The front door opened and Alex walked into the room. The lady in blue and the waitress were setting up dishes on the dining table all bobbed a quick curtsy. Alex nodded his head in acknowledgment before his eyes fixed on me. He smiled politely at me and I felt queasy. There was a distance in his eyes that hurt.
“Samantha.” He sat down on the other end of the short sofa and my body automatically tilted toward him. It was like being caught in a gravitational pull. “Are you joining us for lunch?”
“Oh, no.” I turned back to his aunt, wanting to focus on anything other than the man next to me. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your meal. I can come back later.”
Rose was watching me with that calculating look again. It wasn’t unfriendly, just thoughtful. You could see her trying to figure out what was going on between me and Alex.
“Have you eaten? I called for four people.” Rose nodded toward the table and the three place settings.
“Thank you, but I really don’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense. We have a lot to discuss.” She turned her attention back to the lady in blue. “Sarah, can you please bring me the green folder on my desk? And call the office and see if Chadwick is available.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Sarah hurried back with the green folder and then quietly left the room to make her phone call.
Rose flipped through the folder before handing it to me. “This holds your account numbers and access codes, including several cards that are linked to them. There is also a brief summary of the lands you hold, your official title, and an itinerary for the next two days and when we land in Lilaria.”
“Accounts? Itinerary?”
“Yes, your family’s holdings have been guarded by the crown. When they left to protect themselves, they only took what they could carry. This meant leaving a great deal of money and valuables in banks and trusts.” Rose sipped her tea while I digested that bit. “The itinerary is to help keep us all on schedule. Since you’ve decided to accept your title, we will need to do a press release. This will help clear up the rumor mill some.”
“You’ve decided to accept your title?” Alex looked at me with interest.
“Yes.” I met his eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. My decision had nothing to do with Alex. At least that’s what I kept telling myself over and over.
“Good. Will your father be joining us?”
“He has to finish his current course of treatment.”
“Excellent. I’ll make a call to Dr. Bielefeld and see that he is aware of your father’s case.” Alex leaned back in his seat.
“Thank you.” I was trying to not be bothered by his behavior, but I found myself wishing the friendly, flirty man I had spent the day with yesterday was sitting next to me. He’d pulled back and I knew it was my fault.
I looked back at Rose, who was watching us with a small smile. When Sarah came back into the room, she brought a small notebook to Rose. “It took some arranging, but Chadwick is delighted to help Lady Rousseau.”
“Chadwick?” I asked.
“Chadwick is a member of the royal household staff. He has agreed to become your personal assistant, at least until you find one that suits you better. But I think you’ll get along with him quite well.” Rose smiled. “His mother is Lilarian, but his father is American, so he will be able to help you adjust to the customs better than some might.”
“Oh. How does one pay a personal assistant? Is it an hourly thing or a salary?” I ran my fingers over the folder in my hand. Not sure what to expect when I opened it.
“He’s currently employed by the crown, which means he’s being given to you as a courtesy since we invited you to the country. However, if you decide to take him on as part of your staff, you’ll be able to make whatever arrangements suit you.” Rose stood up and I set my teacup back on the table. “I need to make a phone call, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Go ahead and open it.” Alex nodded at the folder in my hands. “You need to know what you have.”
I looked from him to the folder and frowned. There was a crest pressed into the paper and I ran my fingers over it. Was this the Rousseau crest? I