Prince Albert Read online

  didn’t interrupt to present me to the other guests at the table. She rattles off the names and positions of the grandmother, two aunts, an uncle, and three cousins. I nod, feigning interest in the social pleasantries but mostly just distracting myself from the incessant throbbing between my legs.

  “Oh Albert, you are always such a gentleman.” Albie’s grandmother beams at Albie, adoration written all over her face. She’s regal, poised from head to toe, dressed in a cream-colored suit with a single strand of pearls, her grey hair pulled up into a loose bun.

  Her words bring a fresh snort from Alexandra, and I wonder what she suspects, or if she’s just being obnoxious.

  “Yes, you’re quite considerate, Albert,” my mother says before turning to put her hand on the king’s arm. King Leopold looks at her and smiles, obviously smitten with her.

  “Isabella, I was told you’ve spent the last few years doing charity work.” One of the aunts, Victoria something-or-other, interrupts.

  “Oh, I adore charity work,” the blonde cousin says. The cousins are triplets, two blondes and a brunette, with matching names: Lily, Rose, and Violet. “I just love all of the dinner parties and fundraising. In Paris once, we – oh, what was your cause?”

  “My cause?” I ask, looking at her blankly.

  “Your charity,” Lily says, staring at me. “Your cause. Hunger, shoes for poor children, whatever.”

  “I wasn’t actually hosting parties and fundraising,” I say, starting to explain what I’d been doing the last two years.

  “Oh,” Rose says, her brow furrowed. “What kind of fundraising were you doing?”

  My mother interrupts. “Isabella means to say that she was working with a non-profit group.”

  “Working?” the dark-haired triplet, Violet, asks. Her nose wrinkled, she looks at me like I’m a different species. “Working, as in a job?”

  “I was working, yes,” I say. This entire conversation is beginning to sound surreal. “In Africa, actually.”

  “Isabella,” my mother says, her voice unnaturally bright. “You must tell us all about it later, perhaps at a time other than when we’re celebrating.”

  “I would love to hear about Africa sometime, Isabella,” the King says, his voice warm. “There’s an aid organization from Protrovia that you might have worked with. From what your mother has told me, I believe they may have been in the same region you were.”

  “You were in Africa?” The King’s mother sniffs. “Isn’t that rather dangerous?”

  “Actually, I –“ I start, before my mother interrupts.

  “His Royal Highness tells me you’re spending the fall semester in Paris,” my mother says, directing her attention to Lily.

  Lily rolls her eyes. “I guess,” she says. “Semester abroad and all that. I’m supposed to expand my horizons. It’s not like I haven’t been to Paris a million times before.”

  The triplets sound bored with everything – bored with this dinner, bored with the company, bored with their wealth, bored with their lives. They’re every kid of every socialite parent I attended high school with in Manhattan.

  “I’m going to New York,” Violet interrupts, leaning forward. “Back to design school.”

  “I don’t know what you’re going to do with fashion design,” the king’s mother says. “In my day, women of means learned certain things. These art degrees and –“

  “By your day, I assume you mean the eighteen hundreds.” Violet snickers into her napkin.

  “Don’t get uppity,” Albie’s grandmother scolds. “New York City is no place for someone of your stature.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Lady Margaret,” my mother says, her tone frosty. “It was good enough for a future queen, so I’m sure Violet’s American education will be more than sufficient.”

  The King clears his throat. “I’ve heard that you’ve also done very well in school, Rose.”

  “Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” Rose sniffs, glaring at her sister.

  “I don’t approve of all this traipsing about,” Lady Margaret says. “Running off to New York City. Or, worse, can you imagine? Charity work in Africa? Actually milling about with…those people?”

  Irritation courses through me, as the table goes quiet, no one speaking. When I open my mouth, I speak with an edge that surprises even me. “By those people, I’m sure you must be referring to the children who don’t have adequate medical care or potable drinking water?”

  “Isabella,” my mother says, her gaze penetrating. “Perhaps we’ll save this conversation for another time, since it’s not the appropriate place.”

  King Leopold clears his throat. “Mother, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the fact that Isabella was working with a medical non-profit organization,” he says. “I recall you traveling around Europe to visit hospitals during the war.”

  “Yeah, in World War I,” Rose snickers, and her sister covers her mouth as she giggles.

  “Hush your mouth,” Lady Margaret snaps. “I’m old, not deaf. And it was the second great war, for your information.”

  “This is definitely more interesting than the conversations we normally have at dinner,” Alexandra interrupts, popping a forkful of food into her mouth and raising her eyebrows.

  “Seriously,” Lily says, wrinkling her nose as she looks at her sister. “If I have to hear about one more American designer…”

  “You’re such a snob,” Violet says. “When you really just have no concept of design.”

  “Oh, why don’t you educate me, with your portfolio of work and –“

  “I trust you’re settling in, Isabella?” When the King interrupts, both cousins stop squabbling and immediately go silent, their expressions pouty, like children who’ve been scolded.

  “Yes, King Leopold,” I say. “Although I’m afraid I may not be able to stay for as long as I’d like.”

  “Oh,” he says, and the expression of disappointment that crosses his face is so genuine-looking that for a moment I feel badly even considering leaving. “Your mother and I were hoping you’d be staying the entire summer. I know that I’d like the opportunity to get to know you. As would Alexandra and Albert.”

  “Yes,” Albie says. “I’d personally enjoy getting the opportunity to welcome you to the family.”

  I can’t believe his brazenness, and I pointedly try to ignore him, focusing on my mother and the king.

  “Yes, well,” Sofia says. “We’ll have to discuss the specifics of her summer plans in more detail another time. I’m sure that Isabella intends to stay for quite a while.”

  “I’m considering it,” I say, irritated with my mother for speaking for me.

  “Isabella mentioned she’d misplaced her passport,” Albie says. “I asked Ben to see if the household staff were able to find it.”

  “Oh?” my mother asks innocently. “Well, how dreadful. We’ll have to make sure that’s remedied. And in the meantime, I’m sure we’ll be happy to show you why we all love Protrovia. Maybe Alexandra or Albert would take you on a tour of the palace and the castle grounds.”

  “I know I’d be delighted to show her everything,” Albie says, raising a tumbler of amber-colored liquid to his lips.

  The edges of his lips curl up, his expression a promise of the things he wants to show me.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Albie

  Belle excused herself from dinner early, feigning a headache and jet lag, obviously lying her sweet little ass off and trying to avoid a personal tour of the palace by yours truly.

  I’ll give credit where credit is due – she made it nearly ninety minutes in the middle of the cousins and my grandmother Margaret, who’s still mentally stuck someplace around the turn of the century.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I slide open the screen to reveal a message.

  You can’t keep avoiding me, Albie. I gave you enough time to play around after you got back. Call me.

  I’m about to text back reflexively, a message to tell Erika to go fuck herse