Page 91 of Rogue Royal
“So, Maverick,” Father said, “what did you think of the event last night? Any tips on making it better?”
And with that, Douglas knew his father had accepted their relationship and would fight for it as much as any other.
****
Chapter 30
George
George hid his smile by stuffing food into his mouth. He could see how uneasy Maverick was, but he was glad the focus was off him for once. The repeated refrain of “what are you doing with your life” was something he was happy to brush aside for tonight.
He listened with half an ear on the conversation, keeping his quips to himself, and instead, focused on what had happened with Douglas over the last few weeks. He couldn’t pretend he had seen the sparks flying between him and Maverick because the only electricity he’d seen was when they butted heads, but maybe that was what they needed and how their relationship worked. It wasn’t for George to say what was right or wrong. He had no relationship to gather evidence from, so what could he say? He played hard with others at the club, but relationships? No.
Instead, he focused on being happy, upbeat, funny, and whatever else people needed to lighten the mood of his family. Being part of a royal family had more downsides than upsides, as far as he was concerned, but he could usually lift the load a little. Except when it came to Douglas being in jail. That had been a low point, and George hadn’t been able to do anything to help.
“George?”
He blinked and stared at his mother. “Yes, Mother?”
Her mouth twitched, but she withheld her smile. “Your phone?”
It was then he noticed his phone buzzing and blaring its ringtone through the room. He winced and fumbled to remove it. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure I turned it off.”
He finally silenced it and fixed an appropriately apologetic look on his face before glancing at his father. The king shook his head and refocused on Maverick. George exhaled and stared at his food. For some reason, it was the one rule at the dinner table that he always forgot. He didn’t know why because it wasn’t like the rule had ever changed.
Tuning in to the conversation, he ate methodically.
“Do you have plans to expand your new venture, or do you want to stay small and personal?” his mother asked Maverick.
“I think staying small and personal would be a good option for me to begin with. Once I get my feet under me, I could reconsider, but I’m only one person, and if I employ people, I will spend less time doing the work I love.”
“That is an excellent point, Maverick. Doing something you love is vitally important,” his father said.
George was sure there wasn’t a dig at him in those words, but he spent many years being told he needed to find himself a job. What his father didn’t know was that hehada job—two, actually—but neither would be regarded as fit for a prince if his father found out. Problem was, George loved every minute of both of his jobs, and he was good at them. Thanks to his mother and their PA, Randall, George could do one of his jobs anonymously. The other job no one knew about because he controlled it over the internet. Nothing on his profile pointed towards him being a prince, and he was determined to keep it that way.
“Have you heard any more about the Talon debacle?” he asked.
As soon as he’d said the words, he knew he’d made a mistake because his father glared at him. “I hadn’t planned on discussing that tonight because this is supposed to be a family meal.”
“Sorry, Father. Forget I asked.”
Douglas held out his hand. “No, it’s okay. I think it’s good to talk about it as a family.” He gazed at George. “The last I heard, and correct me if I’m wrong, Father, was that Talon was still in jail, awaiting a court date. The police are collating all the information they have to ensure he doesn’t see the light of day. Harvey is still missing, although they have found his ex-boyfriend, who had some information to give them. I don’t think it will be long before we find Harvey.”
“That’s good. I’m glad they’re going to get what they deserve,” George said. That they could roam free was something George didn’t want to think about. If they did, anything could happen to anyone.
His phone buzzed against his thigh, but he ignored it. At least it was silent now. He finished his food, and once everyone had finished theirs, he excused himself, kissed his mother and left. There was no need for him to stay when they began talking more business. He was only third in line to the throne, so he doubted he’d ever need to know most of it. It gave him a certain amount of freedom, which Douglas had often commented on. It was true. Douglas was the spare heir, and as such, needed to know as much as Freddie did. They would only need George if something happened to both his brothers as awful as that was to think about. They were strong, though. Nothing would happen to them.
George could live his life as he wanted.
****
Chapter 31
Maverick
Ten months later
“Henry! I wasn’t expecting to see you here?”
