Christmas at the Castle

by Melissa McClone

  After what seemed like ten minutes, but was probably only one, the queen picked up her spoon and tasted the soup. As if on cue, the others did the same. Kat picked up her spoon.

  Isaac gave her a half-nod.

  That made her feel better.

  Careful not to slurp, she tasted the soup. Butternut squash with a mix of spices she couldn’t name. Tasty.

  “How do you like Alistonia?” Bertrand asked her.

  She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “It’s lovely. Sophie showed me a couple of places in town today. I can’t wait to see more. The people are so friendly. Everyone is very welcoming.”

  “Alistonians are friendly and welcoming to all,” Queen Louise said. “I don’t know why you’d expect them to be otherwise.”

  What? Kat had been complimentary, not negative, but she didn’t know what to say without coming off defensive. Which she was, but that might get Queen Louise more upset.

  Jamie picked up his wineglass. “I must have missed part of the conversation because that’s not what I heard.”

  Sophie nodded. “Jamie’s correct. That’s not what Kat said, Mother.”

  “No?” The queen sounded surprised. “Well, that’s what it sounded like to me.”

  “Then perhaps Kat should sit in my place so you won’t have to strain your hearing,” Gill said to his mother, much to Kat’s surprise.

  He was the last person she expected to stand up for her, but she appreciated the effort, as she’d appreciated his others—covering her with a blanket and stopping the wedding diet. Gill might turn out to be more of a prince charming than she thought.

  “If Kat sits closer to me, I can translate if needed, ma’am,” Jamie offered.

  The queen’s lips pressed together. She avoided looking toward Kat’s side of the table. “Thank you both, but the first course has been served. I’ll pay closer attention to what is said.”

  “Thank you, Mother,” both Gill and Sophie said at the same time.

  Jamie winked.

  Staring into her bowl, Kat sipped her soup. The less she said in front of the queen, the better.

  Bertrand leaned toward her. “I’m close enough to hear you fine. I’d love to know about Sophie’s camp days. She says the two of you had so much fun, but she won’t share any details.”

  “I’d imagine pillow fights in T-shirts and panties, reading each other’s diaries, and braiding hair.” Jamie sipped his wine.

  Not bad guesses for the marquess. Kat exchanged a glance with Sophie.

  “You imagine girls at camp?” Gill asked with a look of distaste.

  “Females are females.” Jamie set his glass on the table. “Whether at camp, in a sorority, or at girls’ night, only the ages change.”

  Bertrand shrugged. “I’d still like to know.”

  “Sophie will have to tell you the specifics,” Kat said to him. If Sophie hadn’t told him about their times at camp together, Kat wouldn’t, either. They hadn’t done anything wrong, but that was a time of growing up and sharing secrets. Girl stuff. “My memory isn’t what it used to be.”

  “Mine, either.” Sophie didn’t miss a beat. “I believe it’s called BFF amnesia.”

  Kat nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard something about that. A good thing we have pictures or we’d never remember anything.”

  “We can ask Gill to fill in the missing gaps,” Sophie teased. “He used to follow us around.”

  Jamie raised his wineglass in Gill’s direction. “I knew there was more to you than meets the eyes. If I’d been at that camp, I would have followed these lovelies around, too.”

  Kat hadn’t known he’d done that. “You followed us?”

  Red tinged Gill’s cheeks. The blush was uncharacteristic and cute. “On occasion.”

  “That was my doing,” Queen Louise said. “I asked Guillaume to keep an eye on his sister.”

  “Why?” Sophie asked.

  “Because my little girl was going off to the Wild West in America, and I was worried. That’s what mothers do. Worry about our children.” The queen held Sophie’s hand. “You may be grown up and getting married, but you’ll always be my little girl.”

  Sophie beamed brighter than she had in her wedding dress today. “Thank you, Mother.”

  A lump formed in Kat’s throat. Gill and Sophie had so much patience for their mother. He’d mentioned one of the reasons earlier in the sitting room, but now Kat saw for herself.

  Queen Louise sipped her wine. “Enough sentimentality. Who’s ready for the next course?”

