Secrets of a Prince (The Princes of New Sargasso #3) - Carol Moncado Page 0,37
a small meal anyway.”
The king sent another text. “I know Joss hasn’t eaten. A meal for two will be sent to his apartment shortly. Tomorrow, we’ll have a family dinner.”
Minnie shifted uncomfortably on the lounge. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait until after we have that discussion?”
He considered her words. “Perhaps.”
“Why don’t I just hang out in the apartment until we have time to discuss it all and go from there?” She glanced at Joss. “I’m fine being alone in there for a couple of days, and Joss will be there in the evenings, so I won’t really be alone the whole time.”
The king nodded. “I’ll get with my assistant tonight and find a time as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
The king stood and when Joss did, too, Minnie followed suit. Before they exited, the king turned to her and leaned down, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Surprised, Minnie just stood there.
“Welcome to the family, Lady Waterford. We’ll find a way to work this all out and make sure you’re protected.”
Before she could thank him, he was gone.
Walking with Joss, Minnie kept her head ducked down to avoid anyone seeing her if possible.
They entered a part of the palace where she’d never been before. She suspected they’d made it to the family’s quarters.
He stopped in front of a door and put his thumb on a keypad. A click said the door had unlocked.
She hurried in after he opened the door, but not before she heard Caleb call out to Joss.
Joss didn’t stop but closed the door behind them. “Go back to the bedroom,” he told her. “I’ll talk to Caleb and put him off until we figure everything out with my father.”
Minnie didn’t know where the bedroom was, but she headed down a small hallway and figured it was safe there.
She heard the brothers talking as she walked into his bedroom.
It was so very different than the room at the apartment.
This one was filled with furniture that might - or might not - have historical significance.
The dark four-poster bed had actual heavy curtains that could be drawn around it, tied back at each of the corners. The windows also had heavy drapes that could be pulled so the ones around the bed seemed redundant.
A sitting area near the fireplace called to her. This would be cozy in the winter with a fire blazing and a blanket on her lap as she read a book.
If she was still here.
Maybe the king had a way to annul the marriage without her consent. Maybe he’d nullify it and she’d be back on her own. The king said he’d protect her from her father, but he never said what that would look like.
Maybe it would involve sending her overseas for some reason.
Who knew? And until they were able to sit down with him and talk it out, there was no way to know.
The voices near the door grew louder as Joss and Cale argued about something or other.
Probably something involving her.
If Caleb saw Joss walking into the apartment, he’d likely seen Minnie as well.
And wouldn’t have been happy about it. Not after the moment in their father’s office where she accused him of getting her pregnant.
Minnie’s hand covered her lower abdomen. How far along would she be? Would she be showing? Could she feel the baby moving around by now?
She shook her head to clear the tears from her eyes.
No reason to go there.
Someday there would be other babies. Maybe with Joss.
Hopefully with Joss.
Regardless, she couldn’t dwell on what wasn’t going to be.
She walked to the window in the middle of the room and looked out over the city. The water wasn’t visible from this angle, but she loved New Ancora and couldn’t complain about the view at all. In the distance, she could see the mountains that would be snow capped by the end of May, and likely much earlier.
Whatever the outcome of the meeting with the king, she was protected for the time being.
And, for the time being, that had to be enough.
Arguing with his brother was high on Joss’s list of least favorite things, but Caleb had seen Minnie walking into Joss’s apartment. Fortunately - or maybe unfortunately - his brother didn’t know who walked in, just that a woman did.
Joss refused to tell Cale anything more about who it was or why she was in the apartment.
Exasperated, Joss started to close the door. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. But I’m not discussing this right now.”