. He dropped a fifty-dollar bill on the table. “Oh, and it’s time to replace what’s in your carafe. The coffee was weak.”

I didn’t move. Not even when he walked away, the sound of his footsteps fading as he disappeared from the café. Now that he was gone, my body began trembling again, coming out of survival mode as the adrenaline died down. I drew in a breath that sounded more like a gasp, but it wasn’t enough. The balloon in my lungs had grown too large.

Grant was going to be home this weekend, a full week early. An extra week where he’d be roaming the estate, lingering around with his girlfriend on his arm. The same girl he’d cheated on me with. Mr. Holland expected me to avoid him at all costs, but how could I, when I worked so much?

I pressed my hand into my forehead, forgetting about my bruise, and sucking in a breath at the sharp pain. Why did everything feel so impossibly hard lately? Like, no matter what I did, I couldn’t catch a moment of peace?

“Are you still serving tea, dear?”

I looked up at the small, frail voice, lifting my head to find a group of older ladies standing in the doorway. “Of course, of course!” I rushed to my feet, and like every other time, I sealed the unease below the surface. I threw on my megawatt, Alderton-Du Ponte smile, stepping into the role. “A table for how many?”

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Three o’clock couldn’t come soon enough, because over the course of serving all the strong teas throughout the day, my headache had become hard to ignore.

I had to pass through the lobby to get to the employee lounge, where my bag waited for me, but when I did, I spotted Annalise walking through the Alderton-Du Ponte lobby. She was wearing a simple loose dress, her heels clicking on the floor, but she stopped in her tracks when she spotted me. “Lovisa Hahn!”

“Hey,” I greeted, though my tone was pitched higher than normal. “How are?—”

“I can’t believe I’ve hardly seen you all week!” Her voice echoed along the walls, turning a few heads. “I meant to catch you at the party on Saturday, but you looked so busy with work, and I’m not supposed—” Annalise gasped, dropping her voice to a whisper. “I’m not supposed to talk to you while you’re working.”

“It’s okay.” I glanced around, finding Trisha, who was working the front desk, watching us.Crap. “Let’s move to a quieter area.”

Annalise nodded. “Imagine my surprise when I find out you’ve been spending more time with Aaron than with me.”

She hadn’t raised her voice, but I caught Trisha lean over to whisper to the girl beside her. Heat prickled down the back of my neck. “I—I’mnotspending time with him.”

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