Chapter 19
Nineteen
Edwin
This man was utterly terrifying.
And I was so turned on, it wasn’t even funny.
Look, I’d be the first to admit I had something for competent men.
It was a turn-on I completely owned. Prince James wasn’t just competent, he radiated competence.
He was the walking epitome of intelligence and assurance, all bundled in with this little spark of mischief.
Every time I saw him in action, I got little butterflies in my gut.
Right now? Watching him whittle this arrogant aristocrat down to size before twisting him into a pretzel?
My pants were a little tight, let’s put it that way.
Count Obediah Parrott sat in his own formal living room, hands clutched over his beer belly, sweating like the nervous pig he was. The man was infamous for being corrupt and easily bought. In fact, people joked he lived up to his name—he would parrot anything he was told.
The signs were obvious enough. As a count, he shouldn’t have been able to support the townhouse he owned on very expensive real estate right off the palace grounds.
This nicely appointed room, with its delicate furniture, expensive art on the walls, and fine bone tea set, shouted wealth at the top of its lungs.
Expensive jewels adorned every finger and a massive emerald pin held his cravat in place, like he’d dressed to impress.
Frankly, he looked like a gaudy villain in a stage play. For kids.
Prince James, on the other hand, sat on the sofa opposite him and looked downright elegant in comparison.
Not lacking—no one with his masculine beauty could be described as such—but he wore a plain day suit of dark hunter green, cream shirt, and waistcoat, with only the royal signet ring on his middle finger.
Nothing else adorned him, and he looked more powerful as a result.
This man didn’t need to flaunt his wealth to make an impression.
Even if he had, it wouldn’t be a competition. I knew perfectly well Prince James could buy this country outright if he wanted to. I’d seen enough of the ledgers from his business to be quite sure on that point.
Upon entering this room, Prince James hadn’t said a word. He’d simply handed a packet of papers to Count Parrott, then sat back and watched the man come undone as he read through it. All while Prince James calmly sipped tea like he wasn’t driving a man into an early heart attack.
Damn sexy, I tell you.
Count Parrott’s beady dark eyes kept darting around the room as if searching for a bolt-hole and failing. He crumpled the papers, cradling them to his chest, either desperate to not let me see the contents or because he didn’t know what else to do. Man wasn’t known for his sterling wits.
“I’m sure you understand why I visited,” Prince James said smoothly.
Count Parrott visibly jumped, swallowing convulsively. “I, uh…”
Prince James gave him a smile that wouldn’t be out of place on a soul collector’s face. “You said you’ve had many talks with Prince Victor regarding the many issues he’s supposed to be handling, so I assume you’re up-to-date?”
Count Parrott clasped and unclasped his fingers, sweat visible on his temples and upper lip. The papers shuffled about, and he hastily gathered them back up in a loud rustle. “I, uh, yes, of course. But about this, ah, note you just gave me, that had the, um, all of the, er—”
Prince James raised his brows slightly. “Oh, that? Don’t worry, my good man. I gave you a copy so you’d know others know about your…habits.”
Count Parrott turned three shades paler. And greener. Like he was nauseous to the point of throwing up.
“C-copy,” he repeated faintly. “How…how many copies?”
“Oh, I can’t possibly know that.” Prince James flicked his fingers as if this was of no importance whatsoever.
I had stationed myself right next to the door—a usual spot for me—and watched the scene play out while biting my lower lip.
I knew for a fact what those copies were because I’d helped Prince James assemble it all.
Count Parrott had taken multiple bribes, embezzled funds from the two charities he ran, and sired two bastard children his wife knew nothing about.
He’d been very, very naughty.
Prince James eyed his prey over the rim of his teacup. “What I can tell you is this isn’t common knowledge. In fact, I quite chanced into it.”
I snorted quietly. Suuure, chance. Uh-huh.
“Your wife certainly doesn’t know, which must be a relief, I’m sure. I understand there was quite the, ah, agreement in place upon your marriage.”
In fact, Count Parrott had married up substantially. He’d lose it all if those two bastard children came to light. Especially as he had yet to father a child with his legal wife.
Count Parrott somehow managed to pale even further at the reminder. He tried to pick up his teacup, but it shook so badly in his hand, he set it hastily back down.
“Now, now, don’t be so nervous. I have no intention of telling all and sundry, you know.
” Prince James masked evil delight behind a genial smile.
“And that’s not what I came to discuss, anyway.
I’m far more interested in the various projects Prince Victor’s supposed to be managing, like getting those seawalls rebuilt. So set your mind at ease.”
We all heard the threat loud and clear. This man was so incredibly evil. I was proud to work for him.
“What…” Count Parrott whispered, looking as if he might faint away at any second. “What do you want?”
“Your support. Just that.” Prince James’s head canted to the side.
“I want to put forth many changes, and assume the responsibilities Prince Victor has let languish. I’m sure you can see how those many tasks need completing, and will help me with them.
This is to your benefit as well, you know.
Your shipping business will be directly impacted if those walls fail.
And they’re very close to failing. I have no doubt you will support my motion when it goes up for vote in the meeting tomorrow. ”
“Yes, I—” He swallowed hard and looked pitifully hopeful. “I absolutely will.”
“Good! I knew I could count on you. I have other agendas to put forth, and I look forward to your support with them, as well. Well, I wish I could linger, but I do have other things on my schedule today.” Prince James set down his teacup before rising.
Count Parrott hastily scrambled to his feet as well, nearly overturning the teacup balancing precariously on the table in the process.
“Y-Your Highness?”
