Page 41 of Throne Off Course

She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us.”

Lavinia nodded and then added, “You should know that despite his reputation for being proper to the point of pain, Alexander has quite the rebellious streak. Always has.”

Allegra nodded. “It’s true. At university, he once—”

“Are you two terrorizing my guest?” Sebastian’s voice cut in, amused and slightly accusatory as he rejoined them.

Lavinia pressed a hand to her chest in mock offense. “Sebastian, darling, we’re simply providing historical context.”

Allegra smiled innocently. “Educational purposes only.”

Sebastian raised a skeptical brow. “I’m sure.” He turned to Emilia. “Don’t believe a word they say. They’re terrible influences and know far too many embarrassing stories about my misspent youth.”

“Now that,” Emilia said, genuinely intrigued, “sounds like exactly the kind of historical research I’d enjoy.”

The two women exchanged delighted glances.

“Oh, we like her,” Lavinia declared.

Allegra nodded. “She can stay.”

Sebastian groaned dramatically. “I’ve made a terrible mistakeintroducing you three.”

“Well, since you brought it up…” Allegra’s eyes lit up. “Sebastian’s misspent youth? Where to begin?”

Lavinia leaned forward. “Perhaps the Monte Carlo incident? It seems most relevant.”

Sebastian groaned. “Not that one.”

Allegra ignored him completely. “Sebastian convinced the son of a Russian diplomat that he was actually a minor European prince from a principality so small and exclusive that nobody had heard of it.”

“Complete with a fabricated language and cultural customs,” Lavinia added. “He kept it up for an entire weekend.”

“The poor boy was so convinced,” Allegra continued, “that he ended up offering Sebastian his family’s yacht as a gesture of international goodwill.”

Emilia’s eyes widened. “You didn’t actually take it?”

“Only for thirty-six hours,” Sebastian admitted with a reluctant grin. “In my defense, I was eighteen and had consumed an ill-advised amount of champagne.”

“He returned it with a hand-written note of apology,” Lavinia said, “and a crate of vintage wine that he’d somehow charged to his father’s account.”

“The diplomatic fallout was…” Allegra paused, searching for the right word.

“Minimal, considering,” Sebastian finished. “The Russian ambassador’s son was too embarrassed to admit he’d been fooled, and my father was surprisingly understanding once the yacht was safely returned.”

“Understanding?” Lavinia arched a perfect eyebrow. “Herestricted your access to the family accounts for six months.”

Sebastian shrugged elegantly. “A small price to pay for what was, I must say, an exceptionally entertaining weekend. Besides, I still get Christmas cards from the yacht’s captain.”

* * *

The party was in full swing, the open-concept living room buzzing with flirtations, secrets, and top-shelf champagne. Sebastian, watching Alexander brood in a corner while stealing glances at Emilia, decided that some entertainment was in order. Something spectacular to liven up the evening—and perhaps help his friend in the process.

Alexander had retreated to the relative quiet of Sebastian’s study when the door swung open. He paused, already regretting his life choices. “Sebastian, whatever this is, no.”

Sebastian leaned against the doorframe, his eyes alight with mischief. “You’ve been watching Emilia all evening with that wounded puppy look. It’s getting painful to watch, honestly.”

Alexander gave him a warning look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”