The Barefoot Barmaid (Belles & Bullets Book 1) Page 9

  “I try.”

  His short answer was followed by another period of silence. Kitt's eyes wandered to Roderick, whose expression was unmistakably pained. If he really was in love with the princess, she could only imagine how he might feel. As far as he knew, he was watching his lover's meeting with her future husband. It must have been agonizing.

  Kitt then looked down at her lap, where her thumbs were twiddling anxiously. It was, without question, one of the most awkward moments of her life. Prince Malik looked incredibly bored. She kept hoping he was just shy, but he didn't really have the appearance of someone who was.

  “If we are to be married, we should be frank with one another, Princess Lyneah.” Malik's tan hand glided through his glossy black hair as he spoke. “I don't want to be married. Not to you, not to anyone. And I've heard rumors about you that are... surprising.”

  “Rumors?” Kitt's brow furrowed. “What rumors?”

  “I'd rather not repeat them... at least, not in the company of others.” Malik's eyes scanned the room, where his guards and her knights lined the walls. If he talked quietly, he doubted they would hear him, so he leaned toward her and whispered. “I've heard rumors that you are not chaste. I've heard that you have... lovers.”

  “Oh my!” Lovers? Plural? It might have been true about Princess Lyneah, but it certainly wasn't true about her. Kitt could count her lovers on one hand... if she brought her thumb and forefinger together to form a zero.

  Dealing with Roderick's amorous attentions was bad enough. Kitt couldn't imagine being approached by multiple suitors.

  “Is it true, then?” the prince asked. “Are you as promiscuous as they say? I'm not judging you... at least, I'm trying not to. But as your betrothed, I deserve to know the truth.”

  “No.” Kitt was slowly shaking her head. “It isn't true.”

  “Very well. If you deny it, I will believe you... but that does not change the fact that I have no desire to marry you. Now, nor ever.”

  “And I have no desire to marry you!” Kitt fired his words back at him, perhaps a bit too harshly. But he was being so rude, Kitt felt he deserved only rudeness in return.

  “Good. At least we've established that early on.” A split second smile flicked onto the prince's thin lips. “But we will marry each other... because that is what's best for our kingdoms. Now, let's stop pretending we care to converse with each other and busy ourselves with more important things,” Prince Malik suggested. “You can go back to your needlepoint... or whatever young ladies do with their time.”

  “And you can go back to preening and styling your hair... or whatever spoiled princes do with their time.”

  Kitt didn't like him.

  She really, really didn't like him.

  14

  As Kitt headed back to her room, she was still fuming over her encounter with Prince Malik—so much so that she was relieved to cross paths with Doon and Miles in the hall. She was even happy to see Doon, which was odd, because he was undoubtedly the man who had ruined her life. Without thinking, she ran straight to Miles and threw her arms around him.

  “You're still here!” Kitt gasped as she buried her face against his shoulder. “I didn't realize you were still here. I thought you'd abandoned me!”

  Miles had some stern words for her. “As much as I am enjoying this embrace, I would advise you to be mindful of who you show affection to.”

  Miles' advice made her heart sink. Kitt assumed he would be happy to see her too. As her arms slipped from around him, she whispered, “Sorry...”

  “Think nothing of it,” Miles coolly replied.

  Miles had always been friendly with her on the airship, but now he seemed standoffish. It never occurred to her that his kindness wasn't genuine, or that he only spent time with her because Doon had demanded it. The possibility was a sting to her heart. Nevertheless, she was happy to see him. She even missed Doon's face, weirdly enough. As much as she didn't want to be stuck on the airship against her will, being trapped in the castle was even worse. Too many people were watching her every move. She had never been more uncomfortable in her life.

  “I-I don't know what to do!” Kitt whispered to them. “I was approached by a man who thought he was my lover, and then I had to meet the princess' fiance, and it was a bloody mess, and I'm not sure what I--”

  “We are leaving soon,” Doon interrupted. “The queen has invited us to dinner tomorrow night, and then we depart.”