  Beneath the queen’s hard edges and harsh words lay a mother’s heart full of love for her children. Bertrand was now accepted as someone who loved Sophie. Jamie, too. Kat, however, was as an outsider and, for some odd reason, viewed as a threat.

  Not how she’d wanted things to be, but she understood a little better. Maybe by the time Kat left Alistonia, the queen could say she knew more about Kat and, at least, tolerated her.

  Kat glanced at Gill. The crown prince, too.

  “So Kitty Kat.” Jamie stared over the rim of his wineglass. “How about we leave the two love birds alone tomorrow and go sightseeing?”

  Sophie and Bertrand held hands under the table. Their gazes had hardly left each other’s. The couple needed time alone, but Kat would need to keep Jamie on a tight leash and not let his flirting get out of control. He was a little too out there for her tastes.

  “That sounds like fun,” Kat said.

  Gill wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Yes, it does sound like fun. I’ll go with you.”

  That got Sophie’s attention. Her nose scrunched. “You have to work.”

  “I doubt Mother would want us to leave our houseguests on their own. That wouldn’t be polite.”

  Sophie gave her brother a look. “They don’t mind.”

  “We don’t,” Jamie offered.

  His grin was full of innuendo, which made Kat think maybe Gill should go. She’d never needed a chaperone, but Jamie might.

  “I’m happy to offer my services as a tour guide,” Gill said.

  “Gill knows all the sights,” Queen Louise said. “However, Claude could take Kat if you gentlemen would rather tour on your own.”

  The queen’s words weren’t lost on Kat. For whatever reason, Queen Louise wanted to keep her away from both Jamie and Gill. Kat didn’t want to imagine the reason, but she had a feeling if she wasn’t careful that a trip to the dungeon might be in her future.

  A one-way trip.

  *

  After dinner, Gill changed out of his suit and into a pair of shorts and T-shirt. He glanced at Maximillian, who was sprawled across the bed. “Want to go for a run?”

  The dog sat. His tail wagged like a metronome.

  “I take that as a yes.”

  Good, because he needed to burn off energy. Jamie’s flirting had sent Gill’s temper spiraling out of control.

  Pounding the pavement was better than punching a wall. Or a certain marquess staying in the guest wing. Perhaps Gill should assign royal guards to stand watch in front of Kat’s door.

  The Marquess of Darbyton knew how to have a good time, and his reputation with the ladies was legendary. Jamie somehow juggled a handful of women without getting caught or burned. His good looks drew women in like a tractor beam. His wit kept them laughing. His awe-inspiring mountain climbing tales had them wanting to be the one he was with before setting off on his next conquest.

  Although usually that would be another woman, not an unconquered peak in the Himalayans or Alaska. The man’s unfettered life—at least until he became the duke—appealed to Gill at a gut level.

  Jamie had been the pursuer tonight, but who knew what Kat might want from the man?

  Gill couldn’t allow the two to hook up. His mother wanted to avoid a scandal. That pairing would be instant tabloid fodder. He put on his socks and running shoes.

  “Jamie isn’t going to be happy, but I need to keep him away from Kat.”

  Maximillian jumped off the bed and sat
next to Gill.

  He petted him.

  Sophie burst into the room without knocking. Her eyes were the color of dark chocolate. That usually meant she was angry.

  “I thought you’d be with Bertrand,” Gill said.

  She placed her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting ready for a run.”

  She blew out a breath. “I mean tomorrow.”

  Maximillian trotted over to Sophie, but she didn’t bend down to rub him.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Gill said.

  “You can’t be Kat and Jamie’s tour guide. You’ll be in the way. The proverbial third wheel.”

  “Sightseeing isn’t a date.”

  “But it could turn into one if you’re not there.” Sophie paced back and forth. Maximillian followed at her heels. “My plan for tomorrow does not include you being a tour guide.”

  Her plan? He swore under his breath. This could not be happening. “You want Kat to go out with Jamie.”

  Sophie stopped pacing. “I want her to marry him.”

  The words hit like a punch to the gut.

