Christmas at the Castle

by Melissa McClone

  “He doesn’t seem to be in any of the stalls.”

  “I’ll check the riding arena before I head back to my office, but if he were here, he would have heard me calling him.”

  “Does he come when called?”

  “Yes.”

  She looked around the stable as if trying to figure out where the dog might be. “Will Maximillian obey or do tricks in the hopes of getting food?”

  “He likes both treats and attention.”

  Kat reached into her coat pocket and crinkled something. The noise sounded like a candy wrapper. “Some animals associate sounds with food and come running.”

  No dog appeared.

  She continued the crinkling and then stopped. “Looks like he’s somewhere else.”

  That was where Gill wanted to be. Somewhere else. Far away from her.

  Seeing Kat put him on edge. He didn’t like the feeling. Nor did he like her walking around the grounds by herself. She had just arrived. She couldn’t know where she was going and would only end up lost or getting in the staff’s way.

  “Where’s Sophie?” he asked.

  “Around.”

  “Where?”

  “Somewhere.”

  Kat’s evasive answer added to his suspicions. The woman was definitely keeping secrets.

  Sophie stepped out of the last stall on the end. “I’m right here.”

  Gill couldn’t remember the last time his sister had been to the stable. She no longer rode horses. She’d taken up mountain biking because of Bertrand. “What were you doing in there?”

  She touched her left earlobe. “I was showing Kat around and thought I’d lost an earring.”

  “Gill’s dog is missing,” Kat offered.

  Sophie shook her head. “Maximillian is always running off. Thank goodness the castle is walled or he’d be long gone.”

  “You said this is a new habit?” Kat’s voice sounded different, almost clinical. “Have you taken him in for a checkup recently?”

  Gill balled his hands. “Maximillian is up to date on his visits and vaccinations.”

  Kat rubbed her chin with her gloved hand.

  “He’s a healthy dog who gets plenty of exercise and attention,” Gill added.

  “A little defensive, are we?” Sophie teased.

  He didn’t need both of them getting on him the way they used to at camp. “I’m going back to the castle.”

  “If we find Maximillian, we’ll let you know,” Kat said.

  Sophie nodded. “Otherwise, we’ll see you at dinner.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” Gill noticed Kat staring into the riding arena. “See something?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “An orange-and-white dog ran across the arena with an apple or ball in his mouth. I think it might have been yours, except…”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Maximillian wasn’t alone.” Lines formed above the bridge of her nose. “There was another dog following him. A smaller yellow one.”

  She didn’t know what she was talking about. Gill rocked back on his heels. “Maximillian is the only dog who lives here.”

  Sophie beamed. “Unless Maximillian made a doggy friend.”

  A wry grin formed on Kat’s face. “Or if he found himself a doggy girlfriend.”

  “No.” The word shot from Gill’s mouth like a bullet. “You’re tired from traveling, and your eyes are playing tricks on you.”

  “Maybe,” Kat admitted. “But if Maximillian did befriend another dog, that would explain why he disappears for chunks of time.”

  “What you’re suggesting implies a dog, most likely a stray since no one else lives out here, arrived at the castle gate and asked the guard to be let in.” Gill shook his head. “Not possible.”

  “There’s no other way inside the grounds?” she asked.

  “None.” He stared down his nose at her. “The grounds are walled. There is only one entrance.”

  “Then maybe I did imagine it.” She didn’t sound angry, only a little tired. “Which is too bad because they looked like they were having fun.”

  “You most certainly are imagining it then.” Sophie winked at Kat. “I forgot to tell you that having fun is forbidden at the castle. Or rather, it will be once my brother is in charge. He’s so proper and strict about following rules. Way more so than our mother.”

  Women were nothing but trouble whether they were relations or not.

  “How long before your wedding day, so I’ll finally be able to live in peace?” he asked his sister.

  Sophie grinned. “Not soon enough for you or for me. But after I leave for my honeymoon on the twenty-fourth, you’ll still have Kat here to keep you company on Christmas day.”

  Gill was afraid his sister would say that.

  He couldn’t wait for the new year to arrive.

  *

  That evening, Kat couldn’t wait to crawl between the sheets. Exploring the castle with Sophie had been fun. Laughing with her tonight even better, but jet lag had finally defeated Kat.

  Breathe, yawn, repeat.

  She wanted to stop the pattern. That meant no more putting off sleep.

  The bed beckoned like a lighthouse.

  She was dressed in a new pair of warm and comfy flannel pajamas. Her bare feet sank into the plush carpet. Liv had turned down the sheets and left a chocolate on her pillow and a glass of water on the nightstand.

  Kat appreciated the gestures. She hadn’t been here long, but felt totally pampered as if she were a princess. Weird and enjoyable at the same time.

  A dog barked. The sound came from outside her room.

  Kat stared longingly at her bed. Yes, she was tired, but sleep could wait another minute or two.

  The bark had to belong to the missing Maximillian. Unless he’d snuck his partner in crime inside the castle.

  She hadn’t imagined that other dog, but she’d relented. Getting into an argument with Gill in front of Sophie would have stressed out the bride. Kat didn’t need her bridesmaid book to tell her that was the last thing she wanted to do.

