Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

AS PRINCE ALEXANDER RODE his horse, Sterling, home, he was still chuckling over Cecelia's shocked countenance at her mother's announcement and then dramatic fall. He might have thought someone had slapped Miss Hammerstein-Smythe, she was so appalled.

He was not appalled. He should have been, but he was not.

In fact, the sweet irony of the situation did much to please him in his good humor as he travelled back to the castle. He would have loved to have stayed longer just to guarantee those rumors spread even faster, but he had a meeting with his cousin, the grand duke, Lord Bellemount—heir to his throne—within the hour and so could not waste another minute.

He did, however, allow his thoughts to expand with great care over the delightfulness of Cecelia. How could he not? Never had he met a female more enchanting than her, and he would be a simpleton not to spend a good portion of his day thinking about her.

It was very, very true. He wanted to marry the girl.

He needed to marry her so he could wake up each morning and see what she would do or say that would make him laugh. Oh, how she made him laugh! How she made his heart prick into consciousness whenever she was around. He wanted to be a better man for her—he needed to be. He wanted to slay all her dragons and show her the carefree beauty of the world.

He needed Cecelia like he'd never needed any girl before.

She was lively, and endearing, and strong, and humorous, and simply charming.

Alexander was so busy allowing his mind to wander over the past memories of her that he did not fully acknowledge the pickle he had placed himself in for quite some time. Indeed, it was not until his horse was entering into the castle courtyard that the smallest fissure of doubt crept into his thoughts at all. But when it came crashing into his euphoria, it did take hold and lay claim to all other previous moments of happiness and perfection.

For in that instant, he realized he would never own her. She would never become his because she would have to be in love with the beast before he could break the spell. And yet, he had just entangled them both in a very large and scandalous imaginary engagement. He was in love with her as the prince and the wolf, but she might become forced, for propriety's sake, to accept a real proposal of marriage from the prince. If he did not propose now, how much worse would the ramifications be? If Prince Alexander walked away, hoping to court her as an impossible beast, wouldn't her life be over? Would not the town destroy what little bit of dignity and gaiety and laughter she had left? It would ruin her for sure.

And yet, if he did not, he would live without her forever. In just over six months, he would evermore remain a hideous beast without any chance of regaining normalcy again.

She, in the end, would lose him anyway.

And he would lose her.

Gah! Prince Alexander dismounted from Sterling and shook his head to chase away the frustration. He needed to clear his mind for his meeting with Lord Bellemount in a few minutes. Leaving the stables, he quickly changed into clean clothes, deciding something less "princely" and more "normal" would be best for his cousin the duke.

By the time he had made it back downstairs and into the great room, Lord Bellemount was already waiting for him. "So there you are!" his cousin exclaimed as he entered.

"Here I am." Alexander smiled. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not as long as I would have preferred." Bellemount smirked and nodded to the side. "Your maid is quite fetching."

Alexander watched as the pretty maid blushed and then dipped into a curtsy. "You are welcome to go, Madeline. Tell my mother I will be in here with Lord Bellemount for a good hour or so."

"Yes, Your Highness." She curtsied again and scurried out.

Alexander watched his cousin closely. "You didn't do anything to the poor girl, did you?"

Bellemount laughed and shrugged, looking anything but innocent. "And what would I do within the walls of the castle, knowing you would be joining me soon?" He chuckled as if he knew something the prince did not.

"Frederick." Alexander called him by the name his cousin had detested since childhood. "If you even lay a finger on the girl, I will chop it off."

"I vow I did not touch her. I only flirted a bit and made her blush. She is very sweet."

"She is also very off limits." The prince found a chair and sat down, facing his cousin.

Frederick followed suit and sprawled out upon the large sofa. "Admit it, cousin. You have thought about kissing her more than once."

Images of Cecelia's perfect lips sprang to Alexander's mind. He smiled.

"Aha!" crowed Lord Bellemount, "I knew you had. I can tell you have just by your smile."

Alexander stated, "Then you would be wrong. I have never looked at Madeline in that light and I never will."

"Then who made you smile just then?" he asked, knowing Alexander was indeed thinking of the maid.

"A beautiful girl."

