The Inherited Series Book 1: The Inherited

by Lily Burlington

  Everyone was still at the regatta though, and I wasn't really sure how to find Leopold. I was allowed, right? I mean we were dating, plus I wanted to apologize. It just felt so strange to go seeking him out. Usually he just appeared. Where does one go looking for a prince, anyway? There were far too many rooms, so I figured I should just start with the most obvious.

  I left the safety of my bed and ventured down the hall to the big, carved, black door at the very end. Hesitantly, I knocked. Rapid French responded. The good news was it was Leopold; the bad news was that I had no idea what he said. "Ahh, it's Cat," I tried.

  There was a pause. "Come in."

  I pushed through the door and into his bedroom. The doors were wide open, leading to a balcony over the gardens. Warm air fluttered into the room. My eyes landed on Leopold who was sitting on the balcony's railing. He had a cigarette in the fingers of his left hand. Smiling, he took a long drag.

  I crossed the room between us, indicating the cigarette pointedly, "That's bad for you, you know?"

  Leopold pursed his lips and then flicked what was left of the cigarette into the bushes below. Well, at least that explained the smell of smoke that seemed to always cling to him.

  I stopped in front of him and Leopold lifted his hands, gently cradling my jaw. He placed the softest of kisses on my forehead. "Je te demande pardon," he murmured.

  I frowned slightly, "Why? I'm the one who fell in the river."

  "I shouldn't have left you alone; I should have come over when Antoine approached you. I did not see, I am sorry."

  "Yeah, he was kind of...rude," I decided, choosing my words carefully.

  Leopold's hands slid from my face, tightening into fists, "What did he say to you?"

  "Nothing important," I assured him, not wanting to encourage Leopold's anger. "I promise, I'm perfectly fine."

  "If you are certain," Leopold said, holding my eyes, "You just scared me, Cat, which is a feeling I do not experience very often. Please don't do it again."

  "I'll do my best," I told him.

  My breath caught in my throat as he leaned forward, pressing his lips gently to mine. It surprised me for a moment, but my hands found their way to his neck and he deepened the kiss.

  There was a knock on the door, interrupting us. Leopold growled, resting our foreheads together, not moving away. "Qui est la?" he demanded, running his lips across my jaw. I shivered.

  "It is Michael, mon Seigneur, it is time for the meeting," said the voice from the other side, Michael, apparently.

  "J'arrive," replied Leopold. "Merde," he swore under his breath. "I'm sorry, but we have to go and speak with the Governors. I told my parents about our decision and there are certain steps that must be followed and concerns that must be addressed."

  "I think I can manage," I told him, standing on my toes to kiss him once more. Leopold smiled, sliding off the railing, and leading me by the hand out of his room and through the halls.

  We stopped somewhere in the center of the castle, in front of two giant wooden doors. Leopold put his hand on my cheek, gently lifting my chin so that our eyes met. His strange gaze was heavy as he examined my own. "I promise everything will be fine. I will be with you the entire time; they just need to make sure you understand a few things. I think it will be good, I was kind of wondering about a few things myself."

  "Couldn't they just give me a brochure or text book or something?" I grumbled.

  Leopold laughed and kissed the top of my head. "Come on."

  It was the conference room I had been taken to when I had first arrived in Solis. Once again, the long table was surrounded by old men who stood when Leopold and I entered. Felip was sitting at the head, glasses on as he read over some paperwork, but he smiled at us when he heard the commotion. "Leopold, Catherine, I am glad to see that you are safe and dry."

  Leopold lead me to a seat second to Felip's right and held out my chair for me before sitting down between his father and I. Cups of coffee were placed in front of us by kitchen staff. I had no intention of drinking the coffee, but poured some cream in it just to do something and not have to see all of the Governors’ curious faces.

  "I have some news, gentlemen," continued Felip, addressing the room now. "My son has notified me that he and Catherine Sinclair have decided to have a relationship with one another." To my utter horror, the entire room broke out into a round of applause. Felip raised his hand to quiet them.

