“I think they were reruns, but she didn’t care.”
He showed me the family room upstairs and the small kitchen. There was a separate TV room, which amused me. In the States the family room was typically where everyone gathered to watch shows or movies. When he showed me his room, I was ready to be wowed. He opened the door and stepped inside. There was a large four-poster bed along one wall, but the rest of the room felt very modern.
“I’m jealous.” I looked around.
“Why?”
“There’s not a stitch of wallpaper in here.”
He laughed and pulled me toward the bathroom. “Wait until you see the tub.”
“That’s a pool.” He was right. I coveted the tub.
He laughed as we left his room and headed outside. I was so excited to see his birds I practically jogged down the stairs. He led me around the stables, which housed ten horses, and around to the mews. The cages were much more elegant than what I’d worked with at school, but it was familiar all the same.
The hawks were gorgeous. Alex retrieved gloves for us and brought me a bird.
“What’s her name?” I looked over her feathers and feet.
“Tweety.”
I looked over at him and smiled. “Tweety?”
“Remember the little boy you met the first night? Leo?”
“Ah. He named Tweety?”
“I named her Talon, he disagreed. You can see who won.”
I snickered. Remembering how Alex had looked with the kids that night convinced me Leo hadn’t had to put up much of a fight.
“Want to take them out?” He closed the mew and stepped out with his own hawk. “Tweety and Sylvester work together really well.”
“By all means.” I looked at Tweety. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
We spent hours out with the birds and I could have stayed longer. There was something spectacular about watching the birds fly, their wings spread as they rode the currents and searched for game.
“My father loved birds.” Alex watched as the birds swept the area. “I can’t remember a time when we didn’t own any.”
“There’s a freedom that comes with flying.” I looked over at him.
“Exactly. Nothing ties them down unless they want it to.” He looked over at me. “I think that’s part of the reason he was so fond of them. They could go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.”
“Did he feel trapped?”
“No more than anyone feels trapped.” He shrugged. “Everyone is tied down in some way. Work, family, medical problems. It’s what you make of it. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with the things that make you happy. If you have a bad day at work but get to come home to a woman you love or your favorite hobby, the rest doesn’t matter as much.”
I thought about what he was saying as I watched the birds. Was that why he had kept after me even though I tried to keep him at arm’s length?
Someone with food actually drove a small golf-cart-type vehicle out to where we were when lunchtime came around, so after seeing to the birds we spent some time enjoying the warmer weather while we ate. He told me about his family and described holidays with nobles running around. It was obvious that his family was much closer with some of the nobles than others, but there was still a very tight-knit feel.
“Do any of the nobles have regular jobs? Or do you all focus on royal tasks?” I tucked my legs under me on the blanket that had been spread out and picked up a carrot.
“A lot of us have jobs on the side. Daniel has a degree in marketing, but he uses it more for the family than anything else. I believe he does take on contract work from time to time. When not drunk, Kyle is working on a business degree, but I have no idea if he’ll ever use it. Mother doesn’t send him on assignments for the crown, so it would be best if he figures out something to do with his life.”
“What about Cathy? She’s starting school soon.”
“Cathy is going for a history degree. She’s wanted to work in a museum since she was little.” He leaned back on the blanket and looked up at the sky. “The problem is that she’ll never be able to have a full-time job.”
“Why not?” I lay down next to him but kept my distance. His hand snaked out and wrapped around my fingers.
“She’s too close to the throne. Until I have children, Max and Cathy are the next heirs and are required to speak for the crown.”
“That’s such a foreign thought to me. It’s like you guys aren’t real people, just objects.” I frowned. “What about after you have kids? Will she be able to take a job then? And Max is away at school now. Will he be able to do anything with his degree?”
“She might, but will most likely find a charity to focus on. The crown can’t keep up with every single thing required of them and the other nobles are counted on to help. Max and Cathy will always be a part of the day-to-day operations of the monarchy. Going to school is just a chance for us to live a little before we are immersed in the running of things.” He turned his head and looked at me. “There are lots of perks, though. It’s not all work. We don’t have to worry about as much as the English royal family, which means we’re not as spread thin.”
“Will I have to do things for the queen?” I knew I had responsibilities to the Rousseau village, but hadn’t thought about much more than that.
“It depends. She tends to pick and choose carefully.” He smiled. “I think it’s reasonable to assume she’ll have some things you’d be perfect for.”