J.T. thought he didn’t blame the king one bit.
All through the long meal, which seemed to consist mainly of overcooked food laden with thick, rich sauces that after a while began to taste the same, J.T. watched Aria. She and Julian had their heads close together several times and once something Julian said made her blush.
J.T. began to remember their time in Key West. He remembered her laughter, how she had discussed the distilling plant with him, how she had danced at the ball with his mother. He remembered holding her, waking up with her, making love with her.
The wineglass stem snapped between his fingers.
Only Lady Bradley noticed as a servant covered the stained tablecloth with a white brocade napkin and replaced his glass within seconds.
Aria lifted her eyes, met his, seemed to not like what she saw, then frowned and looked back at Julian.
You
can’t have her, J.T. told himself. She belongs here and you belong in America. You have to keep yourself remote from her. Guard her, protect her, but for your own sanity, don’t fall in love with her. And, also for your own mental health, let Julian have her. He wants to be king and he may make a good one.
After dinner the men and women separated, the men going to a room to smoke cigars and drink brandy. Freddie, Nickie, and Toby were still talking about the number of animals they had managed to slaughter in their lifetimes and Julian refused to speak to J.T., so J.T. was not included in the group.
He gave a yawn, downed his brandy, and announced he was going to bed.
This effectively stopped everyone and he knew he had committed some great faux pas.
“You may not leave until Her Royal Highness has bid us good evening,” Julian said, and his tone implied that any slug would know this.
“Tell her I hope she sleeps well,” J.T. said with a wink. “See you around.” He nodded toward the three princes.
“I’ll be damned,” he heard one prince gasp in disbelief before he got out of the room.
J.T.’s plan was to get Walters to show him where Aria’s room was and somehow figure out how to guard her at night.
Walters was waiting for him with pajamas and robe—silk pajamas and a cashmere robe.
“I have to find a way to guard the princess at night,” J.T. said, eschewing the nightwear.
“She is meeting the count in the Queen’s Garden immediately after dinner,” Walters said.
J.T. told himself he didn’t care, told himself it would be better to allow them to meet alone. “Where is the Queen’s Garden?” he asked after a moment.
“Over the bridge, go right, and follow the path. It’s just past the tall hedges, a very secret place, sir. It was named so because it is a traditional assignation place for queens and their lovers.”
J.T. left before he changed his mind.
The gardens around the palace consisted of acres of carefully tended grounds, some of which he had seen from his window. One part of it, about half an acre, was laid out with the Lanconian flag in five-inch-tall shrubbery, the insides filled with different-colored flowers: the grapes were green, the goat white, and there were bands of gray and gold.
Beyond the coat of arms he could see trees and brilliant patches of flowers and occasionally pieces of white that looked to be marble.
The path to the bridge was well tended and bordered on each side with drooping willow trees. He turned right past the bridge and the plantings became denser. The trees blocked the moonlight until it was so dark he could barely see the path.
“Julian?” he heard Aria whisper.
He stopped where he was, listened, then made a leap in her direction, catching her about the waist.
She opened her mouth to scream, so he did what came natural to him: he kissed her.
He missed her more than he thought possible. He held her so tightly he thought he might break her body in half—half for him and half for Lanconia. He drank of her lips and it felt very good when her arms went around his neck and she tried to pull him closer.
“Oh, baby,” he whispered, kissing her neck and burying his fingers in her hair. Her hair fell about her shoulders, soft and loose the way it was supposed to be, the way his Aria wore her hair.
It was a while before he realized she was struggling to get away from him. He was feeling a little dazed but he released her.