Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“That’s pretty astute!” Everand banged his hand on the table and grinned at Hugo.
It wasn’t fair. That smile made the prince even more stunning, but it did nothing to cancel out the fact that he’d been an inconsiderate boor since he’d entered the room. It was for the best that he wasn’t handsome and charming. Then Hugo would have been hopelessly infatuated.
“Honestly, Mother is annoyed presumably with my wastrel lifestyle of gambling, drinking, and embarrassing lovers. She probably thought a nice man like you might finally set me straight and convince me to clean up my act.”
The prince heaved an enormous sigh and tossed his napkin onto the table. As he moved to rise, a servant jumped to slide out his chair. Hugo awkwardly rushed to his feet as well, but he doubted the prince even noticed.
He waved a hand halfheartedly in the air as he strolled from the room. “Finish serving all the courses. See that he is well fed and send him on his way.”
Hugo dropped into his chair and simply blinked for a moment. Prince Everand wasn’t what he’d expected. Handsome, sure, but he was no prince charming. At least there was no chance of them ever meeting again.
Seven
Hugo choked back a cry of relief when the carriage rolled along the lane and his house with the faded blue shutters and the sketchy roof came into view. As he’d stood in front of the queen a day ago, he’d been sure that he would never set eyes on it again. A footman alighted and opened the door for him. Hugo climbed down and politely thanked the man, clutching his other set of clothes to his chest. The kind maid had seen to it that his suit had been laundered and pressed. Someone had even mended the cuff where the stitching had been coming loose.
The door to the house flew open, and Augustine ran full speed at him. Dorian was only a few steps behind. Their mother was nowhere to be seen, but Hugo suspected she might have taken to her bed in a fit of remorse.
Augustine collided with him, nearly knocking him off his feet, gripping him in a fierce hug. Dorian joined him, grabbing Hugo from the other side.
“You’re alive! How are you still alive?” Augustine shouted in his ear.
Hugo winced and leaned closer to Dorian, who was speaking at a normal volume.
“Impossible. We were sure we’d receive word that you’d been executed. That the carriage had come to deliver your body.”
Hugo freed a hand and awkwardly patted Dorian’s arm and then Augustine’s, getting his brothers to release him.
“It’s fine. Everything worked out. I’m still alive, and we’re all safe,” Hugo murmured.
At least he hoped they were all safe. Surely the queen would forget all this spinning straw into gold nonsense. He’d never be summoned for a repeat performance. He hoped.
“Where’s Mother?” Hugo demanded, praying he could distract his brothers from exactly how he’d gotten out of the palace with his head still attached to his body.
“She’s in bed, crying about how she killed you and that the queen was coming for her next,” Dorian grumbled.
“And how ungrateful the queen was after father made her wedding cake,” Augustine added.
Yes, a service paid for and provided twenty-five years ago.
Hugo fought the urge to roll his eyes.
“I don’t understand. How did you get out of the palace?” Augustine pressed.
“What? You’re not glad I’m still alive?” Hugo shot back.
“Huuugoooo,” Augustine whined and clung to his arm. “Don’t be like that. Tell me what happened.”
“And where you got that beautiful new suit,” Dorian tacked on, earning a glare from Hugo. Dorian was supposed to be helping him, not encouraging Augustine.
“Later,” Hugo growled under his breath as Jessamine Baker stepped out of the house with a forlorn howl, still wrapped in her dressing gown. Thank the gods they didn’t have any neighbors who lived close to them. The Bakers would be providing them with fodder for gossip to last them days.
Hugo forced a weary smile onto his lips as he wondered if there hadn’t been a better third option he’d overlooked. Instead of being beheaded or having lunch with a charmless prince, he could have begged his strange new friend to whisk him away on a magical adventure.
Except the odd fellow had stated that his magic was good only for getting him in and out of the room. Oh, well. It was a lovely thought.
After a ridiculous number of hugs and damp kisses, Hugo ushered his mother and brothers into the house. They sat in the parlor, their one servant fetching his flustered mother a cup of tea to calm her nerves.
“Okay, we’re all seated now,” Augustine announced. “Tell us how you escaped the palace.”
“I didn’t escape,” Hugo snapped. “As you clearly saw, I returned via royal carriage. There was no prison break.”