The Inherited Series Book 1: The Inherited

by Lily Burlington

  I bowed slightly and ran off up the stairs, leaving a very surprised Royal Family and a royally peeved Leopold behind. Angelique, who had been in the hall to greet me, followed quickly at my heel, eyes wide.

  I made it to my room and began undressing. Some of Leopold's damn blood had gotten on the front of my dress. I sighed, apologizing to Angelique.

  "Do not worry," she assured, "The cleaners can get it out."

  I was just pulling a cardigan on when I heard Leopold stomping down our hall. He banged on my door.

  "Cat, open this door. I'm not done talking to you yet," he demanded.

  Angelique ran into my closet, taking cover. Deserter.

  "No, Leopold. I told you, I'm not going to talk to you until you have calmed down," I told him softly but firmly.

  "Cat!" Leopold shouted furiously. Then something shattered. I cringed, thinking about the pretty vase on the table outside my door.

  It was quiet for a moment, something shifting in the air. Then Leopold spoke again, much quieter this time. "Please Cat, je vous en prie. I am sorry, please come out." He sounded defeated almost.

  I shook my head, "Sorry Leopold, not yet. Please leave. Go cool down."

  I heard him sigh and then take off down the hall, muttering a string of curse words. His bedroom door slammed shut.

  Angelique reappeared from the closet, offering me a belt, as if in forgiveness for ditching me. I threaded it hastily. "It’s okay, I don't blame you. I probably would have done the same thing. He is just a big bully really."

  She nodded, as if she understood.

  There was a soft knock at my door. I sighed, "Go away Leopold."

  "It's Beatrice," replied a soft voice on the other side of the door. I cringed, mentally kicking myself for my mistake. Angelique threw open the door instantly, and I bowed low hoping to make up for my mistake.

  "I was hoping you would come for a walk with me," the Queen smiled.

  "Of course, I am so sorry for shouting at you."

  She waved me off and we began making our way through the halls.

  She was silent and I slowly began to panic. Maybe I had gone overboard and Beatrice was mad at me for yelling at Leopold and she was now taking me to be locked up in the dungeon. My eyes darted across the corridor; looking for possible escape routes should the necessity arise.

  "Cat, may I call you Cat?" Beatrice began.

  I nodded, pleasantly surprised. This was off to a good start. "Please do."

  She smiled, "I wanted to thank you for being such a good influence on Leopold."

  "Pardon?" I asked confused.

  "I know you cannot see it, how could you? You never knew him before you arrived. Since you have come, Cat, my son has changed so much for the better. He has always been very alone and angry. I used to worry about him a lot, you know. Leopold's behaviors are so self-destructive and I did not know how to deal with it. I suppose it is Felip's and my faults, truly. We were always so preoccupied with Hector and Phillipa that Leopold sort of slipped through our fingers. It's hard though, because Hector and Phillipa always showed some sort of need or attachment to us, Leopold just pushed us away. He was always so independent, never showed the slightest interest in anyone other than himself. And his anger, always so volatile," she shook her head.

  "I don't see what this has to do with me," I told her honestly.

  "It has everything to do with you. From the day you arrived, Leopold has been infatuated with you."

  I scoffed at her comment, "I would hardly say that."

  "You may not see it. Like I said earlier, you didn't know him before. For the first time in his life, Leopold is showing an interest in someone else and actually cares how his actions are affecting them. His eyes are always on you, he is always asking where you are, and jumping up at the chance to be near you or help you. This is the first time since he was little that I have seen Leopold volunteer to touch someone so delicately and warm. Felip thought that it was just Leopold finally growing up, but I think it is so much more than that. Please be patient with him, Cat. He has a funny way of showing his affections sometimes but really takes things to heart. Be careful with him."

  I found it unlikely that Leopold would ever need to be treated carefully but agreed, "I will do my best."

