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maderrMost will recognize this. A great many of you helped me figure out what was wrong ^__^ Lo, the final result.
With much love and affection to my betas, who have more patience than all the saints combined.
“Princess, you mustn’t fret so.” Tobias smiled and shook his head, then strode across the room to embrace the princess, kissing her brow and holding her until he felt some of the tension leak from her body.
“I can’t help it,” Joanne said fretfully, delicate auburn brows pulled down in worry and frustration. “I’m not half as pretty as Jeannette, I can’t dance a third as well as Annabelle, and don’t even get me started on Lindsay. I’m hopeless, Tobi.”
“Honestly, pet. All you need to do is relax. You’re beautiful; you’re as graceful as a swan, and Lindsay might be beautiful but she can’t converse about anything beyond dresses.”
Joanne wasn’t appeased. “More like a drunk goose. Complete with honking.” Her shoulders bunched together as she continued to worry herself to death.
Tobias sighed softly and hugged her again before stepping back to fix the carefully arranged tumble of dark auburn curls, tweaking the emerald tiara fastened to the front of them. “You are far too pretty to be compared to a goose, and I’ve danced with you many a time – you dance like a swan, I promise you.”
“Yes, with you. But you’re different, Tobi.”
“Well, then – just pretend you’re dancing with m,e and you’ll be fine.”
“I’ll try,” Joanne said, but her pink lips, turned down in a deep frown, made clear every unspoken worry running through her head.
Tobias sighed, but didn’t push the issue. If he pushed too far she would just worry all the more. Perhaps this weekend would give her the confidence he could not, as hard as he tried to convince her that she really was as beautiful and talented and capable as every other princess in attendance, and more besides.
And she was. From her auburn hair and pale skin, to the green eyes and bow-shaped pink lips. When she forgot to be nervous and was just herself, Princess Joanne was nothing less than breathtaking.
Unfortunately, she only forgot to be nervous when she was alone with her tutor – even her family turned the poor girl into tangled knot of frets and worries. Well, more like especially her family; which was why he was glad they’d decided to leave her to travel here with only her tutor.
He’d see her happy by the end of the week if it was the last thing he did.
“Come on, pet.” Tobias held out his hand. “I’ll walk you downstairs and tell you all the horrid things those other girls have already done. Just remember what I’ve told you.”
“Pretty is as pretty does.” Joanne nodded, smiling at him. “One day we’ll all be ugly – it’s the one you can talk to that you should keep.”
“That’s my girl. If these men can’t see that then they’re nothing but pretty faces and you needn’t have bothered with them after all.” Tobias placed her hand in the crook of his arm as they stepped out into the hallway, leading her down the stairs and toward the grand ballroom. He kissed Joanne’s cheek swiftly. “Good luck, fair princess. Don’t forget – pretend you’re dancing with me, unless they’re cads in which case you should make most certain to trod upon their toes.” Ignoring the disapproving looks of guests and a few servants Tobias smiled once more at her, then turned sharply on his heel to go back to his own quarters.
Well, so Joanne thought anyway. But he’d scouted out a few good places to watch the ball from earlier while she’d been dressing. One of which was an empty room, a sort of balcony such as one might find in a theatre, the curtains drawn shut. The original purpose of it, he could only surmise. But it was empty and showed signs of long disuse, so Tobias felt little guilt in sliding inside and peeking through the curtains, seeking out and finding a young woman in a dark green dress. And the dress was beyond compare, the height of fashion and wholly original. He had seen to that. No other minx here would come close to his Joanne’s wardrobe. In that at least her mind could rest easy.
“I thought this was my hideaway,” a voice as sharp as the mint he put in his tea made Tobias jump high enough he thought it a wonder his head didn’t meet the ceiling. He turned and bowed in dismay. In the dim ligh, he couldn’t tell to whom he spoke but it was clear the man was a noble. “I beg your pardon, Lord Stranger. I sought only to keep an eye on my charge.”
“You are the young man who accompanies the Princess Joanne.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about your princess, then.”
Tobias frowned. “If you wish to know about Princess Joanne then ask her yourself. Though it is perhaps a good thing I know not your identity, for all I would tell her of you later is that I do not approve of a man who lurks in the dark and demands information like a brigand!”
The man chuckled. “You’re very protective. She must be quite a princess to inspire such devotion. I beg your pardon; of course I should meet her myself. Do feel free to stay here as long as you like.” And with that, the man departed.
Tobias nearly stopped him to demand his identity, but then thought better of it. He was probably better off not knowing to which noble he had spoken so rudely. Shoving the worry aside, for it was nothing he could resolve at the moment, Tobias instead sought out Joanne. He smiled faintly, pleased to see she was chatting and laughing, rather than hiding in a corner, and he was probably the only one who could tell how nervous she was. It helped that Princess Henrietta, who had taken to the shy girl when they’d met last summer, was there to ease things.
He was still watching two hours later when Joanne and several other young women were introduced to the ever cheerful Prince Aaron, for whom the week’s festivities were being thrown, and his elder brother, the remote Prince Ian. Their eldest brother, Phillip, was king, and was hosting the festivities in the hopes that at least his youngest brother would finally settle down. The rumors were that he’d given up all hope on Ian.
Joanne, he saw with a proud smile, gracefully curtsied and managed to respond to something Prince Aaron said well enough that he laughed – in genuine amusement, not the cruel laughter Joanne had heard from more than one royal or noble for her painful awkwardness. Eventually the dancing began, and Tobias relaxed a bit – she would be clumsy at first, but he knew Joanne loved to dance despite her complaints, and as the introductions had gone well she was far less likely to be clumsy on the dance floor. He let his gaze wander a moment, watching where Prince Ian led another girl out onto the floor—
—And for a brief moment looked up, straight at him, the ghost of a smirk flitting across his mouth before he was once more politely smiling at the girl on his arm.
Tobias groaned and barely kept from banging his head against the nearest wall.
“Everything is going to go horribly wrong today.”
Tobias smiled but didn’t say anything as he continued to fuss with the skirts of Joanne’s morning gown.
“I just know it. I’m going to fall right over and be arse-up in the pond.”
“Such language,” Tobias murmured. “Far too early for ‘arse,’ pet.”
Joanne rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. “Fine. I’m going to take a tumble headfirst into the pond.”
“Much better. And you won’t.” Tobias tweaked the front of the gown, adjusting the lace that made the neckline modest. “After last night, the only thing you need to worry about is finding yourself alone with Lindsay or Jeannette. They were positively seething after last night, according to morning gossip. I don’t doubt they’ve got it in for you, pet. So don’t stand too close to that pond – they’ll push you in.”
“Great,” Joanne muttered. “Are you certain this dress is all right?”
Tobias glared
“I’m sorry! It was a moment of panic, I swear it.” Joanne tangled her fingers together to keep from playing with her curls. “Of course it’s perfect. All my dresses are perfect thanks to you. Honestly, Tobi. You should be a dressmaker.”
“Hardly,” Tobias said, rolling his eyes. “All I did was design them. Give me a needle and I would be most confused.”
Joanne smiled at his words, but the brief moment of humor did not quell her fretting. “It’s just I know last night was a fluke, or he’s changed his mind, or they really will push me in the pond or—“
“Calm down, pet.” Tobias pressed a finger to her lips. “You’ll be splendid, you know it. Why all this fretting?” He grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re so interested in him, and not just because it’ll make your parents positively ecstatic.”
Joanne flushed and looked at her hands. “He’s fun to talk to.”
“Wonderful,” Tobias beamed and shooed her gently toward the door. “Then go converse over breakfast in the garden, and remember to ignore all those other women – and don’t go near the pond!”
Shaking his head, smiling softly, Tobias set about tidying the room, then finished dressing himself. He frowned into the mirror, both irked and pleased by his appearance. Black hair, gray eyes. Attractive but not so interesting that a gaze would linger. Just enough to do the princess and whomever else he was with justice but not enough to distract. Easily passed over.
Which he knew was a good thing. Usually it suited him fine. It was only every now and then he wished he more interesting.
Reprimanding himself, Tobias forced his thoughts elsewhere. Breakfast sounded like a good idea. All he’d had so far that morning was a quick piece of bread and some coffee before setting to the task of getting Joanne ready. Real food would be nice, and then perhaps he could relax a bit before Joanne had to change for the afternoon.
Humming softly, looking around at the bright, simple but elegant castle, so different from the austere castle at home and the opulent palaces so many other royals seemed to prefer. He paused to gaze out a window at the countryside, at the rolling hills and clusters of houses, the mountains barely visible in the distance.
“The fierce protector,” a voice said from behind him. “Watching over your charge? Looking for someone else to reprimand?”
Tobias stifled a groan but could not prevent a wince before he slowly turned around. And tried not to be distracted by the prince, deadly attractive despite the smirk on his face. From a distance he’d been handsome; up close he was doing bad things to Tobias’s thoughts. Prince Ian was tall and lanky, a stark contrast to his shorter, more compact brothers. And where they had blonde hair and hazel eyes, Prince Ian’s hair was a light brown, and his rougher features seemed at complete odds with his light blue eyes. “I apologize if my words offended you last night, Highness.”
“But you’re not sorry you said them.”
Though he knew he was being goaded, Tobias could not resist. “No, I’m not. You acted inappropriately.”
“Princess Joanne mentioned you had a tendency to lose your temper when offended.”
Tobias folded his arms across his chest. “I dislike seeing the Princess mistreated in any way. You were being rude.”
“Indeed,” the Prince replied. “What are you doing now?”
“What?” Tobias said, thrown by the change in subject. “I was aiming to have breakfast,” he said and couldn’t resist adding, “if that’s all right with your Highness.”
“Why would it bother me?” Prince Ian grinned and taunted him.“I would not want to know the tongue-lashing I would receive for daring to keep a man from his meal.”