  "Yes, it is splendid news, but there are some matters that must be discussed surrounding this. Governor Jean Richard is joining us to assure that Catherine is treated fairly." He pointed to a small, balding man in a green suit that was sitting next to him. The King shuffled through the pile in front of him, pulling out a file. They had a freaking file about this? "We need to make sure that we have all of our bases covered, that everyone understands the circumstances, and that we have a plan should the worst happen. Would anyone like to start?"

  I balked. My relationship was being put into the hands of old men to debate over. If I ever got to be queen, this government was definitely going to have a defiant make over. I mean, could they really have nothing better to do than this? I felt like world hunger or the fact that their prince partakes in questionably legal activities may be of greater concern than Leopold's and my relationship which, really, hasn't happened yet. I don't think the Governors shared my ideas though, because one of them stood and started to speak.

  "First," he said, making his handlebar mustache quiver, "I would like to congratulate the couple, as well the Family DuMont. It is a great thing to see the DuMont and Sinclair families united once again after so long."

  Felip and Leopold nodded their thanks and the man continued. "What I am concerned about is the media and the press. We will have to lift the media ban and, once the news gets out, it will attract much attention, not only in our country, but also globally. Are we ready to deal with this? Once the news is out that they are dating, all of the other information will be soon to follow. How much are we willing to tell?"

  The man sat down and Felip quickly scrawled down a few notes in the file before the next Governor stood.

  "We have not had to deal with a Royal relationship like this before. These are modern times and, since this is not a traditional arrangement or betrothal, we will not have the same control over the matter. The couple will be free to split, if they so desire, but this will affect our outstanding laws on marriage and virtue." My face turned scarlet on that last one.

  "And what if they are to break up, or Catherine decides to return home," said another man, throwing in his two cents. "Will this be permitted, and will we have to provide measures to keep her safe afterward? Or perhaps she will need to be paid off for silence or be added to the DuMont payroll, or would like to assume possession of the items her ancestors left for us."

  "Et il y a le problème avec son titre," said a man in the corner. I had no idea what he said, but it seemed ominous as everyone in the room fell silent.

  I looked to Leopold for some indication of what was going on but he, like Felip, was busy taking notes. It was strange to see him taking this so seriously, good I suppose, just different from the Leopold I was used to.

  "Alright," said Felip, "Thank you for your contributions. I have some suggestions that I would like to make to resolve these issues. Regarding the media, I agree that the ban will have to be lifted eventually, and that security measures will have to be taken because of this. Leopold's guard will remain with him and Catherine, but arrangements for bigger events will be made."

  "I think, if we could postpone the ban for a while, it would be best," said Leopold, speaking for the first time.

  Felip frowned, "What do you mean?"

  "Well, I am concerned that if we lift it suddenly, that it will be too much to handle all at once, especially for Catherine who has never had to deal with the press before. I think it would be better if we released the limitations and information slowly so that there is time for everyone to adjust. Maybe we could j
ust lift it for Solis first and then hold a press conference later for the rest of the world." Leopold looked awkward as his words hung in the air, the Governors contemplating them.

  "I think that that is a good idea. We could also control the information that way, rather than having people wrongly informed or twisting the story." He smiled at Leopold, "Would you like to continue?"

  "In terms of the laws surrounding marriage and virtue, I believe that they are outdated and should be changed to suit the world today. This being said, I realize that it is impossible to do this overnight and will respect the old ways as much as possible and will come to you should any conflicts arise. I can personally say that I am well within the regulations set but, as Catherine was asked here and unaware of the entire situation, it would not be fair to expect the same or to put her through old traditions. As I have said though, I will keep you informed." Leopold looked around the room seeming confident and calm, but I saw though the faint blush to his cheeks and the way he was bouncing his leg. He was nervous. I figured I could at least help him out. I think I understood enough to get what they were hinting at.

  Cautiously, I raised my hand, not really sure how to go about saying something.