  “But... wait!” Kitt jabbed a finger against Doon's chest. “You were supposed to take me away from here! As soon as you collected your reward money, you were supposed to help me escape!”

  “The queen has given me a mission. Once I complete it and I've collected the money for that, then we can think about leaving.”

  “Ha!” Kitt glowered at him. “It's funny how a change of plans is always convenient for you, but it's never convenient for me!”

  “Haven't you learned that about me yet, Princess? I would never inconvenience myself if I could inconvenience someone else instead.”

  “Well, at least you don't deny it.” Kitt sighed. “Anyway, why did the queen invite you to dinner? It seems a little bit... unorthodox... to dine with a pirate.”

  “Privateer,” Doon corrected her.

  To which Miles added, “If I had to wager a guess, I would say the queen has taken a fancy to our Captain Doon.” He leaned closer to Kitt and whispered, “And as you well know, it is an infatuation that will almost certainly lead to nowhere.”

  Every time she looked at Doon, she had to remind herself he wasn't the womanizing rogue that she expected him to be. Kitt's brain still struggled to process that information. “So, uh... Doon?”

  “Yes, Princess?”

  She could feel her nose crinkle every time he called her that. “How long do you think you'll be gone? How long am I going to be here?”

  “You'll be here as long as you need to be here,” Doon said, but when he saw the disappointment in her eyes, he added, “Possibly another week or two.”

  Kitt grabbed the captain's tatty coat and pulled him closer. He was tall, so she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his ear, into which she whispered, “And what if the real princess returns before then? Huh? Aren't you going to feel bad if you come back and I'm dead?”

  “A bit.” Doon hitched a shoulder at the thought. “Anyway, before I go, I'll need to have a word with you. Because I feel slightly responsible for your safety and well-being, I'm going to help you before I go.”

  “Help me? How?”

  “Patience, Kitten. For now, I must go. We shouldn't keep chattering about this in the middle of the hall, should we? Farewell.” Doon bowed slightly, then started down the hallway. Miles followed, but not before flashing a pitying pout in Kitt's direction.

  “Well, that was abrupt,” Kitt whispered as she headed toward the princess' bedchamber. “And...Kitten?” She kept thinking about Doon's odd nickname for her until she reached her destination. Upon arriving, seven servants descended on her at once, ready to cater to her every whim. She tried to explain that she had a headache and wanted to be alone, but that only made them more eager to please her and alleviate her pain. She practically had to beg them to stop fussing, and when they finally left, she flung off her wig and collapsed into bed with a giant sigh.

  Kitt always wondered what it would be like to be a princess, and while it certainly had its perks, she was starting to see how it could get annoying too. But it had to be better than walking barefoot on the dirty streets of Lundun, getting groped by drunks at Lucky's. Maybe no one had a perfect life?

  All of a sudden, the door opened, and the knight named Roderick stepped into her room.

  “Bloody hell!” Kitt shouted. “How did you get in here?” She had a very distinct memory of locking the door, so it didn't make sense.

  “You gave me a key, remember?” Roderick marched to the bed and sat beside her. “Or were you gone so long that you've forgotten? To be honest, it seems like you've entir
ely forgotten your affection for me. Do you not care for me at all?”

  Kitt just stared at him for a moment, speechless. If he was truly Lyneah's lover, she admired the princess' tastes. There was something undeniably appealing about the freckles splattered all over his face. His wild black curls matched his dark eyes almost perfectly. Roderick was really quite cute. “I do care,” Kitt finally said. She felt bad for lying to him, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

  “Then prove it.” When she felt Roderick's warm hand against her neck, Kitt shuddered. “Kiss me. Kiss me as deeply and passionately as you used to.”

  When she saw his lips coming toward her, Kitt froze. He came close, but she ducked away from his kiss before their mouths collided. “I-I-It's... it's just that this is all a bit overwhelming for me. Everything's moving too quickly.”

  “You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?” Roderick's hand slid under her dress, circling her calf. “Before you left, we used to be together all the time.”

