Pretend Princess (Cordillera Royals Book 1)

by Carolyn Rae

  Wrapped in Allysa’s robe, she rang for Serena. The maid came instantly.

  Tricia asked, “Would you please bring me coffee and breakfast in half an hour so I can eat after I bathe?”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” Serena padded across the plush carpet and shut the door behind her.

  Tricia locked the bathroom door and luxuriated in hot sudsy water, careful not to get the dressing on her arm wet. She wondered how it would feel to have Prince Lawrence soaping her all over or climb in the enormous tub with her.

  No other man had inspired such fantasies, so why did Prince Lawrence? Was it because he was a prince and lived in luxury? No. That wasn’t it. She’d be attracted to him regardless of his status. Being a prince had shaped his personality, but she could almost forgive his arrogance when he turned on the charm.

  When she stepped out, she reached for one of Allysa’s perfume bottles. After sniffing several, she found a pleasant floral scent and dabbed some on her skin before donning the blue velvet robe. That might counteract the horsy smell she’d get from riding a horse.

  A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Yes?” she answered.

  “Your breakfast is here,” said a masculine voice that sounded like Prince Lawrence’s, but surely, he wouldn’t bring her breakfast.

  “Please put it on the table.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” the man answered. She waited to hear his receding footsteps before opening the bathroom door. She padded across the royal blue velvet carpet to open the door to the sitting room. It was slightly open. A broad-shouldered man was backing toward the bedroom with a cart. The smells made her mouth water. “Just set the tray on the table in the bedroom, then please leave while I dress.” She opened the armoire.

  “Please don’t back up and make me spill the coffee,” Prince Lawrence said.

  She turned to face him. “What are you doing bringing me breakfast? A servant can do that.”

  “Thought you’d like company with your breakfast. I have already eaten, but I brought enough coffee for two.”

  “Do you and the princess often share breakfast in her room?” Would the staff think Tricia and the prince were a little too cozy? Would Prince Lawrence act differently if he shut the door—maybe kiss her on her forehead? Or on the lips? Just the thought of him doing that set her heart beating faster.

  He set the tray on a small table with chairs. “They used to serve us breakfast in here all the time when we were kids. I miss her and hope she is all right. However, I do enjoy your company.”

  He pointed to the tray. “The scones are fresh from the oven. They taste better if you eat them while they’re hot.”

  She sat, picked up a scone, and glanced at a bowl filled with something that looked like thick whipped cream. “What’s this, clotted cream again?”

  “Scones are good with jam and cream.”

  She spread the raspberry jam on the scone and covered it with the cream. “Mm mm. It’s delicious.” She took another bite. “I could get addicted.”

  He grinned, and his eyes had a teasing look. “But can you get it across the pond?”

  “In the states, you mean? Probably not, but it sure is good.”

  He poured them each a cup of coffee. “Cream? Sugar?”

  “One teaspoon of sugar and a bit of cream.”

  After stirring it and handing it to her, he sat across from her.

  She sipped the rich blend. He’d fixed her coffee just right. “So, what does Allysa wear when she goes riding?”

  Lawrence shook his head. He rose, opened the armoire, and pulled out a pair of brown riding pants and a matching jacket. After rummaging in a chest of drawers, he pulled out a gold knit shirt. “This is what she wears when she goes riding with Edward. Riding is the only time it’s acceptable for a woman to wear pants in public here in Cordillera.” He set the jacket and the shirt on the bed. “Let me change your dressing before you put on the jacket. It has probably bled some since last night.”

  “No. I’ll ask Serena.”

  “It was my fault, and I will be gentle.”

  After she finished her coffee, he took her hand and led her to the bathroom. His warm touch felt comforting.

  Lawrence laid out ointment, a gauze pad and some adhesive tape. “Like my mother used to, I wish I could kiss it and make it feel better, but you are too big for that.” He grinned.

  Not daring to encourage him, Tricia leaned away.

  He pushed up the sleeve of Allysa’s blue velvet robe. His touch set her pulse racing. He gently sponged off the dried blood, his face so close she felt his warm breath on her face.