  His jaw tensed. He felt sick that Sophie was being dragged into a scheme to snare a royal husband for her friend. “Kat asked you to do this.”

  It wasn’t a question because Gill knew the answer.

  “What?” Sophie drew back. “Kat has no idea what I’m doing.”

  Gill rubbed the back of his neck, but that did nothing to loosen the tight muscles. He was confused. Kat had to be involved. “What exactly are you doing?”

  “Playing matchmaker.” Sophie leveled a finger at him. “And you’d better not tell her.”

  He groaned. “Stop. Before this gets out of hand.”

  “I’m not going to stop. Jamie and Kat are perfect together.” Sophie clasped her hands to her chest. “They’ll have beautiful, blue-eyed babies.”

  Gill’s stomach churned. He thought he might be sick. “The two just met, and you’re already talking babies?”

  With a big grin, Sophie nodded.

  Time to bring his little sister back to earth. “Not going to happen.”

  She finally rubbed Maximillian. “Why not?”

  “Jamie is a love ’em and leave ’em, delete their contact info from his phone type of guy. Marriage isn’t part of his vocabulary. Girlfriend, either.”

  “Jamie may have been that way in the past.” Her tone wavered with uncertainty.

  Gill arched a brow. “Kitty Kat?”

  Sophie shrugged. “He has a unique sense of humor.”

  “One that could get him slapped by certain women or arrested in a few countries.” Not to mention break Kat’s heart. Not that Gill cared.

  “He’s not that bad.”

  “Oh, yes, he is.”

  Sophie tilted her head. “Maybe he was, but Jamie’s changed. Or he’s in the process of changing.”

  “How so?”

  “Bertrand told me the duke has threatened to cut off Jamie’s allowance if he doesn’t settle down.”

  “No more womanizing or—”

  “The duke wants him to marry. Jamie has a year to find a wife.” Sophie grinned. “The timing couldn’t be better.”

  She made the situation sound so simple. Which it wasn’t. “Jamie might need a wife, but Kat—”

  “When they get married, Kat and I will finally be sisters. Won’t that be fabulous?”

  When, not if.

  In some ways, Sophie was still a dreamy girl, one who believed that unicorns lived on the other side of rainbows. Funny considering some of the cases she worked on were heart wrenching and showed the darker side of people. But she never let that consume her. Gill didn’t want to burst her bubble—no doubt, it was pink and heart shaped—but she needed to be reasonable and realistic.

  “Not sisters, sisters-in-law.”

  “Close enough.” Sophie shimmied her shoulders. “I’ve dreamed of this happening…forever.”

  “You haven’t known Jamie that long.”

  She shook her head. “Not with him, silly. I originally wanted Kat to marry you or Jacques. But then Jacques couldn’t get married and you can’t stand Kat.”

  Gill stiffened. “I never said I couldn’t stand her.”

  “Actions speak louder than words, dear brother. Not that Kat has ever been interested in you.”

  That puzzled him. Granted, Kat would have been too young back in camp, but during college, vet school, and now…

  “I’m considered as much a catch as Jamie is. Perhaps a better one given my rank and wealth.”

  “For some women, yes. Not for Kat.”

  Gill should let this drop, but he couldn’t. His ego stung. “Why not?”

  Sophie sat on a chair. “You really want to know?”

  He needed to know the reason. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t getting involved with Kat. “Yes.”

  “Well, to start with, you’re not nice to her. You haven’t been nice from the day we met.”

  He pointed to his calf. “She’s the reason I got hurt. See the scar?”

  “Which shows you hold grudges,” Sophie said without missing a beat. “Another checkmark against you.”

  He scoffed. “Kat was irresponsible.”

  “She was thirteen,” Sophie countered.

  He could picture that day as clearly as yesterday. The touch of Kat’s hand as she comforted him. The bravado she’d shown opening her knife. “Perhaps it’s time to let what happened by the lake go.”

  “How big of you.”

  He deserved that. “Anything else.”

  “You glare at Kat.”

  “I do not.”

