Royal Bastard (13 page)

My mouth dropped open, surprised that he would even consider that as a reason. He was sought after by so many women that one would have to be stupid to not want to be engaged to such a man. And I’d had the benefit of seeing the hidden side of Edward, too, the side that no one else really knew existed.

Him as my fiancé? I wouldn’t want anything more. But reality was a fickle creature. No one would believe an engagement between the two of us was real in the first place. “It has nothing to do with you,” I finally said. “It’s too far-fetched to believe, Edward.”

He walked over and snatched up the paper lying on the table, thrusting it toward me. “Apparently not. I would imagine there are already bets being taken to figure out how long it’s going to take.”

I took the paper, my heart hammering in my chest as I read the headline. …
Tamed the Black Sheep
? Me? The picture was definitely not one of mine, which made me wonder how we hadn’t seen someone following us. Though it was an innocent picture, I could see where the mistake would lie. We had been discussing his next steps, our heads bent together as we had walked back to his car. To any passer-by we looked like a couple even though he wasn’t even touching me.

“My brother wanted to know what was going on between us just this morning,” he continued as I clasped the paper to my chest. “So it wouldn’t be such a surprise, Rose, if you could stomach the idea of being engaged to me.”

The hurt in his voice was evident with his biting words, and I sighed inwardly, wishing he could understand. This had nothing to do with that and everything to do with my growing feelings for him. Could I go along with a sham engagement not knowing for sure how he truly felt?

My eyes, full of renewed tears, widened as Edward took my hand and knelt down on one knee.

“Rose Victoria Mathis, will you marry me?”

I
waited
. What else could I do? I thought she would throw her arms around me and tell me yes a thousand times over.
No
, I thought as I looked at her wrestling with my proposal, Rose would never throw herself at anyone. She was level-headed and smart about everything she did. I couldn’t imagine exactly what was going on in her mind right then, but no doubt she was rationalising and considering every aspect and whether they made sense or not.

Damn her ex. Those pictures were supposed to be a way for me to show her that she was beautiful and to break her out of her shell, not shame her publicly and drag her into the nasty world of the tabloids that I already lived in! I could kill the bastard for what he was threatening to do to the both of us. And her worry about me was ill placed at best. While Father would be pissed about the newest scandal, we could weather the storm as long as she accepted my proposal. Without it, well, the entire ordeal was about to be ugly. And I would be lost without her.

“Edward…”

“Please, Rose. Don’t leave me hanging here.”

She reclaimed her hands and stepped away. “It’s not being engaged to you that has me worried,” she finally said, a nervous tremble in her voice that had me on high alert. “It’s the thought of people actually believing it.”

“The hell with all of them,” I said, annoyed that she was worried what others thought, but I could read between the lines, too. She didn’t think I meant it. Thought I was just trying to protect her. But the thought of marrying her, making this real, made me feel like the luckiest fucking man on the planet. “I didn’t ask them for their opinion, I asked you.”

“Edward,” she said, exasperated with the situation. “Can we just slow down for a moment and rationally think through this?”

I ran a hand through my hair roughly and stalked over to her, settling my hands on her shoulders. “I’ve thought about it,” I said, looking into her unusual eyes. “And it’s a damn good plan, Rose. Let me protect you. Let me help you through this. Let me be yours?”

“What if he’s calling my bluff?” she asked softly, her eyes searching mine. “Then you would have done this, shackled yourself to me for no reason at all.”

“What if he isn’t?” I shot back gently. “Worst case is that he doesn’t do it and we break our engagement quietly after a period of time… if that’s what you wanted.” If she was so damned determined not to be engaged to me, I could let her go in the end regardless of the outcome. Hell these tender feelings were new to me, as well. I wanted to shelter her in one instance and let her go so she could be happy in the next. Shit, she scared the hell out of me.

“We really need to think about this, I need to think about it. Alone,” she said, exhaling. I stepped away from her then and gave her a shrug, trying hard not the let the hurt of rejection shine through.

“Sure, anything you want.”

“Can I give you an answer tomorrow?” she asked. I nodded and she turned toward the lift, jabbing at the button like she was trying to flee the devil’s lair.

