Alex. She gave me a sly smile before heading down the main hallway.
“So, the palace is like a cross between a Motel 6 and a dorm.” I followed Alex as he led me away from the front door.
“That’s a rather apt description.” He put his hand on my back as we walked through the kitchen.
“So this is where they hide the food.” I looked at the industrial-grade appliances and open pantries. “Now I can get my own midnight snack.”
“They keep ice cream in the third freezer on the right.” Alex winked at me.
“Nice.” We exited a large door, and I whistled when I saw the car.
“Adriane has always had a fondness for fast cars.” Alex clicked the key remote and opened the passenger door.
I slid into the low seat and ran my hands over the leather. “Not exactly low profile.”
“The press will assume it’s just Adriane and she’s not the one they’re after.” Alex revved the engine and I could understand why Adriane loved this car. It was sexy and powerful without feeling too masculine. He moved the car around the palace and toward a rear exit. A guard waved us through the gate and we were off.
“Why don’t we leave through the back gate all the time?”
“If we give them a little of what they want, we can keep a little for ourselves.” He glanced over at me. “When you leave through the main gate for official royal tasks, it keeps them from looking everywhere else.”
“Seems a bit lazy that they didn’t have someone watching the back exit.” I reached up and grabbed the handle above the door as he turned onto an expressway.
“They have people watching, but they can’t see the door we left from.”
“In other words, we really did look like Adriane leaving.”
“Exactly.” He shifted gears and the car rumbled.
“Do you use this trick often?” I was trying to not be bothered by the fact that we were in one of his ex-girlfriend’s cars. I was trying really hard.
“Only when I need to, and I think you really needed a break.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He smiled at me. “Are you ready for your first real lesson?”
“Just don’t teach me to say something horrible and embarrassing, okay?”
“Never!” He smirked. “Well, not for this event.”
“Great.” I shook my head. He rattled off a song that sounded much like the alphabet song Americans learned in grade school. I tried to follow his lead but tripped up on some of the sounds.
“Do you know any French? That would help. Our languages are closely related.”
“I took a couple of classes in high school.” I frowned. I tried again, this time keeping in mind the French I had learned years ago. It went a little smoother.
“Much better.” He sang it again and then waited for me to follow suit. After the third time I was fighting the giggles. The prince of Lilaria was teaching me the alphabet. “What’s so funny?”
“Just this. You. Teaching me the alphabet.”
“You have to start somewhere.”
“True. Okay. How about some numbers and then key phrases? Like ‘where is the bathroom.’” Just in case I needed to puke before the ceremony.
“I’m the teacher here,” he protested. “And I think we should try some numbers and then key phrases.”
“By all means, teach on.”
We made the drive, him correcting my pronunciation and me laughing at his frustration. The drive came to an end all too soon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
An American-style Night on the Town?
—Paris Observateur
It didn’t take long to get to the little bookshop. Apparently Alex had found out from Chadwick which one I was talking about. He got out of the car and opened the door for me, which I was starting to get used to. A bell chimed when we entered the store and I took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of all the books. I might love my e-reader, but I’d never pass up the chance to browse real books.
The woman behind the counter greeted us in Lilarian before doing a double take. She dipped a quick curtsy and I tried to not be disappointed that even after our sneaky exit, I was still Duchess Rousseau.
“Your Highness. Duchess Rousseau.” She gave us a small smile. “Can I help you with something?”
“Samantha wanted to find some gifts for friends back home.”
“I saw your store while I was out earlier today and wanted to come back.” I looked around the open area we were standing in. There were rooms and hallways that appeared to go farther back into the building. “I’ve always had a