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“Me too,” her mother said.
Tears sprang from Lily’s eyes again. “I just wanted to see you,” she said. “I wanted you to know I’m not with Damon anymore and that I know now what a mistake I made by picking him over you. I should have listened to you. And then because of him, I lost the account with Patrick Billingsworth and I should never have—” Her voice broke. She lowered her head as more tears flowed.
Ethan and Charlotte gave her sympathetic looks. Henrik couldn’t help himself. He put his arm around her and guided her against his chest. She rested a hand there against his heartbeat and then composed herself.
When Henrik glanced across the table again, both of the Hopes’ chairs were empty. Soon, Lily’s was too as they guided her to her feet and into another hug. Her father stroked her back.
“Never mind the lost account. Things worked out. And as for Damon, we knew he was bad news,” Mrs. Hope said.
“We’ll never turn you away again,” her father soothed. “I’m only sorry we did so in the first place.”
Lily held her father and Henrik’s respect for this man grew. He placed him in comparison with his own father. The King would never be this penitent. He and his father had gotten into plenty of rows over the years, but Henrik wasn’t sure his father loved him as much as Lily’s father apparently loved her. Had he ever been held like this by the King?
Not once. Not even as a boy.
Henrik pushed the painful thoughts away. Soon, they all finished their dinner, and Lily, Ethan, and Charlotte went to the sitting room they’d passed by when they’d first arrived. Henrik, however, was distracted by Mr. Hope clearing his throat.
“Why don’t you join me for a moment?” Mr. Hope offered.
Henrik inclined his head, not minding the opportunity to speak with Lily’s father. Curious, he followed Mr. Hope down a different hall.
He wasn’t sure where Lily’s father was headed, but when he stepped into an office of sorts and left the door open behind him, Henrik took that as a sign he could follow.
“I just needed a moment,” Mr. Hope said, taking a seat at the desk across from a grand window. “But I was hoping you might join me. This day hasn’t gone at all how I thought it would.” The view was glorious, reminding Henrik of the stretch of snow out of his bedroom window back home. He experienced an unexpected longing for home, something he hadn’t felt since coming to America.
“Thank you, sir.” Henrik took the chair Mr. Hope indicated and sat.
“How long have you known my daughter?” Mr. Hope began.
“Only about a week,” Henrik said. He knew this conversation might take place. In fact, he’d hoped it would, considering the fact that he wanted to marry this man’s daughter.
“Yet, she brings you to meet her parents?”
Henrik stared at his fingers for a moment. “It’s a complicated situation.”
“Care to un-complicate it for me?” Mr. Hope faced Henrik and leaned back into his chair as though settling in for a nice long chat. “Are you dating my daughter? Do you love her?”
Henrik was taken aback by this man’s directness, but this was one reason why he’d followed her father in here. He’d made Lily an offer the night before without fully thinking through all the parameters. She’d said she was written off from her family, but now that they were a part of her life again—or so Henrik supposed—he needed to make sure her father knew of his intentions.
“I believe love for us is possible, sir,” Henrik began.
Mr. Hope frowned. “I see.”
The conversation didn’t have a hopeful outlook. “May I tell you the truth?”
“Please.”
Henrik inhaled. He’d never had to do this before. Lady Eden’s father had known and been behind the arrangement their parents tried to force them into. Even if Henrik had decided to propose to her, he wouldn’t have had to approach her father like this because her father had already given his permission for their union.
“My name is Henrik Von Frosk, Prince of Einvar. I have been allowed to come to America for a short time in hopes of finding a bride. Your daughter offered to help me, and I accepted her help, neither of us knowing that she would be the one I would fall for in the process.”
Mr. Hope held up a hand. “You—you’re a prince.”
“Yes, sir.”
His brows lifted. He analyzed Henrik’s appearance, and Henrik waited, wondering if he kept up on gossip magazines like his daughter did. Chances were, he didn’t follow royal chatter. This was a successful man of business. Why would he need to keep tabs on monarchs?
“You can pull up any of my social media profiles if you need proof,” Henrik added.