“It’s going to be okay, Rose,” I called after her, causing her to turn to look at me. “I will protect you; we can make this work. You can trust me.”

“I know,” she replied softly as the lift doors opened. I turned away then, resisting the urge to run after her and force her to accept my proposal.

I waited until she was fully out of the building, watching her from the window until she disappeared down the road sheltered by big elm trees. I picked up my phone and dialled my brother’s number.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Andrew, I need your help,” I said, struggling to contain my anger and frustration. “Can you meet me at the club on St. James’ in a few minutes?”

Andrew sighed and I knew he was looking at his watch, no doubt checking to see if he was going to be late to any appointments if he gave in to my request. That was another difference between the two of us. I could barely make anything on time, and Andrew liked to arrive ten minutes early. “White’s? Yes, I have some time. Should I bring any bail money?” he said, laughing.

“Funny. Just get there—oh actually, I do need something,” I said sharply and explained what I needed him to do. His help would be paramount to me being able to weather this scandal. It was only a matter of time before Rose saw that this was going to be the best thing for her, and I wanted to be prepared for the backlash that was going to happen from my own family as a result.

Shoving a hand through my hair, I stood in my living room, then smoothed down the creases of the suit Rose had forced me to wear for the charity meeting that morning. It was a good thing, too. It saved me from having to get changed to be allowed into the exclusive gentlemen’s club that was White’s. They just barely tolerated my existence and membership, but it wouldn’t do to go in there in my scruff—a jeans and t-shirt… that would’ve turned into a scandal in itself.

With a plan forming in my head, I felt like I was actually on the edge of something great. I truly wanted to be engaged to Rose. Hell, I was both ecstatic and sick to my stomach at the same time. I didn’t want to fail her. That was the thought that was popping into my head now. I didn’t want her to see me as a complete and utter failure as the man in her life. I wanted to wow her. I wanted her to be proud to be by my side. I wanted to be the man she dreamed about at night. I wanted to be her everything.

Exhaling a slow, steady breath, I walked to the lift. It was time to meet my brother, break the news to him, and get him on my side.

* * *

“
W
hat the hell
were you thinking? I thought you were trying to get on Father’s good side, not drive the wedge in further!”

I polished off the last dram of whisky and sat back, lacing my hands over my stomach and looking up at the barrel-shaped roof of the club’s coffee room, where lunch was being served. Usually I would’ve joined Andrew and had a serving of grouse, but I opted for a liquid lunch instead. I needed to keep my nerves steady and my courage up as I delivered the news to him. It wasn’t a rare occurrence for Andrew to be in attendance at the club, so most of the members paid us no mind, but as soon as my words registered, Andrew’s outburst had heads turning. Of course, they didn’t dare say anything about it—he was, after all, in line for the throne. They merely carried on with their own meals.

“I know it sounds crazy, but if those photos go out, it’s going to be a shit storm, Andrew.”

“How the hell do you get yourself into these messes? It’s like you purposely seek them out,” he said roughly, his cooling meal all but forgotten. “Are you sure she didn’t set this thing up herself to get her hooks into you?”

“Don’t,” I warned, my voice low. I had complete faith in the fact that Rose had nothing to do with those photos getting into the hands of her ex. It had been my idea to take them, and I remembered her reluctance to allow me to do so in the first place. No, she had nothing to do with it.

“You have to at least consider it—”

“I have. And no. She would never do that.”

“Fine,” Andrew said, slumping in his chair. “But Father is going to hit the roof. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were trying to give him a heart attack.” I sighed, my patience wearing thin. “However, I do think that you are right by trying to take some of the heat out of the potential scandal.” He then reached into his jacket and pulled out a packet of papers. “Here. I got the information you asked for on that boyfriend of hers. He won’t be too hard to intimidate. I have a few friends in MI5 who’d jump at the chance to do me a favour.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” I muttered, taking the papers. I had texted my brother to do some research before he came to meet me so that I would have ammunition when I met with the asshole who was threatening to ruin Rose’s life. And I planned on meeting with him in the very near future. “Thanks, Andrew. But that’s a little heavy-handed, don’t you think? I’ll take care of it myself now that I have these.”