Dropping his arms, Tobias tried valiantly to keep his mouth shut – and as usual failed. “No? You seem to be quite fond of them, at least if your manners are anything to judge by. Or were you taught that mocking a man is the best way to converse?”
Prince Ian threw his head back and laughed. “I wonder, Master Tobias, is there anyone that offends you on purpose?”
“Only you, Highness, for I sense that is what you are about. But given your manners thus far, I find myself unsurprised.”
“I find that hard to believe. Surely there must be some fair miss back home who enjoys seeing you riled?”
Tobias drew himself up, making the most of his shorter stature. He might be a mere servant now, but that didn’t mean he had to endure the mockery of a bored prince. “No, Highness, there isn’t. I cannot fathom why you think there would be. Now if you’ll excuse me, I would like breakfast. You are most certainly not worth missing a meal.”
The Prince’s laughter chased him from the hallway, and all through breakfast Tobias berated himself for letting his mouth possibly ruin everything for Joanne. Would he never learn to keep it shut? He was a servant, a tutor. No matter how obnoxious Prince Ian had been, Tobias should not have spoken to him as he had.
Dragging his feet, Tobias traveled back the way he’d gone and was half-relieved, half-annoyed that the prince was right where he’d left him.
Prince Ian looked up and arched an eyebrow. “I promise you, the Duke needed to be told off. So if you’re coming to reprimand me for that – and I don’t know how you knew about it – you’re wasting your time.”
“What?” Tobias asked stupidly.
“Oh, good. Did you enjoy breakfast, Master Tobias?”
Tobias frowned, certain he was being mocked, but not quite sure how. The dratted Prince was good at his game. Tobias was fast forgetting he’d had thoughts of apologizing to him.
“Speaking of people who need a tongue-lashing, you might take a look at these girls. They say men can be mean, but women are just plain cruel.” The Prince shook his head. “Though your charge seems to be holding her own.”
“What?” Tobias stormed to the window and leaned out, looking down into the garden below where Joanne and three other women were cloistered in a remote corner, clearly engaged in an unpleasant discussion. “I’m going—“
“Shouldn’t you leave them alone?”
Tobias glared murderously. “Don’t patronize me. Of course I wouldn’t interfere. Joanne doesn’t need me to fight her battles – but that doesn’t mean I won’t exact revenge in my own way.”
“And just how do you intend to do that?” Prince Ian asked, amused.
“Nothing that would interest a prince, however bored he may be.”
The dratted smirk never seemed to leave the Prince’s face. “Just what makes you think I’m bored?”
“Hiding in dark rooms? Wandering the halls instead of attending your brother’s parties? Mocking servants? If you’re not bored, Highness, then what are you?”
Prince Ian laughed and held up his hands in defeat. “I confess I was hiding last night, though more from fear than boredom. Have you ever had to dance attendance on a room full of girls hunting a marriage proposal? I’ve braved squalls, wild animals, a nasty tangle with some thieves, and I would much rather face all three of those at once than endure the rest of this week. My brothers think I’m the crazy one, but I cannot figure out why.”
Tobias fought back a smile, but he could see the Prince had caught it. “You should try dressing and tending to one of those girls – and Joanne is a darling. I cannot fathom tending one of those other beastly women.”
“So you concede that my hiding last night was not wholly unreasonable.”
Reluctantly, Tobias nodded. “That does not excuse your behavior then or now, however.”
“Yes, well.” The Prince flashed a smug smile. “My etiquette teacher and I once had a lesson that was not part of the curriculum. No doubt I missed a more pertninent lesson.”
Tobias stiffened with disapproval.
“Oh, I’ve gone and offended you again.” The smirk on his face made it clear he wasn’t very sorry about it. “What if I said he started it?”
“But you didn’t say no, did you?”
Prince Ian arched an eyebrow. “Personal grievance?”
“I don’t dally with my betters.” Tobias snapped. “Nor with anyone whose social standing surpasses mine.”
Instead of getting angry, as Tobias thought he finally would, Prince Ian only threw his head back and laughed loud enough to fill the long hallway, startling the few people at the opposite end. “I don’t think I’ve been put down that neatly since I upended a bottle of wine on the Duchess of Coral when I was fifteen.”
Though the image of the stuffy Duchess being drenched in wine was a delightful one, Tobias wouldn’t let himself be distracted. “Which just goes to show that your upbringing is sorely lacking, especially for your station.” To think he’d planned to apologize! “If you are the standard by which to judge your brother, then clearly I shall have to extricate Princess Joanne with all due haste. She endures enough at home without having to deal with the likes of you for the rest of her life.”
Prince Ian sobered immediately. “My brothers are exemplary men. Do not hold me against them. Surely you would agree how improper and unfair a judgment that would be to make.”
“Perhaps,” Tobias replied stiffly. “But I have known brothers to stick by each other even when one was glaringly in the wrong. I trust a man who would support a reprobate as much as I would trust the reprobate.”
“Reprobate?” The Prince repeated with a grin that made him look positively boyish. “Usually I only get rogue or scoundrel. Should I be flattered?”
Tobias gave up. Attempting to have any sort of conversation, if it could even be called that, accomplished about as much as beating his head against a wall. It gave him a headache and solved nothing. “It was simple observation. Now if you’ll pardon me, I have better things to do than provide amusement for a bored prince.”
“You sought me out this time,” Ian pointed out. “And as I’ve already stated, I’m not bored.”
“Then what are you?” Tobias demanded. Besides extremely aggravating.
Prince Ian gave another one of those damnable smirks and stepped toward him, reaching up to cup Tobias’s face, fingers sliding slowly away as he continued on past and down the hallway. “Curious,” he said over his shoulder.
Tobias scowled at his retreating form, then shook himself and went to ready Joanne’s afternoon dress and fetch the fresh flowers he would need for her hair.
He was truly a glutton for punishment, Tobias thought dourly as he slipped into the dark room he’d used the previous night to observe. But surely Prince Ian wouldn’t be here tonight?
Thoughts of the damnable Prince brought his hand to his cheek before he realized what he was doing. Catching himself Tobias swore and dropped his hand. He moved to the curtains, parted them slightly to peer down into the ballroom below.
Joanne looked perfect of course. Her pink dress was far more fashionable than that worn by any other woman, giving her auburn curls a strawberry tone, bringing out the pale skin that required no chemicals to achieve. And there was Prince Aaron, far more gentlemanly – or so it seemed – than his obnoxious brother. Of course, he would have to do much checking yet to make sure the youngest brother was truly worthy of his Princess.
“They are a pretty pair, I must say.”
“What the devil!” Tobias jumped and jerked around, catching his boot against the wall and crashing hard to the floor. He glared murderously up at the man he could only dimly see.
Prince Ian immediately moved to help him up, and Tobias knocked his hands away and stood.
“Shouldn’t you be down there?” he asked scathingly.
“This was my hiding spot first,” Ian said, and Tobias knew by his voice that the man was smirking.
He glared at the prince, resenting the dark for keeping him from seeing it. “Shirking your responsibilities?”
“My responsibilities? What might those be? Surely you don’t mean helping out my little brother?” Ian parted the curtains, and Tobias could spy his boyish grin. “Why should I do that when it’s much more fun to watch him suffer? He so badly wants just to dance with your princess all night and can’t because etiquette demands he dance with all of them. I suppose I could distract one or two…” He let the curtain drop. “But I owe him for the dinner last month, so I think I’ll just stay and converse with you.”
Tobias bit back a scathing reply, but only just barely. If the princess really did wind up with Aaron, he pitied her the in-laws. At least this one. “I am not here to amuse you, however much you seem to think otherwise.”
“Why do they call her Princess Pea?” Ian asked suddenly.
“What?” Tobias asked, thrown by the question. Confound it, the man was too good at that. He really needed to pay more attention. “What did I tell you about asking me questions you should be asking her?”
Ian’s voice held a note of surprise. “I would ask her, except I’ve noticed it upsets her, and I don’t want to cause further distress. More, I would like to find a way to put a stop to it.”
Tobias was startled into silence. “It’s an old taunt from her sisters,” he said at last. “They’re several years older than she, and as a little girl she used to beg them endlessly to help her be a perfect princess just like them. Instead, they teased and tormented her endlessly. Their crowning prank was a series of ‘princess tests,’ the last of which was to determine if she was delicate enough to be a real princess. She had to go to sleep, and in the morning they would tell her if she passed or not.
“She failed. Her sisters had stuck a hard pea under her mattress and told her that if she’d been a real princess, she would have felt it and been unable to sleep.” Tobias shrugged. “From then on they called her Princess Pea; the name caught on elsewhere.”
“Women are cruel,” Ian said with a grimace. “So how did she acquire you?”
Tobias tried to keep his mouth shut, rein in his temper before both got the better of him, but confound it what the devil was he? “Acquire? Do I look like a horse to you?”
“Definitely not,” Ian said with a laugh. “Very well, then, Master Tobias. How did you come to be in her employ?”
It was hard not to smile, recalling the memory of his meeting the princess. He’d seen her about the manor all that week, but had not had time to spare for any but his own lazy charge and equally lazy father. “I told off my employer of the time and his lazy son. They disapproved and fired me on the spot. Princess Joanne immediately asked if I would help her. Her parents weren’t happy at first, but I’m a fine tutor.” Tobias folded his arms across his chest. “Is there anything else you’d like to know, Highness?”
“Yes, actually. How is it the Princess is permitted to travel with only a male servant for company? The rumors are quite an interesting mix, though no one will quite say what they are thinking. Having met the Princess and spoken to her at length, as someone quite vehemently suggsted I should,” Ian winked, “I am inclined to discard nearly all of them. The rest simply amuse. But I know her parents, or at least of them. How did they come to permit such a peculiar arrangement?”