  He seemed to be concentrating on her wound, but she caught him stealing a glance down her neckline. Heat rose from her breasts to her neck. She liked knowing he found her attractive, but she should probably be insulted. However, she couldn’t think what to say. Meeting his gaze, she saw his lips curve into a smile for a few seconds before he resumed a serious expression. However, a sparkle of interest lingered in his brown eyes.

  Gently he smoothed salve on her arm and laid a gauze square over her wound. Tenderly, he patted that down, then taped it securely. “Now, if you will get dressed, I will come by in a little while to take you to the stables.” He smoothed the sleeve down her arm. “I wonder if any of the stable hands saw Allysa leave with someone.”

  “Surely, the guards would have questioned them by now. Luckily, Sir Appleby didn’t seem interested in talking to me the other night before I left the dinner table. Do you think he suspects?”

  “Remember, the queen asked you to leave early so no one, especially Edward, could get a close look at you. He did not have had much chance to approach you.”

  “Could you ask one of the stable hands about Princess Allysa, maybe under the guise of a watchful cousin?”

  “That might raise more suspicion. Let’s just go riding and enjoy the day. I hope my cousin is missing because she wants to be. She probably hasn’t realized what a stir her absence would cause.”

  Tricia pushed the breakfast tray away. “If she is pregnant, do you think one of her suitors might be the father?”

  “I do not think she liked either Appleby or Templeton that much. Maybe she is not pregnant. Maybe she just wanted to get away.”

  “I hope that’s all it is—except hasn’t she been gone more than a week?”

  “It has only been six days. Even royalty need to get away at times. I will return in half an hour.”

  After he left, she changed into the riding garb, complete with boots that were a surprisingly good fit. She had a servant bring her an apple cut in half, and she met the prince in the hall.

  As she walked with him to the stables, Prince Lawrence said, “I recommend Dolly. She is a gentle mare and not likely to bolt for the stable. She plods along, but is very amenable to direction.”

  Outside, two soldiers fell in step behind them. Lawrence turned to the shorter one. “I don’t expect any trouble. One of you will be enough. Pierre, you come with us.”

  Pierre waited outside when they entered the barn. Inside a tall, skinny stable boy gave Tricia a big smile. However, when she stepped closer and asked him to saddle Dolly, he stared at her for a moment, then disappeared into the stables. A few minutes later, he came back and said, “Dolly’s not here. Perhaps the stable master sold her.”

  “Why would he do that?” asked Lawrence.

  “She’s not a favorite with the king or the queen.” He turned to face Tricia. “Your Highness, would you like to ride Ginger this morning? She has a bit more spirit so you can gallop across the fields?”

  Not sure what to say, Tricia turned toward Lawrence.

  “Bring out Ginger, Ned.” As the stable boy left, Lawrence whispered. “I suggest you keep a tight rein on Ginger. Palominos are apt to be high spirited and contrary, but as long as you show Ginger who is boss, you will be all right.”

  Tricia swallowed, but made up her mind to do just that. The stable boy returned with a palomino mare.

  “Oh,
she’s beautiful.” Tricia let the horse smell her hand, then held out an apple half, which Ginger took. Tricia patted the mare’s nose, then gave her the other half. “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine,” she said as Ned brought a stool for her to step on. She gave Ned a smile. “Thank you.”

  He blinked, then said, “You’re welcome, Your Highness.”

  Prince Lawrence led the way out of the stable. “Ned will find a horse for Pierre. We can wait for him at the palace gate.”

  Tricia moved her horse up beside Lawrence’s. In a low voice, she said, “Ned looked at me kind of funny. Do you suppose he suspects?”

  “I’m not sure. Allysa once said she thought he had a crush on her.”

  “He can’t be more than sixteen.”

  Lawrence looked back at her. “I remember when Allysa was fifteen and thought our new cook was the handsomest man she had ever seen. Did you have a crush on some boy at that age?”

