Chapter 19 - A Proposal (1/2)

My mouth rounded into an 'o' of surprise. Honestly, he had been so friendly and normal that I had completely forgotten he was among the throng of my admirers.

”You're different,” I admitted. ”You don't act like they do.”

”I suppose that is a pretty high compliment coming from you.”

My cheeks turned red.

”I meant no offense. It's just…you talk to me like a normal person. The rest of them either don't think I have a single thought in my head outside of ribbons and tea time or want to use me as a chess piece.”

Al's gaze sharpened. ”A chess piece?”

”Duke Orla,” I sighed, letting my mouth run away from me again.

”He's a schoolmate of my brother Edmund's. While visiting with him a while back he caught me reading a book on foreign policy and seemed impressed with my political reasoning. I don't want him to use me to further his career. I mean, he works with the crown prince! I want nothing to do with that!”

He went silent for a moment before turning toward me with an unfathomable gaze. ”Most people want to curry favor with the crown prince. Why don't you?”

He is the villain of this novel; of course I don't care about him! Ugh, how could I explain myself? A brand-new debutante from a country estate wouldn't know the intricacies of politics going on inside the castle.

I know the crown prince is a bad guy because he wants to take away the rights of the lower classes even further to consolidate his own power. But Catherine du Pont is not supposed to know that.

”I don't want to be involved in castle politics. I want to live my life in peace.”

There. That was a simple enough answer without giving any real details on the depth of my information.

Al let out a heavy sigh. ”So do I. Unfortunate that we were both born nobles, isn't it?”

”Very,” I agreed.

Though I wasn't born a noble, I just happened to become one by some bizarre chance. I was born an ordinary middle-class girl.

What I wouldn't give to have that back. I even missed worrying about how to pay my bills!

The wind picked up and a deep shudder ran through me. The sun was starting to go down so it was much colder than it had been when I first sat on the rock.

”You're shivering,” he noticed. ”May I?”

I saw him holding out his cloak and nodded. He gently dr.a.p.ed it over my shoulders.

”Lady Katie, may I buy you a cup of tea?”

I was sick to death of tea. ”No, but you can buy me a cup of hot chocolate. I think that bakery I want to work at has some.”

I pulled my shawl out of my pack and tied it around my head, effectively hiding my hair.

”Do you need something to cover yourself with?” I asked suddenly. I was wearing his cloak after all.

He pulled a crumpled up cap out of his pocket. ”No, I've got something.”

I was impressed. ”You're like a Boy Scout.”

”A what?”

Why did I keep tripping up in front of this guy! ”I meant that you're very prepared.”

Al shrugged. ”I have to be. Shall we?” He held out his arm to help me down from the top of the rock.

”Thank you.”