Tobias took the question with a brief nod, acknowledging the legitmacy of it. He wouldn’t, however, give Ian the satisfaction of letting him know he’d been perfectly correct in posing it. “Her parents were at their wits’ ends, to be blunt. As I said, it was Joanne who asked me to assist her. Over the course of a month, I improved everything from her manners to her poise, her wardrobe, and her dancing. After I had three maids dismissed for being horrid gossips, they gave up trying to keep one for her.” Tobias gave an awkward shrug. “My assisting her was never considered more than severely eccentric, as certain of my proclivities came to light some months before I came to their employ.”
“Proclivities?” Ian asked with raised brows. “That sounds intriguing.”
“My personal life is none of your business.”
Ian leaned against the wall and mimicked Tobias’s stance, folding his arms across his chest. “It is if I make it a royal order that you tell me.”
“Is that what you’re doing?”
“Yes, I think so.” Ian was smirking again; it didn’t take light to figure that out.
“I used to be a solicitor, following in my father’s footsteps. He was caught in a scandal and afterwards no one would do business with us. With the scandal, people felt free to pry into our personal business and what support I had left vanished. I sought other work and discovered that I quite excel at tutoring young men and women in the ways of society.” He could not keep all the bitterness from his voice.
Ian moved in the dark, stepping close. The strains of a waltz filtered into the room, and Tobias wished he knew if all was going well for Joanne. Surely she was doing better than he. “I’ve made you angry, haven’t I Master Tobias?”
“I’m surprised you’re bothering to ask me at all. The women you’re avoiding would love to tell you all the gossip about me, and it’s sure to be more entertaining than the truth.” Tobias turned to go, patience worn to the bone, but a hand cupped his face, fingers playing against his cheek, and he stilled despite himself. “I did not give you leave to touch me,” he said icily, reaching up to yank the hand away.
But Ian moved before he did, hand shifting to wrap around the back of his head, dragging Tobias against him. One arm slid around Tobias’s waist while the hand of the other held his head, and Ian’s mouth found his unerringly in the dim light. Surprised, Tobias got a taste of a warm mouth, flavored with champagne, before he gathered himself enough to shove hard, knocking them both off balance, tumbling to the floor. Ian let out a grunt of pain as Tobias landed on top of him. “Bastard,” Tobias hissed and scrambled away before the prince could get the better of him again.
“That was probably rude,” Ian said, a grin in his voice. “But I simply couldn’t resist. Are you certain there’s no one back home waiting for you? I can’t see how anyone in your country is very smart, if there’s not.”
Tobias resisted the urge to knock him back down as he watched Ian stand. “I have no idea what you’re blathering about. Do not touch me again. If you’re hoping to glean information about the princess by toying with me, you and your brothers can cease contact with her at once.”
“Do you really think that’s what I’m doing?” Ian said, something like annoyance slipping into his voice. “I find that hard to believe. There’s no way you would have let me kiss you if that was what you truly thought of me.”
“I let you do nothing,” Tobias snapped. He turned to storm out, but manners were too ingrained. “Good night, Highness,” he said tightly, then fled the room.
He was still brooding in the seat by the window when Joanne returned, humming cheerfully.
“I assume the night was a success?” he asked. “How is Prince Aaron?”
Joanne grinned. “He’s wonderful! I think I finally understand why you always go on and on about someone to talk to.” She clapped her hands together. “Usually I can’t manage so much as a sentence, but talking with Aaron is as easy as talking to you. You should hear all the stories he tells me of when he and his brothers were growing up.” Joanne laughed.
Tobias immediately resented his brain as it latched onto the idea of a young Prince Ian, still getting the hang of his infuriating smirk. “I’m glad you had a good time – but I’d be careful all the same. Where one brother is a rat, so the others are likely to be.”
“What on earth do you mean?” Joanne asked. She stared at Tobias. “What’s wrong, Tobi?”
Hating himself for ruining her good mood, Tobias stared out the window as he related how he had met Ian and all that had occurred since – and glowered quite fiercely when Joanne began to laugh. “And what, pray tell, is so amusing?”
“I’ve been wondering why they keep asking so many questions about you, is all. I thought it was just curiosity or the usual trying to figure out if we’re paramours. It never occurred to me I might not be the only one to catch a ‘perfect prince’.”
Tobias glared. “The only thing I’ve acquired thus far is a headache.”
Joanne chuckled quietly as she sat at her dressing table and began to remove her jewelry. “Was he really so bad?”
“Yes,” Tobias replied. “Just because your romance is going splendidly doesn’t mean everyone else is so fortunate.”
“Oh?” Joanne said with something that looked suspiciously like a smirk. “You think your romance is going poorly?”
Tobias grimaced. “Oh, shut up.” He turned toward the window again. “It’s one thing for a princess to fall for a prince. It’s quite another for a servant to so much as look at a Prince.” He stood up and crossed the room, beginning to undo the multitude of tiny clasps up the back of Joanne’s dress. “Anyway, he’s merely playing. A stupid, bored Prince.”
“Are you trying to convince me or you?” Joanne asked, smirking when she received no reply. Laughing softly, she changed the subject. “So will you finally show me the ball gown for tomorrow’s fete? Please, Tobi? I’ve been dying to see it.”
“You’ll see it tomorrow night,” Tobias said, a grin tugging at his lips. “It’s my surprise, so you’ll just have to wait.”
Joanne pouted.
Laughing, Tobias stood up and began to help her prepare for bed. “It will be worth the wait, I promise you, pet. Now come, tell me how your evening went. I’ve heard good things from the servants about you and your prince.”
“He isn’t mine,” Joanne said, but her cheeks went pink with pleasure as she launched into a minute-by-minute account of her evening.
“A moment of your time, sir?” A polite voice broke into Tobias’s thoughts, and he looked up half-expecting to see a certain smirk. He was furious with himself for feeling disappointed that instead it was only Prince Aaron.
He stood up and sketched the prince a deep bow. “Highness, my time is yours. How can I be of service?”
“I wanted to speak to you of Princess Joanne,” Aaron said, and Tobias thought this Prince was far more impressive than his brother, insofar as manners went. “Generally one should speak to a lady’s parents about such matters, but my impression is that Princess Joanne holds you in far higher esteem than her parents.”
Tobias said nothing, merely waited.
“So I thought it only fitting to seek your approval before I ask her to marry me, though of course I will send a formal request to her family.” Aaron grinned. “I sense she would not be much impressed by the gesture but I thought it would matter to you.”
“It does, Highness.” Tobias said, impressed despite himself. And he tried to bite the comment back, but as per usual his mouth did not listen. “You are far better mannered than your brother.”
Instead of taking offense, as Tobias had expected, Aaron threw his head back and laughed, hazel eyes flaring with mirth. “Ah, Ian. He’s very well mannered when it suits him, sadly it seldom does. I think he’s had a rule against manners ever since he started a war with our first etiquette teacher.”
Tobias almost asked, but bit it back.
Aaron answered the question anyway. “A cousin of ours, a very sweet girl – she lives in the east now – used to take lessons with us. Our teacher…made inappropriate advances. She never told us, but Ian caught him at it one day and all but killed the man.” Aaron shook his head. “And now I am talking too much. Pardon me; perhaps I feel free to do so because Ian has been mentioning you with some frequency the past few days.”
Tobias hid a wince, wondering what exactly Ian would say about a rude manservant who allowed himself to be kissed in a dark room by a near-stranger.
“If he gets to be too aggravating, and I know he can be—” Aaron said with a wink, “Just punch him. I’ve given you permission and trust me when I say that if you do it, Phillip will probably give you a knighthood or something.”
“Yes, Highness.” Tobias hid a smile, the idea of punching Ian doing much to improve his mood.
“Now, Aaron,” the man himself drawled, “do not force me to tell your lovely princess of the time you got drunk.”
Aaron glared over Tobias’s shoulder at his older brother. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Ian moved to stand beside Tobias, wearing that insufferable smirk. “If Master Tobias punches me because you gave him the idea, I most certainly will dare. Scamper off to your romance and do not sabotage mine.”
Tobias stiffened. He barely remembered to bow as Aaron departed in a flurry to ward off whatever damage Ian was threatening to cause. He didn’t look up as Ian moved to sit down on the bench Tobias had previously occupied. “So what do you plan to do once Joanne is safely married?”
“Am I being ordered to answer?” Tobias asked stiffly.
A soft sigh. “No. I was just curious.”
Tobias contemplated telling him to mind his own business, but reminded himself that this man was related to Joanne’s prince. “Seek employment elsewhere. My contract ends with her marriage, and she will not need me as she begins her new life.” In fact, it would be better if he were not there for her to cling to. He’d helped her get to this point; the rest was up to her.
But it was still a depressing thought. In the years since his father’s scandal, companionship had been a hard thing for him to find. Men he’d thought friends had ceased to speak to him, and he was not terribly welcome in the places where friends might be found. The last nail in the coffin had been taking up tutorig, becoming little more than a servant. Joanne had been his first and only friend since the disgrace. It would be hard to go back to his lonely life when his time with her ended.
“I’ll be going to the north when this wretched affair is finally over,” Ian said. “There are some negotiations I must handle there for Phillip.”
Tobias snorted at the thought of Ian handling something as delicate as negotiations with a country notorious for its stubbornly old-fashioned ways.
“You might be surprised,” Ian said with a smirk, as if sensing the direction of his thoughts.
“Yes, I’ve heard you have manners when it suits you.”
Ian laughed. “My brother will pay for that. Knowing how he likes to talk, he probably offered his theory as to why I’m so rude.”
“You made me think you had an affair with your teacher.”
A shameless grin. “That’s only because I think you’re especially appealing when you’re offended.”
Romance. Rubbish. Tobias knew when he was being toyed with. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said icily, “I have duties to which I must attend. If your Highness requires amusment, I suggest you seek it elsewhere.”