  "Yes, Catherine?" said Felip, making all the attention fall onto me. I felt my cheeks heat up. Leopold looked at me slightly surprised, and frowned in concern.

  "I just wanted to say, if it helps, that I have never been in a relationship before," I said.

  The Governors began to murmur between themselves in French until Felip raised his hand, silencing them again. "Thank you, Catherine, that does help but," he said, redirecting his attention to Leopold, "This means that we should continue to follow the traditions and laws, when appropriate, so that we do not have any problems that could have been avoidable."

  Leopold nodded.

  "As for the other matters," said Felip, "Leopold and Catherine have only just begun and I think we should not think about a break-up. We can have papers drawn up, should it happen, that both parties agree to. As we invited her here, I think we do owe Catherine some sort of compensation should the worst happen, but nothing outrageous."

  Richard spoke then for the first time. "I would love to help you with those papers, Felip, as I am working with France right now to do much the same. As for her title, I am attempting to pull a few strings to avoid complications with the old arrangement and will notify you of any progress."

  "Much appreciated, Richard," said Felip, making a note. "Any other questions?"

  "Is le Prince not returning to the army base soon?" said the man with the handlebar mustache.

  "Oui," confirmed Leopold, "a la fin de la semaine."

  I knocked over the bowl of sugar cubes in surprise and a maid rushed over to clean them up. I apologized profusely to the young girl. The date had just shocked me. I hadn't realized that Leopold was going away so soon. What would I do without him? How could we be dating if he wasn't even here?

  "Will this not complicate things?" said mustache man.

  "He will be returning as much as possible," replied Felip, with a tone of finality, shutting the file in front of him. "Do we all agree on the conclusions we have come to?"

  The Governors all agreed.

  Chapter Seven

  I was dismissed after that. The room stood with me, and then Leopold walked me to the door, standing half in and half out of the conference room.

  "I must stay for the rest of the meeting but Angelique has instructions. I will see you afterward, d'accord?"

  I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest. "Sure thing. Have fun."

  Leopold pursed his lips, frowning slightly, and placed his hand on my cheek. For a moment, he looked as though he was going to say something, but then his hand dropped and he slid back between the doors.

  I exhaled shakily and began my walk back to my room. It wasn't fair. First Leopold gets angry with me, then he kisses me and now he's leaving me here all alone in a giant castle with his crazy family. I wasn't sure if I was angry or sad or both, and, to be honest, I was still a little confused about some of the things that were going on.

  Angelique was waiting for me with dinner when I returned, a steaming plate of lavishly creamy potatoes, roast beef and carrots. I could barely taste it as I swallowed; it was like a gluey lump stuck in the back of my throat. I pushed the plate away from me. Angelique looked at me nervously, and murmured something in French, delicately patting my back. She sighed after a moment, realizing that I didn't understand and removed the plate.

  I heard her shuffling around in the closet after that and, when she returned she smiled, holding out a very tiny bundle of clothing in my direction. My heart stopped for a second, my mind reeling back to all the talk of virtue that had been going on in the meeting. Was this what Leopold meant when he said he would see me later? I thought the whole point was to keep it, not lose it. Suspiciously, I took the bundle from her, holding it out at arm’s length.

  "You're kidding," I stated, looking directly at Angelique.

  She shrugged.

  "Leopold wants to take me swimming after what happened today? And what is this? I mean, it will barely cover anything."

  My maid just stood there, smiling sweetly at me.

  "Fine," I huffed, "At least he is prepared to save me."

  I changed quickly into the very tiny black bikini, happy that the ban hadn't been lifted yet. I don't think I would like a picture of naked me on the news, and I am pretty sure that would fall under the same category as the drunken stupor and crotch shots Phillipa had mentioned earlier.

  My confusion grew even greater when Angelique handed me a pair of skinny jeans and a sweater, which I pulled on over the top.

  "La jardin," she said, shooing me out the door.

  "Towel? Shoes?" I asked, pointing towards my bare feet.