  Kat opened the door.

  A dog stood in the hallway.

  A castle didn’t seem like the kind of place for a dog to roam free, but then again, neither did having full range of the palace grounds seem that safe, either. Wall or not.

  The Brittany, however, didn’t seem to care what she thought. He stood there as if he owned the place.

  Which he probably did.

  The gorgeous dog had orange-and-white markings that defined his breed. A bright blue collar with a gold tag contrasted with his coloring.

  “Hello there, handsome,” she said.

  Beautiful amber eyes met hers. His head tilted as if he were curious.

  Of course he was. He didn’t know who she was.

  “I’m Kat. You must be Maximillian.”

  His tail wagged.

  “Are you back from your escapades? Where is your friend?”

  He trotted over to her.

  The dog showed no sign of anxiety or aggression, so she held out her hand. “You’re a handsome fellow.”

  He sniffed with an adorable pink nose. Once, twice. Everything in him seemed to relax.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  He sat at her feet and raised his front right paw.

  She shook it. “The pleasure is all mine, but you shouldn’t run away so much. People worry.”

  Not people. Person. At least she thought Gill looked concerned, even if his words suggested he wasn’t.

  Maximillian rubbed his muzzle against her hand.

  “You’re a sweetie.”

  Unlike his owner.

  Still, a man with a dog couldn’t be all bad. Gill cared about this dog and his sister. That told Kat there had to be some piece of human left inside the robot. That was what he was—a royal automaton.

  “Between you and me.” She scratched behind the dog’s ear. “I think the prince likes you, but I wouldn’t push him too far. He doesn’t seem to have much patience.”<
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  At least not with her.

  Maximillian responded with a lick to her cheek.

  She laughed. “Aren’t you a love?”

  The dog stood and trotted past her into the bedroom.

  “Make yourself at home.”

  He jumped on the bed and sat.

  She walked toward him. “Are you allowed on the furniture?”

  He lay on top of the duvet and rolled onto his back.

  “I have a feeling you’ve done this before.”

  Kat reached the bed and realized she’d left the door open. Closing anything, other than the refrigerator, was something she never had to worry about living alone.

  “I’ll leave the door open in case you want out.”

  The dog motioned with his left front paw.

  She laughed. “Is that your sign for belly rubs?”

  The motion continued.

  “Okay, I can take a hint.” Kat sat and rubbed his tummy.

  The dog looked like he was smiling.

  “Aw, you’re so cute.”

  He stretched.

  She stopped rubbing to give the dog more room, and he waved his front left paw again.

  She rubbed him again. “A little spoiled, huh?”

  “Extremely spoiled.”

  The sound of Gill’s voice knotted the muscles at the back of her neck. She looked up. He stood in the doorway with his hands at his side.

  Where had he come from?

  Kat hadn’t heard footsteps or noticed anyone in the hallway, but she couldn’t help but stare at him now.

  Oh, baby.

  A handsome dog for a gorgeous guy.

  He wore gym shorts, and his T-shirt clung to him as if he’d been working out. Talk about fit. Not overly muscular. Just right.

  Her mouth went dry.

  His slightly red cheeks made him seem younger and look like he had at camp after they finished an activity under the hot sun. His damp hair curled more and begged to have fingers run through the strands.

  Not her fingers.

  Hot, yes, and disappointing that he didn’t have a great personality to match his good looks. Still, she couldn’t believe how normal he appeared in the workout clothes.

  Normal and attractive.

  Best part? He seemed almost approachable.

  Not that sweat and running shoes made the prince less of a jerk.

  She focused on the dog. “Many of my clients spoil their pets.”

  “Most animals don’t have an entire staff at their beck and call. More than a few here treat him as their own.”

  “Maximillian’s lucky to have so much attention.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  Gill’s gaze was locked on her. Not only that, but he was walking toward her.

  Kat’s pulse skyrocketed. Cardio workout not required.

  The room seemed smaller in spite of the high ceiling. The prince was tall—an inch, maybe two over six feet—but his presence seemed much larger.

  The dog waved his paw again.

  Maximillian. Her cheeks warmed. The prince wanted his dog. He wasn’t here for her.

  A twinge of disappointment shot out of nowhere.

  Not how she should be feeling about a man like Gill. A man—make that a prince—who didn’t hide the fact he hated her.

  Must be his hotness factor.

  “I’d stop petting Maximillian.” Gill came even closer. “Or he’ll be after you for rubs while you’re here.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Because you love animals.”

  He hadn’t asked a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes.”

  Gill stood at the side of her bed. A raw, earthy scent replaced his expensive aftershave from earlier. His leg was mere inches from hers. One slight move and she would bump into him. The temptation to do just that to see his reaction was strong.

  Bad idea. Best not to agitate the beast.

  She had enjoyed poking and prodding him when she was younger. Maybe that was part of the reason he acted so annoyed around her.

  “You and Sophie weren’t at dinner,” he said.

  That must have made him happy, but he wasn’t smiling. “We ate in her room.”

  “Jennings said you were tired.”

