Page 34 of Christmas at the Castle
She did, but she also stuck out her tongue at him. “This could be considered extortion by the Council of Justice.”
“Or the council could decide this is simply a sister sharing with a brother.”
“They would. You always win. Like Mother.”
He did. And he would with Kat.
They both had Sophie’s best interest at heart, but that was the only thing they had in common.
A win for Kat meant her finding a wealthy royal to pay off her debts and give her a title. A win for him meant she returned to America alone with no romantic attachment left behind here.
Gill took a bite. He couldn’t wait to see her lose.
*
Kat woke tothe scent of bacon and pancakes. She opened her eyes to sunlight and the elegant furniture of the “Blue Room.” Her bridesmaid book lay on the nightstand next to a glass of water.
Not a dream.
For a moment, she’d wondered.
The throw from the reading chair covered her.
Strange. Kat didn’t remember bringing the blanket to the bed. She was also on top of the covers not underneath them. The last thing she remembered from last night was…
Gill and Maximillian.
She glanced around the room. They weren’t there, but Sophie was. She stood next to Liv, who held a tray containing breakfast.
Kat’s sense of smell hadn’t been affected by jetlag.
Sophie’s grin lit up both her face and the room. “I thought food would wake you better than an alarm clock.”
“Good morning?” Kat asked. “Or is it afternoon?”
“Morning and an early one at that.”
Sophie wore brown pants tucked into leather ankle boots, a coordinating turtleneck, and a multi-colored sweater that fell to mid-thigh. Clunky earrings dangled from her earlobes. Very different from the conservative clothing she’d worn yesterday.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t let you sleep longer,” she continued. “But we have a dress fitting to attend with my mother and the duchess.”
Nerves rattled. Kat remembered what Gill had said about picking battles with his mother. She wanted to get along with Queen Louise. The same way Sophie had gotten along with her nana and papa.
Liv moved the tabletop Christmas tree toward the far edge of the round table, and then she set the contents of the tray down. “You fell asleep so quickly you never made it under the covers.”
“Thanks for getting me the blanket,” Kat said.
“That wasn’t me.” Liv poured coffee into two cups. “I’ll make a note to check on you tonight.”
If Liv hadn’t covered Kat, that meant Gill had.
A chill shivered through her. The thought of falling asleep in front of him made her feel exposed, and the idea of him doing a thoughtful gesture went against everything she imagined the man to be.
Sophie carried the two cups of coffee toward the bed. “I had Liv ask the chef to make your favorite breakfast. I thought you could eat up here while you get dressed since we’re in a bit of a rush.”
Kat bit back a laugh. First, Sophie had never rushed anywhere when they were at camp. Being on time hadn’t been a priority. And second, bacon and eggs were Kat’s favorite breakfast, and though she noticed scrambled eggs on the plate, Sophie was the one who liked pancakes.
But Kat would play along, so her friend wouldn’t go hungry. Gill had better take care of ending the diet ASAP. “I hope the chef made extra because I’m hungry.”