  “I know. Yeah... I... umm...” It was difficult to speak. The feeling of his fingers gliding along her leg was distracting, to say the least. “But I just met my fiance for the first time ever, and I have a lot on my mind right now. Not to mention, I have a massive headache.” At least she wasn't lying to him. Her head was, in fact, aching like the devil.

  Kitten. Even though Roderick was the one sitting in front of her, the sound of Doon's voice still echoed in her mind. Why couldn't she get him out of her head? No one had ever called her Kitten before. It almost sounded like a term of endearment, so to hear it coming from Doon was insane.

  “You look distracted,” Roderick observed.

  “Well, I did say I had a headache!” Kitt thought she sounded rude, so she followed her statement with a smile. “I just think I need a break for awhile. Meeting the prince was... a lot to process.”

  “You need a break?” Roderick's lips plummeted into a frown. “A break from me? A break from us?”

  “Well, no. Not exactly. Or... well... maybe?” Kitt didn't want to break his heart, but she also didn't want him ambushing her with kisses all the time.

  “But you never wanted to marry the prince. How many times did we talk about this?” Roderick dragged a hand over his face. The low grumble that surged from his throat was the embodiment of despair. “After meeting him today, I imagine you want to marry him even less. Pardon my language, but... Prince Malik was an ass.”

  To which Kitt resolutely replied, “On that, we can agree.”

  “He was rude to you!” Roderick took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I would never be rude to you.”

  “I know you wouldn't.” Kitt's mind wandered in the middle of their conversation. If he was intimate with the princess, wouldn't he know her better than anyone else? What if he discovered she was lacking a birthmark, or a freckle in a certain area? Roderick seemed like a decent man, but she had to keep her distance from him. If anyone could see through the lie, it would be him. She was a bit surprised that she had managed to fool him at all.

  “Be honest with me, Lyn.” His thumb lovingly caressed her knuckles as he spoke. “Have you fallen out of love with me?”

  He was giving her an opportunity to push him away for good, but she felt guilty. His heart wasn't really hers to break. “No.”

  “Have you fallen for someone else?” he asked. “Even if the answer will hurt me, I want to know.”

  “I... no. Not exactly.”

  “Is it Captain Doon? Have you fallen for him?”

  “What? No!” Kitt threw back her head and cackled at the thought. “Good god, no!”

  “But there must be a reason for this sudden change of heart.” Roderick let go of her hand and slid back on the bed, away from her. “Perhaps you were gone too long and we simply... drifted apart?”

  “I'm sorry, Roderick. There's a good reason why I'm acting this way, I just... right now... I can't say anything. If the moment is right, maybe I will.” Kitt tried to imagine what might happen if she told him the truth: that she was kidnapped against her will and forced into being an impostor. Would he be understanding? Or would he run to Queen Loreina and call her a traitor? Kitt was desperate for an ally, but she didn't know who to trust.

  “Very well. As much as it destroys my heart, I will sorrowfully accept your decision. I will keep my distance.” Kitt thought she saw tears shimmering in his eyes as he spoke. “But... do you think perhaps... I might get a kiss goodbye?”

  “Oh, alright.” Surprisingly, Kitt's answer flew from her mouth. When she saw his mouth moving toward her, she learned forward to meet him halfway. His lips were soft, warm and—oddly enough—quite pleasant. If Roderick really was the princess' lover, Kitt thought Lyneah was a fool for abandoning him.

  “You are so beautiful.” Roderick's fingers gently flicked through her short red hair. “You will always be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

  “Wow.” Kitt had never been complimented so sincerely before. “Really?”

  “Without question.” Roderick lightly kissed her forehead before he rose from the bed. “And if it is truly over between us, I shall miss you eternally.”

  15

  When she was forced to attend a dinner with dignitaries, Kitt's stomach was consumed with butterflies. Queen Loreina was there, as well as her advisor and close confidante, Marius. Sitting across from her, there was a red-haired duke whose name Kitt couldn't quite remember. Prince Malik was there with his father, who Kitt was meeting for the first time. King Roen, the prince's father, was a round, sweaty, stern-looking man with thinning hair, a bushy mustache, and an insanely long nose. After they were introduced, Kitt tried to smile at him several times, but he never bothered to return the gesture.

