Royal Kiss (Royals of Beaumont Book 1) by Rachel Branton

Author:Rachel Branton [Branton, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: contemporary romance
ISBN: 9781948982306
Publisher: White Star Press
Published: 2022-02-27T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Kami

Outside, the rain had indeed stopped. We went to the stables where the horses were still damp but dry where the saddles had been. Jourdain saddled both horses quickly, impressing me more than a little. Apparently, servants didn’t do everything for the Beaumont Royal family.

“What?” he said, catching my gaze.

“How often do you saddle horses?”

“These days, it’s usually only when we’re out here at the lodge, but my father made sure we all knew how. Even the girls know, but they need help lifting the saddles, of course.” His eyes danced with amusement. “You think we’re lazy, don’t you?”

“Well, you don’t even clean your own breakfast dishes,” I shot back. We both burst out laughing.

He kissed me and made my knees tremble so much, I thought I might have to accept his offer to help me up into the saddle. What am I doing? I asked myself. I had no answer.

Night was falling fast as we headed back to the chateau. The air was crisp, but our jackets had dried enough by the fire inside the lodge that I wasn’t cold. Stars began to appear, brighter than any I’d ever seen in Miami.

I was completely turned around because of the storm and the rain, though normally I had an excellent sense of direction. It felt unnerving not to have any reference except the lodge, which could be located anywhere in the mountains as far as I knew, but Jourdain and both horses seemed to know where they were going. In fact, the horses were more eager than when we started out, as if anticipating a nice treat upon return.

At the chateau stables, a groom appeared instantly and took the horses, but before we left, Jourdain removed the carved horse from the saddlebags. I hadn’t seen him pack the horse, but there it was.

He pushed it into my hands. “You can tell your daughter someday how you had a picnic lunch with a prince who was falling in love with her mother.”

Love. Love. Love. The word reverberated inside my head like a ball on a racquet court. Surely it was too soon to be talking about such things. To me, love meant lasting commitment and sacrifice as well as passion and desire. It meant marriage and family and a life together. Did love mean the same thing to this man?

My gaze dropped to the horse in my fingers, running over the lines that made up the intricate details of the piece. “I will treasure it forever.” That much was true, even if it was only to tell my future daughter a fantastic story.

He took my hand and led me to a side door of the chateau that was nearest the stable. Elise rushed to us as we entered. “Where have you been? We were so worried! I was begging Maman to send someone out to look for you when Anabella and I saw you riding into the stables.” She tapped the binoculars hanging on a strap around her neck.

I’d pulled away from Jourdain’s grasp when we entered, and now I was glad I had.

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