“Well, if you’re sure, just let me know if you change your mind,” my brother responded, cocking his head to the side, then adding, “You’re really into this girl, aren’t you?”

“Damn right I am,” I said, setting the papers down beside my empty glass. “Rose is… she’s everything. I would like for you to meet her properly this time.”

Andrew nodded, and I thought back to how she and I had left it that morning. I knew no amount of talking with her or showing her the benefits was going to persuade her that this was the right thing to do. Rose was going to make up her mind when she was good and ready. I just hoped it was soon, before my heart shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

Andrew took a sip of his water and then stood, smoothing out his jacket even though there wasn’t a wrinkle in sight. “I better go. Someone has to warn Father before it leaks.”

“Don’t tell him yet,” I begged, wanting to give Rose some time to think over the proposal and actually accept it before the hounds of the royal family set upon her. “Let her decide first.”

“Then hold off those photos,” Andrew replied. “You know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, Edward, but I only want what’s best for you, brother. I know you have your reasons why you do some things, and I can respect that. Just know I will be here for you. I’ll make sure you’re protected, too, no matter what.”

“Thanks, Andrew,” I said, my throat suddenly tight. It meant a great deal for my brother to show his support. I hadn’t been the easiest of people to get along with over the years, and he had bailed me out more stupid situations than I cared to admit. He nodded and walked off, leaving me to brood in silence. This was going to work. It had to work. If it didn’t, I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do.

I
stared
at the front page of the paper and smiled, touching Edward’s face gently as he grinned up at me. The news of Edward’s involvement in the orphanage’s fundraiser had made it to the press, and he was on the front page again. His smiling picture had been one of mine, one that showed off his handsome features and that strong jaw that I was so fond of. The fluff piece that followed would make anyone proud, talking about all the good Edward was going to do with the money they were about to raise. And while I had written it, it had been Edward’s own humble and honest words I had interjected into the article. I fully believed that he was going to accomplish all of those things. Edward wasn’t a type to say one thing and do another.

Sighing, I laid the paper down and looked at my mum’s kitchen wall, my eyes tracing the designs of the wallpaper. Mum was out at her book club meeting, and my dad, well, I had no idea where he was, but the house was as silent as a tomb for the afternoon. It was a perfect opportunity for me to think about my next steps and how I was going to weather this scandal that was on the horizon—there was nothing like coming home to be around familiar surroundings to help you figure your life’s shit out.

To say that I had been rattled when Edward proposed to me yesterday was a bloody understatement. The thought of being his fiancée had sent me over the edge—I was head over heels and in too deep to think straight, so I’d run. I loved him, and it was killing me. Could I pretend to be his fiancée? Yes, I could. But could I let him go when the time came and the scandal was over with? Doubtful. I could pretend to, but my heart would be ripping itself apart, and I didn’t think I would ever be able to come back from that.

So what was I going to do? That was the question of the decade, unfortunately. I didn’t think I could talk it out with anyone else for fear they would slip up, and the press would find out that it was all a sham.

“Rose?”

I shot out of my chair. “Bloody hell, Harriet! You scared me half to death!”

Her eyebrow arched and she stared at me, puzzled. “I can see that. What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

“Yeah, well, I asked first!” she said and laughed, sticking her tongue out and taking a seat opposite. “I came to borrow Dad’s toolbox, I need to put up some frames at the club. Your turn,” she prompted.

“Eugh, it’s a long story.”

“Are you waiting for mum?”

“No, not really. I just, I dunno. I came here to think.”

“Everything okay with your flat? I’ve been meaning to bring over your housewarming present, but I’ve been run off my feet, and it looks like you’ve been quite the busy bee, too,” she said and looked at the paper that lay between us.

“The flat’s fine,” I replied, deep in thought.

“Oh, come on. Tell me. You used to tell me everything to the point of distraction. Don’t stop now… It has something to do with Edward, doesn’t it?”

“He asked me to marry him,” I said, just blurting it out.

If the whole situation had been different I would have fallen off my chair with laughter. Harriet’s face froze for the longest time, her eyes comically wide. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.

“Yeah. Welcome to my world.”

“Mum’s going to die.”

