Page 61 of Wear It Like a Crown

Other names Leo had put on the list were David Beckham (already married to a posh one), the guy playing that vampire (creepy and too much sparkle even for a gay prince), the Pope (celibate) and Justin Bieber (probably on the way to rehab or prison). The fact that all of them were unfeasible candidates… well, that was down to the simple logic of comedy.

“Don’t you think Ian is a tad outside my age range?” Joshua sounded bright, his voice airy with relief, and Leo wasn’t even going tothink about how Joshua was on a first-name basis with one of Britain’s greatest actors. Nope.

“He’sGandalf,” Leo said. “And age is just a number, love conquers all, yadda yadda.”

Joshua snorted. “Repeat that, but with conviction.”

“True love,” Leo went for a smarmy, overly dramatic tone, “conquers all. But if that doesn’t do it, how about some hard, honest work?”

“Not much of a romantic, are you?” While Joshua’s tone was still easy, Leo thought he detected an underlying hint of seriousness to it. Which—shit, no. If this was Joshua steering the conversation towards Leo’s line about wanting to kiss him? Then Leo needed to head it off right this very moment.

“Honestly?” he said. “Hard to get in the mood when there’s a Royal Communications guy with a quiff camped out in your conference room and remarking on your bum each time you walk past.”

“Wait, George is—sorry, he can be a bit inappropriate, especially when he’s stressed out. I’ll tell him to stop.” Joshua sounded upset when Leo had intended for it to be a joke. Really, he wasn’t that bothered. He and George would never be friends, but over the last few days of being forced into close collaboration, they’d found a common ground built on mutual bickering. No harm, no foul.

“Don’t worry about it,” Leo said quickly. “It’s just good fun, and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. No need for you to bring your white mare.” He paused to take a drag of his cigarette before switching gears. “Speaking of royal employees, I thought you might want to know that your Johnson bloke is now working as a doorman for some nightclub in San Francisco. Really looks like he’s trying to build a new life for himself, and as far as we can tell, it doesn’t seem like he’s about to sell you out to the press.”

Joshua was quiet for the time it took Leo to squish the cigarette, pinch it between thumb and forefinger and drop it into the chipped cup Nate had set out for him, to keep Leo from snipping the stubs over the railing. When Joshua spoke, it was slower than before, deep and calm.

“I’m glad.”

Squinting into the blurry brightness of the sun, veiled by a semi-translucent cover of clouds, Leo bit his lip. “I still think you were too easy on him, just so you know.”

“People deserve a second chance,” Joshua said. “I mean, you of all people, with your street work thing… You believe in that, don’t you?”

Wait a second.

Leo strove for an even tone. “Are you comparing living on the street to someone maliciously abusing your trust? You can’t be bloodyserious.”

“That’s not how I meant it. You know it’s not, so don’t take my words out of context, all right?” Joshua rushed to continue. “But a few of those kids have probably done questionable stuff, right? Shoplifting, breaking into a car to get at some money, doing drugs…”

“So every street kid is a lowly criminal or junkie, is that what you’re saying?”

“No. Jesus, Leo.” Joshua sighed, sounding tired all of a sudden. “Stop twisting my words. I just meant that some of them are bound to have broken the law. And a lot of that is probably just… trying to survive, or, like, scavenging for food or a place to stay. It doesn’t make them bad people, just… desperate people. And I think Johnson was, too. Desperate, I mean.”

The bitter taste of smoke lingered in Leo’s mouth and made him swallow twice, in rapid succession. “What do you know about desperation?”

“I never said?—”

“No, really,” Leo interrupted. “Can I just ask—do you have the faintest idea what the price would be for a cup of coffee? Doesn’t have to be Starbucks, just a normal cup of coffee at some café.”

Joshua’s hesitation was palpable. When he replied, it was edged with unease. “I do my own shopping, you know? Most of the time. I bought you fairy cakes, remember?”

“So how much were they?”

Again, Joshua took a moment to speak. “They, um. They kind of told me they were on the house. At the bakery. I gave them a tenner, though.”

Ten quid for two fairy cakes.Seriously.

“I think you just proved my point,” Leo told him. Joshua remainedsilent, and several seconds stuttered by before Leo felt abruptly cold. God, that had been out of line. Yes, of course Joshua was naive about so many things, but he didn’t deserve Leo’s scorn. Not like that.

Leo was about to apologise when Joshua beat him to the point.

“I think you’re being rather…” Joshua cleared his throat, voice quiet. “Rather unfair, really. I didn’t mean to put those kids down. I said that I didn’t know what it was like, living that kind of life. It must be tough, and I didn’t mean… I’m notjudging.”

“I know.” It came out gentle, and Leo drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Joshua. I just feel very, very protective of those kids, you know? To the point where I may overreact just a little. Or a lot. Especially when I’m tired. So, yeah. I’m sorry. It isn’t you.”

“I understand. To the extent someone like me could possibly understand, anyway.” Hurt shone through Joshua’s response, and Leo braced both elbows on the railing and rested his forehead on his arms.