Page 28 of A Royal Disaster
After all, that was the whole point of this ridiculous farce.
“Tía Rosa, it’s so nice to hear your voice.” Nia’s smile was positively devious as she turned to Lena. “Oh, you’re looking for Elena?” There was a pause. “I know, she’s been so busy lately, I’ve hardly seen her myself.”
Nia wouldn’t… They were best friends! Lena shook her head rigorously, praying her friend wouldn’t sell her out.
“I’m sorry, Tía Rosa, but she ran out for supplies. I’ll be sure to let her know you called. Again,” Nia said, shooting Lena a meaningful look.
Lena sagged against the counter as they said their goodbyes. Relief and guilt warred within her, confirming she was the worst niece ever. Tía Rosa had been calling the shop daily since the photos of her kiss with Liam hit the web and Lena had managed to dodge every single one of them. But it was just a matter of time until her aunt cornered her. The woman was relentless, and Lena had no doubt the family tree was abuzz with speculation about her relationship with the prince. That was the thing about having a large family; there was a lot of talk and everyone knew everyone else’s business. It would take a miracle to keep her relationship under wraps for another three days, let alone another three weeks.
“You owe me one,” Nia said as she returned the phone to its cradle.
“More like a hundred,” Lena said, grinning at her friend. “And I promise to make it up to you, right after we finish inventorying those paintbrushes.”
…
Liam pored over trade documents while Fin flipped through the day’s mail, lips pursed and brow furrowed. There was something troubling his friend—despite years of employ at the palace, his facial expressions were easy enough to read—but he’d known Fin long enough to know that if he wanted to talk about it, he would. So he forced his attention back to the first round of proposals from Valeria’s potential trade partners. He wasn’t inclined to accept any of them, and only a few were serious enough to even be considered, but at least he knew who was interested in forging a partnership and who was disposed to believe the rumors of instability within the monarchy.
As much as the gossip chafed, at least it had served to narrow the field, which would free up time to work on his other pet project, the one he hoped would win public support for the crown and end all talk of reducing the power of the monarchy.
“Sir, the Caridoso Minister of Economy has invited you to dinner at the Washington D.C. residence,” Fin said, holding up a delicately embossed invitation with black calligraphy scrawled across the front. “Shall I confirm?”
“When is it?” Liam asked, tapping out a quick calculation on his laptop. He jotted the results on the first page of the trade proposal and tossed his pen on the desk as Fin read the date.
“Washington,” Liam mused, considering his options. Caridoso was a resource-wealthy country in South America, and according to his research, The Caridoso Foreign Ministry had Trade and Investment Offices all over the world, including one in New York. He’d hoped they could broker a deal locally, but he couldn’t very well decline the invitation. Not if the Minister himself was willing to meet personally. “How long’s the flight?”
“Ninety minutes.” Fin shifted, keeping his attention focused on the invitation as if casually rereading it. “They’ll expect you to bring a date. Shall I ring Camilla?”
Fin was right. Camilla would be an appropriate choice. They’d gone to school together and she was always happy to be his plus-one for formal occasions. Camilla understood their friendship was strictly platonic, and the periodic dates suited her own agenda nicely. The eldest daughter of a duke, Camilla’s job was to be seen in appropriate company. The occasional political dinner with the crown prince furthered both their goals.
It was a solid plan, so why was he hesitating?
Dinner at the embassy was a show of good faith. Caridoso would be a strong trade partner, and the initial proposal was favorable. No, the problem wasn’t with the dinner invitation; it was with the date. He couldn’t be seen cavorting with Camilla if he wanted the world to believe he was with Elena. Still, the invitation held some appeal. If he attended in an official capacity—with Elena as his date—it would certainly lend credibility to their relationship status.
The problem was, Elena would no doubt balk at attending such a formal affair. Liam considered his options. Too bad he’d already used up the surprise date card. No matter. He’d just have to find another way to convince her. He still had some time, and it was just as well, because this was an invitation best delivered in person.
Timing would be everything.
“No need to bother Camilla,” he said, turning his attention back to Fin. “I’m going to ask Elena to be my date for the evening.”
Fin flattened his brows, deep lines forming on his forehead. “Camilla would be a more suitable choice.”
Liam bristled at his friend’s use of the word suitable. Which was ridiculous. Hadn’t he just had the same thought? Fin was right, of course. Camilla had probably been to as many diplomatic and state dinners as he had. She was cultured, coiffed, and confident.
But it was Elena he wanted.
“Elena is a sweet girl, but don’t you think it’s time to bring this charade to an end?” Fin asked. “You’ve had your fun; Elena’s reputation has been redeemed. Why drag it out any longer?”
Liam steepled his fingers as he studied his friend. Was it possible his fake relationship was troubling Fin? “Elena’s reputation may be on the rebound, but her business is not. Not fully, anyway. I promised her a month and I intend to see it through.”
Fin sighed. “I didn’t want to mention it, but your parents are…concerned. You need to keep your eye on the diplomatic reasons you’re here. You can’t afford to let the trade mission get derailed for personal reasons.”
“Do I look distracted?” Liam asked, cutting his eyes at the mountain of paperwork on the desk. “Elena’s not a distraction. She’s a breath of fresh air.”
“Exactly,” Fin said, leaning forward and stabbing the desk with his pointer finger. “Elena is not a part of your world. She’s not accustomed to the scheming and backstabbing and the hard choices demanded of your position. She’s already been through hell; I’d hate to see her become collateral damage.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Liam scoffed. “I’ve got everything under control.”
“For now,” Fin said grimly. “You of all people should know that control is an illusion.” Fin leaned back in his chair and raked a hand through his hair. “It hasn’t been easy rewriting the narrative on Elena, but the media’s in a good place. Give it some time and her business will be back on track.”
