Tangled Up in Princes (Royal Romances Book 1), page 14
“I’ve got plenty of birds like me as I am!”
“Super. You ought to go find them now,” she said. “I don’t want this to drag on, Magnus. Please.”
“I’ll not be tossed over by some bitch in a crown.”
“It’s a tiara. Pink diamonds from the Argyle mines of Australia,” a voice came from the French windows. “If you don’t wish to be tossed over by the bitch in the crown, how about at the hands of a commoner? I’ve no qualms that a bit of defenestration might set you up nicely. Teach you manners,” Phillip said, brushing his hands together.
“Easy, mate,” Magnus said, putting up his hands. “We were having words is all. Liz gets a mite uppity when she’s on her drink.”
“Right then,” Phillip shucked off his bespoke jacket and set about unfastening his cufflinks and rolling up his sleeves. “Here, Liz,” he said. “Hold these. They were Grandfather’s and I’d hate to get blood in the engraving.”
Magnus darted back to the ballroom. Lizzy put a hand over her mouth to cover her laugh.
“He’s not going to stop running till he gets to Hampstead, Phillip. What’s got into you?”
“I didn’t like how he spoke to you,” he said.
“I thought you were going to slap him with your glove and ask him if he prefers pistols or swords.”
“Nothing wrong with a duel. Completely effective way of settling differences.”
“Yeah, it proves who’s right and who’s dead.”
“You never have to have the same argument twice that way. It’s efficient,” he said. “On a more serious note—“
“More serious than death?”
“Yes. Was Magnus often that way with you?”
“Which way?”
“A complete arse.”
“Ah, no he was quite a lark at first. I went round with him to spite Father, you know. He wanted me to go out with that beastly Latvian prince.”
“So you taught your dad a lesson by making an even worse choice for yourself?”
“I thought it would be all roulette and topless beaches,” she shrugged.
“I’m fairly certain you’re not allowed to shrug in a tiara. The royal bones interred at Westminster just rolled over.”
“I’ve given them quite the workout I imagine,” she said. “By the fourth or fifth time he tried to get me to try something he’d seen in a porno I was finished with him.”
“He sounds a right bastard. Wish I had hung him up by the ankles.”
“Thank you, Phillip. I’d have been fine on my own but it was nice of you just the same.”
“That isn’t how you persuade a man to donate to your cause. You’re supposed to flutter your lace fan and say you nearly fainted and thank him for coming to your rescue.”
“Right. Silly me. I don’t seem to have a lace fan about me. I do have lace knickers on. I suppose I could wave them,” she said and he grinned.
It was the first time she’d seen him smile all night, which wasn’t surprising since his fiancée had jilted him. He had a nice smile, she thought. Really nice. Somehow, she wished she could have five minutes in a room with Amanda, his former bride-elect. Five minutes in a room with no security cameras.
“I’d rather get out of here,” Lizzy said.
“Would you like some company?”
“Yes. Maybe cheer us both a bit. I’ve finished with Magnus and you recently dodged an unfortunate marriage. Want to go have a tattoo?”
“That’s actually the first time anyone’s ever asked me,” he said. “I reckon at school they thought I was too straight.”
“So do you want to?”
“Emphatically yes.”
“Let’s go then.”
“This sounds the most fun I’ve even thought of having in a while.”
“I can be relied upon for fun. Most of my mistakes are a delight at the time,” Lizzy said.
“My mistakes are drab and I’m sick of thinking of them. I’d rather make one of yours for a change.”
“Take me to my place so I can change. It’ll take me five minutes. Ten at the most with this corsetry on,” she said.
“Where do you live?”
“Oh, okay. You don’t know? Pop round to the back at Kensington Palace.”
Phillip dropped her off and said he would wait in the car.
“It’s not as though it’s a sacred space. It’s just my house. I bet yours is bigger.”
“It is bigger, but not nearly so grand. It’s new.”
“So it’s got better heating, I suppose, and the plumbing lacks that quaint rattle when you flush.”
“We do have whisper-silent flushing. You should visit sometime.”
“Come inside!”
“I’ll wait here,” he said, and she bounded into the house as quickly as a woman encumbered with that much dress could bound.
***
Copyright
© 2016 by Kimberly Parsley
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Molly Jameson, Tangled Up in Princes (Royal Romances Book 1)