  “Not a boy. A movie star. Handsome and impossible to even get near. I guess it’s safer for a girl to want someone unapproachable. No chance of rejection.”

  “Anyone I might have heard of?”

  “I doubt it, but he was dark-haired and had the most adorable smile.”

  “And now that you are grown up?”

  “I still think he’s handsome, but he looks a lot older now and not nearly so appealing.”

  Prince Lawrence fingered his cinnamon-colored mustache. “I fear my rank overshadows anything else about me. That is all most women see when they look at me.”

  She stared at him. “You mean they don’t try to know the real you.”

  He nodded.

  “Why? You can have your pick of any of the single women in your country.” Would she be found less attractive in comparison? Why was she even thinking she had a chance with him?

  “That is just the problem. If a woman falls into my arms, I lose interest. I prefer a stimulating discussion with someone who treats me like an equal, like you do.”

  Feeling pleased and a little more confident, she pointed a finger at him. “You’re a prince. You think you have to decide everything and intimidate a woman into going along. Did you ever go on a date where you asked the woman what she wanted to do?”

  He looked surprised. “But if I ask a woman to join me at dinner or for the opera, she can always refuse.”

  “Has any woman ever refused your offer?”

  “No.”

  “I’m sure they were all too polite to say anything. But you’d seem far more appealing if you asked a woman if she had a preference. That’s what a real gentleman does.”

  Prince Lawrence halted his horse at the palace gate and turned to face her. “Are you implying I’m not a gentleman?”

  “No, but it would seem much nicer to offer a lady a choice.”

  Pierre rode up behind them, and the three of them continued on. Pierre kept a respectful distance behind as the prince guided his horse to walk beside hers.

  Lawrence faced her as their mounts moved toward open country. “I believe any woman would enjoy being treated royally. I always have servants available to grant any wish, no matter how trivial.”

  “But what if you took a woman on a date without any servants to wait on you, where you had to entertain her with nothing but your charming self?”

  “I would try to draw her into conversation about her family.”

  “But then what?”

  “I doubt a woman would be interested in my daily activities, such as the girls school I support and the other charities I am involved in, including a home for battered women.”

  “You mean men rule like kings here, and yet you have problems with husbands who beat their wives?”

  He nodded. “Why should you find that so surprising? Are not people the same all over the world?”

  She took a deep breath. “You’re probably right about that.” She looked him in the eye. “Would you expect your wife to follow any orders you give?”

  “I would hope that she would accede to my wishes without me having to command her.”

  She glared at him. “I bet you’d expect her to wait on you hand and foot?”

  He shook his head. “I’d have plenty staff for that, but yes, I would expect her to do as I say. I would not want her to wear revealing clothes or embarrass me in public by speaking opinions contrary to mine.”

  “You don’t want a wife, you want a puppet.”

  He looked astonished. “Surely, you don’t mean that. However, any woman suitable for marriage to me would be of noble birth. She would have been brought up to expect that.”

  Tricia stared at Lawrence. “Forgive me for saying it, but I could never marry any man in this backward country who feels the way you do.”

  He glared at her. “That is absurd and unfair. You should choose a husband for who he is, not for his country. And Cordillera is not backward. We host swarms of tourists every year. People like our country because it’s not over commercialized like, say, Monaco.”

  “Actually, I like how you welcome tourists. It’s the way you hold women back I don’t understand.”

  “What do you mean? Women can get jobs in Cordillera. They can even be presidents of their own companies.”

  Ginger snorted, but kept on walking. Tricia kept the reins loose. “I don’t believe it’s fair to have a law against married women working unless their husbands are disabled.”

  “We need to save the jobs for people who need them to support their families.”

  “What if the husband doesn’t make enough to support the family?”

  Just then a short, dark-haired woman walked by, carrying half a dozen shirts on hangers and holding the hand of a girl about three, who skipped along trying to keep up.

  Lawrence nodded in the woman’s direction. “Like her, a wife can start a little business of her own. Some women make and sell stuffed animals or baskets or jewelry for extra income.”