  "That's all I ask. Keep doing whatever you are doing. I am a little jealous to say that you are the only one who has ever managed to have him fall in line. This is why Felip and I are granting you permission to do whatever it takes to get to him."

  "Why? I mean, I have made a complete fool of your family and am doing a terrible job with all of the etiquette."

  "That hardly matters. You will get the hang of it eventually and it is all really bothersome to tell you the truth. Right now, it is more important to concentrate on being yourself. Will you do that for me?"

  "Absolutely, and Beatrice, I wanted to thank you for having me. It has been a real honor spending time with your family."

  "The honor is all mine. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

  Beatrice disappeared down a flight of stairs, leaving me in front of the giant doors of the grand ballroom.

  Well, that's just great! Now I had an angry Prince to deal with and his parents who were expecting me to whip their son into shape through some kind of miracle. At least I had avoided the dungeon for now.

  I stumbled back to my wing of the castle, tired and just wanting this day to be over.

  I was broken out of my daze as the soft sound of music filled my ears. I recognized the melody: Claire de Lune. Curious, I followed the sound to the door across the hall from my room. It was a living room or library of sorts with big windows, leather sofas and shelves filled with books. It was, I had found out, where the telephone was located.

  I turned into the room to find Leopold bent over the piano in the far corner of the room. His long fingers were stroking the keys delicately. It was strange to see such carefulness and gentleness after such a physical display earlier. The song ended, the final notes hanging in the air between us.

  "That was beautiful," I whispered.

  Leopold jumped, but otherwise didn't change his position, "Thank you."

  I walked over to the piano until I was standing beside him. "May I?" I asked indicating the bench. Leopold slid down, making room for me. I sat down beside him. Our legs were pressed together in the limited space. I placed my left hand on keys and tried to imitate the beautiful music Leopold had just been playing.

  "My mother put me in piano lessons when I was little. I learned all of the notes and fingering, but the second I was placed in front of a piano, it was like I froze up. The music just wouldn't come out right." I frowned when I hit a foul note.

  Leopold's brow knit together and his lips parted slightly as if he was searching for words. "Cat, I want to apologize for my behavior this morning. I was completely out of line speaking to you like that."

  "It wasn't really my place to butt in," I admitted.

  "But you were right, I was being terrible. I'm not very good with using my words; it is in my nature to use my fists to get ahead. That really isn't an excuse though. I'm trying, I really am. I just slip sometimes."

  "I shouldn't have thrown so many accusations at you. I barely know you, it wasn't really fair."

  "But it was accurate. I am everything you said. Will you accept my apology? It would mean a lot to me."

  "Of course, I will."

  Leopold smiled broadly, "You know, I have never had someone speak to me with the audacity that you do. It is extremely infuriating."

  "I do my best," I said, hitting another foul note.

  Leopold scrunched his nose, placing his hand over the top of mine. "Here, it is like this," he said guiding my fingers to the correct notes. Pure music filled the room again and everything felt light.

  I finally took a chance to look him over. Leopold had changed into a pair of dark pants and a light blue button down. The front of the shirt was un-tucked and wrinkled, his sleeves pushed recklessly to his elbow
s. His hair was disheveled and there were crescent moons of dirt under his nails. He stunk of smoke. When I looked at his face, I winced. Leopold's nose had stopped bleeding but was now slightly puffy and deep purple bruises were forming under his eyes. Antoine had gotten him good.

  Despite myself, I found my hand reaching up, brushing my fingers across the bruises.

  Leopold stopped playing, his eyes fluttering shut. "It looks a lot worse than it feels," he stated.

  "Will you do something with me tomorrow?" he asked suddenly.

  "Sure, what did you have in mind?" I said.

  A smile pulled at the corners of Leopold's lips, "A surprise. Meet me in the garden at ten." Then Leopold reached up, wrapping his hand around my own which still lingered on his skin. He slid our hands down his cheek and placed a lingering kiss across my knuckles. "Good night, Cat."

  Then he rose to his feet and exited the room, leaving me on the bench trying to catch up with reality.

