Beating the System

by E V Darcy

  ‘As I said you sleep with one twin exactly a week after the other. At his funeral. It’s hardly the epitome of class.’

  The slap of a hand against the wood of the desk made the group jump and turn to where the Queen glared at her husband.

  ‘Watch your mouth,’ she told him.

  ‘It’s okay, Grammy,’ Hattie said to her grandmother. She was in too deep to stop the lie now, she might as well say it aloud. In for a bit, in for a crown, after all. ‘I never slept with Jensen. We weren’t that type of friend.’

  ‘You’re a liar too, I see.’

  ‘I’m not lying.’

  Yes, you are.

  ‘Then why did you tell Captain Walker that he spent the night with you? You either lied then or you’re lying now. Which is it?’

  ‘Neither,’ she told them without hesitation. ‘Jensen did spend the night at my cottage—which you blew up! But we didn’t sleep together. He had the couch. Which I told Marcus in the hospital, four days after you blew up my house! You know, those four days where I was refused visitors and even my own sisters hadn’t been informed of my whereabouts?’

  ‘Is that true, Richard?’ Katrine’s eyes widened with horror at her husband. ‘Did you keep the girls from knowing about Henrietta?’

  The King licked his lips before biting his tongue as he assessed the woman before him.

  ‘I’ll speak to you about that later,’ he said to his wife. ‘But, Henrietta, you better not be lying to me.’

  ‘I am not.’

  It was a battle of wills between them as they stared one another down, but Hattie was determined she would win. Even if she would hate herself forever for the lies she’d told, she would not let her grandfather have the satisfaction of seeing her ruined and wholly dependent on him.

  She didn’t care that the room was starting to tilt, that darkness was starting to creep into the edge of her vision. She stood her ground, her gaze unwavering and

  finally, after what felt like an age, the King sighed.

  ‘Fine, I accept your word. Marry the man, but I kid you not, child, you better be one hundred percent sure on this, because while I do not have the power to deny you a divorce outright, there are plenty of other ways that I can ensure that if you apply for one, you will not get it.’ The man stood up and stepped around the desk, moving towards a different door to the one they’d come through. ‘I’ll leave you with Captain Walker to discuss your future security arrangements. Good day.’

  The door closed behind the older man, and Hattie felt as if someone had cut the strings that had been holding her up. Her knees buckled, and she swayed. Roman’s arm tightened around her and pulled her close to him.

  ‘Get a chair,’ his voice commanded as he swept his arm underneath her, sweeping her legs up and lifting her into his embrace. He carried her across the room as if she weighed nothing, and Hattie buried herself into him, luxuriating in his scent and never wanting him to let go.

  ‘I think she’ll need a couch,’ Katrine’s voice, much softer now that her antagonist had left the room, spoke.

  ‘Stay with me, Henrietta,’ Roman’s voice, gruff with worry, rumbled in her ear.

  ‘Always,’ she whispered as her eyes closed.

  Chapter Ten

  Roman watched helplessly as the royal physician checked Hattie over. She was sprawled on a couch, her feet propped up on one end by a mountain of pillows and a cold face cloth lay over her brow. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and stood back, giving the man room to check her over, while his own heart raced in fear and panic and his stomach churned in worry and dread.

  What if something happened to her? What if she lost the baby?

  God, it was such a callous thought, but if she lost the baby there would be no reason for her to stay with him, to keep up with the lie. She’d walk away from him; certainly not today and definitely not tomorrow, but after a suitable period of time so they could say they gave it ago, she’d up and leave him. Their past too difficult to overcome without a reason to do so.

  And he knew he’d never get another opportunity to be with her, a third chance to do things right and win her heart. This was it. He had to get it right this time.

  Any other man would probably scoff that he’d cuckolded himself, they’d have told Hattie she’d made her bed and sent her packing. But while that had been his first thought, stunned at the news and disgusted his brother had touched the woman he loved, desired, craved above all others, Roman had quickly realised the baby wasn’t a curse. The child wouldn’t be something that would one day drive them apart, torturing Roman over time that his brother had done something he’d never be able to. No, it was a gift. Jensen had given Roman a way to be with his Henrietta, a way he never would have got otherwise.