  Oddly enough, Doon was there too—though he arrived fashionably late. Even the royals were more punctual. When he finally entered the dining room, Kitt nearly choked on the carrot in her mouth. He looked entirely different. For the first time ever, his brown hair was neat and combed. His ratty patchwork coat was replaced by a fine black greatcoat, and he was wearing a tall black top hat with a fancy metal brim. At first glance, Doon looked like the epitome of dapper. Upon closer inspection, however, Kitt realized even this coat was fraying in certain places.

  And he was still wearing his gloves. Kitt was starting to think he rarely removed them, likely because he wanted to hide his missing fingers.

  When Doon arrived, Loreina couldn't stop smirking. “I'm so glad we could all gather together like this!” The queen kept peering at Doon over her wine glass as she spoke. “It's such a rare pleasure. A rare pleasure indeed.”

  “And you look as lovely as ever, Queen Loreina,” Roen chimed in. His cheeks were stuffed with food when he talked, which Kitt was surprised to see. She always expected royals to have impeccable manners.

  Furthermore, Queen Loreina looked anything but lovely. Kitt thought she looked ridiculous. Her breasts were practically spilling out of a dark red bodice. The garment itself looked better suited for a brothel, and her bright red lips were equally audacious. Loreina was wearing a burgundy wig, which had been piled high atop her head. Kitt couldn't imagine what it would be like to have two feet of hair rising from her head. It looked more like a hat than a hairstyle, and it had to be heavy.

  “You are too kind, Roen.” While the queen smiled at his compliment, her eyes never gravitated from Doon. She slowly ran a hand over her heaping decolletage, hoping to tempt him, but Doon never looked her way.

  “It's a shame your husband couldn't join us,” Roen added.

  “Ah. Alas, I'm afraid it will be some time before the king might join us... if, in fact, he ever shall. His condition is not improving. In fact, it is only getting worse.”

  “That's some very sad news, m'lady.” Roen loudly cracked his knuckles as he replied, then he descended on his food.

  “As you might know, the king spends most of his time unconscious... and when he does wake, it is only for a short time,” Loreina explained
. “The last time he woke, he was blind, and he didn't remember who I was. It was so heartbreaking. Truly so heartbreaking!”

  “This fish is extraordinary!” the red-haired duke spoke up, perhaps at the most inappropriate moment. “It's seasoned to perfection. Is it cod?”

  “Indeed it is! You know your fish well, Lord Darrow.” Even though he started talking about fish in the middle of a conversation about her dying husband, Loreina didn't seem to mind. In fact, she looked tickled by the change of subject. “I must confess, I am particularly happy to have Captain Doon with us this evening. It's such a joy to have you with us. A rare and wonderful joy!”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty.” Doon looked and sounded like a perfect gentleman, which was effectively blowing Kitt's mind. He seemed like a different man altogether. And she still couldn't believe he'd been invited to a dinner with nobles.

  “Does anyone ever call you Francis?” Loreina asked.

  “Almost never, my lady.”

  “It sounds like such a stately name. One would never guess your origins were a bit... dubious.” Now that Doon's eyes were on her, the queen didn't miss the opportunity to tempt him. She sensually licked her lips and traced a finger along the curve of her breast. Much to her disappointment, Doon seemed more interested in his food. She snorted loudly and clenched a fist under the table.

  “I'll overlook the fact that you've invited pirates to dinner because I admire you so much, Queen Loreina,” Prince Malik's father griped.

  The queen spoke up in his defense. “Oh, but Doon's not a pirate! He works for me, now. He's a commissioned privateer and a very important captain in my navy!”

  “Whatever you want to call him, it doesn't feel right to sit across the table from such a man... but for you, dear lady, I shall endure it.” King Roen was stroking his thick, black mustache as he spoke. “Besides, I'm in a good mood today. I'm getting to meet my son's lovely fiance for the first time.”