heritage?”
“Yes.”
“How did you get to America? Were you born there?”
Clearly he was about to launch into a lengthy diatribe of questions about the journey, about life on the other side of the sea, and Pippa bristled with frustration. She’d told Kat not to claim they were from Boston. If they’d simply pretended to be from a small village in Italy, no one would have cared about the details, and she wasn’t about to tiptoe into Kat’s idiotic web of lies.
“It’s a long story, Mr. Hubbard. I might tell it to you someday if you’re very, very nice to me.”
She’d imbued her tone with a hint of the flirtation she hoped to eventually have with him. His brows shot up, his curiosity piqued.
“I can be very nice,” he said.
“You’ve brazenly decided to call me Pippa—even though I haven’t given you permission.”
“I never ask women for their permission on any topic. I typically find females to be too silly to think for themselves.”
“You must be acquainted with some annoying specimens of the feminine gender.”
“I am.”
“I intend to call you Chase.”
“Oh, you absolutely may. In fact, I insist on it.”
“Even in company? Could I waltz into the parlor and call you Chase in front of the other guests?”
“Why not? I don’t usually stand on ceremony.”
“I’m delighted to hear it,” she said.
“How about you? Do you like to stand on ceremony?”
“If the situation demands it, but I’m guessing our relationship wouldn’t be one of those times.”
He was growing more intrigued by the second. “How long are you and Miss Webster planning to remain in Cairo?”
“Not long.”
Any minute now, she was expecting to receive a message from Kristof that she’d completed her assigned task and could return to Parthenia. Kat thought she was being discreet and furtive, but from the first moment she’d mentioned fleeing with Nicholas and Isabelle, Pippa had gone straight to Kristof and warned him.
He’d been eager to know where she went, who she saw, and what arrangements she made. He didn’t want her contacting supporters who might stir trouble over Nicholas’s being deposed.
Pippa was sending him regular reports, and as a reward for keeping him apprised of Kat’s location and activities, he’d offered Pippa her own apartment in the palace, an allowance, and an honored place at the king’s table during meals. He’d also promised to dower her so she could wed if she wished.
In a few short months, he’d showered her with more boons than Kat’s father had in twenty years. The instant Pippa had fulfilled her role, she’d depart for home, but until then she had to tread cautiously.
Kat claimed Kristof was insane, but she was insane to have left Parthenia, to have hauled the children with her. She was on a sinking ship, and Pippa wasn’t about to sink with her.
She liked Kat well enough, but Kat forgot herself around Pippa. Yes, Kat was royal and Pippa wasn’t, but they’d been raised as sisters, and Kat always ignored that pesky detail. She treated Pippa like a servant, and Pippa was tired of bowing and scraping to Kat, especially now when Kat had been stripped of her title and was no one of import.
The day Pippa was recalled to Parthenia, where she’d be lauded and compensated for her service to Kristof, would be the greatest day of her life.
“Since I won’t be here for an extended stay,” she said, “maybe we should hurry our association.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Would you like to walk down by the river?”
“Normally I’d say yes, but Kat and Mr. Blair are down there.”
“Are they?” He looked vastly humored by the notion.
“I wouldn’t like to bump into Kat. She’s a tad fussier than I am about how we should comport ourselves.”
“Isn’t she at the river with Bryce?”
“Yes, but she’d never misbehave.” Pippa sidled nearer, approaching so close that her dress brushed his trousers. “I, on the other hand, have no qualms
“Yes.”
“How did you get to America? Were you born there?”
Clearly he was about to launch into a lengthy diatribe of questions about the journey, about life on the other side of the sea, and Pippa bristled with frustration. She’d told Kat not to claim they were from Boston. If they’d simply pretended to be from a small village in Italy, no one would have cared about the details, and she wasn’t about to tiptoe into Kat’s idiotic web of lies.
“It’s a long story, Mr. Hubbard. I might tell it to you someday if you’re very, very nice to me.”
She’d imbued her tone with a hint of the flirtation she hoped to eventually have with him. His brows shot up, his curiosity piqued.
“I can be very nice,” he said.
“You’ve brazenly decided to call me Pippa—even though I haven’t given you permission.”
“I never ask women for their permission on any topic. I typically find females to be too silly to think for themselves.”
“You must be acquainted with some annoying specimens of the feminine gender.”
“I am.”
“I intend to call you Chase.”
“Oh, you absolutely may. In fact, I insist on it.”
“Even in company? Could I waltz into the parlor and call you Chase in front of the other guests?”
“Why not? I don’t usually stand on ceremony.”
“I’m delighted to hear it,” she said.
“How about you? Do you like to stand on ceremony?”
“If the situation demands it, but I’m guessing our relationship wouldn’t be one of those times.”
He was growing more intrigued by the second. “How long are you and Miss Webster planning to remain in Cairo?”
“Not long.”
Any minute now, she was expecting to receive a message from Kristof that she’d completed her assigned task and could return to Parthenia. Kat thought she was being discreet and furtive, but from the first moment she’d mentioned fleeing with Nicholas and Isabelle, Pippa had gone straight to Kristof and warned him.
He’d been eager to know where she went, who she saw, and what arrangements she made. He didn’t want her contacting supporters who might stir trouble over Nicholas’s being deposed.
Pippa was sending him regular reports, and as a reward for keeping him apprised of Kat’s location and activities, he’d offered Pippa her own apartment in the palace, an allowance, and an honored place at the king’s table during meals. He’d also promised to dower her so she could wed if she wished.
In a few short months, he’d showered her with more boons than Kat’s father had in twenty years. The instant Pippa had fulfilled her role, she’d depart for home, but until then she had to tread cautiously.
Kat claimed Kristof was insane, but she was insane to have left Parthenia, to have hauled the children with her. She was on a sinking ship, and Pippa wasn’t about to sink with her.
She liked Kat well enough, but Kat forgot herself around Pippa. Yes, Kat was royal and Pippa wasn’t, but they’d been raised as sisters, and Kat always ignored that pesky detail. She treated Pippa like a servant, and Pippa was tired of bowing and scraping to Kat, especially now when Kat had been stripped of her title and was no one of import.
The day Pippa was recalled to Parthenia, where she’d be lauded and compensated for her service to Kristof, would be the greatest day of her life.
“Since I won’t be here for an extended stay,” she said, “maybe we should hurry our association.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Would you like to walk down by the river?”
“Normally I’d say yes, but Kat and Mr. Blair are down there.”
“Are they?” He looked vastly humored by the notion.
“I wouldn’t like to bump into Kat. She’s a tad fussier than I am about how we should comport ourselves.”
“Isn’t she at the river with Bryce?”
“Yes, but she’d never misbehave.” Pippa sidled nearer, approaching so close that her dress brushed his trousers. “I, on the other hand, have no qualms
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