  For the first time in a long time, he thanked his brother.

  ‘Do you need a drink?’ Cormac asked as he came over to stand at his side as some sort of emotional support, Roman supposed. The younger man offered him a glass of something, and he knocked it back without even checking what it was before handing the glass back.

  ‘Whoa, dude.’ Cormac stared at him before glancing to the now empty glass and then back to Roman. ‘Yeah, I’m not offering you another.’

  Roman wasn’t going to argue. With the three he’d had earlier that day—God, it felt like a lifetime ago—he probably shouldn’t have had that one either.

  ‘I don’t know how you didn’t try and kill him.’

  ‘Who?’ Roman pulled his eyes from Hattie for a moment to frown at the other man. Cormac was slightly taller than Roman, and it felt nice not be to be looking down at someone all the time. Men didn’t usually stand at their height in Avalone.

  ‘The King.’ Cormac shrugged as he took a sip of his own glass.

  ‘I wanted to,’ Roman admitted after a few seconds of silence. ‘Trust me, some of the things he said made me want to throttle the bastard, or at least pop him in the nose.’

  ‘Ah, you wouldn’t have made it,’ Cormac said, sighing. ‘I didn’t get anywhere near close enough when I tried.’

  ‘I wish I’d seen it.’ Roman snorted, recalling how the man had said it had taken three of the King’s Guards to take him down.

  ‘So do I,’ Queen Katrine said, coming to join them as she sipped her own beverage. ‘Unfortunately, he did it during a private audience. If he’d done it with me in the room, I’d have held Richard down for him.’ Cormac choked on his drink, and even Roman couldn’t stop the look of astonishment shaping his face.

  The Queen sighed. ‘I love my husband, but sometimes I want to shake him too.’ The two men glanced at each other, unsure of what to say before turning back to the patient in the room.

  ‘She’ll be okay,’ Katrine told them after a short silence. ‘Women have a tendency to faint when they’re pregnant. Did it myself a couple of times, especially with Melinda, Henrietta’s mother.’

  Roman nodded to let her know he’d heard, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Hattie’s slumbering form at the idea that this could happen again. In his vision’s edge, Victoria paced nervously behind the couch, casting worried glances towards her sister as the doctor continued to monitor her. He wanted to beg her to stop.

  ‘Is Hattie here?’ A new voice asked from the far side of the room. Roman glanced towards the door and saw Prince Alistair of Avalone’s head peeking around the door. ‘Oh, she is! I came as soon as I heard. How’s she doing?’

  Roman tried to bite down the growl of frustration. Was everyone and their dog going to come along? He knew he’d have to meet the family at some point, but did it have to be today? Victoria hurried to her cousin and began to whisper, probably giving him all the gossip on her little sister.

  ‘Easy, big guy,’ Cormac’s warm voice said quietly, his hand clasping Roman on the shoulder as if to hold him back. ‘Alistair’s no threat. He’s the only one of the cousins you’ll be able to trust or get along with.’

  ‘Yes,’ Katrine agreed, bobbing her head next to them. ‘He’s goin
g to make a great king one day, not like his father.’

  Despite the concern and worry that were overwhelming him, that little comment got through. He turned to look down at the diminutive Queen who met his gaze; her eyes held a glimmer of amusement and her thin lips turned up in a small smile at the corners. ‘I’ll explain that another time.’

  He hoped he’d get the chance to hear it.

  Hattie chose that moment to stir, a low groan slipping from her lips. Roman didn’t think; in four steps he was at her side, practically shoving the doctor out of the way.