Muttering a curse, Ian reached out and snagged his wrist, dragging Tobias close and then wrestling him down onto the bench. “Would you stop being so prickly? Look, I’ll try to be polite. It’s just you really are quite captivating when you’re offended.”
Tobias glared. “I would appreciate it, Highness, if you would cease with the mockery.”
“It isn’t mockery. You’re quite captivating when cool and collected but far more so when your temper flares.” Ian frowned when his words only seemed to annoy Tobias further. “Hasn’t anyone told you that before?” A hand reached toward him, and Tobias jerked away from it, stifling the part of him that felt bad for making Ian frown so.
“I know very well what people say about my obsession with manners, and the way I tend to let my tongue get the better of me, and I can assure you, Highness, that none of it is even remotely positive.” Tobias stood up, feeling tired and…just very tired. “I also know what I look like, and that most certainly is not captivating. I’ll thank you to take your games elsewhere.” Not giving Ian a chance to reply, Tobias fled the garden.
Romance. Bah. More the fool him for wasting so much as a second believing that.
“Oh, Tobias. It’s beautiful.” Joanne blinked back tears at the dress he laid out for her, reaching out hesitantly to touch the mist-green folds and delicate silver lace, the crystal and pearls woven throughout. “I’ve never seen a dress like it.”
“I should hope not,” Tobias said with a sniff as he wrested her away from the gown to dress her hair. “Your parents paid a small fortune to ensure that dress was one of a kind. You will force the defeat of whatever contenders think they still have a chance.” He began to arrange her hair in an artful tumble of curls; when he was done they would fall just so, setting off her pale skin and complimenting the jewels she’d be wearing. Not that she needed jewels. “You are the most perfect princess to ever live, pet. Any fools that didn’t already know that before will be forced to pay attention tonight.”
Joanne laughed and toyed with some bottles of perfume on her dressing table. “And how do you fare, Tobi? You’ve been quiet all day.” She grinned at him in the mirror. “Did Prince Ian steal another kiss?”
Tobias’s good mood collapsed. “No,” he said. “Nor will he, now that I’ve finally gotten him to cease playing his foolish games.”
“Oh,” Joanne said softly. “I did not…he never seemed anything but earnest whenever he spoke of you. Almost like Aaron when he’s trying so hard to impress me – except I don’t think he knows how to impress you.” Joanne shrugged. “I never realized he was just playing.” She looked forlorn.
Tobias, on the other hand, was growing increasingly annoyed. “So does everyone know he’s been toying with me? Does he discuss his games with everyone, even my charge?” His hand wrapped tightly around the comb he held, and he fought the urge to throw it at the mirror.
“No, Tobi.” Joanne looked at him unhappily in the mirror. “Just me, maybe his brothers. I…I don’t think he’s playing with you, Tobi.”
“Of course he is,” Tobias said roughly. “As rude and obnoxious and insufferable as he is, Prince Ian could have anyone he wanted. He would not want a bland, stuffy servant notorious for his obsession with manners.”
Joanne laughed at the paradox, which only Tobias could mange. But the laughter faded almost immediately as she continued to watch his reflection in the mirror. “You’re wonderful, Tobi. You shouldn’t let what your father did get to you so. He took those bribes, not you…”
“And yet I was the one left to deal with the repercussions while he and mother fled,” Tobias said tighlty. “Do not dredge it up, Joanne. It’s over.”
“Obviously not,” she said sharply, “if you are so uptight about it that you will not believe someone other than I could care about you.”
Tobias frowned. “One week is not enough to ‘care’ about anyone.”
“And yet after just three days you said I was the little sister you never had, and I know for certain that Aaron and I care about each other.” Joanne abruptly spun around and took the comb from his hand. “Why are you being such an arse about this, Tobi? Prince Ian is rough, I’ll grant you that, but he’s not awful.”
“Language,” Tobias corrected automatically. “Let the matter drop, Joanne.”
“No,” Joanne said, standing and putting her hands on her hips. “You never let me give up on anything, not even when those girls snuck into my room and covered the bed in peas. I’m not letting you give up either – not that you’ve ever even so much as tried anything at all.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Tobias demanded.
Joanne waved a hand vaguely in the air. “You always just play servant. I know very good and well you could do more; you just don’t. Maybe I’ve been selfish, keeping you all to myself. But I know Prince Ian isn’t the first man or woman to express interest in you.”
“Attempts at an amusing dalliance,” Tobias said contemptuously. “Or worse, attempts to get to you through me” He drew a breath and continued to speak before Joanne could interrupt. “I still can’t show my face in my old circles, Joanne. My family is held in contempt. I was never nobility. but now I’m a servant. My parents hide in the country; they do not care what I do, or how I am at all. My friends all snubbed me. People don’t care about men like me, Joanne. They dally with me, they play with me, they attempt to bribe or charm me to get to you. If another servant will not give me the time of day, what possible chance would I have of attracting a prince? I have no chance. Now drop it and let me finish your hair. I will not allow my whining to keep you from your prince.”
Joanne looked as though she wanted very much to argue, eyes locked with his for what felt like forever. But at last she nodded, turned and sat. “I still think you’re wrong,” she murmured softly, and then fell silent.
Tobias frowned and went back to work on her hair.
He had expected the room to be empty; he didn’t know why he was disappointed to find he was right. Tobias ventured toward the curtains, hand curling around them, fully intending to open them and see how Joanne was doing…and perhaps see if someone else was present. But his hand dropped, curtains remaining unopened.
Finding a chair in the dark, Tobias sighed and pulled out the flask he’d slid into his jacket at the last moment, relishing the burn of fine brandy as he took a sip. “Stupid,” he muttered softly. Strains of music filtered up, the cheerful tones only making his foul mood more acute. All too soon he would hear the accolades as Joanne acceptd Aaron’s offer, turning his own life back into a living hell.
Tobias pondered where he was going to go. Certainly not back home. There was nothing for him there, certainly nothing resembling a home.
He ignored the voice that said he could go north. His manners were the equal of any, even in that rigid country…at least when he didn’t let his temper get the better of him. So he would simply have to be more careful. Tutors were always in demand and if the country was entering negotiations with King Phillip then perhaps he’d see…
Disgusted with himself, Tobias took a generous swallow from his flask. He could probably travel across the sea far more easily, and that far away he could make a fresh start. No one would know him or his family name. There wouldn’t be any stupid princes with infuriating smirks and pale blue eyes—Tobias took another pull of brandy and listened to the faint strains of music, ignoring every thought that tried for his attention.
Some time later, the music was drowned out by cheering and with a heavy heart Tobias moved to the curtain and drew it back to see Aaron on the dais with a beaming Joanne beside him. He smiled, happy for her. “That’s my girl,” he said softly. Then he could not help skimming the crow for a familiar dark head, frowning when he could not find it.
A heartbeat too late he realized he was no longer alone, and then a warm body pressed against him. Ian leaned over his shoulder to stare down below. “They really are very cute together, and Joanne is good for him. I’m glad you decided not to hold me against my brother.”
“That would be very rude of me,” Tobias managed. “What do you want?”
“Have we been drinking?” Ian asked in amusment, spying the flask. He pulled Tobias away from the curtain and turned him around, taking the flask from his fingers and tilting it to his own lips. “A fine brandy,” he said. Then he let the flask fall to the floor and reached out to cup Tobias’s chin, leaning down to steal a kiss before Tobias could react. “Very fine, indeed.”
“What do you want?” Tobias repeated, longing to shove him away but somehow unable to move.
Ian’s hand sank in his hair, tugging at the ribbon that held it back, sending the loose strands falling around his face. Tobias glared, further annoyed when he realized it was too dark for the expression to work to full effect.
“You,” Ian said finally. “But I confess I’m confounded as to how to convince you of that.”
“Why on earth would you want me?” Tobias asked, at last able to step out of the prince’s reach. “I told you, I—“
“I’m not playing games,” Ian said before he could finish. “Well, I was that first night. It amused me how rude you could be while correcting me on my own manners. But I liked the way you stood up for Joanne, and that you never used her to further your own standing as most would.” Ian reached out, then let his hand drop. “You really are captivating, especially when you’re riled. Your eyes positively flash.”
Tobias opened his mouth, then closed it. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not.” And Tobias knew what was coming and that he could avoid it – but instead he simply let it happen, giving in to the weak part of him that wanted to kiss Ian back.
Ian still tasted like champagne, and Tobias wondered if he was fond of it, because the lavish balls offered plenty more than champagne to guests. The arms that slid around him felt good, as did the soft hair his fingers were suddenly tangled in. “Highness…”
“Ian,” the prince said against his mouth, tone brooking no argument. “My name is Ian.” Then Tobias was being kissed again, and there was no mistaking the possessiveness of it. “Please, Tobias,” he said at last, voice rough. “Won’t you try to believe me?”
Tobias shook his head. “I’m just a servant.”
Ian laughed. “Just a servant? Please. I think you are better acquainted with the intracacies of court life than most of the nobles downstairs. Honestly, Tobias, you’re wasted as a servant now that Joanne is happily settled. If you want a title, I can give you those in spades.” His lips quirked. “Well, I can make Phillip do it. I’ve got enough childhood stories on him he won’t put up much fuss.”
“I don’t want a title,” Tobias said icily.
“Oh, don’t get angry again.” Ian reached up to cup his face, brushing a thumb over his bottom lip. “Will you give me a chance? I was thinking, if you had not made other arrangements, that you could come north with me.”
Tobias looked at him. “Just pack up and leave with you for a foreign country?”
“I hear Princess Lindsay’s parents are seeking a new tutor for her.” Ian grinned. “Apparently they’re quite annoyed their daughter lost the finest catch of the season to a certain Pea.”
“The north begins to sound appealing,” Tobias said, striving to sound light.
Ian leaned forward and kissed him softly. “And me? Perhaps?”
“Perhaps,” Tobias conceded.