Frederick's chest tightened and he quickly sat up. "What are you talking about? I mean, who are you talking about?" This could not be—Alexander could not be falling in love now, not when Frederick was so close to actually having the throne given to him. It was no secret that Alexander hoped to do just that and soon, though Lord Bellemount pretended not to know anything of the kind. It simply would not do if he showed too much interest. But curses! That was his throne, and he would be good and sure no upstart girl, who would hope to raise a family one day and have heirs of her own, got between him and his dream.

Lord Bellemount realized Alexander still had not said anything. The prince sat across from him with a look he had never seen before, a look that confirmed his worst fears—his cousin was indeed deeply troubled and deeply in love.

"Ahem." Frederick cleared his throat, trying again. "So who is this beautiful girl who has you so silent this afternoon?" He would find her and destroy her the first moment he had.

"Am I silent?"

"Yes." Lord Bellemount chuckled uneasily. "You look like a man who could use some advice. Do you need help with something?"

Alexander closed his eyes briefly.

"Cousin, what is it? What is wrong?" Frederick could feel the prince weakening. Another few nudges and he knew he would open up and tell him who it was that was ruining his plans. "Is it the girl you think is so beautiful? Has she upset you or something?"

"Huh?" Alexander rubbed his face with one hand and stared at his cousin a moment before saying, "No. She has not upset me—just the opposite."

"She has made you happy?" Frederick asked, not sure where his cousin was going with the conversation.

"No. I am about to make her very upset, though, unless I can come up with a solution."

Prince Alexander was just about to open up and tell Frederick as much as he could about Cecelia, without revealing his own part as a wolf, when his cousin burst out almost frantically, "What is her name?"

Alexander blinked at his tone. "Why?"

"Just tell me who the girl is." Frederick crossed his arms and demanded a second time, "What is her name?"

The prince slowly sat up and leaned forward, his voice measured. "Again I ask you, why?"

"Because I need to know exactly what is going on here if I am to help you." Lord Bellemount smiled, but his foot began to tap in irritation. It was as if he could hardly sit still. "What is her name?"

Alexander examined his cousin closely before lying quite bluntly, "I do not know her name."

Frederick looked like he was about to burst. "What do you mean, you do not know her name?"

"It means she is someone I have met recently." His voice was calm and measured.

"That is ridiculous! Everyone knows everyone around here." Lord Bellemount stood up. "Where is she from? Do I know the village?"

Alexander stood up with Frederick and opened his hands in a helpless gesture. "I am afraid I do not know where she is from, either."

"Are you jesting?"

"No, I am not." It was time to put an end to this charade of a meeting. The prince stepped up and put his arm around his cousin's shoulder. "And actually, you will have to forgive me. I completely forgot about another engagement—something I promised to do for someone. Thank you so much for stopping by." He tugged gently and walked forward, forcing Frederick out of the room with him. "I am sure you can find your own way out."

"But I thought you were anxious to speak to me about a matter of great importance."

"I was. I am," Alexander answered, barely keeping his temper in check while steering Frederick toward the main hall. "But it will have to be another day. Forgive me." With that, Alexander raced up the stairs to his rooms, leaving Frederick to see himself out of the castle. He would be hanged the day he gave his cousin one ounce of information about Miss Hammerstein-Smythe! There was absolutely no reason why his own cousin should become hostile at the mention of a girl in Alexander's life. He was not quite sure what was wrong, but he certainly wasn't about to leave the only woman he'd ever loved vulnerable to such a man. The man he had hoped to announce—this very afternoon—would be taking up his throne in six months' time!

Something was not right, and he vowed he would get to the bottom of it before any such announcements or family introductions were made.

Prince Alexander was not the only one making vows at that moment. Down below, in another part of the castle, Lord Bellemount was making his own plans.

There was something decidedly false in the way the prince had evaded his questions just now and then conveniently remembered another commitment. Frederick had no idea what was going on, but he was positive Alexander not only knew the girl's name, but where she lived as well. He would bet his right foot on it!

The only thing to do now was wait and watch. With a smirk and a raise of his eyebrow, Lord Bellemount slipped to another part of the castle altogether—a long, secret passage—and exited outside through an opening in the garden statue. It was the perfect spot to watch all the comings and goings of the palace without being spotted, which was exactly what he needed to do. One way or another, he would find out who this girl was, and then she would be dead.

Frederick smiled. The poor prince would be in such an anguished state of losing his only love. Once she died, he would have nothing left within him to run the country, and so would naturally abdicate.

He hunkered down and prepared himself for a long wait. This was most definitely going to be worth it.