  I was outside in the garden at ten o'clock sharp the next morning. It was the same place that Leopold had taken me that first morning with the horses. It was beautiful really; the gardens were extravagant, overflowing with different kinds of blooms, trees and dripping foliage. They were extensive but I hadn't really had a chance to explore them yet.

  Angelique had dressed me in a simple pair of running shoes, jeans and a t-shirt this morning so I presume that whatever Leopold had planned wasn't something over the top.

  A couple of minutes later, Leopold appeared through the doors. He was dressed similar to me but had a knapsack over his shoulder and the usual aviators in place. I was beginning to hate those things. "Bon matin, sorry I'm late," he smiled.

  "I'll forgive you if you tell me where you are taking me," I said falling into step beside him. Leopold had to shorten his stride, however, so that I could keep up.

  "We are going on a picnic," he said. "Is that okay?"

  Well, that explained the mysterious bag. "Sounds perfect."

  We began making our way across the grass in thoughtful silence.

  "I have a question for you," I said, cutting the silence. "You said you were in the army but shouldn't you be at a base or something then?"

  Leopold adjusted his shoulder strap, "I was given leave to deal with all of this. I have to go back periodically starting in August. That reminds me; do you have my tags?"

  "Oh, sorry, I completely forgot," I said pulling the necklace over my head.

  "No problem. I knew they were safe with you," he said putting them on.

  "So, what do you do there?"

  "I'm in the air force. I drive helicopters and jets."

  "Really?"

  He nodded, "It's fantastic. How about you? Do you have any hobbies?"

  "Not really. I enjoy reading and writing mostly but I can cook too."

  Leopold nodded again and we returned to the silence. Apparently, I was going to have to do all the work because he appeared to be suffering from a sudden bout of shyness.

  "So, tell me about Phillipa and Hugo," I offered.

  "Hugo is the son of the Duke of Lamric on Carmencie and his mother is of British descent. He and ma soeur met at one of the state dinners and have been inseparable ever since. He is very good for my sister, calms some of her more erratic tendencies."

  "That's so cute."

  "They are very good together."

  "I don't mean to sound rude, but I have been wondering why you speak less English than the others."

  "No such thing as a bad question. You can ask me anything. I think I have had less exposure. Hector had to learn it much more in his studies to prepare for speeches and so forth and Phillipa from spending time with Hugo who was mostly raised by his mother."

  "Do you speak other languages?"

  "Quite a few."

  This game was beginning to reflect badly on me. I mean, how can reading and writing compete with a multilingual horse whispering, blade wielding, sword fighting, motorcycle riding, and jet flying badass? I at least needed to take up crocheting or something.

  "Voila," said Leopold stopping suddenly. I looked around for the first time in a while, taking in my surroundings. We seemed to be in an orchard of some kind. There were endless rows of trees going off in every direction. They were in bloom, tiny white flowers scattered across the branches. I could smell salt in the air and hear the sound of surf crashing against stone.

  Leopold put his bag on the ground and pulled a large, striped blanket from its depths, spreading it across the grass. I went and sat down the middle watching as he rooted further into his bag. After a moment, Leopold pulled out two slightly squished squares and looked up at me, a slight blush spreading across his cheeks.

  "Sandwiches are the only thing I can make," he told me. "Would you like ham or turkey?"

  I smiled, wondering why he would have gone through the effort of making food himself when he had a chef, especially if it made him so embarrassed.

  "Turkey please."

  He passed me one of the parcels. I could feel Leopold watching me as I peeled off the cellophane wrap quickly and took a bit of my sandwich. The bread was a little damp but otherwise okay.

  "Very good," I assured him. He smiled and unwrapped his own.

  I finished my meal quickly, wiped my fingers on my jeans and then lay back on the blanket. The sky was clear and a brilliant blue, the sun bright and hot against my skin.