With much love and affection to my betas, who have more patience than all the saints combined.
“Princess, you mustn’t fret so.” Tobias smiled and shook his head, then strode across the room to embrace the princess, kissing her brow and holding her until he felt some of the tension leak from her body.
“I can’t help it,” Joanne said fretfully, delicate auburn brows pulled down in worry and frustration. “I’m not half as pretty as Jeannette, I can’t dance a third as well as Annabelle, and don’t even get me started on Lindsay. I’m hopeless, Tobi.”
“Honestly, pet. All you need to do is relax. You’re beautiful; you’re as graceful as a swan, and Lindsay might be beautiful but she can’t converse about anything beyond dresses.”
Joanne wasn’t appeased. “More like a drunk goose. Complete with honking.” Her shoulders bunched together as she continued to worry herself to death.
Tobias sighed softly and hugged her again before stepping back to fix the carefully arranged tumble of dark auburn curls, tweaking the emerald tiara fastened to the front of them. “You are far too pretty to be compared to a goose, and I’ve danced with you many a time – you dance like a swan, I promise you.”
“Yes, with you. But you’re different, Tobi.”
“Well, then – just pretend you’re dancing with m,e and you’ll be fine.”
“I’ll try,” Joanne said, but her pink lips, turned down in a deep frown, made clear every unspoken worry running through her head.
Tobias sighed, but didn’t push the issue. If he pushed too far she would just worry all the more. Perhaps this weekend would give her the confidence he could not, as hard as he tried to convince her that she really was as beautiful and talented and capable as every other princess in attendance, and more besides.
And she was. From her auburn hair and pale skin, to the green eyes and bow-shaped pink lips. When she forgot to be nervous and was just herself, Princess Joanne was nothing less than breathtaking.
Unfortunately, she only forgot to be nervous when she was alone with her tutor – even her family turned the poor girl into tangled knot of frets and worries. Well, more like especially her family; which was why he was glad they’d decided to leave her to travel here with only her tutor.
He’d see her happy by the end of the week if it was the last thing he did.
“Come on, pet.” Tobias held out his hand. “I’ll walk you downstairs and tell you all the horrid things those other girls have already done. Just remember what I’ve told you.”
“Pretty is as pretty does.” Joanne nodded, smiling at him. “One day we’ll all be ugly – it’s the one you can talk to that you should keep.”
“That’s my girl. If these men can’t see that then they’re nothing but pretty faces and you needn’t have bothered with them after all.” Tobias placed her hand in the crook of his arm as they stepped out into the hallway, leading her down the stairs and toward the grand ballroom. He kissed Joanne’s cheek swiftly. “Good luck, fair princess. Don’t forget – pretend you’re dancing with me, unless they’re cads in which case you should make most certain to trod upon their toes.” Ignoring the disapproving looks of guests and a few servants Tobias smiled once more at her, then turned sharply on his heel to go back to his own quarters.
Well, so Joanne thought anyway. But he’d scouted out a few good places to watch the ball from earlier while she’d been dressing. One of which was an empty room, a sort of balcony such as one might find in a theatre, the curtains drawn shut. The original purpose of it, he could only surmise. But it was empty and showed signs of long disuse, so Tobias felt little guilt in sliding inside and peeking through the curtains, seeking out and finding a young woman in a dark green dress. And the dress was beyond compare, the height of fashion and wholly original. He had seen to that. No other minx here would come close to his Joanne’s wardrobe. In that at least her mind could rest easy.
“I thought this was my hideaway,” a voice as sharp as the mint he put in his tea made Tobias jump high enough he thought it a wonder his head didn’t meet the ceiling. He turned and bowed in dismay. In the dim ligh, he couldn’t tell to whom he spoke but it was clear the man was a noble. “I beg your pardon, Lord Stranger. I sought only to keep an eye on my charge.”
“You are the young man who accompanies the Princess Joanne.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about your princess, then.”
Tobias frowned. “If you wish to know about Princess Joanne then ask her yourself. Though it is perhaps a good thing I know not your identity, for all I would tell her of you later is that I do not approve of a man who lurks in the dark and demands information like a brigand!”
The man chuckled. “You’re very protective. She must be quite a princess to inspire such devotion. I beg your pardon; of course I should meet her myself. Do feel free to stay here as long as you like.” And with that, the man departed.
Tobias nearly stopped him to demand his identity, but then thought better of it. He was probably better off not knowing to which noble he had spoken so rudely. Shoving the worry aside, for it was nothing he could resolve at the moment, Tobias instead sought out Joanne. He smiled faintly, pleased to see she was chatting and laughing, rather than hiding in a corner, and he was probably the only one who could tell how nervous she was. It helped that Princess Henrietta, who had taken to the shy girl when they’d met last summer, was there to ease things.
He was still watching two hours later when Joanne and several other young women were introduced to the ever cheerful Prince Aaron, for whom the week’s festivities were being thrown, and his elder brother, the remote Prince Ian. Their eldest brother, Phillip, was king, and was hosting the festivities in the hopes that at least his youngest brother would finally settle down. The rumors were that he’d given up all hope on Ian.
Joanne, he saw with a proud smile, gracefully curtsied and managed to respond to something Prince Aaron said well enough that he laughed – in genuine amusement, not the cruel laughter Joanne had heard from more than one royal or noble for her painful awkwardness. Eventually the dancing began, and Tobias relaxed a bit – she would be clumsy at first, but he knew Joanne loved to dance despite her complaints, and as the introductions had gone well she was far less likely to be clumsy on the dance floor. He let his gaze wander a moment, watching where Prince Ian led another girl out onto the floor—
—And for a brief moment looked up, straight at him, the ghost of a smirk flitting across his mouth before he was once more politely smiling at the girl on his arm.
Tobias groaned and barely kept from banging his head against the nearest wall.
*~*~*~*
“Everything is going to go horribly wrong today.”
Tobias smiled but didn’t say anything as he continued to fuss with the skirts of Joanne’s morning gown.
“I just know it. I’m going to fall right over and be arse-up in the pond.”
“Such language,” Tobias murmured. “Far too early for ‘arse,’ pet.”
Joanne rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. “Fine. I’m going to take a tumble headfirst into the pond.”
“Much better. And you won’t.” Tobias tweaked the front of the gown, adjusting the lace that made the neckline modest. “After last night, the only thing you need to worry about is finding yourself alone with Lindsay or Jeannette. They were positively seething after last night, according to morning gossip. I don’t doubt they’ve got it in for you, pet. So don’t stand too close to that pond – they’ll push you in.”
“Great,” Joanne muttered. “Are you certain this dress is all right?”
Tobias glared
“I’m sorry! It was a moment of panic, I swear it.” Joanne tangled her fingers together to keep from playing with her curls. “Of course it’s perfect. All my dresses are perfect thanks to you. Honestly, Tobi. You should be a dressmaker.”
“Hardly,” Tobias said, rolling his eyes. “All I did was design them. Give me a needle and I would be most confused.”
Joanne smiled at his words, but the brief moment of humor did not quell her fretting. “It’s just I know last night was a fluke, or he’s changed his mind, or they really will push me in the pond or—“
“Calm down, pet.” Tobias pressed a finger to her lips. “You’ll be splendid, you know it. Why all this fretting?” He grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re so interested in him, and not just because it’ll make your parents positively ecstatic.”
Joanne flushed and looked at her hands. “He’s fun to talk to.”
“Wonderful,” Tobias beamed and shooed her gently toward the door. “Then go converse over breakfast in the garden, and remember to ignore all those other women – and don’t go near the pond!”
Shaking his head, smiling softly, Tobias set about tidying the room, then finished dressing himself. He frowned into the mirror, both irked and pleased by his appearance. Black hair, gray eyes. Attractive but not so interesting that a gaze would linger. Just enough to do the princess and whomever else he was with justice but not enough to distract. Easily passed over.
Which he knew was a good thing. Usually it suited him fine. It was only every now and then he wished he more interesting.
Reprimanding himself, Tobias forced his thoughts elsewhere. Breakfast sounded like a good idea. All he’d had so far that morning was a quick piece of bread and some coffee before setting to the task of getting Joanne ready. Real food would be nice, and then perhaps he could relax a bit before Joanne had to change for the afternoon.
Humming softly, looking around at the bright, simple but elegant castle, so different from the austere castle at home and the opulent palaces so many other royals seemed to prefer. He paused to gaze out a window at the countryside, at the rolling hills and clusters of houses, the mountains barely visible in the distance.
“The fierce protector,” a voice said from behind him. “Watching over your charge? Looking for someone else to reprimand?”
Tobias stifled a groan but could not prevent a wince before he slowly turned around. And tried not to be distracted by the prince, deadly attractive despite the smirk on his face. From a distance he’d been handsome; up close he was doing bad things to Tobias’s thoughts. Prince Ian was tall and lanky, a stark contrast to his shorter, more compact brothers. And where they had blonde hair and hazel eyes, Prince Ian’s hair was a light brown, and his rougher features seemed at complete odds with his light blue eyes. “I apologize if my words offended you last night, Highness.”
“But you’re not sorry you said them.”
Though he knew he was being goaded, Tobias could not resist. “No, I’m not. You acted inappropriately.”
“Princess Joanne mentioned you had a tendency to lose your temper when offended.”
Tobias folded his arms across his chest. “I dislike seeing the Princess mistreated in any way. You were being rude.”
“Indeed,” the Prince replied. “What are you doing now?”
“What?” Tobias said, thrown by the change in subject. “I was aiming to have breakfast,” he said and couldn’t resist adding, “if that’s all right with your Highness.”
“Why would it bother me?” Prince Ian grinned and taunted him.“I would not want to know the tongue-lashing I would receive for daring to keep a man from his meal.”
