Protecting The Princess - Nadine Millard Page 0,25

had that annoying habit of picking up speed when he was around.

“Miss Royal?”

Harriet didn’t trust herself to speak at that particular moment, so she just took a step forward, leading the way inside her sanctuary and hoping she wasn’t making a colossal mistake.

Jacob watched carefully as Princess Harriet staggered slightly.

He felt like a fussing mother hen, but he couldn’t help it. She was fit to drop, even aside from her head injury.

Her hiding place had surprised him. He didn’t think a precious princess would stay in such a slum, though it was in good repair.

Someone had maintained it over the years, but he doubted it was the princess.

He could tell she was nervous and oddly, he felt a similar anxiety stir inside him.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine why, so instead of worrying about it, he just ignored it.

Princess Harriet pushed at the warped wooden door, which unsurprisingly didn’t give.

She darted a quick glance at him and he could see, even in the dwindling daylight, that her pupils were huge, the deep brown irises almost as dark. And her eyes were glassier than he was comfortable with.

It could be exhaustion. But what if it wasn’t?

Jacob’s anxiety kicked up a notch and he stepped forward.

“Allow me,” he said, not giving her the chance to argue because he was sure that she would.

A solid shove had the door giving way and Jacob stepped into the sparse, one-room cottage ahead of the princess, planning to chase away any scurrying creature that might frighten her.

The place, he was pleased to see, was in much better shape than he’d expected.

It was a bit dusty and slightly damp but not covered in feet of dust and grim as he’d worried it might be.

It wouldn’t take him half so long to make the princess comfortable now.

His eyes darted around the room, taking everything in.

There was a simple wooden cot in the corner with some blankets folded neatly in a pile at the end of the mattress, two rickety looking wooden chairs by the empty stone fireplace, with an even less stable looking table between them.

In the corner was a chest on which sat a teapot, two chipped mugs, and a motley collection of plates and bowls. Jacob moved to put the bags down by the chest.

He heard Princess Harriet step inside the cottage behind him, and he turned to face her.

“It’s not the worst place I’ve ever stayed.” He smiled, watching her closely. “However did you find such a place, Miss Royal?”

“Oh!” Even in the dark he could see her blush. “My – er – my family live, I mean lived, I mean – used to live close by. To here. Not too close.”

Jacob hid his smirk at her fumbling.

“And – and I came here as a girl. Nobody ever seemed to live in it or even know about it. So, I sort of adopted it. It’s my safe haven. Somewhere I can just – be myself.”

Jacob nodded as pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

It made sense now that the cottage was in decent enough repair. Princess Harriet probably thought this place was a secret. But Jacob guessed that Prince Christopher knew about it, as did the king, and both had made sure it was maintained and safe for the princess.

He felt sorry for the princess, thinking that she had a secret place. Her innocence surprised Jacob. Surely, she didn’t think that she went anywhere or did anything without the king knowing about it. It was so naïve for one so feisty. Perhaps that was why he found the lady so distractingly intriguing.

His heart twisted as he watched her eyes light with pride as they scanned the room.

Her father or brother, perhaps both, had obviously left the place alone enough for Princess Harriet to believe it was unknown to them.

For some reason, he felt a spurt of anger toward the royal family. He didn’t like the idea of them tricking her.

But isn’t that what you’re doing?

Jacob ignored the question rattling around his head. He was following orders. That wasn’t the same thing as allowing her to think she had a secret hiding place.

Besides, he didn’t have time to worry about silly emotions like guilt. He had a job to do. He needed to keep the princess safe from harm until the danger to the royal family had passed.

Or until she gave up on this ridiculous scheme and returned to the safety of the palace and the royal guard.

And letting her walk into a tree hadn’t been