After Harriet’s initial shock I explained the situation the best I could, telling her everything, even though I was hesitant to. But talking it over was probably the best thing I could’ve done. It was crazy, she made me see that. But I still wanted to say yes. I was being selfish and thinking maybe, just maybe, I could make him fall in love with me, too. I could make him see that I was all he needed, not his family nor anything else that he had in this world. I could make him happy.

* * *

I
cleared
my throat nervously as I rode the lift to Edward’s flat, my stomach in knots. After a restless night’s sleep I had come to a conclusion on what I was going to tell him about this proposal. As far-fetched as the entire idea sounded, I was actually going to agree to be his fiancée for however long he needed. It was the only way that would keep both of us from being dragged through the media, and I didn’t want Edward to have to go at it alone with his family. It was my fault that the pictures were even being considered as leverage against him, and I needed to be by his side to stand up for him when the day came that he had to face his family.

The doors opened, and I walked into his living room. He was standing near the couch, a packet of papers in his hand. He looked up as I approached, his handsome face splitting into a grin. “Good morning. So, am I talking to my future bride, or…”

“Good morning,” I said, holding out the coffee and greasy breakfast rolls I’d picked up along the way. “Maybe, but first, breakfast.”

He brushed my hand with his fingertips as he took the cup that was still in the holder and the bag, setting them on the table. Oh, how I longed for him to touch me again, like the other night.

“Thanks. Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, we can just live with the elephant in the room.”

He sighed and got right to business. “Today’s a busy day. I was going over the last-minute requests for the fundraiser. I can’t believe we are down to seventy-two hours now.”

I smiled as I heard the undertone of excitement in his voice, thinking it was amazing to see how far he had come in the weeks I had known him. He was genuinely excited about this fundraiser for the orphanage. “I accept,” I said suddenly.

He spluttered on the sip of coffee he’d just taken—granted, I didn’t have the greatest timing in the world, but I couldn’t keep it in any longer. Not after hearing the joy in his voice about the orphanage.

“I decided to take you up on your offer,” I said rambling, gripping my cup tightly in my hands. “I mean, if it’s still on the table, that is.”

He didn’t say anything for a second or two and I tried not to fidget under his intense gaze. What if it wasn’t still on the table?
Oh, shit, he’s changed his mind, and any second now he’s going to start laughing in my face.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

“In that case, let’s do this properly.” He slowly sank to one knee as he dug into his pocket. The trembles returned all over again. It was like déjà vu, but this time he held up a tiny, square box and my mouth dropped as he opened it. “I’ve never asked someone twice, let alone once, to marry me. But Rose Victoria Mathis, will you do me the greatest of honour of becoming my wife?”

The ring sat glittering in its cushioned box, but I only had eyes for him. Whether this was real or not, this was a dream come true. One that could I wake up from, yet I didn’t care. I allowed myself to enjoy that one singular moment, a true royal prince proposing to me— plain ol’ Rose Mathis—and was surprised that tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. He looked so earnest, so, damn believable that my heart squeezed painfully in my chest at the sight. If I didn’t answer him soon, I was either going to bawl all over him or keel over from a heart attack!

“Yes,” I finally said, blinking back the tears.

Edward got up off the floor then and plucked my coffee cup out of my hand before wrapping his strong arms around me. “You don’t know how happy this makes me,” he said, his eyes boring into mine.

I squeaked out an incomprehensible word as his lips descended on mine, the heat and intensity of his kiss taking my breath away. His lips moulded against mine as my hands clenched the front of his t-shirt, pulling him close. His hands drifted up my back, caressing the skin under my thin shirt as a ball of sensations swirled around my stomach and lower even, a pool of intense need gathering between my thighs. Edward pulled back, a lazy grin on his face as he looked at me, my lips still tingling from his kiss.

“This is going to be one hell of a ride, Rose.”

“I second that,” I said, stepping out of the circle of his arms. Oh god. One kiss and I was ready to throw myself at him! I wasn’t going to survive this. “So, um, how do we go about doing this?”

Edward’s smile grew wider as he reached for his phone. “Easy. We plant a tiny seed, and then it blooms from there.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked, eyeing his phone. I knew he utilised social media, but would it spread like we needed it to before those pictures surfaced?