Dropping his arms, Tobias tried valiantly to keep his mouth shut – and as usual failed. “No? You seem to be quite fond of them, at least if your manners are anything to judge by. Or were you taught that mocking a man is the best way to converse?”
Prince Ian threw his head back and laughed. “I wonder, Master Tobias, is there anyone that offends you on purpose?”
“Only you, Highness, for I sense that is what you are about. But given your manners thus far, I find myself unsurprised.”
“I find that hard to believe. Surely there must be some fair miss back home who enjoys seeing you riled?”
Tobias drew himself up, making the most of his shorter stature. He might be a mere servant now, but that didn’t mean he had to endure the mockery of a bored prince. “No, Highness, there isn’t. I cannot fathom why you think there would be. Now if you’ll excuse me, I would like breakfast. You are most certainly not worth missing a meal.”
The Prince’s laughter chased him from the hallway, and all through breakfast Tobias berated himself for letting his mouth possibly ruin everything for Joanne. Would he never learn to keep it shut? He was a servant, a tutor. No matter how obnoxious Prince Ian had been, Tobias should not have spoken to him as he had.
Dragging his feet, Tobias traveled back the way he’d gone and was half-relieved, half-annoyed that the prince was right where he’d left him.
Prince Ian looked up and arched an eyebrow. “I promise you, the Duke needed to be told off. So if you’re coming to reprimand me for that – and I don’t know how you knew about it – you’re wasting your time.”
“What?” Tobias asked stupidly.
“Oh, good. Did you enjoy breakfast, Master Tobias?”
Tobias frowned, certain he was being mocked, but not quite sure how. The dratted Prince was good at his game. Tobias was fast forgetting he’d had thoughts of apologizing to him.
“Speaking of people who need a tongue-lashing, you might take a look at these girls. They say men can be mean, but women are just plain cruel.” The Prince shook his head. “Though your charge seems to be holding her own.”
“What?” Tobias stormed to the window and leaned out, looking down into the garden below where Joanne and three other women were cloistered in a remote corner, clearly engaged in an unpleasant discussion. “I’m going—“
“Shouldn’t you leave them alone?”
Tobias glared murderously. “Don’t patronize me. Of course I wouldn’t interfere. Joanne doesn’t need me to fight her battles – but that doesn’t mean I won’t exact revenge in my own way.”
“And just how do you intend to do that?” Prince Ian asked, amused.
“Nothing that would interest a prince, however bored he may be.”
The dratted smirk never seemed to leave the Prince’s face. “Just what makes you think I’m bored?”
“Hiding in dark rooms? Wandering the halls instead of attending your brother’s parties? Mocking servants? If you’re not bored, Highness, then what are you?”
Prince Ian laughed and held up his hands in defeat. “I confess I was hiding last night, though more from fear than boredom. Have you ever had to dance attendance on a room full of girls hunting a marriage proposal? I’ve braved squalls, wild animals, a nasty tangle with some thieves, and I would much rather face all three of those at once than endure the rest of this week. My brothers think I’m the crazy one, but I cannot figure out why.”
Tobias fought back a smile, but he could see the Prince had caught it. “You should try dressing and tending to one of those girls – and Joanne is a darling. I cannot fathom tending one of those other beastly women.”
“So you concede that my hiding last night was not wholly unreasonable.”
Reluctantly, Tobias nodded. “That does not excuse your behavior then or now, however.”
“Yes, well.” The Prince flashed a smug smile. “My etiquette teacher and I once had a lesson that was not part of the curriculum. No doubt I missed a more pertninent lesson.”
Tobias stiffened with disapproval.
“Oh, I’ve gone and offended you again.” The smirk on his face made it clear he wasn’t very sorry about it. “What if I said he started it?”
“But you didn’t say no, did you?”
Prince Ian arched an eyebrow. “Personal grievance?”
“I don’t dally with my betters.” Tobias snapped. “Nor with anyone whose social standing surpasses mine.”
Instead of getting angry, as Tobias thought he finally would, Prince Ian only threw his head back and laughed loud enough to fill the long hallway, startling the few people at the opposite end. “I don’t think I’ve been put down that neatly since I upended a bottle of wine on the Duchess of Coral when I was fifteen.”
Though the image of the stuffy Duchess being drenched in wine was a delightful one, Tobias wouldn’t let himself be distracted. “Which just goes to show that your upbringing is sorely lacking, especially for your station.” To think he’d planned to apologize! “If you are the standard by which to judge your brother, then clearly I shall have to extricate Princess Joanne with all due haste. She endures enough at home without having to deal with the likes of you for the rest of her life.”
Prince Ian sobered immediately. “My brothers are exemplary men. Do not hold me against them. Surely you would agree how improper and unfair a judgment that would be to make.”
“Perhaps,” Tobias replied stiffly. “But I have known brothers to stick by each other even when one was glaringly in the wrong. I trust a man who would support a reprobate as much as I would trust the reprobate.”
“Reprobate?” The Prince repeated with a grin that made him look positively boyish. “Usually I only get rogue or scoundrel. Should I be flattered?”
Tobias gave up. Attempting to have any sort of conversation, if it could even be called that, accomplished about as much as beating his head against a wall. It gave him a headache and solved nothing. “It was simple observation. Now if you’ll pardon me, I have better things to do than provide amusement for a bored prince.”
“You sought me out this time,” Ian pointed out. “And as I’ve already stated, I’m not bored.”
“Then what are you?” Tobias demanded. Besides extremely aggravating.
Prince Ian gave another one of those damnable smirks and stepped toward him, reaching up to cup Tobias’s face, fingers sliding slowly away as he continued on past and down the hallway. “Curious,” he said over his shoulder.
Tobias scowled at his retreating form, then shook himself and went to ready Joanne’s afternoon dress and fetch the fresh flowers he would need for her hair.
*~*~*~*
He was truly a glutton for punishment, Tobias thought dourly as he slipped into the dark room he’d used the previous night to observe. But surely Prince Ian wouldn’t be here tonight?
Thoughts of the damnable Prince brought his hand to his cheek before he realized what he was doing. Catching himself Tobias swore and dropped his hand. He moved to the curtains, parted them slightly to peer down into the ballroom below.
Joanne looked perfect of course. Her pink dress was far more fashionable than that worn by any other woman, giving her auburn curls a strawberry tone, bringing out the pale skin that required no chemicals to achieve. And there was Prince Aaron, far more gentlemanly – or so it seemed – than his obnoxious brother. Of course, he would have to do much checking yet to make sure the youngest brother was truly worthy of his Princess.
“They are a pretty pair, I must say.”
“What the devil!” Tobias jumped and jerked around, catching his boot against the wall and crashing hard to the floor. He glared murderously up at the man he could only dimly see.
Prince Ian immediately moved to help him up, and Tobias knocked his hands away and stood.
“Shouldn’t you be down there?” he asked scathingly.
“This was my hiding spot first,” Ian said, and Tobias knew by his voice that the man was smirking.
He glared at the prince, resenting the dark for keeping him from seeing it. “Shirking your responsibilities?”
“My responsibilities? What might those be? Surely you don’t mean helping out my little brother?” Ian parted the curtains, and Tobias could spy his boyish grin. “Why should I do that when it’s much more fun to watch him suffer? He so badly wants just to dance with your princess all night and can’t because etiquette demands he dance with all of them. I suppose I could distract one or two…” He let the curtain drop. “But I owe him for the dinner last month, so I think I’ll just stay and converse with you.”
Tobias bit back a scathing reply, but only just barely. If the princess really did wind up with Aaron, he pitied her the in-laws. At least this one. “I am not here to amuse you, however much you seem to think otherwise.”
“Why do they call her Princess Pea?” Ian asked suddenly.
“What?” Tobias asked, thrown by the question. Confound it, the man was too good at that. He really needed to pay more attention. “What did I tell you about asking me questions you should be asking her?”
Ian’s voice held a note of surprise. “I would ask her, except I’ve noticed it upsets her, and I don’t want to cause further distress. More, I would like to find a way to put a stop to it.”
Tobias was startled into silence. “It’s an old taunt from her sisters,” he said at last. “They’re several years older than she, and as a little girl she used to beg them endlessly to help her be a perfect princess just like them. Instead, they teased and tormented her endlessly. Their crowning prank was a series of ‘princess tests,’ the last of which was to determine if she was delicate enough to be a real princess. She had to go to sleep, and in the morning they would tell her if she passed or not.
“She failed. Her sisters had stuck a hard pea under her mattress and told her that if she’d been a real princess, she would have felt it and been unable to sleep.” Tobias shrugged. “From then on they called her Princess Pea; the name caught on elsewhere.”
“Women are cruel,” Ian said with a grimace. “So how did she acquire you?”
Tobias tried to keep his mouth shut, rein in his temper before both got the better of him, but confound it what the devil was he? “Acquire? Do I look like a horse to you?”
“Definitely not,” Ian said with a laugh. “Very well, then, Master Tobias. How did you come to be in her employ?”
It was hard not to smile, recalling the memory of his meeting the princess. He’d seen her about the manor all that week, but had not had time to spare for any but his own lazy charge and equally lazy father. “I told off my employer of the time and his lazy son. They disapproved and fired me on the spot. Princess Joanne immediately asked if I would help her. Her parents weren’t happy at first, but I’m a fine tutor.” Tobias folded his arms across his chest. “Is there anything else you’d like to know, Highness?”
“Yes, actually. How is it the Princess is permitted to travel with only a male servant for company? The rumors are quite an interesting mix, though no one will quite say what they are thinking. Having met the Princess and spoken to her at length, as someone quite vehemently suggsted I should,” Ian winked, “I am inclined to discard nearly all of them. The rest simply amuse. But I know her parents, or at least of them. How did they come to permit such a peculiar arrangement?”