  I turned and looked at Leopold. He was cutting a green apple with a short knife, the juice running down his fingers. When Leopold finished, he wiped his hands and the blade across the grass and lay down beside me.

  "Are we close to the ocean?" I asked after a moment.

  "The cliffs are just a little further up. There is a beach down the property too. I will take you there sometime if you wish."

  "That would be so awesome." I turned onto my side to face him and frowned when I was met with his glasses hiding his face. They made it very difficult to read his expressions.

  "May I?" I asked taking hold of the frames.

  "Si tu veux," he responded.

  I pulled his aviators off and folded them onto the collar of his shirt, giving him the option to put them back on if he wanted. "I like to see your eyes," I told him.

  Leopold laughed slightly darkly, "Well, I'm glad someone does. They creep most people out."

  "But they are so unique."

  "Exactement. It a genetic trait, passed down from Leopold the first. That is how I got my name. They got me into so much trouble; there is no mistaken identity with them."

  "I don't think it's the eyes that get you in trouble. I think you manage to do that on your own."

  "I used to long for them to be ordinary and brown like Hector's. I can't blend in."

  "Why would you ever try when you were clearly meant to stand out?" I realized then how close Leopold and I had become. His face was mere inches from mine, his sweet breath fanning across my face.

  I was surprised at the brief excitement that fluttered in my stomach. Leopold was going to kiss me. I didn't really know if I wanted this or not, hadn't ever really thought about it, but I was starting to find myself very attracted to the idea. My eyes fluttered shut on their own accord and I leaned closer.

  "Cat," Leopold murmured. "You are leaning on my tags."

  I frowned. That was something really strange to say before a kiss. Maybe it was a French thing.

  "Pardon?"

  "My dog tags, you are leaning on them," he repeated.

  His words hit me and I opened my eyes to find that I was, indeed, leaning on his necklace causing Leopold to come forward so that I didn't choke him.

  I shot up into a sitting position, blushing furiously. He hadn't wanted to kiss me; he was preventing himself from choking. I had been ridiculous thinking that he wanted to.

  Leopold cleared his throat and rose to his feet, offering me his hand. The glasses were in place again.

  "We should leave," he said briskly and began stuffing things into his bag again. His moti
ons were quick and choppy, angry almost. Then, as if he decided something suddenly, Leopold threw the knapsack to the ground and stepped towards me purposefully. He took my face in his hands almost roughly and pressed his lips to mine in the most careful of kisses.

  Our lips barely brushed at first, as if he was testing the waters. I unfroze from the shock, and returned the pressure eagerly. Leopold deepened the kiss, tilting my head back. My hands came up on their own accord and wound through the tangled locks of his hair.

  Leopold pulled away after a moment, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

  "Don't be sorry," I breathed, "You did fine."

  He let out a strangled laugh, pulling away. I was confused. Did I do something wrong? Leopold picked up his discarded bag and began walking back towards the castle.

  "I shouldn't have done that to you."

  "Why not? And I don't think you should get all the credit. I helped after all." I said tripping after him so that I could keep up.

  Leopold muttered something in French, "Listen, Cat. I like you, a lot, more than I probably should."

  Well clearly, subtlety and clarity were not his strong suits.

  "I like you too," I said.

  Leopold growled. "That's the problem. I should be trying to stay away from you, but I can't. I've tried, but I just can't do it. C'est impossible!"

  "What are you trying to say?" I asked. He wasn't making any sense.

  "We shouldn't be together. I come with a lot of baggage. You shouldn't have to give up your life for that."

  "Don't you think that's for me to decide? Besides, you are the ones who asked me here."

  "That's why I am giving you the choice. I am ready to try being with you, if that is what you want. I will not stay away from you unless you ask me."

  I thought about this for a second. I was here to help Leopold, and I really couldn't deny the fact that I was feeling a pull to be with him. There was a spark between us. I wasn't sure what it was but I definitely wanted to find out. "I'm in," I told him wholeheartedly.