Half turning, Prince James gave him a politely disinterested smile. “Yes?”
“What about the crown prince?”
“Oh, Victor? You needn’t worry about him. Helena and I have taken over the project. All of his projects, really.”
Count Parrott nodded, numb. “I see.”
“I’d burn those papers,” Prince James advised kindly. “Before the wife sees them.”
Panic hit Count Parrott all over again and he dove for the papers sitting on the sofa.
Prince James laughed softly under his breath as he passed me, sailing out the door. I fell into step with him as we left, Count Parrott’s butler opening the door and ushering us back out.
“And that,” Prince James noted with satisfaction, “is the last person I had to convince.”
“You mean blackmail,” I corrected with another snort. He was so incorrigible.
“I’ve been very good now,” Prince James said without paying any heed to me. “I deserve a cookie.”
The statement was so ridiculous I started laughing. “Absolutely, blackmailing people successfully gets cookies in reward.”
Prince James winked at me with a grin, showing no signs of remorse. Absolutely none.
We had a single knight with us for protection—a necessity whenever royalty went anywhere outside the palace—and Dame Temperance bit back a grin too as she opened the carriage door for us.
“A successful meeting, Your Highness, always warrants cookies.”
Prince James clapped a hand on her shoulder. “See, Edwin? Dame Temperance agrees with me. Let’s all go get cookies. Where’s a good pastry shop?”
Our driver, Greg, gave us a nod. “Know just the place, Your Highness. It’s on the wharf, though.”
“That’s fine, lead on.”
I was glad to see his appetite back. Even if it was sugar, at least he was eating something. Dame Temperance rode with us instead of holding on to the back of the carriage. Prince James encouraged people to ride with him. He was strange that way. So delightfully strange.
I’d barely talked him into riding in the carriage, as apparently he disliked them, but he’d been willing to do so as a show of wealth.
“Your Highness,” Dame Temperance said easily, “I must ask something. Do you realize you’ve got quite the following among the citizens?”
Prince James froze for some reason, looking dismayed. “What do you mean following?”
“Word’s gotten out about you. Not only that you’re insisting on the seawalls being fixed this year, but also that you’ve secured financial backing to cure salence.”
“Helena secured most of the funding for salence research!”
“The people only heard about you.” She gave an elaborate shrug. “You already had a good reputation since you’re generous with your money and time, and we’ve all reaped the benefits in some way. But now that you’re putting the royal name to work? People speak very highly of you.”
“Shidteus’s balls,” he cursed under his breath. “Already?”
Why wouldn’t he be happy about this? “Isn’t this a good thing?” I asked.
“No.” Prince James sighed, head falling into his hand.
“No, it’s not, for many reasons. Main reason being I haven’t actually done anything yet.
I’ve only started doing things, and that’s enough to make me popular with people?
How desperate are they for actual change that they’d latch on to me so quickly? ”
Oh. Well, put like that...
“They’ll start a movement to make you king next,” Dame Temperance said.
Prince James made a sour, unhappy face. “They can try, but as part of my adoption agreement, I cannot be made king.”
Dame Temperance’s head jerked back in surprise. “I thought that was rumor.”
“No, I had it put in deliberately. I refuse to take the throne. Or be pushed into it.” He groaned some more, sounding theatrical. “Eeeeeedwin. Make them behave.”
This silly man. “What do you expect me to do?”
“I don’t want people to like me so much. Talk to them.”
“You want me to stop people from liking you?”
He blinked at me with Sad Eyes. “You can do anything.”
Now, I knew he was messing with me, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. “Normally, I’d agree with you, but I can’t help you on this. Even against my better judgement, I ended up liking you. Be rather hypocritical of me to tell other people to stop.”
My teasing seemed to catch him off guard. He stopped mock moping, his breath audibly catching, eyes wide and startled. Then he lit up, beaming from ear to ear, and flopped onto my shoulder, hands wrapping around my arm.
I almost came out of my skin, but the weight of him pressed close, the clean, almost piney scent from his hair, all felt so nice I didn’t want to shove him off.
It was awkward as hell, especially with Dame Temperance’s arched brows making all the judgements, but I just couldn’t find it in me to push him away.
Instead, I defaulted to sarcasm, acting put upon. “I just made you very happy, I take it.”
“Very happy.” He didn’t budge an inch.
“You’re not going to move until we get to your cookies, are you?”
“Not one bit.” Prince James somehow managed to snuggle in closer. “After you confessing to me, I don’t want to let go.”
Exactly who confessed?!
I cleared my throat and tried for logic. “I said I liked you against my better judgement, and you take that as a confession?”
Prince James tilted his head back just enough to peek up at me from under his lashes. Those emerald green eyes were bottomless and somehow seemed to suck me in. “I can’t?”
“You are the worst tease,” I grumbled, looking away. I was afraid if I looked into his eyes much longer, he’d convince me to do perfectly ridiculous things. I hadn’t developed an immunity to him yet. It was a work in progress and the progress was slow.
“I’m not teasing.” Prince James indeed sounded serious. “One day, I’ll convince you.”
One day, I was afraid he would. No, no. Stop, me. I must stay away from royalty. I was smart enough not to fall into that pitfall, no matter how charming the man.
I silently gestured to Dame Temperance for help. She gave me an enigmatic smile and didn’t say one word.
The carriage slowed and Greg called over his shoulder, “We’re here, Your Highness.”
Oh, thank fuck. I pulled free under the excuse of opening the door, all while saying, “All right, Your Highness, let’s go get your cookie.”