  ‘Henrietta, are you okay?’ He took her hand in his and pressed it to his face, reassuring himself that she was there. Her fingers gently flexed against his skin, rubbing against the stubble he knew already grew there. Her face scrunched up in a little pout; she had hated men with beards, preferring the clean-shaven look, and he was glad that hadn’t changed. He would never admit it, but it was why he’d never grown one despite them being so acceptable nowadays. Roman took it as a good sign if she was unhappy to feel such a thing when only half conscious.

  ‘Roman?’ she murmured, and he smiled as her eyes flickered open. They looked tired and hazy, but he was relieved to see they focused on him.

  ‘I’m here.’

  ‘And I’d like to check our patient over, if you’d please, Mr Tyrrell?’ the doctor prompted. Roman didn’t even glance the man’s way. He kept his eyes on Hattie and watched hers slowly become clearer as she returned his gaze. ‘Mr Tyrrell, please, I must insist.’

  ‘Roman, please let Doctor Evans check her over,’ Victoria’s soft voice begged from the other side of the couch.

  Knowing he couldn’t hold off any longer, he kept his gaze on his beloved, but turned his face and pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand. Hattie watched him the whole time, and he cheered internally as she swallowed hard at the press of his lips, her eyes dropping to his mouth before rising back to meet his gaze.

  He slowly lowered her hand to her side and stood up, stepping back so the physician could take his place. She kept her eyes on his until she had to look at the doctor at his behest as he began his questions and checks.

  ‘Just a one-time thing, huh?’ Cormac said to him quietly, his voice laced with amusement and curiosity.

  ‘Just the one time,’ Roman said truthfully, but he was determined to make sure it wouldn’t be the last…

  Hattie slowly sat up with the help of Roman and Doctor Evans, but her eyes wouldn’t leave her new fiancé’s.

  Roman had stood up for her against her Grandfather. He’d told him no and turned his back on the King for her. He could have just left her to face the consequences alone, washed his hands of all the drama and bother, and walked out of the door, but he hadn’t. He’d stayed at her side, and tried to protect her, to shield her. He’d never done that before; he’d never had to. Well, save for that one time against Fiona, and then he’d taken the other woman’s side. But if this was what it felt like, she understood why Fiona had clung to Roman as she had. After all, who said no to the King?

  She’d never said no to her grandfather. And despite all the tirades she spat about their family, she probably never would. But Roman…

  With him at her side, maybe she could find that strength?

  She answered the doctor’s questions, her voice softer and quieter than usual—to her own ears at least—and she wondered if it sounded as stunned as she felt to everyone else?

  Her wrist tingled where Roman’s thumb had softly traced a path. Her hand burned where his lips had pressed to her palm… She wished he’d pressed them somewhere else, that his hand had slipped behind her neck, his thumb caressing the soft skin of her throat as he gently lifted her head to taste her again.

  She licked her lips as her gaze dropped to Roman’s mouth. His usually plump lower lip was taunt and thin as he watched her every move and counted her every breath. Was he having the same thoughts; was he wishing he’d taken the chance to kiss her warm, waiting mouth? Or was he merely concerned for her health? Worried that she wasn’t up to the task of raising the next Tyrrell heir?

  No, it had to be the former thoughts. He was recalling their moment in his office, when his lips grazed hers a moment before he took them, held her close, felt her body pressed against the hard line of his own and—

  ‘Are you sure you’re okay, Hattie?’

  Hattie sighed as Victoria yet again rudely interrupted her daydreams. What was it with her sisters ruining her happy thoughts today?

  Bloody hell, had it only been one day? So much had happened in such a short space of time; proposals and kisses, lives ruined, secrets shared and made, deceit spinning webs of lies across her life, and all so she wouldn’t go homeless or hungry.

  She should have just sucked it up and moved into a boarding home—not that Dick would have allowed that to happen. Nor her sisters. And with the way Roman had acted, she had no doubt he would have tracked her down too, somehow.

  No, this had been her only choice for the life she’d wanted for her and Jensen’s child. For one of safety and security, for their baby to have all the opportunities they deserved. Maybe it would have been different if Jensen hadn’t been killed, if he’d been the one to have stood beside her in her grandfather’s office.