  “Yes, you do. You always have, even back at camp. If you’re not glaring, you’re staring. It’s borderline creepy.”

  Gill wanted to deny it, but he had been trying to figure out Kat. She had the right motivation to be a gold digger, except nothing she’d said lined up with that. She could have easily left with Jamie tonight after dinner, but she hadn’t.

  Perhaps Gill had gone overboard in his assessment of her.

  “I’m not used to seeing her around here,” he admitted. “I’ll be more careful at how often I look at her.”

  Maximillian rubbed up against Sophie.

  She gave him another pat. “Good, because if I didn’t know better, I’d think you liked her.”

  “I don’t.” He said the words quickly. “Anything else?”

  “Yes, but this reason is mine.”

  “Yours?”

  Sophie nodded. “I finally realized Mother would never approve of a match between the two of you, so I gave up on the dream.”

  “A smart move.”

  “But now that I’m getting married and will have a brother-in-law—”

  “You want your dream to come true.”

  “Very much so. And no one is going to get in the way of this happening.” Sophie narrowed her gaze. “You need to come up with an excuse why you can’t go with them tomorrow. An illness or emergency at work. Something that sounds plausible.”

  “Is Kat interested in Jamie?” Gill asked.

  “I haven’t asked her, but Kat wants me to be happy. I want the same thing for her. Jamie would keep her laughing. He’s easy on the eyes, too.”

  “Kat might want to marry someone she falls in love with.”

  “She can fall in love with Jamie. They just need time. Alone.”

  Nothing was going to change Sophie’s mind. Gill scratched his chin. “You’ve got this figured out.”

  “Please don’t get in the way of this falling together.”

  Falling was the wrong word. She was piecing this couple together like an intricate jigsaw puzzle. Only he had a feeling the pieces wouldn’t fit as well as she imagined.

  “I’ll speak with Mother, but if she wants me to go sightseeing with them…”

  Sophie’s shoulders sagged. “You’ll have to go. If you do, please give Jamie and Kat plenty of space and time alone.”

  I
f Gill did that, he had no doubt Jamie would try to get Kitty Kat to purr. And succeed.

  Gill’s stomach roiled.

  Not happening. The man needed to be kept in line, so did Kat. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  *

  The next day, Kat found herself stuck between two handsome men at the National Art Museum, an older building with gargoyles on the outside and masterpieces hanging on the walls inside. She should be enjoying the artwork, but she wanted to be anywhere but here. She felt sandwiched like the peanut butter and jelly with Gill and Jamie the slices of bread.

  If one was on her right, the other appeared on her left. In the limousine, up in the bell tower, and at the park where people ice skated when the temperature was cold enough. It wasn’t today, but given the chilly glances exchanged by the two men, the temperature should hit freezing by early afternoon. The only one who seemed to be enjoying himself was Claude, who was not only their driver, but also Gill’s bodyguard. The man used to be in some kind of Special Forces unit when he was younger. He’d been trying not to laugh since they left the castle, sending her sympathetic looks. Maybe she and Claude could sneak off and enjoy the artwork on another floor.

  “The colors are so vibrant,” Jamie said of a modern art painting. “Alive.”

  Gill nodded. “Vivid. Invocative.”

  “Emotional with a hint of anger,” Jamie added.

  Kat fought the urge to scream. Maximillian behaved better than these two. “You like this painting?”

  Both men nodded.

  She squinted and tried to see what she was missing. Nope. She had no idea what the artist’s intention was other than mimicking a preschooler’s artwork.

  “What do you think?” Jamie asked.

  “There’s a cat that comes to the clinic who paints,” she said. “I’d pay for one of those canvases. Not this mess.”

  “It’s not that great,” Gill backtracked.

  Jamie nodded. “Not at all.”

  Had the two made a bet? Or was this a bizarre, oldest son territorial pissing match? Maybe a game of one-upmanship?

  Kat had no idea what was going on, but she didn’t like being caught in the middle. They definitely weren’t after her because every word out of their mouths made them less attractive. She’d rather spend the day with the queen and duchess than their sons. At least Kat knew where she stood with the women.