Page 101 of Crash Landing
“All right. Um…they are tucked in a secret pocket of my gown and I will require a little privacy to slip them out.”
The princess smiled. “Gentlemen, turn your backs. That includes you, Weymouth. You may have your intimate moment with your wife tonight in your own bedchamber, but not here in front of me. Congratulations on your nuptials, by the way. However, I must rebuke you, for you are an important personage in the realm and ought to have sought our approval and done it up properly.”
Trajan maintained his composure as he said smoothly, “We shall have a grand party in celebration in the upcoming months. Rest assured, it shall be quite lavish, no expense spared. You will be the first invited.”
With that said, he and Althorpe turned their backs.
Florence lifted her gown and unfastened the fabric that covered the hidden pocket. She removed the packet, smoothed out her gown, and then held the letters out to the princess. “Here they are.”
The princess did not take them. “Turn around, Althorpe. You as well, Weymouth.” She then motioned for Althorpe to take possession of the letters. “You are to burn them, as my foolish friend ought to have done years ago.”
The princess cast this man an admonishing look, as though to blame him—
Dear heaven.
Hadhebeen the one to write those torrid letters to Lady Simmons?No wonder the lady refused to burn them. This man could have been an original Silver Duke and must have been impossibly handsome in his younger days.
Yes, irresistible as sin.
Florence would not have been surprised to learn he had been born with that aura of confidence and ruthless authority, a child able to stare down a nanny or governess by the age of four.
She now expected she would be dismissed and the princess would carry on with her next bit of business. But there was the detail of her brother’s fate that also needed to be resolved. She had risked so much, and placed Trajan’s life in danger for that worthless scoundrel. Would the princess live up to her part of the bargain? “Your Royal Highness…my brother…”
Althorpe stepped forward. “He will be cleared of all debts and charges against him, given a clean slate. But he will not be protected from any new misdeeds that may arise.”
Florence nodded. “Understood, my lord. Nor will my husband allow me to take on such risks to save his unworthy hide again. It is up to my brother to make what he will of his opportunities.”
Instead of dismissing them, the princess rang for tea. “Stay, Florence. You too, Weymouth. The four of us have more to say to each other.”
Trajan nodded. “It will be our pleasure.”
Florence could not imagine why the princess would ever want to share an afternoon tea with them, but here they were.
On the one hand, she was honored for her notice. On the other, she was quite confused as to the reason and dreaded another assignment in the offing.
Trajan’s expression revealed nothing. She needed to learn this trick of hiding one’s thoughts. A wealth of feelings had to be showing on her face, ranging from dread to hope, one extreme to the other like the swing of a pendulum.
Althorpe surprised her by smiling as they all sat down to tea. “How did you manage to retrieve those letters from Frampton?”
With Trajan’s encouragement, she told them everything. The fake bird watching, falling out of the tree onto Trajan, even their kiss on the beach.
Her face was crimson as she told them that part.
“Dear girl,” the princess said, stunning Florence with her friendly informality, “Weymouth was right to kiss you and keep on kissing you. You are one of those rare people, genuine and honest to a fault. You could never have talked your way out of trouble, so he had to keep you quiet.”
Florence was aghast, but Trajan was grinning at her.
She acknowledged his courage and quick thinking. “He saved my life that day, and then again just before we left Gull Hall.”
She told them the last of it, of the search for duplicate parchment and ribbons, of Hermia’s grand acting abilities, and Lady Frampton’s assistance that was vital to the success of their plan.
Florence then spoke of Trajan’s injury. Both Althorpe and the princess took the news with sincere concern.
Of course, Florence dared not make mention of their sharing a bed in Bournemouth, since that was nobody’s business.
As she related the details of her retrieval of those letters, she sensed something was going on beyond their mere curiosity in her plan and how it was carried out.
However, she was not politically savvy enough to understand these undercurrents, so she merely told the truth and hoped it would be enough.
