Page 16 of Royal Player
She stops at the front door of the casino and grabs my arm. “Please don’t marry for duty.”
“If I don’t, my birthright will be handed to my male cousin.” I push down the anger. This is not the time. “Please, let’s not talk about this. I want to enjoy my time here.”
Lucas holds the door open for us, exchanging a look with Alice. I sense he understands my position as a royal better than Alice. She’s American with a very romantic point of view, being a romance author.
Thankfully when we step inside the casino, Alice is rendered speechless and the topic of my future marriage is mercifully dropped. Lina is looking all around, eyes wide, and I just take it in. The atrium is a massive two-story vaulted room meant to impress with Ionic marble columns supporting a balustraded gallery above. Two large oil paintings in the gallery draw my eye. The place is beyond ornate, but done elegantly, with an engraved glass ceiling, bronze candelabras, and a mosaic marble floor.
“I heard they have cool events here like performances,” Alice whispers.
Lucas kisses her cheek. “I adore you.” Fools for love.
Adrian crosses to us. “Come on, I’ll show you around, and then we’re invited to a party tonight at Charles’s place. He’s one of the private investors in this casino and manages it. He doesn’t have majority stake, obviously, not being part of the royal family, but his pockets are deep, and he’s got the kind of experience that could be useful to us.”
Alice bounces on her toes, and Lucas puts an arm around her shoulders, effectively keeping her on the ground.
I try not to gawk as we begin our tour, going through room after room of opulent elegance, and I’m used to elegance. This is different, though, as if I’ve stepped back in time. Crystal chandeliers illuminate historic frescoes in one intimate room; another is a large two-story vaulted room reminiscent of a grand old train station, with gaming tables and a restaurant. A smaller room done in bronze and green glows with soft light over mahogany tables. There’s the expected slots, but also blackjack, poker, roulette, and craps. Even the gaming tables are exquisite. The wood is elegantly carved with the casino’s logo embroidered on the green felt.
We finish up our tour and Adrian tells us, “You need a special elite card to access the private gaming rooms. Those are for high-stakes games. I hope this is giving you all some good ideas for what we might use back home. I’m going to play poker for a bit. Let’s meet up for dinner at seven. I’ll make the reservations.”
Oscar salutes him.
Adrian grins. “Am I being bossy? This is like my home away from home. Feel free to suggest something.”
“You’re doing fine,” Oscar says. “Gaming, dinner, party. My kind of day.”
Alice turns to me. “Ready to go shopping? Lucas told me there’s shops and a fabulous ice cream place just down the road.”
“Yes!”
I turn to Lina, quiet at my side. She’s still in her servant’s uniform of white button-down shirt and black pants. “Would you like to join us?”
She smiles. “Actually, ma’am, I would like to try my hand at slots.”
“Of course! Have fun! Meet us for dinner. I’ll text you when I hear where we’re going.”
She looks at my feet. “Are you sure you want me at dinner, Your Highness?”
“Yes, you’re part of the party. Unless you prefer to try room service or go off on your own.”
Her head lifts. “I’ll dine with you, ma’am, thank you. I will use my utmost discretion as you requested.”
On that note, I open my purse and double today’s hush money in advance, palming it in her hand. “A little extra to play with.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” she gushes.
As soon as she leaves, Alice asks incredulously, “You pay her in cash? I thought she was on staff at the palace.”
I link my arm in hers and lead us out into the bright sunshine, feeling light and free. Vaughn follows at a polite distance. “It’s a long story.”
“I love stories.”
“I should read your books. I’ve never been much of a reader. Most books bore me, but I have a feeling yours would be different.”
“I hope they wouldn’t bore you, and I don’t want to know if they do. So what are you bribing Lina to do?”
I turn to her. Her blue eyes gleam with sharp intelligence through her cat’s-eye glasses. “Observant and direct.”
She flashes a smile. “That’s me. Hold up.” She stops and pulls huge white sunglasses from her purse, swapping them for her glasses. “They’re prescription. So what’s Lina doing for you, ornotdoing?”