“I’m going to phone in an anonymous tip to the press,” he said, scrolling on his phone. “Then we are going to our meeting with the fundraiser board.”

I swallowed hard as he put the phone up to his ear, already nervous about accepting this crazy plan of his.

Edward spoke low into his phone and then ended the call.

“Here you forgot to put it on,” he said, holding out the small box to me.

I took the box with trembling hands, the symbol of our engagement. I opened the lid and looked at the ring inside, taking it in properly this time. A moderately sized brilliant sapphire winked up at me, surrounded by tiny diamonds and set in a delicate white gold setting with intricate filigree on either side. “It’s truly beautiful,” I breathed, taking it out of the box.

“It was my mum’s,” he said quietly as I held up the ring in the morning light. “She wore it on her ring finger until the day she died. I think my father gave it to her, but I’ve never been able to prove it.”

I looked at the ring then, a wealth of emotions building in my chest. This was obviously something very important to him, and it just felt all kinds of wrong for me to take something so precious. “I-I can’t take this,” I said, placing it back in the box and shutting the lid.

“You can and you will,” he fired back, refusing to take the box out of my hand. “It will look good on you.”

I bit my lip, trying to be strong and to not break down into tears. In some ways we were very much alike, but I didn’t know how to tell him, at least not just yet. We had to deal with one crisis before I dropped a bombshell in his lap.

Edward walked over and took the box out of my hand, opening it and extracting the ring. I watched as he picked up my hand and slid the ring over my knuckle, his warm fingers gliding over my skin lightly. “See?” he said, holding my hand in his, his thumb rubbing over the ring. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? It’s perfect.” This man was going to be the death of me.

I shook my head, mainly because I was unable to say anything at all, and he dropped my hand, stepping back. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable about this, Rose,” he replied. “You have to know how much I care about you, and I won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I won’t put you in a position where you feel like you must defend yourself in front of my family. We are a team.” Edward then gave me a half-hearted smile. “Come on, we have to go.”

“I, uh sure,” I finally said after finding my voice, the ring warm against my skin. After this was all over with, he was going to get this precious ring back. There was no way I was going to keep it. “I just need to freshen up first, and then I’ll be ready.” With my heart fluttering, I locked myself in Edward’s bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. This was really happening, and there was no way to turn back now—he had made the call, and the press would be on us in a matter of minutes.
Pull it together, Rose. You can do this.
I nodded to myself. There were worse things than being engaged to the person you’d fallen in love with… I didn’t need to put on an act. I just needed to be me.

“Are you okay in there? You haven’t fallen down the loo, have you?”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” I called quickly and dug out my compact from my purse. I dabbed a few shiny areas on my forehead and nose. There were going to be a lot of photos taken today, and most of them not by me.

“Ready,” I said as I emerged from the bathroom.

It was his turn to nod as he grabbed up the papers on the table and motioned toward the lift. “After you.”

Edward stood close to me as we rode the elevator down, but he didn’t touch me as if to let me have some privacy to process it all, including the kiss. And what a kiss it had been! Now I was wearing his ring, a mark that I was officially off the table. My Mum was going to go ballistic that I didn’t tell her up front, but I couldn’t take the chance of her telling all her friends before Edward even found out.

The doors opened and I stepped out, Edward right behind me.

“Ah, sir, it’s a madhouse out there!”

Jim was standing by the exit, the frosted glass only revealing shadows beyond the door. “I don’t know what you did this time, but they are up in a frenzy over it.”

Edward laughed and reached for my hand, holding it up so that Jim could see the ring. “We got engaged.”

Jim’s eyes widened as he looked at my hand, holding out his own toward Edward. “Well, I would say that is news. Congratulations and many years of happiness to you both.”

“Thank you,” I forced out, feeling like a fraud already. Edward’s hand squeezed mine reassuringly as he shook Jim’s hand, clapping the man on the back. “So it’s a madhouse out there?”

Jim nodded. “They came around five minutes ago.”

“Just what we needed,” Edward said, looking down at me. “You ready for this? And don’t worry—you look stunning.”