  “I am.”

  Kat scooted further toward the middle of the bed to put more distance between her and Gill. Less temptation as well as a lower chance for accidental contact. She didn’t want him to think she was attracted to him.

  “But I also wanted Sophie to feel free to eat,” Kat admitted. “Her diet is stupid. Please tell me you’re not in favor of her losing weight before her wedding day.”

  “You still speak your mind.”

  He made that sound like a crime. Maybe in Alistonia it was. “Yes.”

  “The diet is not stupid,” he said. “My mother and the duchess are concerned about wedding pictures, even though Sophie looks fine as she is. In my family, you must pick your battles.”

  Unbelievable. Of any battle, he should pick this one for Sophie’s sake. No way would Kat let this go.

  “The diet is stupid.” She leveled a hard stare at him. “Losing twenty pounds would not be healthy for Sophie.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Twenty? My mother said five.”

  “The two mothers changed their minds about the amount. It went from five to ten to twenty. This is not only unnecessary, but also dangerous. If I have to steal food for Sophie to eat while I’m here, I will.”

  “There’s no need for you to do that.” The words came out quick, as if he knew what to do. “I’ll speak with my mother to keep you from having to resort to theft.”

  “Thank you. Sophie will be happy, and I’m relieved I won’t end up in the dungeon.”

  “We tend to use jails these days.”

  His playful tone caught Kat off-guard. Maybe he did have a sense of humor.

  “Good to know.” Kat yawned. “Excuse me.”

  “You should be asleep.”

  Nodding, she lay on her side facing the dog. She could reach Maximillian better that way.

  “I thought if I could stay awake longer, I’d adjust to the new time zone faster. But doing that has made for a long day.” She must be tired to be rambling. Gill didn’t care what she had to say. “I was about to go to bed when I heard a bark. I wanted to see if the mysterious Max had showed up.”

  “His name is Maximillian.”

  The dog likely had a fancy name that rivaled Sophie’s full name, but many dogs—including champion show dogs—had call signs or nicknames. Max seemed to fit this one better than a multi-syllable, pretentious-sounding name. “That’s a big name for such a cutie.”

  “Handsome, not cute.”

  “Are you going to disagree with everything I say?”

  A beat passed. “No.”

  His slight hesitation made her wonder if he had to think about this answer. Probably.

  She had to laugh. “It’s okay if you do.”

  He drew his brows together. “Why is that?”

  “Because we’re so different. I can’t imagine us agreeing on much, if anything.”

  “We both want what’s best for Sophie.”

  She nodded. “But that doesn’t mean you agree with me about what I think is best for her.”

  “Like the wedding diet?” he asked.

  “That’s just crazy.”

  “I agree.”

  That was a first. She might as well try for more. “Do you agree that Sophie isn’t a child?”

  “Sophie will always be my baby sister. Age won’t change that.”

  “True. She’s young at heart, the kind of person who loves to laugh and have fun, but she’s also an intelligent woman. She doesn’t need to be told what to do or eat or who to fall in love with and marry.”

  His jaw jutted forward. “We support her marriage to Bertrand.”

  Months of long calls and video chats rushed back to Kat. Sophie had been beside herself when Bertrand proposed, yet her family had been indifferen
t. That was the word Sophie had used while mascara-stained tears streamed down her face.

  “How long did it take for that to happen?” Kat asked.

  Gill didn’t say anything.

  She had him there.

  But this wasn’t a game with a score. He was correct. She only wanted what was best for Sophie.

  “Perhaps our support wasn’t instantaneous,” he admitted finally. “But that’s only because she’s a princess, second in line for the throne, and Bertrand is the second son of a duke.”

  “He’s a lord.”

  “That’s more of a courtesy title.”

  “He’s a decorated military pilot.”

  “Yes, and he has land holdings in Darbyton. We did come around to agreeing to the match.”

  Gill’s nonchalance infuriated Kat.

  “Waiting for you and your mother’s approval was agonizing for Sophie. I’m guessing Bertrand owning land wasn’t something that happened overnight.” She took his silence as an answer. “Did you consider the effect your delay had on Sophie?”

  A muscle ticked in Gill’s jaw.

  Obviously, he hadn’t. That surprised Kat because he cared for his sister and his overprotectiveness wasn’t an act.

  “We are Sophie’s family. We look out for her,” he announced as if Kat didn’t know that. “She might not always agree with us, but she doesn’t need to have you lurking in the distance making decisions for her.”

  Kat raised her chin. “I don’t lurk. My friendship with Sophie has never been a secret, and I don’t make decisions for her, either.”

  Only took the blame.

  But she understood he didn’t know that. Neither did the queen. But that was for Sophie’s sake.

  When they were sixteen, she and Sophie had decided to blame Kat or use her as the excuse for whatever Sophie wanted to do that went against her family’s wishes. Kat never thought she’d meet Sophie’s family, so what did it matter?

  But that would explain why Gill didn’t like Kat.

  He didn’t say anything, but the disbelief in his gaze spoke volumes.

  Max rolled against her.

  She rubbed the dog.

  “Looks like you have a new friend,” Gill said finally.