Protecting The Princess - Nadine Millard Page 0,9

man to kill him.

But no.

The letter had been akin to a request for a governess for the princess.

Jacob had never spent any time with the princess. The nature of his work meant he spent more time out of Aldonia than he spent within her borders, and when he was around, he tended to avoid Society events that involved the royals and the peerage, lest he inadvertently embarrass his father, or accidentally get bored to death.

He’d heard of the princess’s beauty, of course. And her grace. Her decorum. Her charitable endeavours.

In short, she’d sounded as boring as every other lady of Society. The only difference being the crown on her head.

But this outraged young woman, with her hands planted firmly on her hips, and her deep brown eyes glinting with fire, didn’t look like any other dull lady. And she wasn’t anywhere near a crown, or the security that came with one.

“I’m not stealing your bags, Miss.” He offered his most charming smile, which only served to have her eyes narrow further.

Jacob felt his own patience begin to wear thin.

He was still trying to figure out what to do now that he’d blown his cover. He didn’t need her recalcitrance right now.

“I just thought that perhaps you would be more comfortable sitting inside having some refreshments while you waited for the coach.”

She eyed him speculatively.

“I didn’t think it prudent for me to enter such an establishment alone.” She sounded a little defensive, and very untrusting, which was understandable given the circumstances.

It also proved that she had at least a modicum of sense about her, although if that were true, she hardly would have snuck from the palace unnoticed in the first place. Or thought she did.

“But you are not alone. At least not any longer.” He smiled.

Maybe he was losing his touch. But she looked completely unmoved by what he had thought was his most charming expression.

“Being with a complete stranger is hardly safer, or more prudent, than being alone,” she sniffed.

Jacob gritted his teeth and strove for patience.

They’d spent so long standing here arguing that the bloody coach would set off again by the time he’d persuaded her to get inside to relative safety and anonymity.

Prince Christopher would be less than pleased if the Crown Princess were to be discovered alone at a coaching inn.

“There is a very easy solution to that.” He kept his tone light but not flirtatious. He couldn’t afford to scare her off. “We can use the time until the coach leaves to get to know each other, and then we’ll no longer be strangers.”

“That would still require me to go with you, currently a stranger, in order to become acquainted enough with you for you not to be a stranger any longer.”

My God. The woman would argue with a brick wall.

Jacob found himself in the unusual position of not knowing quite what to do.

Ever since he’d begun working for the Crown, he’d taken every assignment in his stride. He was a crack shot, an excellent swordsman, and he was possessed of a sharp mind.

He knew how to uncover state secrets, how to weed out traitors to the Crown, he could kill a man with his bare hands if necessary, and travel through Europe undetected.

But damned if he could find a way to get this diminutive, spoilt bunch of outrage inside that inn.

And now that they’d already “met,” he didn’t know how he’d keep her safe when she got to wherever she was going.

He could lurk in the shadows of course, but that could mean potentially not being close enough should someone attack her.

So his idea of being a townsperson wherever she landed, and befriending her gradually while also keeping an eye on her, had disappeared with the drunk he’d run off.

His head was beginning to ache, and he still had no real plan.

Perhaps it was time to take a bit of a gamble.

Jacob placed the bags back on the ground.

“Though our meeting is a little unorthodox, and certainly not as appropriate as I would like, allow me to introduce myself.” He sketched a perfectly polite bow. “My name is Jacob Lauer, and I am taking the coach to Gant.” He saw no harm in giving her his real name as he named the closest village to the Royal Winter Palace, which was where he figured she was going from the coach she was planning to take.

He had no doubt she wasn’t silly enough to actually stay at the palace, but even when people were running