Page 41 of Handle Me

“Dinner,” Lola said, showing no sign that we’d skipped dinner and headed straight for dessert.

A frown tugged on my lips, but I wouldn’t let either of them see me react. If Lola could act like nothing had happened, I could, too.

“It was a little late to still be out. It’s nearly dawn.” Her mother wasn’t going to give up that easily.

“We’ve been here for hours,” Lola reminded her calmly. “We had business to discuss.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t a date?”

“No,” we both answered at the same time. At least we were still clear on that point.

“Maddy.” Lola’s father cleaned his glasses with a sigh. “Don’t pester them.”

“I’m just trying to understand why he’s still here if they aren’t seeing one another. Maybe Anders would like to go home. He’s not exactly part of the family,” Madeline said softly. She was talking to Lola now.

Lola’s eyes flashed to me, her mouth falling open. But before she could scramble to explain away her mother’s casual reminder that I was Albert’s unwanted bastard, I rose from my chair and buttoned my jacket.

“No, I’m not,” I said stiffly. “I should get back to Silverstone.”

Lola shook her head, but it was Alexander’s voice that stopped me.

“May I speak with you first?” he asked, coming back into the lobby. “Somewhere private.”

I resisted the urge to say no, but only because, unlike how I felt about everyone else in this room, I liked Clara. She was the nice one in the bunch as far as I was concerned, and today should be about her, not her mother or her husband.

“Fine,” I muttered.

He tipped his head toward the private hall.

I followed him past the swinging doors. Madeline glared at both of us, obviously angry that I was getting closer to her daughter than she was allowed to. Next to her, Lola began murmuring to her in a low voice. She really was the one who had to deal with all the difficult personalities in the family. That’s why they’d sent Lola to handle me. Of course, being lumped into the same category as Madeline only made me resent being here more.

“I’d like you to stay in London.”

I stared at Alexander. That was the last thing I’d expected him to say.

“I need to speak to you about some matters,” he continued, his tone clipped and formal. “Family matters. And it would be better if you had additional security.”

“Why?” I asked. He might think it was normal to act like we were discussing a business transaction, but it was weird. Maybe that’s just the way it was amongst royalty. They were the ultimate family business. Another reason I’d never be one of them.

“There’s been some developments.” He shook his head as if he was trying to shake loose what he wanted to say from what he chose not to. “We need to discuss them, but I need to get back to Clara.”

“Clara’s the most important thing right now,” I said firmly.

Lightning flashed in his blue eyes. Their color was the only physical characteristic we seemed to share. We did have one thing in common emotionally: I’d had a thing for his wife. It was one of many reasons I wasn’t exactly on his good side.

“Yes, my wife is the most important thing to me.” He chose his words carefully, but I got the message.

“Good.” I meant it. My own feelings had been nothing more than a crush. Anyone who met Clara couldn’t help but like her. But while I might be well past that attraction now, I would continue to hold my half-brother accountable for treating her well. I hadn’t always found his behavior toward her acceptable. “How long do I need to stay in town?”

“In a rush to get back?”

My eyes narrowed. There was no way that Alexander knew I was on a break from racing unless he had people spying on me. Then again, he probably did. “Just curious. I have to tell the hotel something.”

“About that,” he said, “I’d like you to take one of the family apartments at Kensington Palace. With the baby here, there’s going to be paparazzi, everywhere. It will be safer.”

“For you or for me?” I muttered. Of course he wanted to keep me where I’d be forced to toe the company line.

“For you.” There was a painful edge to his voice.