Chapter 17
Ciara paused in the doorway of the breakfast room, quickly scanning the space. Her brother and Zayed were there, sitting at the table and discussing Ramit’s horses. Obviously, the two men had been out for a ride already. They looked sweaty and dusty as they sipped their coffee, but there was a good deal of color in their cheeks, attesting to a fast run through the chilly, morning air.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” she called out, trying to sound happy and lively even though she felt…oddly sad. Waking up alone after such an extraordinary night left her grumpy. She had hoped to find Falk here in the breakfast room and had been fully prepared to tear into him for leaving her without a word. At least she’d had the decency to tell him good morning before she’d left him two weeks ago.
He could have given her the same courtesy.
She walked over to the breakfast bureau and poured herself a cup of black coffee, hoping that the brew would add some much needed zing to her steps.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” she asked, sitting down. “And where is my lovely sister-in-law and adorable niece?”
Ciara wanted to punch her brother for the self-satisfied grin that appeared on his face. “She’s still in bed and Nadia is with her nanny,” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. “And I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for today. I think that Antonio del Campo and his wife Astra arrive this morning. I’m scheming with Astra about organizing a birthday party for Maggie. Astra said she will tell me about her ideas once she arrives.”
Ciara nodded. “I like Astra. She’s good. Very good. I’ve been to several of her events and they are always spectacular.”
Zayed sighed. “I tried to hire her to come to Pitra so that she could work her magic on some of the villages in my country. But she said something about not wanting to be away from her husband for that long, or some such nonsense.”
A noise behind her caused everyone to turn. Ciara noticed a slender, brown-haired woman standing in the doorway. She looked…hurt? The woman’s features were lovely, if subdued. Her brown hair seemed to sparkle under the overhead chandelier, but the woman had pulled all of those lustrous locks into a sedate chignon at the back of her neck. And she wore minimal makeup and no lipstick, which caused her to appear…not bland. The woman was truly too lovely to appear bland. But Ciara wondered why she was trying to be non-descript when she was obviously a vibrant woman.
Or maybe she was vibrant at other times. At the moment, she looked…vanquished. What an odd word, but Ciara thought it was appropriate. But before she could interpret the woman’s expression more thoroughly, the stranger looked down at the file in her arms.
“I apologize for interrupting, Your Highness,” the woman said in a very stern voice, addressing Zayed in particular. “However, the call that you’ve been waiting for has come through. Would you like me to reschedule that conversation for later in the day?”
Everyone turned to watch Zayed and Ciara noticed the man’s heightened interest. Yes, there was definitely something happening between her friend and his lovely, yet strangely understated assistant.
Zayed quickly stood up, drained his coffee and set the cup down. “No, thank you, Tara. I’ll come immediately.” He nodded to Ciara, then to Ramit. “We’ll discuss the issue later,” he told Ramit, then hurried from the room.
Which left Ramit and Ciara alone in the dining room. She sipped her coffee, still wondering where Falk was. Why had he left her so early this morning?
“You didn’t sleep well, last night.”
Ciara looked up, staring into her brother’s concerned gaze. “I’m fine,” she lied.
“Are you going to tell me about your adventure last night?”
Ciara swallowed, not sure how to answer that question. How could her brother know that Falk had spent the night with her? Had he told her brother? Had Falk gone to Ramit and demanded that they marry? That was underhanded of him, and yet, Ciara couldn’t stop the warmth blossoming in her chest.
But no. Falk wouldn’t have told her brother about their…activities last night.
Would he?
“Adventure?” she prompted, hiding her confusion behind the porcelain cup. “What adventure?” Surely he couldn’t know! No way! Had her bodyguards ratted her out? They never had in the past!
“The closet incident?” Ramit prompted. “I heard from the palace guards that you were accidentally locked in a supply closet.” He twirled the delicate cup on the saucer. “Are you going to try to convince me that you were in dire need of cleaning supplies?”
Oh, that! Relief rushed through her and she had to lower her lashes. Were her cheeks heating up? She certainly hoped not! Blushing would raise more questions. Because of Falk’s…attentiveness…last night, Ciara had completely forgotten about the damn closet.
“No, I didn’t need cleaning supplies,” she replied, then lifted her gaze, looking directly at him. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I was silly enough to get locked in a closet?”
He snorted. “You’ve never been silly, Ciara. Even with your dolls as a kid, you were teaching them math.”
She’d forgotten those long ago “lessons” and chuckled. “You’re right.” Those doll-lessons had been a small reprieve from her nanny’s constant haranguing.
“So, what happened?” He leaned forward, forgetting about his coffee as he stared at her from across the long table. “Are you going to try and hide it from me just like you did last night? I’m guessing that you didn’t want to ruin the party, which I appreciate. But please don’t ever do that again, Ciara.”
She sighed and set her cup down, listening carefully to the delicate clink. “I can handle my own problems, Ramit.” She leaned forward, mimicking his pose.
“You left your bodyguards behind. Why?”
One side of her mouth quirked upwards. “Because I’m an introvert and I needed a moment of quiet before re-entering the party.”
“So, you walked down one of the back hallways? That seems like more than just a little peace. It sounds like you were running from someone.” He paused for a moment and Ciara held her breath, praying that he didn’t realize the truth. He couldn’t know! Could he?
“What’s going on, Ciara? You’ve been abnormally moody ever since you returned from Switzerland.” Then he shook his head. “No, it’s been longer than that.” He tapped his finger absently against his coffee cup. “Are you impatient to be married? Should I urge Zayed to set a wedding date? You have been betrothed for a long time. Maybe we should…?”
“No!” she gasped, shaking her head. “No! Zayed and I aren’t ready to set a date. Not yet.”
“Not ever?” he offered. “Is there someone else that might be a better match for you?” he suggested. “Perhaps someone that you spoke with last night? Someone that might…?”
“She’s fine!” a deep voice blurted as Falk stepped into the dining room. He walked over to the breakfast bureau and poured himself a cup of coffee, then turned, leaning his hip against it. “Isn’t that right, Ciara? Are you eager to set a wedding date?’
“Not at all,” she replied, her anger simmering unexpectedly. Why was she mad at him? They’d spent hours wrapped in each other’s arms last night! They’d spent those hours pleasuring each other. So why was his question so…grating to her nerves this morning? One moment, she was arguing with her brother about something, the next moment, Ciara was furious with Falk. What was going on with her?
Ciara’s lips compressed with irritation so she turned back to her brother. “No, I’m not ready to set a wedding date. Right now, I’m focused on ensuring that Maggie feels comfortable and taking the time to get to know Nadia. You’re tiny daughter is adorable and I truly enjoy spending time with her.” And ensuring that the nanny Ramit hired didn’t torment the little darling! “Maggie needs help right now, Ramit. Soon enough, she’ll be overwhelmed by all of the responsibilities of being your wife. Let her ease into her role slowly.” She stood up, abandoning her coffee. But as she walked out of the dining room, she glared at Falk for a long moment. “None of us will do anything to make Maggie feel uncomfortable in her new role.”
And with that warning, she walked out of the room.