  But then, she’d have never had this chance with Roman.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said, her voice cracking slightly.

  ‘Here, have some water.’ The sound of her cousin Alistair’s voice finally turned her attention away from her amber-eyed watcher. She narrowed her gaze at the prince as she took his proffered glass.

  ‘Thanks.’ She couldn’t have sounded less grateful and Victoria scowled at her. He might be Victoria’s favourite cousin—and to be honest hers too—but her sister would be just as unhappy with him if she were to learn he’d been part of the whole holding her to ransom in the hospital and not telling her sisters about it.

  ‘Thank you, Doctor,’ Marcus said, stepping out from whatever corner had been hiding him. The damn git had a habit of tucking himself away in little spots so people forgot he was around until he wanted them to remember he was still present. Sometimes he didn’t say a thing, just watched his audience carefully with his dark, penetrating stare. ‘That will be all.’

  Hattie narrowed her own eyes at the Guardsman as he joined the group proper. In the corner of her vision, she saw Roman step closer to her again. Probably ready to step in again, act as her protector once more, if he didn’t like what the other mad had to say.

  On her other side, Doctor Evans began to pack his things away and everyone else waited in silence; their eyes focused anywhere but on the doctor while being completely aware of his every move. Hattie had no idea how the young doctor coped.

  ‘If you feel faint again or sick, any cause for concern at all, please call me, my lady,’ the doctor said to her, calling her attention back to him, his hazel eyes kind and gentle.

  ‘Thank you, Doctor, I promise I will.’ The young physician nodded to her, before repeating the gesture to the rest of the room. ‘Your Majesty,’ he offered the Queen before he turned and left.

  ‘I like him,’ Katrine said with a pinch to her forehead as she turned to Marcus. ‘Why did you have to send him away? A very fine replacement for Doctor Smith. Nice behind when he bends over.’

  Hattie spewed a mouthful of water across the coffee table and was grateful no one was sitting on it any longer, else it would have hit them square in the face!

  She coughed and spluttered, and Roman quickly took the seat next to her, rubbing his hand up and down her back for comfort, but she shied away from it, grabbing a few tissues from the box on the table to mop up her mouth and chin. She needed to put some distance between her and the man at her side, to get her mind clear so she could sort through the jumble of emotions the day had been.

  One day. Bloody hell!

  ‘Grammy, please, a little decorum,’ Alistair protested, his cheeks turning pink. Marcus sighed before calling everyone to attention again
.

  ‘If everyone bar Lady Henrietta and Mr Tyrrell could leave us, we have some security arrangements to make.’

  ‘Security?’ Victoria piped up. ‘Why? What for, Marcus?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Victoria but you’re not part of—’

  ‘Oh, like hell I’m not.’ Victoria strode around the settee and marched right up to the Head of the Guard. ‘You kept it from me that she’d been involved in that accident with the car her friend was in. You’—she poked him in the chest—‘kept it from me, Pippa, and Alexi until she was already out of the hospital.’

  ‘And as nice as it was to be interrogated by the two of you, I’d rather not go through that again.’ Hattie said it without thinking. Victoria turned her way; her smooth, perfect skin was going to wrinkle with the amount of frowning she was doing today.

  ‘Who was with him?’ Victoria snapped. Alistair groaned behind Hattie and Victoria’s eyes lasered in on their cousin immediately. ‘You knew? You knew about her accident and the state she was in and didn’t tell me? Oh, I am going to ensure I support your dad when it comes to picking your bride.’

  ‘You wouldn’t dare!’

  ‘I bloody well will! She’s going to be an utter cow, I promise!’

  ‘If we can dispense with the theatrics.’ Marcus interceded before World War III could begin. ‘I need you all to leave now.’

  ‘I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why my sister needs security arrangements.’

  ‘After the accident—’

  ‘It wasn’t an accident,’ Hattie snapped. Why did everyone keep referring to it as such? Had he not told Victoria that either? Okay, so she’d not actually told her sisters, but surely they’d been informed?