Read Online To Wed a Wicked Prince by Jane Feather - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jane Feather
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Livia said above the yapping of the terriers, who seemed to have decided that Prince Prokov was their new best friend.
He seemed untroubled by their attentions, merely brushing them down as if they were dust balls as they pranced on hind legs at his knees. He said something sharply to them in a language that Livia didn’t understand, but the effect was remarkable. They dropped to their haunches and gazed up at him, tongues lolling.
“Whatever did you say?” Livia asked. “Oh, no, what a ridiculous question, they wouldn’t have understood you.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” he said carelessly. “The language of animals is universal. It’s not the sounds so much as the tone. I could speak to them in Mandarin in the same tone and they’d respond in the same way.”
“Could you speak Mandarin?” she asked involuntarily even though she was bristling again at his calm assumption of some supernaturally superior power. Talk to animals, indeed.
He gave her a shrewd look, sensing her annoyance. He shook his head, but with a smile. “No, as it happens I don’t speak Mandarin. But I do have a way with animals…even such unlikely-looking creatures as these.” The dogs drooled adoringly as if they knew he was speaking of them.
Livia bent and picked up the dropped leashes. “Don’t let me keep you from your engagement, Prince.”
“Until this afternoon, Livia.” He gave her a brief bow and then strolled down the steps to the street. He turned and raised a hand in farewell and the dogs howled.
“Oh, do be quiet, you fickle creatures.” Livia hauled the animals into the hall and kicked the door shut behind her. She bent to release the leads and they skittered across the polished parquet towards a standing copper vase of greenery and roses. Excitedly they scampered around the vase, sniffing, tails in the air, and Livia began to get an ominous premonition.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, bending to scoop them up. “This may look and smell like a flower garden, my friends, but it is not. ” She carried them to the baize door that led to the kitchen regions, opened it, and sent them through. Yet another complication of Alex Prokov’s incarnation as a florist.
She returned to the salon but there was no sign of Aurelia, just the heavy scent of myriad blooms. She ran her to earth in the parlor. “Ah, here you are.”
“Yes, I needed some fresh air,” Aurelia said, putting down the periodical she was reading. “We managed to keep the flowers out of this room. What an impulsive man he is, Liv. Who would think to do something like that?”
“I don’t think Alex Prokov considers it at all odd,” Livia said. “It seems to go hand in hand with pushing people into fountains if they’re in your way.”
“Why do I think you don’t really mind his impulses?” Aurelia asked, watching Liv closely as she paced the room.
Livia shrugged. “I don’t…at least not all the time. They’re rather exciting.” She stopped pacing and stood by the window, facing Aurelia. She still had that glow about her, Aurelia noticed, still that sunshine sparkle in her eyes. “I’m never bored in his company, Ellie.”
“Well, I can certainly see the appeal there,” her friend agreed cautiously. “But don’t you think we should try to find out more about him?”
“I don’t know that I want to,” Livia said, surprising herself as she spoke. “I rather like not knowing what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. It’s not as if I’m contemplating spending the rest of my life with him, Ellie. It’s just an interlude. For some reason he’s interested in me, and I’m enjoying his interest. What harm can it do?”
“None, I hope.” But Aurelia was not completely convinced of that. As long as Liv kept her head, then all would be well, but while Liv was generally levelheaded, she could also go off at a tangent on occasion.
“Anyway, I’m walking with him in the park this afternoon,” Livia said, as
He seemed untroubled by their attentions, merely brushing them down as if they were dust balls as they pranced on hind legs at his knees. He said something sharply to them in a language that Livia didn’t understand, but the effect was remarkable. They dropped to their haunches and gazed up at him, tongues lolling.
“Whatever did you say?” Livia asked. “Oh, no, what a ridiculous question, they wouldn’t have understood you.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” he said carelessly. “The language of animals is universal. It’s not the sounds so much as the tone. I could speak to them in Mandarin in the same tone and they’d respond in the same way.”
“Could you speak Mandarin?” she asked involuntarily even though she was bristling again at his calm assumption of some supernaturally superior power. Talk to animals, indeed.
He gave her a shrewd look, sensing her annoyance. He shook his head, but with a smile. “No, as it happens I don’t speak Mandarin. But I do have a way with animals…even such unlikely-looking creatures as these.” The dogs drooled adoringly as if they knew he was speaking of them.
Livia bent and picked up the dropped leashes. “Don’t let me keep you from your engagement, Prince.”
“Until this afternoon, Livia.” He gave her a brief bow and then strolled down the steps to the street. He turned and raised a hand in farewell and the dogs howled.
“Oh, do be quiet, you fickle creatures.” Livia hauled the animals into the hall and kicked the door shut behind her. She bent to release the leads and they skittered across the polished parquet towards a standing copper vase of greenery and roses. Excitedly they scampered around the vase, sniffing, tails in the air, and Livia began to get an ominous premonition.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, bending to scoop them up. “This may look and smell like a flower garden, my friends, but it is not. ” She carried them to the baize door that led to the kitchen regions, opened it, and sent them through. Yet another complication of Alex Prokov’s incarnation as a florist.
She returned to the salon but there was no sign of Aurelia, just the heavy scent of myriad blooms. She ran her to earth in the parlor. “Ah, here you are.”
“Yes, I needed some fresh air,” Aurelia said, putting down the periodical she was reading. “We managed to keep the flowers out of this room. What an impulsive man he is, Liv. Who would think to do something like that?”
“I don’t think Alex Prokov considers it at all odd,” Livia said. “It seems to go hand in hand with pushing people into fountains if they’re in your way.”
“Why do I think you don’t really mind his impulses?” Aurelia asked, watching Liv closely as she paced the room.
Livia shrugged. “I don’t…at least not all the time. They’re rather exciting.” She stopped pacing and stood by the window, facing Aurelia. She still had that glow about her, Aurelia noticed, still that sunshine sparkle in her eyes. “I’m never bored in his company, Ellie.”
“Well, I can certainly see the appeal there,” her friend agreed cautiously. “But don’t you think we should try to find out more about him?”
“I don’t know that I want to,” Livia said, surprising herself as she spoke. “I rather like not knowing what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. It’s not as if I’m contemplating spending the rest of my life with him, Ellie. It’s just an interlude. For some reason he’s interested in me, and I’m enjoying his interest. What harm can it do?”
“None, I hope.” But Aurelia was not completely convinced of that. As long as Liv kept her head, then all would be well, but while Liv was generally levelheaded, she could also go off at a tangent on occasion.
“Anyway, I’m walking with him in the park this afternoon,” Livia said, as
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