My eyes were drawn to the empty chair next to Bastien, which had been reserved for his fiancée, Princess Helene. Minutes went by and the chair sat vacant. Finally, during the entrée course, my brother looked up from his mobile and murmured something about Helenebeing unavoidably detained and unable to attend. I boiled with suppressed anger. That could’ve been a seat for Hannah next to me, and not an empty chair for Bastien’s ever-missing fiancée. I was half a second from retrieving Hannah from her table at the back when Lady Durant pressed her breasts against my arm.
She breathed breathily in my ear. “I believe this is our dance?”
I put some distancebetween myself and her bountiful breasts. “I’m sorry. I’m here with someone.”
“No, silly.” Lady Durant laughed. “I won a dance with you in the silent auction. They just announced it.”
I looked across the room to where Hannah’s sad expression had turned mutinous as she watched Lady Durant flirt with me. I shook my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t sign up for any auction.”
“Of course not.Idid. And I won.” Lady Durant grabbed my hand and tried to tug me up with her.
“I’m sorry, Lucien,” Mum said from across the table. “I thought Aristide told you about the silent auction. Since Sébastien is engaged, we thought it best to enter your name as the prize in the silent auction this year.”
I smiled tightly. “Aristide is no longer my assistant, Mum.”
Mum’s eyes widenedas her eyes bounced back and forth between me and Bastien. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. He’s been around the palace, so I just assumed…”
“Yes,” I said, as I rose to my feet at Lady Durant’s inelegant urging. “It seems several people do nothing but assume around here. If you’ll excuse me.”
I walked onto the deserted center dance floor with Lady Durant. On cue, the orchestra began to play a sedatewaltz. Holding Lady Durant loosely in my arms, I led her around the dance floor, keeping a respectful distance from her. It felt like she was chasing me; with every step she moved aggressively toward me, trying to close the distance between us.
Gritting my teeth, I put space between our bodies and curbed the urge to leave her on the dance floor all by herself. This was for charity. I repeatedthe sentence like a mantra to get through the next few minutes.
I noticed a flurry of activity around the room. People were checking their phones, and the conversation level rose above the polite buzz to a low roar as heads swung in the direction of my family’s table. I had no idea what was going on, since my view of the table was blocked.
Lady Durant wiggled in my arms as she wrapped her armsaround my neck, pulling me closer to her body. “Now that you’re back on the dating scene, feel free to look me up.”
“I’m afraid I’m seeing someone exclusively right now.” I forced a smile and tried and failed to put more distance between us. This song felt twice as long as I remembered.
Lady Durant laughed seductively. “That’s okay. No one has to tell her about us. I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Durant.” I set her away from me with a forceful thrust. Apparently subtlety wasn’t working on my dance partner. “I’m with Hannah exclusively. I’m not interested.”
Before the last strain of the song played, I turned and walked off the dance floor. I made a beeline straight for Hannah’s table in the back but was stopped by Dimitri. “We need to leave immediately,monsieur.”
“Fine,let me get Hannah.” I pulled away, but Dimitri stopped me short.
“She left a few minutes ago while you were, er, dancing with Lady Durant.”
“Left? What do you mean, she left? Tell me that someone from security made sure she got back to the palace all right.”
“Oui, monsieur. Nicolas was sent after her when she ran out of the ballroom.”
“She ran?” I repeated weakly. She must’ve misread my dancewith Lady Durant. I had to get back to the palace and explain things to her. And apologize if necessary. Hell, I’d beg if it made things right between us.
“Oui, monsieur. Please come with me. Security is uncomfortable with the mood of the room. We already have Prince Sébastien and Princess Vivian sequestered. We must hurry.”
I followed Dimitri through the kitchen and the narrow hallways of theservice entrance. We both nodded to Étienne at the back door, and a few moments later I slid into the backseat of the limo, next to Bastien.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked Bastien ,who was bent over his mobile phone.
A muscle in his jaw flexed. “I’m afraid I’m the one responsible for the scandalous headlines this time.”
“Oh, come now, Sébastien.” Mum reached across the space and pattedBastien’s leg. “It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong.”
“I should’ve done a more thorough background check. I don’t know how we missed this. And now I look like a fool.”
I looked between Mum’s sad expression and Bastien’s stone face with still no clue what was going on. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”
