The Duke's Runaway Princess Page 0,42
the men’s discussion. This was exactly what she’d been arguing with Rashid about, even though he’d never consider Derrick as a potential husband.
Zarah looked over at him. He was so tall, incredibly handsome and intelligent. Wouldn’t it be nice if Rashid would allow her to choose her own husband? And would she pick Derrick? What would her life be like here in Great Britain? She loved her home in Tasain but had been raised to know that she would be married off to a ruler, to live in another country. Great Britain was so much cooler than she was used to, and there was so much green in the trees and the lush countryside.
But no, this man was not meant to be her husband. She didn’t think Rashid would think him protective enough. Was that his only criteria though? Could she change his mind and add in something that would give her hope in her future?
She sighed and re-focused on Alicia. She was telling Zarah about how she’d met Joe and as she listened, she found herself fascinated by the woman. No wonder Alicia and Joe were such a powerful couple and had risen to such heights within the British government. Joe was handsome and obviously intelligent, but nowhere near as handsome or tall as Derrick. But the man had charm in spades. As they moved from the great room to the dining room, Joe and Derrick told stories of their college times, making all four of them laugh with the antics the two of them got up to. They all laughed throughout the meal, enjoying the company and the excellent food. Zarah was immensely glad she’d accepted Derrick’s invitation for the evening. This was much better than watching a movie with a bowl of cereal.
As Derrick’s housekeeper brought in the dessert, Joe said something that Zarah found interesting. Or more specifically, Derrick’s reaction to Joe’s comment was interesting.
“So what’s this I hear about a festival in this little village of yours?”
Derrick leaned back in his chair and glared at his friend. “It isn’t my little village, Joe.”
“You know what I mean. They adopted you because of that bastard of a father you had and now, from what I can figure out, you’re taking them to the next level and bringing their cottage industries out of bankruptcy.”
“Drop it, Joe.”
Alicia glanced between her husband and Derrick, just as Zarah was trying to figure out the unspoken messages. “Is something going on that I should know about?”
“No,” Derrick replied firmly, but smiled to soften the rejection.
Joe opened his mouth to say something, then shut it with a small shake of his head. “I admire what you’re doing for them. They are a wonderful group of people and I’m sorry that the re-zoning I pushed through last year didn’t help enough to get them over the top financially.”
“You did what you could. And that helped more than you know.”
“Would you like me to show up at the festival? I could drop by in the afternoon and get them some press.”
Derrick thought about that for a moment, turning to Zarah with a raised eyebrow. “Zarah has taken on the project so I’ll leave it up to her. What do you think?”
Zarah took a deep breath and glanced between the two men. In the end, she had to shake her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think the village business owners are organized enough for that kind of publicity. They are getting there, but their inventory systems are painfully out of date, their understanding of marketing techniques are antiquated and they need a stronger financial base. If you showed up during the weekend, the press would definitely be there and the publicity would be huge, but their inventories might not be able to handle the influx of customers and there could be a frustration backlash from the visitors.” She smiled gently. “Perhaps next year when they are more organized and veterans of the weekend festival circuit?” Then she glanced nervously at Derrick, realizing that she’d just overstepped her position. “I mean, if there’s going to be a festival next year, that is.”
She saw the praise in his eyes for her understanding of the village business owners’ weaknesses and her appreciation for what they can handle. She suspected that he also approved of the way she’d handled the prime minister, rejecting his offer but providing an explanation so that he wouldn’t be offended.
“What Zarah is delicately trying to tell you Joe,” Alicia said with