Tobias took the question with a brief nod, acknowledging the legitmacy of it. He wouldn’t, however, give Ian the satisfaction of letting him know he’d been perfectly correct in posing it. “Her parents were at their wits’ ends, to be blunt. As I said, it was Joanne who asked me to assist her. Over the course of a month, I improved everything from her manners to her poise, her wardrobe, and her dancing. After I had three maids dismissed for being horrid gossips, they gave up trying to keep one for her.” Tobias gave an awkward shrug. “My assisting her was never considered more than severely eccentric, as certain of my proclivities came to light some months before I came to their employ.”
“Proclivities?” Ian asked with raised brows. “That sounds intriguing.”
“My personal life is none of your business.”
Ian leaned against the wall and mimicked Tobias’s stance, folding his arms across his chest. “It is if I make it a royal order that you tell me.”
“Is that what you’re doing?”
“Yes, I think so.” Ian was smirking again; it didn’t take light to figure that out.
“I used to be a solicitor, following in my father’s footsteps. He was caught in a scandal and afterwards no one would do business with us. With the scandal, people felt free to pry into our personal business and what support I had left vanished. I sought other work and discovered that I quite excel at tutoring young men and women in the ways of society.” He could not keep all the bitterness from his voice.
Ian moved in the dark, stepping close. The strains of a waltz filtered into the room, and Tobias wished he knew if all was going well for Joanne. Surely she was doing better than he. “I’ve made you angry, haven’t I Master Tobias?”
“I’m surprised you’re bothering to ask me at all. The women you’re avoiding would love to tell you all the gossip about me, and it’s sure to be more entertaining than the truth.” Tobias turned to go, patience worn to the bone, but a hand cupped his face, fingers playing against his cheek, and he stilled despite himself. “I did not give you leave to touch me,” he said icily, reaching up to yank the hand away.
But Ian moved before he did, hand shifting to wrap around the back of his head, dragging Tobias against him. One arm slid around Tobias’s waist while the hand of the other held his head, and Ian’s mouth found his unerringly in the dim light. Surprised, Tobias got a taste of a warm mouth, flavored with champagne, before he gathered himself enough to shove hard, knocking them both off balance, tumbling to the floor. Ian let out a grunt of pain as Tobias landed on top of him. “Bastard,” Tobias hissed and scrambled away before the prince could get the better of him again.
“That was probably rude,” Ian said, a grin in his voice. “But I simply couldn’t resist. Are you certain there’s no one back home waiting for you? I can’t see how anyone in your country is very smart, if there’s not.”
Tobias resisted the urge to knock him back down as he watched Ian stand. “I have no idea what you’re blathering about. Do not touch me again. If you’re hoping to glean information about the princess by toying with me, you and your brothers can cease contact with her at once.”
“Do you really think that’s what I’m doing?” Ian said, something like annoyance slipping into his voice. “I find that hard to believe. There’s no way you would have let me kiss you if that was what you truly thought of me.”
“I let you do nothing,” Tobias snapped. He turned to storm out, but manners were too ingrained. “Good night, Highness,” he said tightly, then fled the room.
He was still brooding in the seat by the window when Joanne returned, humming cheerfully.
“I assume the night was a success?” he asked. “How is Prince Aaron?”
Joanne grinned. “He’s wonderful! I think I finally understand why you always go on and on about someone to talk to.” She clapped her hands together. “Usually I can’t manage so much as a sentence, but talking with Aaron is as easy as talking to you. You should hear all the stories he tells me of when he and his brothers were growing up.” Joanne laughed.
Tobias immediately resented his brain as it latched onto the idea of a young Prince Ian, still getting the hang of his infuriating smirk. “I’m glad you had a good time – but I’d be careful all the same. Where one brother is a rat, so the others are likely to be.”
“What on earth do you mean?” Joanne asked. She stared at Tobias. “What’s wrong, Tobi?”
Hating himself for ruining her good mood, Tobias stared out the window as he related how he had met Ian and all that had occurred since – and glowered quite fiercely when Joanne began to laugh. “And what, pray tell, is so amusing?”
“I’ve been wondering why they keep asking so many questions about you, is all. I thought it was just curiosity or the usual trying to figure out if we’re paramours. It never occurred to me I might not be the only one to catch a ‘perfect prince’.”
Tobias glared. “The only thing I’ve acquired thus far is a headache.”
Joanne chuckled quietly as she sat at her dressing table and began to remove her jewelry. “Was he really so bad?”
“Yes,” Tobias replied. “Just because your romance is going splendidly doesn’t mean everyone else is so fortunate.”
“Oh?” Joanne said with something that looked suspiciously like a smirk. “You think your romance is going poorly?”
Tobias grimaced. “Oh, shut up.” He turned toward the window again. “It’s one thing for a princess to fall for a prince. It’s quite another for a servant to so much as look at a Prince.” He stood up and crossed the room, beginning to undo the multitude of tiny clasps up the back of Joanne’s dress. “Anyway, he’s merely playing. A stupid, bored Prince.”
“Are you trying to convince me or you?” Joanne asked, smirking when she received no reply. Laughing softly, she changed the subject. “So will you finally show me the ball gown for tomorrow’s fete? Please, Tobi? I’ve been dying to see it.”
“You’ll see it tomorrow night,” Tobias said, a grin tugging at his lips. “It’s my surprise, so you’ll just have to wait.”
Joanne pouted.
Laughing, Tobias stood up and began to help her prepare for bed. “It will be worth the wait, I promise you, pet. Now come, tell me how your evening went. I’ve heard good things from the servants about you and your prince.”
“He isn’t mine,” Joanne said, but her cheeks went pink with pleasure as she launched into a minute-by-minute account of her evening.
*~*~*~*
“A moment of your time, sir?” A polite voice broke into Tobias’s thoughts, and he looked up half-expecting to see a certain smirk. He was furious with himself for feeling disappointed that instead it was only Prince Aaron.
He stood up and sketched the prince a deep bow. “Highness, my time is yours. How can I be of service?”
“I wanted to speak to you of Princess Joanne,” Aaron said, and Tobias thought this Prince was far more impressive than his brother, insofar as manners went. “Generally one should speak to a lady’s parents about such matters, but my impression is that Princess Joanne holds you in far higher esteem than her parents.”
Tobias said nothing, merely waited.
“So I thought it only fitting to seek your approval before I ask her to marry me, though of course I will send a formal request to her family.” Aaron grinned. “I sense she would not be much impressed by the gesture but I thought it would matter to you.”
“It does, Highness.” Tobias said, impressed despite himself. And he tried to bite the comment back, but as per usual his mouth did not listen. “You are far better mannered than your brother.”
Instead of taking offense, as Tobias had expected, Aaron threw his head back and laughed, hazel eyes flaring with mirth. “Ah, Ian. He’s very well mannered when it suits him, sadly it seldom does. I think he’s had a rule against manners ever since he started a war with our first etiquette teacher.”
Tobias almost asked, but bit it back.
Aaron answered the question anyway. “A cousin of ours, a very sweet girl – she lives in the east now – used to take lessons with us. Our teacher…made inappropriate advances. She never told us, but Ian caught him at it one day and all but killed the man.” Aaron shook his head. “And now I am talking too much. Pardon me; perhaps I feel free to do so because Ian has been mentioning you with some frequency the past few days.”
Tobias hid a wince, wondering what exactly Ian would say about a rude manservant who allowed himself to be kissed in a dark room by a near-stranger.
“If he gets to be too aggravating, and I know he can be—” Aaron said with a wink, “Just punch him. I’ve given you permission and trust me when I say that if you do it, Phillip will probably give you a knighthood or something.”
“Yes, Highness.” Tobias hid a smile, the idea of punching Ian doing much to improve his mood.
“Now, Aaron,” the man himself drawled, “do not force me to tell your lovely princess of the time you got drunk.”
Aaron glared over Tobias’s shoulder at his older brother. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Ian moved to stand beside Tobias, wearing that insufferable smirk. “If Master Tobias punches me because you gave him the idea, I most certainly will dare. Scamper off to your romance and do not sabotage mine.”
Tobias stiffened. He barely remembered to bow as Aaron departed in a flurry to ward off whatever damage Ian was threatening to cause. He didn’t look up as Ian moved to sit down on the bench Tobias had previously occupied. “So what do you plan to do once Joanne is safely married?”
“Am I being ordered to answer?” Tobias asked stiffly.
A soft sigh. “No. I was just curious.”
Tobias contemplated telling him to mind his own business, but reminded himself that this man was related to Joanne’s prince. “Seek employment elsewhere. My contract ends with her marriage, and she will not need me as she begins her new life.” In fact, it would be better if he were not there for her to cling to. He’d helped her get to this point; the rest was up to her.
But it was still a depressing thought. In the years since his father’s scandal, companionship had been a hard thing for him to find. Men he’d thought friends had ceased to speak to him, and he was not terribly welcome in the places where friends might be found. The last nail in the coffin had been taking up tutorig, becoming little more than a servant. Joanne had been his first and only friend since the disgrace. It would be hard to go back to his lonely life when his time with her ended.
“I’ll be going to the north when this wretched affair is finally over,” Ian said. “There are some negotiations I must handle there for Phillip.”
Tobias snorted at the thought of Ian handling something as delicate as negotiations with a country notorious for its stubbornly old-fashioned ways.
“You might be surprised,” Ian said with a smirk, as if sensing the direction of his thoughts.
“Yes, I’ve heard you have manners when it suits you.”
Ian laughed. “My brother will pay for that. Knowing how he likes to talk, he probably offered his theory as to why I’m so rude.”
“You made me think you had an affair with your teacher.”
A shameless grin. “That’s only because I think you’re especially appealing when you’re offended.”
Romance. Rubbish. Tobias knew when he was being toyed with. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said icily, “I have duties to which I must attend. If your Highness requires amusment, I suggest you seek it elsewhere.”
