‘Why?’ James asked. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it—you’re talking to the king of hangovers. Although I’ve given it some thought and I am going to go on the wagon.’ He saw her frown. ‘I’ve decided that I’m not going to drink while you can’t. We’ll crack open the champagne the day it’s born.’
‘That would be lovely.’
‘Come to bed,’ James said, and she startled.
‘I would rather sit here.’
‘Come here,’ James said, and patted the bed beside him, but Leila shook her head.
‘Well, sit on the sofa then.’ James shrugged. ‘But it’s a bloody long way off. We’ll have to keep saying “Pardon?” and “What did you say?” and it might look a bit odd to the maids.’
‘Your English is too fast for me.’
‘Come here,’ James said. ‘I can’t say it any more simply than that.’
‘No.’ Still Leila chose the sofa. ‘I don’t care what your servants think of me.’
‘Pardon?’
‘I don’t care what...’ Leila started, and then reluctantly smiled as she realised his little joke.
And James smiled back.
There was a knock at the door and James called for breakfast to be brought in.
Leila was very used to maids coming in in the morning. She asked for green tea sweetened with honey and for a pastry. James took his coffee and then told them they’d manage the rest but Leila called them back.
She told them to open the curtains and to run her a bath. She told them to add extra oils and to ensure that her luggage was here on the hour and could they get orange blossom honey for her tea in future.
‘I bet you’re popular with your servants back home,’ James commented as one went to run the bath and the other left them alone.
‘I was not.’ Leila blinked.
‘I was being sarcastic,’ James said. ‘You don’t need to be so rude to them.’
‘They are not your friends.’ Leila knew that.
She knew how the servants whispered about the princess who even the queen did not want. It was servants who had removed her when she tried to speak to her mother. Servants who had peeled a crying toddler from her mother’s lap when she jumped on it and then scolded a little girl for upsetting the queen.
‘It doesn’t hurt to be nice,’ James said.
‘Sometimes it does.’
She could smell the fragrant bath water that was being run and it did not upset her stomach when so many scents did.
‘I prefer the fragrances at The Chatsfield than the other hotel,’ Leila admitted.
‘Spencer will be very pleased to have your tick of approval,’ James said, tucking into his second pastry, then he halted as she continued.
‘I miss my scent,’ Leila said.
So, too, did he.
‘Every day,’ Leila said, ‘I think I have found it, every day I am disappoint.’
‘Disappointed,’ James mildly corrected her, and then he thought for a moment. ‘Can you get it here?’ he asked. ‘I can have it made up if you tell me what the oils were.’
‘I don’t know what oils the maids used.’
The maid came out and said that her bath had been run and was there anything else Leila needed.
‘You’re dismissed,’ Leila said, and then hesitated. ‘Thank you.’
James watched her select a pastry.
‘I thought you wanted a bath.’
‘I bathe after breakfast,” Leila said. ‘I like to know it waits for me.’
“Well, I’m going to have a shower.”
James headed for the shower as Leila nibbled her way through her breakfast.
The pastry was perfect, lovely and sweet, and the tea was refreshing and the honey here was actually quite nice.
When James came out of the shower he saw that the colour had come back to her face.
In fact, she was opening up a newspaper.
‘I’d give them a miss if I were you,’ James commented as he dressed.
‘Why?’
‘I just would.’
She unfurled the newspaper and was reminded why she was so cross with him when she saw the headline above a photo of them kissing just after James had proposed to her.
A Very Forgiving Princess.
‘I’m not forgiving though,’ Leila said to James, who was peering over her shoulder.
‘Yes, well, my tongue had already worked that one out,’ James said.
‘Where are you going?’ Leila asked as he headed for the door and, unused to such a question, James stiffened.
‘We’re not married yet, Leila,’ James said, and continued towards the door, but he wasn’t quick enough to get out before she delivered her warning.