Page 23 of The Royally Broke Billionaire
Piper’s eyes watered with gratitude for the grandmotherly woman. Uncertain of her voice, and not wanting to burst into tears again, Piper nodded to acknowledge the woman’s kindness.
“The porters will be up soon to take you two and your belongings to your newtemporaryhome.” Piper appreciated how the woman enunciated the word ‘temporary.’ Relief coursed through her veins at the realization that at least someone at the castle believed in her innocence.
With a reassuring smile, the woman wheeled around and left Piper and Liam in the suite that used to be their comforting, safe place.
Before long, a team of young men trailed in and scooped up her belongings. The leader gave instructions for two of the men to stay behind to break down Liam’s crib and deliver it to her new residence. He then stalked out of the room, rolling one of her suitcases. The others efficiently filed out after him, and Piper reluctantly followed them.
She wasn’t sure what to expect her new home to be like, but she felt fairly certain that it wouldn’t be nearly as luxurious as her room in the castle. She doubted if the guest quarters had been utilized recently, since the palace now boasted an entire wing for paying guests. She just hoped it hadn’t been taken over by rodents and spider webs. Forcing herself to look on the bright side, she decided that if it had, cleaning it up would at least give her something to do. Distracting herself with busywork would have to be better than focusing on the royal family’s anger with her.
As Piper followed the bellboys along the winding cobblestone paths, she looked down at the ground. Even though she knew she had nothing to feel bad about, she couldn’t keep the guilt at bay. Being ousted from the castle made her feel like a criminal, but she was determined to clear her name and get back in their good graces.
She didn’t want Liam to have to grow up in a situation where his parents despised and mistrusted each other. He deserved to have a large, supportive, and cohesive family circle to love and cherish him. He would need that unwavering devotion when he grew up and became king. The idea of her baby becoming the monarch of their island still seemed surreal, but Piper intended to do everything she could to make sure his transition to power was as smooth and drama-free as possible.
Her frazzled nerves must have calmed significantly because Liam seemed perfectly content in her arms as she walked to their new home. She froze mid-step when their cottage came into view. To say it was quaint and homey would be the understatement of the year. The tiny, adorable home looked like it was straight out of a fairytale.
Tiny, sparkling white lights twinkled, giving the cottage a magical feeling. Colorful wildflowers dotted the landscaping creating a scrumptious fragrance in the air. Her fears that her new quarters might be unkempt were completely unfounded. The guesthouse was obviously well tended, and someone had gone to a great deal of effort to make it look welcoming.
She had the feeling the queen had made the arrangements to ensure that Piper and Liam were as comfortable as possible, given the unfortunate circumstances. Piper already regarded the monarch very highly, but her respect for her grew even more when she realized that, even though the woman had her doubts about Piper’s loyalty, she had gone out of her way to make them feel welcome.
The inside of the cottage was just as charming as the delightful outside. The rooms were small but cozy, and a bright flame was lit in the stone fireplace. The shelves were brimming with books, the rocking chair by the window seat had an intricate, handmade quilt folded along the top, and the kitchen’s cupboards were stocked with food.
As Piper explored her new house, she realized it was even more attuned to her taste than her plush suite inside the castle had been. As nice as it was to be so close to the royal family, she could easily envision this warm and comfortable cottage as her long-term home.
After thanking the helpers for lugging her belongings and assuring them that she could unpack herself, she closed the door behind them and leaned back on it. Smiling as she looked around, she realized that this marvelous cottage was better than anything she could have imagined. It was perfect… almost.
The slamming door startled her. She had been so busy admiring her new digs as they approached her cottage, she had barely noticed the small hut right next door. Peeking out the window in the front room, she saw Finn had emerged from the tiny, ramshackle building.
Deciding to attempt to be friendly and make amends, she lifted the window and yelled out to him. “Looks like we’re going to be neighbors.”
He slowly and deliberately turned to glare in her direction before saying. “Unfortunately. I suggest you stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine.” With those harsh words, he stalked away.
23
Piper slammed her window shut so hard she feared the glass might shatter. That wouldn’t be a great way to start out her sentence in exile. Thankfully, the glass remained intact.
She glared through the small window as Finn stalked away from the royal steward’s hut in an obvious snit, as if he was the one who had the right to be annoyed.
Unsure what to do with all of her pent-up anger, Piper paced back and forth across the cottage’s tiny living room. Liam cooed happily in her arms as she practically wore a track into the large, braided wool rug.
It hurt that the island’s monarchs thought she would betray them this way, but surprisingly, Finn’s accusation and distrust of her stung even more. She had begun to believe that she and the royal steward had a special romantic connection with each other, but he obviously didn’t feel it.
She marched across the room and fumed, before turning and repeating the process in the other direction. For some reason, the constant movement and repetition helped her gather her thoughts.
To be fair, her connection with Finn might have existed only in her imagination. It’s not like a few stolen glances and a blown kiss were the makings of a soul-affirming romance, but her instinct had told her that he was special. Apparently, he didn’t feel that way about her at all.
Deciding the best option was just to ignore Finn’s existence, she wheeled on her heel and traversed the living room at record speed. They might be forced neighbors, but that didn’t mean they had to interact with each other. She would check out the window to make sure he wasn’t outside before leaving her cottage, and it was a safe bet that he would do the same.
If they were both careful, they would never even have to see each other, despite their close proximity. That was just fine by her. She really didn’t want to face that gaze filled with harsh judgment and a tinge of hurt feelings again. This morning was more than enough.
Determination to make the best of this unfortunate situation coursed through her veins. She was innocent, and she intended to prove that to the royals––for Liam’s sake. The opinion of their steward really didn’t matter. Okay, it shouldn’t matter, and she refused to waste any more time worrying about what he thought.
After a stress-filled day and fitful night’s sleep, she still wasn’t sure what to do to prove her innocence, but she knew it wasn’t going to happen inside the safety of this cottage. Forgetting her vow to check for Finn before leaving, she flung her front door open and nearly ran into the man that was raising his fist to knock.
Disappointment surged through her that her visitor was Cole, rather than Finn, but she stubbornly refused to acknowledge it.
She was surprised the busy billionaire was wasting his time with her, since she had been ousted from the castle, but she tried not to let her face show it. Once the shock of someone being just on the other side of her threshold wore off, she tried to insert some enthusiasm into her voice when she said, “Oh, hi!”
“Hi to you, too.” Cole beamed a confident smile at her.