Muttering a curse, Ian reached out and snagged his wrist, dragging Tobias close and then wrestling him down onto the bench. “Would you stop being so prickly? Look, I’ll try to be polite. It’s just you really are quite captivating when you’re offended.”
Tobias glared. “I would appreciate it, Highness, if you would cease with the mockery.”
“It isn’t mockery. You’re quite captivating when cool and collected but far more so when your temper flares.” Ian frowned when his words only seemed to annoy Tobias further. “Hasn’t anyone told you that before?” A hand reached toward him, and Tobias jerked away from it, stifling the part of him that felt bad for making Ian frown so.
“I know very well what people say about my obsession with manners, and the way I tend to let my tongue get the better of me, and I can assure you, Highness, that none of it is even remotely positive.” Tobias stood up, feeling tired and…just very tired. “I also know what I look like, and that most certainly is not captivating. I’ll thank you to take your games elsewhere.” Not giving Ian a chance to reply, Tobias fled the garden.
Romance. Bah. More the fool him for wasting so much as a second believing that.
“Oh, Tobias. It’s beautiful.” Joanne blinked back tears at the dress he laid out for her, reaching out hesitantly to touch the mist-green folds and delicate silver lace, the crystal and pearls woven throughout. “I’ve never seen a dress like it.”
“I should hope not,” Tobias said with a sniff as he wrested her away from the gown to dress her hair. “Your parents paid a small fortune to ensure that dress was one of a kind. You will force the defeat of whatever contenders think they still have a chance.” He began to arrange her hair in an artful tumble of curls; when he was done they would fall just so, setting off her pale skin and complimenting the jewels she’d be wearing. Not that she needed jewels. “You are the most perfect princess to ever live, pet. Any fools that didn’t already know that before will be forced to pay attention tonight.”
Joanne laughed and toyed with some bottles of perfume on her dressing table. “And how do you fare, Tobi? You’ve been quiet all day.” She grinned at him in the mirror. “Did Prince Ian steal another kiss?”
Tobias’s good mood collapsed. “No,” he said. “Nor will he, now that I’ve finally gotten him to cease playing his foolish games.”
“Oh,” Joanne said softly. “I did not…he never seemed anything but earnest whenever he spoke of you. Almost like Aaron when he’s trying so hard to impress me – except I don’t think he knows how to impress you.” Joanne shrugged. “I never realized he was just playing.” She looked forlorn.
Tobias, on the other hand, was growing increasingly annoyed. “So does everyone know he’s been toying with me? Does he discuss his games with everyone, even my charge?” His hand wrapped tightly around the comb he held, and he fought the urge to throw it at the mirror.
“No, Tobi.” Joanne looked at him unhappily in the mirror. “Just me, maybe his brothers. I…I don’t think he’s playing with you, Tobi.”
“Of course he is,” Tobias said roughly. “As rude and obnoxious and insufferable as he is, Prince Ian could have anyone he wanted. He would not want a bland, stuffy servant notorious for his obsession with manners.”
Joanne laughed at the paradox, which only Tobias could mange. But the laughter faded almost immediately as she continued to watch his reflection in the mirror. “You’re wonderful, Tobi. You shouldn’t let what your father did get to you so. He took those bribes, not you…”
“And yet I was the one left to deal with the repercussions while he and mother fled,” Tobias said tighlty. “Do not dredge it up, Joanne. It’s over.”
“Obviously not,” she said sharply, “if you are so uptight about it that you will not believe someone other than I could care about you.”
Tobias frowned. “One week is not enough to ‘care’ about anyone.”
“And yet after just three days you said I was the little sister you never had, and I know for certain that Aaron and I care about each other.” Joanne abruptly spun around and took the comb from his hand. “Why are you being such an arse about this, Tobi? Prince Ian is rough, I’ll grant you that, but he’s not awful.”
“Language,” Tobias corrected automatically. “Let the matter drop, Joanne.”
“No,” Joanne said, standing and putting her hands on her hips. “You never let me give up on anything, not even when those girls snuck into my room and covered the bed in peas. I’m not letting you give up either – not that you’ve ever even so much as tried anything at all.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Tobias demanded.
Joanne waved a hand vaguely in the air. “You always just play servant. I know very good and well you could do more; you just don’t. Maybe I’ve been selfish, keeping you all to myself. But I know Prince Ian isn’t the first man or woman to express interest in you.”
“Attempts at an amusing dalliance,” Tobias said contemptuously. “Or worse, attempts to get to you through me” He drew a breath and continued to speak before Joanne could interrupt. “I still can’t show my face in my old circles, Joanne. My family is held in contempt. I was never nobility. but now I’m a servant. My parents hide in the country; they do not care what I do, or how I am at all. My friends all snubbed me. People don’t care about men like me, Joanne. They dally with me, they play with me, they attempt to bribe or charm me to get to you. If another servant will not give me the time of day, what possible chance would I have of attracting a prince? I have no chance. Now drop it and let me finish your hair. I will not allow my whining to keep you from your prince.”
Joanne looked as though she wanted very much to argue, eyes locked with his for what felt like forever. But at last she nodded, turned and sat. “I still think you’re wrong,” she murmured softly, and then fell silent.
Tobias frowned and went back to work on her hair.
*~*~*~*
He had expected the room to be empty; he didn’t know why he was disappointed to find he was right. Tobias ventured toward the curtains, hand curling around them, fully intending to open them and see how Joanne was doing…and perhaps see if someone else was present. But his hand dropped, curtains remaining unopened.
Finding a chair in the dark, Tobias sighed and pulled out the flask he’d slid into his jacket at the last moment, relishing the burn of fine brandy as he took a sip. “Stupid,” he muttered softly. Strains of music filtered up, the cheerful tones only making his foul mood more acute. All too soon he would hear the accolades as Joanne acceptd Aaron’s offer, turning his own life back into a living hell.
Tobias pondered where he was going to go. Certainly not back home. There was nothing for him there, certainly nothing resembling a home.
He ignored the voice that said he could go north. His manners were the equal of any, even in that rigid country…at least when he didn’t let his temper get the better of him. So he would simply have to be more careful. Tutors were always in demand and if the country was entering negotiations with King Phillip then perhaps he’d see…
Disgusted with himself, Tobias took a generous swallow from his flask. He could probably travel across the sea far more easily, and that far away he could make a fresh start. No one would know him or his family name. There wouldn’t be any stupid princes with infuriating smirks and pale blue eyes—Tobias took another pull of brandy and listened to the faint strains of music, ignoring every thought that tried for his attention.
Some time later, the music was drowned out by cheering and with a heavy heart Tobias moved to the curtain and drew it back to see Aaron on the dais with a beaming Joanne beside him. He smiled, happy for her. “That’s my girl,” he said softly. Then he could not help skimming the crow for a familiar dark head, frowning when he could not find it.
A heartbeat too late he realized he was no longer alone, and then a warm body pressed against him. Ian leaned over his shoulder to stare down below. “They really are very cute together, and Joanne is good for him. I’m glad you decided not to hold me against my brother.”
“That would be very rude of me,” Tobias managed. “What do you want?”
“Have we been drinking?” Ian asked in amusment, spying the flask. He pulled Tobias away from the curtain and turned him around, taking the flask from his fingers and tilting it to his own lips. “A fine brandy,” he said. Then he let the flask fall to the floor and reached out to cup Tobias’s chin, leaning down to steal a kiss before Tobias could react. “Very fine, indeed.”
“What do you want?” Tobias repeated, longing to shove him away but somehow unable to move.
Ian’s hand sank in his hair, tugging at the ribbon that held it back, sending the loose strands falling around his face. Tobias glared, further annoyed when he realized it was too dark for the expression to work to full effect.
“You,” Ian said finally. “But I confess I’m confounded as to how to convince you of that.”
“Why on earth would you want me?” Tobias asked, at last able to step out of the prince’s reach. “I told you, I—“
“I’m not playing games,” Ian said before he could finish. “Well, I was that first night. It amused me how rude you could be while correcting me on my own manners. But I liked the way you stood up for Joanne, and that you never used her to further your own standing as most would.” Ian reached out, then let his hand drop. “You really are captivating, especially when you’re riled. Your eyes positively flash.”
Tobias opened his mouth, then closed it. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not.” And Tobias knew what was coming and that he could avoid it – but instead he simply let it happen, giving in to the weak part of him that wanted to kiss Ian back.
Ian still tasted like champagne, and Tobias wondered if he was fond of it, because the lavish balls offered plenty more than champagne to guests. The arms that slid around him felt good, as did the soft hair his fingers were suddenly tangled in. “Highness…”
“Ian,” the prince said against his mouth, tone brooking no argument. “My name is Ian.” Then Tobias was being kissed again, and there was no mistaking the possessiveness of it. “Please, Tobias,” he said at last, voice rough. “Won’t you try to believe me?”
Tobias shook his head. “I’m just a servant.”
Ian laughed. “Just a servant? Please. I think you are better acquainted with the intracacies of court life than most of the nobles downstairs. Honestly, Tobias, you’re wasted as a servant now that Joanne is happily settled. If you want a title, I can give you those in spades.” His lips quirked. “Well, I can make Phillip do it. I’ve got enough childhood stories on him he won’t put up much fuss.”
“I don’t want a title,” Tobias said icily.
“Oh, don’t get angry again.” Ian reached up to cup his face, brushing a thumb over his bottom lip. “Will you give me a chance? I was thinking, if you had not made other arrangements, that you could come north with me.”
Tobias looked at him. “Just pack up and leave with you for a foreign country?”
“I hear Princess Lindsay’s parents are seeking a new tutor for her.” Ian grinned. “Apparently they’re quite annoyed their daughter lost the finest catch of the season to a certain Pea.”
“The north begins to sound appealing,” Tobias said, striving to sound light.
Ian leaned forward and kissed him softly. “And me? Perhaps?”
“Perhaps,” Tobias conceded.