  She shook her head, "la jardin.

  "Okay, okay, la jardin," I conceded and turned for the door. I really needed to learn French just so that I didn't have to be confused all the time, although I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be informed, even if I could speak it.

  I followed my instructions, and went out the back doors that led to the gardens, only to find a horse. It was Leopold's horse, Jacqueline, to be more specific, and she was standing there alone, in her saddle and reins, not tied up or anything. The things that caught my attention, though, where the saddle bags that were slung across her. I figured they would probably lend a clue to where I was going. Now I just had to get to them.

  "Good horse," I purred, taking a step towards the monster experimentally. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you. I know Leopold, you like Leopold, right? And I don't think he would be very happy if you hurt me either."

  I took another step, extending my arm. "That's a good girl, just be still."

  My hand was on the bag now; I just had to figure out the mechanics. There were a lot of zippers and straps.

  "Qu'est-ce que tu fais?" said a voice from beside me as I reached for one of the straps.

  I spun quickly to find Leopold smiling down at me. "Pret?"

  "Yup," I blushed and then squeaked in surprise as he lifted me by the waist into the saddle. He jumped up flawlessly, settling himself in front of me.

  "Where are we going?" I asked, as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

  "To the ocean," Leopold said, and then we were off. We rode across the gardens at breakneck speed, straight through the orchards where we had our picnic, until the trees opened up to a cliff. Light from the setting sun bounced off of the sparkling white rock, throwing rainbows as we followed the edge. I looked down and swallowed, holding tighter to Leopold as I took in the drop to the ocean below. There was probably close to a hundred feet between us and the crashing gray water.

  "We jump off these," Leopold shouted against the wind.

  "Pardon," I spat, shaking my head against his back. "There is no way."

  "Non, Hector, Phillipa et moi. We used to jump off of them for fun and swim over to the plage. That is where w
e are going." He pointed across to the middle of the small bay I hadn't realized the cliffs were edging. Sure enough, there was a small crescent of white beach.

  We followed the cliffs as they sloped down to meet the water; stopping only once we hit the sand. Ungracefully, I slid off the back of the horse and then stood in awe, staring out at the water which was reflecting the pink and orange sky.

  Leopold strode past me, discarding clothing as he made his way down the beach, and dived into the waves. I watched nervously until his head popped up a few moments later.

  "Show off," I muttered, as he walked back in until the waves crashed around his shins.

  "Come on, Cat," he smiled, waving me closer.

  I pursed my lips, there was really no getting out of this, and then stripped off my clothes. I padded my way down the beach to the edge of the water. Leopold was watching as I could feel his gaze burning into my skin as I came closer. Self-consciously, I crossed my arms over my stomach, trying to hide some of the bare flesh.

  He shook his head after a moment and took hold of my hand.

  "Is this really necessary? We already know I can't swim," I said, as I let him lead me deeper in.

  "I just want to get you comfortable in the water," he said. "Peut etre plus une autre jour."

  The water was up to my waist now, waves hitting my belly button.

  "Do you trust me?" Leopold asked.

  "Yes."

  He linked my arms around his neck and then picked me up in a sort of frontwards piggyback. The differences in our height put me above the water line again, as Leopold's hips were still not submerged. I clung tighter as we waded deeper, burrowing my face into Leopold's neck. Slowly, I became weightless as the water rose up to my chest.

  "Relax, Cat. It is alright," Leopold whispered. So, carefully, I did. I loosened my legs and the chokehold I had around his neck, putting some distance between us without letting go. I wasn't that brave yet.

  "Voila," his hands slid off of me.

  I sat for a minute, staring out into the sea and then back to the beach and how far we had come. "Thank you," I told Leopold and then, as I stared into his funny eyes, I suddenly became aware of how close we were. Now that I wasn't scared, I was acutely aware of the feeling of Leopold's warm flesh and hard muscle brushing against my own skin. That, compiled with everything else that had happened today, and all my fear and anxieties, made me press my lips to his in a lingering kiss.