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“Right. Personal.” Raul did the staring thing again. Finally, he shook his head. “As I said, I was doing my military service then, so I wasn’t around the palace much. I don’t know who was pissed off at Pater then. I wish I could be more helpful.”
“You’ve given me a couple of threads to tug on,” Quinn said, although she didn’t believe any of the names he’d offered would lead to anything. “If you would continue to think about it, I would be grateful.”
“Por supuesto! Of course!”
As Quinn bent to slip her tablet back into her bag, she heard the door open.
“Tante Hélène!” Raul said, his voice warm with affection.
Quinn straightened to see the prince rise and do the air-kiss thing and then hug a woman of about the king’s age. When the woman disentangled herself, Quinn realized with a sinking feeling that she was Gabriel’s mother, the Duchess of Bruma.
Holy shit! Did the duchess even know about Quinn? She and Gabriel hadn’t had time to discuss it yet. By the time they had both gotten back to Quinn’s house last night, they’d fought about Dupont, had great makeup sex, and gone to sleep exhausted. This morning, she’d left him still slumbering.
The duchess came toward her, a welcoming smile lighting her aristocratic face. “And this is the wonderful young woman who gave music back to my son.”
Quinn leaped up and tried to curtsy as the duchess reached both hands out to her. Then she held out her hands just as the duchess lowered hers. Gabriel’s mother trilled a silvery laugh. “A small culture clash, n’est-pas?” She rested her hands on Quinn’s shoulders and leaned in for the air-kissing thing. Quinn froze so she wouldn’t cause any further problems.
“A pleasure, Doña Hélène,” Quinn managed as the duchess’s perfume wafted around her. Its fragrance evoked vaho hibiscus but added notes of the sea and some other flower. The duchess wore a simple navy silk sheath dress with a peach and navy scarf draped around the neck. Her shoulder-length brown hair glinted with a few silver threads where it swept back from her temples. Gabriel’s hair fell around his face in the same way.
“Thank you for giving Gabriel his life’s passion again,” Hélène said, her voice freighted with past sorrow. “I owe you a debt which can never be repaid.”
“I only made a suggestion,” Quinn said gruffly.
The duchess’s gaze roamed over Quinn’s face for a long moment before she turned to Raul.
Quinn heaved a sigh of relief and bent to pick up her bag. She would mutter a polite but brief goodbye and make a quick exit while Raul and his aunt were engrossed in their conversation.
But the duchess wasn’t finished with her. “Come sit with me,” she said to Quinn as she sank gracefully onto a love seat and patted the cushion beside her. “I wish to know such a perceptive woman.”
“Tante, Quinn is here for a work meeting,” Raul said, slanting a look of amused understanding in Quinn’s direction. “She has to get back to her office.”
She could have kissed the prince.
“Of course,” Hélène said with a charming smile. “I should have realized. We will find a time to have lunch together soon, though, oui?”
“I would be honored,” Quinn said, edging toward the door.
As she pivoted to make a run for it, the door swung open again, and the king strode into the room.
It just keeps getting worse.
Quinn dropped a curtsy and sidled toward the door again, hoping that Luis wouldn’t notice her.
“Señorita Pierson, one moment, por favor.” Luis pinned her with his gaze so her feet glued themselves to the floor.
“Yes, Su Majestad.”
The king turned toward the duchess, his face lit with welcome. “Hélène! I just heard you were here. What a wonderful surprise!”
“I arrived from Bruma only a few minutes ago, Luis.” The duchess and the king shocked Quinn by actually kissing each other’s cheeks as they hugged. “I have decided to spend more time in the palace since my two favorite young men live here.” She twinkled at Raul.
“That is good news,” Luis said, although a slight shadow crossed his face before he smiled again. “We miss you when you’re away.”
“I came to find Raul and was fortunate enough to also encounter my son’s good friend.” She made a graceful gesture of inclusion toward Quinn. “But I’ve already interrupted one business meeting, so I should not keep all of you any longer.”
“I have a few minutes before my next meeting,” Luis said before turning to Quinn. “My apologies, señorita. I would like to invite you and Gabriel to dinner here at the palace on Sunday.”
Panic sent her brain into a spin. The king must know about her and Gabriel, because Mikel would have told him, but it wasn’t as though she and Gabriel were about to get engaged. Maybe this was an invitation to her in her professional capacity? But Mikel briefed the king daily on everything related to the investigation, so why would Luis want to talk to her about it?
