Shame of Thrones by Jenny Gardiner

Author:Jenny Gardiner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: contemporary romance, Royalty, romantic comedy
Publisher: Jenny Gardiner Books
Published: 2015-12-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Clementine was summoned against her wishes to Princess Elisabetta’s a few days later. She’d tried to enlist her mother to beg off of the job for her, but she’d have nothing to do with it.

“It’ll do you a world of good,” she said.

Thanks, Mum, for that vote of confidence.

Elisabetta immediately opened the door to greet her as she pulled up the pebbled driveway and parked her car. She was accompanied by a tall, young woman with girl-next-door good looks: long chestnut curls and large, warm brown eyes.

“Clementine, darling! I’m so thrilled you could make it on such short notice. We’ve got much to do. Pierre and I have decided we want this to be a Christmas wedding, so time is of the essence,” she said. “I’ve got someone for you to meet. This is my lovely daughter Mallory.”

Sebastian’s little sister, Mallory. Of course—how could she not see the resemblance?

Mallory hurried over and gave Clem a two-cheek kiss right after her mother did.

“So you’re the one my brother spent the night with, are you?”

Clem blanched.

“Ignore Mallory,” her mother said. “She loves to test her theories by putting people on the spot.”

Clementine gave her a wan smile. This promised to be even more fun than she’d feared.

“Sorry,” she said. “No sparks flying there. We were watching over a colicky horse. Nothing more.”

Mallory snapped her fingers in disappointment.

“And here I’d hoped you’d be the one to trap him,” she said. “It’s only a matter of time before someone breaks through to him.”

Clementine didn’t dare say that he was plenty easy to break through to. It was the keeping him that would prove to be the challenge. Not one she wanted to undergo, either.

“I’ve got lots of pictures I want to go over with you and we can sit down and talk over lunch about details. Mallory’s so excited to help out too, though she’ll be busy with exams so she won’t be able to do too much.”

“Great,” Clementine said, a smile barely breaking the surface of her face as she lifted her forehead dubiously. “Just perfect.”

Before she knew it, Clementine was seated at a table set with crisp, white linens in an orangery, surrounded by lemon, lime, and orange trees, and she was overcome by the intoxicating perfume of citrus. The all-glass walls let the sunshine in while the climate was controlled to keep them all comfortably warm. A gloved wait staff served the three of them while they discussed details of the wedding.

“What do you think if Pierre and I came in on elephants,” Elisabetta asked with a completely straight face.

“Elephants...” Clem said, scrunching her brow. “Elephants.”

“Mum! Are you mad? Elephants? What are you, the Raj?”

Her mother waved her hand. “Just joking! Wanted to see if you were paying attention!”

Clementine felt a sense of relief wash over her.

“Thank God,” she said. “ I was thinking up ways to slip out of here by way of a stop at the loo.”

They laughed.

“Little known fact: my mum has a wicked sense of humor,” Mallory said.

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