“You’ve decided to accept your title?” Alex looked at me with interest.
“Yes.” I met his eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. My decision had nothing to do with Alex. At least that’s what I kept telling myself over and over.
“Good. Will your father be joining us?”
“He has to finish his current course of treatment.”
“Excellent. I’ll make a call to Dr. Bielefeld and see that he is aware of your father’s case.” Alex leaned back in his seat.
“Thank you.” I was trying to not be bothered by his behavior, but I found myself wishing the friendly, flirty man I had spent the day with yesterday was sitting next to me. He’d pulled back and I knew it was my fault.
I looked back at Rose, who was watching us with a small smile. When Sarah came back into the room, she brought a small notebook to Rose. “It took some arranging, but Chadwick is delighted to help Lady Rousseau.”
“Chadwick?” I asked.
“Chadwick is a member of the royal household staff. He has agreed to become your personal assistant, at least until you find one that suits you better. But I think you’ll get along with him quite well.” Rose smiled. “His mother is Lilarian, but his father is American, so he will be able to help you adjust to the customs better than some might.”
“Oh. How does one pay a personal assistant? Is it an hourly thing or a salary?” I ran my fingers over the folder in my hand. Not sure what to expect when I opened it.
“He’s currently employed by the crown, which means he’s being given to you as a courtesy since we invited you to the country. However, if you decide to take him on as part of your staff, you’ll be able to make whatever arrangements suit you.” Rose stood up and I set my teacup back on the table. “I need to make a phone call, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Go ahead and open it.” Alex nodded at the folder in my hands. “You need to know what you have.”
I looked from him to the folder and frowned. There was a crest pressed into the paper and I ran my fingers over it. Was this the Rousseau crest? I went ahead and opened the folder and peered at the papers. There were credit cards attached with paperclips inside and several papers were bank statements I had to look at several times. My eyes rose to meet Alex’s, only to find him with a small smile.
“This is… mine?” I literally couldn’t wrap my mind around the numbers. There were millions in each account. There were so many zeros I thought my eyes would cross. I needed a calculator.
“Yes.”
There was a map with a highlighted area and several spots marked in another color. I traced them with my finger, not sure what they meant. While the other papers had been in English, the map was in Lilarian.
“What are these?” Alex scooted closer on the couch so he could look at the paper.
“That is a map of your estate. It is roughly four miles by two.” He traced a finger along the green line before tapping one of the red dots. “And this is one of your oil wells.”
There were four red dots on the map and I stared in disbelief. “They’re all active?”
“The two with orange around them are active. The others are closed right now. The blue dot is the village or township that belongs to the Rousseau family.”
I looked up at Alex, my eyes wide with fear. Suddenly those bank accounts didn’t feel as big. “I’m responsible for an entire village?”
He laughed, some of the amusement from yesterday creeping back into his eyes. “They pay a tax to your family, and you in turn take care of them.”
“Take care of them from what?”
“Think of it as a town where you’re the mayor. If there is a natural catastrophe, you help find a way to take care of it. If it’s too big for you to handle, you would plead the crown, who would take it to the parliament. If they needed a new road or a new school, you would take care of that through your taxes.”
“Oh, sweet baby Jesus.” I looked at him in horror. “I have no idea how to do any of that!”
“I promised I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He leaned his head closer to me and I took a deep breath, enjoying his scent. “As the crown prince, it’s my job to help you understand your duties. Eventually, I’ll be the one you’re reporting things to, so it only makes sense.”
“I see.” I lowered my voice so no one could hear me. “Alex, I’m a wildlife biologist. I’m in way over my head.”
“You’re a smart woman who will rise to the occasion.” His eyes dipped down to my lips and I fought the urge to lick them.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.”
“You were right.” He frowned. “I should know better. I’ll be good if you are.” His eyes glinted with the dare. “Just know if you feel like changing your mind, I’m right here.”
“I’ll remember that.” I couldn’t help smiling at the challenge in his eyes. “Does this mean we can be friends for now? I have a feeling I could use some people on my side.”
“I’ll try for you.” His eyes ran over my body and I shook my head. “For now.”
“Friends don’t ogle friends.”
“I said I’d try. I didn’t promise anything.” Sitting back in his seat, he chuckled. “I have a feeling our friendship will have a shelf life.”
“A shelf life?”