  “From what I hear, a woman has to start a business to be president. I never read about any women CEOs of companies of any size here.”

  Pierre rode up beside them and reined in his horse until the woman passed.

  Prince Lawrence urged his mount to head toward the woods bordering the palace grounds. The spicy scent of juniper trees beckoned. Tricia rode beside him, and Pierre followed.

  Soon dry leaves and twigs crunched beneath the horses’ hooves, and the smell of fresh dirt filled the air. Cheerful chirps sounded from a bird in the branches, and dew drops from the green leafy canopy landed on Tricia’s sleeve, chilling her.

  As they trekked deeper into the woods, Lawrence held up a branch to keep it from striking Tricia. She smiled. “Thanks. Did you know that women in the United States can work at any job they can handle?”

  “Any job? Like climbing a scaffolding to work in construction or welding?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Suppose a male boss doesn’t want to hire a woman?”

  “She goes somewhere else. However, if she can prove discrimination, she can sue.”

  “Then they can get any job they want?”

  “Oh, there’s still prejudice against women in some jobs, but women are making inroads, much more so than in Cordillera.”

  “I see.”

  She glanced behind her. Pierre was following at a discreet distance, but looked to each side and behind as if scouting for any pursuers.

  As they rode out of the woods. Tricia blinked at the bright sunlight. Steep mountains lay just beyond a grassy plain.

  The sound of galloping hooves resounded through the forest. Prince Lawrence drew his sword. Pierre, who’d ridden up beside them, did as well. They waited.

  A soldier burst out of the trees and halted. “Pierre, your wife has been hurt in an accident. A car ran into her. She was taken to the doctor, but she is calling for you.”

  “Which doctor is tending to her, Jose?” Prince Lawrence asked. “If necessary, I can summon the royal physician.”

  Jose shook his head. “I d
on’t know, but I can take him there.”

  Pierre faced his master with a worried expression. Prince Lawrence pointed back the way they had come. “You must go. Jose, will you stay to guard us?”

  “No, Your Highness, I am needed to watch the children. They are not old enough to stay alone and are very upset.”

  “I see. My cousin and I will be all right. We will return shortly.”

  “Are you sure, Your Highness?” Pierre asked.

  “Yes, Pierre, now go. I hope your wife is not seriously injured.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness.”

  Pierre turned his horse and followed Jose into the woods.

  Lawrence pulled on his reins until his stallion faced the summit. “Let’s allow our mounts to run for a spell.” He dug in his heels. His horse took off. Hers followed. Faster and faster Ginger ran, as if trying to overtake the prince’s horse.

  Hanging on for all she was worth, Tricia tried not to think about falling off and breaking a leg. Her heart pounded, and she gripped the reins so tight, she couldn’t let go if she wanted to. Pulse racing, she concentrated on the feel of the wind on her face as her hair streamed out behind.

  She’d never ridden this fast. It was exhilarating. But now they were heading across the plain toward the mountains. Surely, Lawrence would stop when they reached the base of the mountains.

  He only slowed his horse and headed up a trail. Ginger followed. Tricia hoped the horses were surefooted.

  Higher and higher they went. A third of the way up, she looked back. Mist arose through a break in the scrubby trees. Must be a stream there. Above a lone hawk circled. A flock of birds rose and flew off. In the distance the turrets of the castle and the spire of a church topped with a cross were visible.

  As they rode higher, trees gave way to low bushes. A breeze bent tall grasses back and forth. Tricia drew in a deep breath. The air smelled fresh and clean with only the faint smell of the horses and a hint of pine.

  The landscape changed to rocks and dirt with a few scattered clumps of grass. The summit shaded them from the sun. A breeze chilled Tricia, making her glad she wore a jacket.

  Lawrence rounded a bend in the rocky pathway, and she couldn’t see him or his horse. Ginger plodded a little faster as if anxious to keep up. Round the bend, Lawrence sat tall and proud on his stallion, surveying his kingdom from the summit as if he were already king.