Chapter 14

The Black Moods of Noble Toads

 

They took the long way to the airport, and even switched cars three times. Seemed they were really serious about getting her out of the country unseen. At the airport they made it appear as though they were in pairs, rather than one girl with three men.

Richard took her about the waist and nuzzled her ear. “Pretend with me, Danielle. We’ve already seen vampires watching for you here.” She tensed but tried to lean into him like she liked it, and couldn’t help but worry if this is what Ethan was doing with Gillian. She felt another heavy twinge of jealousy about it.

The plane ride was way too long, and the prince kept lifting the back of her hand to his lips to give her kisses. This intimate treatment came from the same man whom she’d only just met, and had barely shared more than a handful of words with. He then muttered into her ear that they still weren’t alone, and she secretly wondered if he was just taking advantage of this situation.

That is until she saw one of the passengers strolling down the walkway as if he were headed toward the bathroom. His look reeked of vampire mercenary, and she barely resisted a shudder as his searching gaze slid toward her. Panicked, she tugged Richard to her by his leather jacket and tried to hide behind his bulky frame, feigning a hug. However, Richard turned her innocent attempt at concealment into a kiss on the mouth. Her fingers shot to his hair, and she tried to pull his head away, but ended up only making it look like she was really into it. She didn’t even want to know what Ethan would think of this, and the guilt that twisted her insides was excruciating.

After the man passed by, Richard smirked and said, “You saw him, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I told you we weren’t alone.”

She rolled her eyes. This prince was a pompous jerk…. And she wished she hadn’t noticed how handsome he was. His long, honey-colored hair waved nicely past his ears. The features of his face were angled harshly, but in a pleasing manner, and his hazel eyes nearly smoldered every time he looked at her. Could that have been anymore unnerving? All of this made the guilt over the accidental kiss that much worse. “Eth—”

Suddenly his lips were on hers again and she tried to shove him away, but couldn’t budge him. After smothering her for far too long, he finally let go again. “Damn you. Eth—”

He silenced her with one finger and a deadly look. “Do not speak his name out loud. I’m tired of your dwelling on your ex.” He winked at her, then lowered the volume of his speech so low, she barely heard his next words. “Apparently you didn’t see him coming back through.”

“No,” she mumbled and then said what she wanted to say, but edited. “He is so going to kill you.”

Richard snorted at the threat. “He’ll thank me.”

His arrogance was just too much, and wanting to get away from him she stood, but he jerked her back into her seat. “Where the bloody hell do you think you’re going?” he growled in a deep angry voice.

“I’d rather sit by Cedric…” She grunted when his arm landed against her chest shoving her back into the seat when she tried to stand a second time.

“That wouldn’t leave the right impression,” he ground out.

“Then I need the restroom,” she shot back, though quietly.

“I don’t believe you.”

She was bluffing. They stared at each other for a minute before she mutely backed down and turned to face the window. For three more hours.

Incredibly relieved when they landed, Danielle ignored her guards as they drove to Glenwood Springs. Again, they’d taken the long way, and again switched cars three times before they actually arrived. Only after they entered her home did the guards back off, and she felt like she could finally breathe.

Setting her purse onto the table along with the hat and wig, she then dropped onto the sofa and began to peruse her new home. Ethan had selected this place, and apparently had it decorated.

The colors of the living room were soft shades of tan and cream with touches of dark brown and deep red. The style was understated, but a little bit shabby chic. She loved it, and wondered if he’d chosen these colors himself, or just hired someone. Figuring it was probably the latter, her eyes landed on a painting over the loveseat and she shot upright. “A Jack Vettriano?”

Hearing the men chuckling from the other room, she wondered if they were laughing at her outburst as she stood from the sofa and went to the piece of artwork. It looked like an original of The Singing Butler. “But it can’t be.”

“Ethan told me it was,” Cedric said from right behind her, and she jumped. “Relax.”

“Then don’t sneak up on me.” She turned back to the painting when Cedric simply shrugged his shoulders. “It can’t be an original.”

“Ethan said it was.”

“I’ll ask him myself.”

“Fine, do that.”

“Fine, I will.”

“Stop it. You sound like a couple of children,” said Richard.

“We are children compared to you, old man.”

He grinned like a genuine rakehell. “You don’t kiss like a child.”

“That wasn’t by choice!”

“As I recall it, you’re the one who grabbed me first. And I didn’t feel you resisting.”

“You weren’t paying attention then. I would have thought you’d be more observant.”

Richard laughed and reached for the phonebook. “What are you hungry for, Danielle? Ethan said to make sure you’re fed.”

“Fed? You really just said ‘fed’? Vampires feed, I’m mortal, I eat.”

“What would you like to eat then?” Irritation flashed in his eyes.

She folded her arms feeling irritated too. “I don’t care. Whatever!” She turned on her heel and headed for her bedroom, only then wondering where it was. Must be down this hall, she thought turning into it.

Richard sighed before she’d left earshot of him. “Order something for her, Merrick,” he commanded, like some military general.

Merrick’s happy tone followed her down the hallway. “Something healthy like salad with chicken and nuts on top,” he said, before adding, “Chick’s love that kind of stuff…. And strawberries, I was told that’s her craving.”

“Indeed. Command and concur, Merrick,” Richard rumbled.

Danielle rolled her eyes as she reached for a door handle to check if this room was her bedroom. It was going to be like living with some sort of medieval-alpha-male-warrior, she decided. Danielle couldn’t believe Ethan had left her alone with these three, especially him. For at least a week! She just might consider running away if it goes longer than that.

 

* * * * *

Danielle gasped in wonder when she entered her and Ethan’s bedroom. It was decorated almost exactly like the suite in Le Meurice where they’d spent their honeymoon, except it was a little more understated. The thought occurred to her—he wanted this room to be a constant reminder of that romantic time together, and she smiled as she explored it. The room had peaked ceilings, fabric draped archways, and carved wooden beams that divided a sitting area from the bed and the bath. The fabrics were in soft shades of blue and cream. They were simple, without much pattern, creating a clean yet romantic feel. Just above the sofa was another Jack Vettriano painting, Dance Me to the End of Love, and then across from the bed hung a collection of framed, sepia wedding portraits. Suspecting the big empty space on one wall was for the painting of the ruins she’d painted for Ethan, she smiled and decided she needed to talk to him, to thank him.

Slipping off her shoes, Danielle pulled her phone from her pocket, flipped it open, then strode toward the bed.

She dialed Ethan’s number, and then settled down onto the white bedcovering as it rang. Suddenly the phone was snatched from her hand and closed. Danielle screamed in surprise.

The narrowed gaze of an angry prince stared down at her as he said, “No calls.”

Danielle swallowed, unable to speak, thinking it looked like he was fighting really hard to keep his anger bottled and leashed.

After a long pause where their gazes held uncomfortably, his expression softened, but he said nothing and left her alone, taking her phone with him.

Irritated with that, she curled up on the bed. Maybe I will leave before the week is over, she mused. I’m sure this isn’t what Ethan had in mind ... and now she couldn’t call him, or Beon, or her parents, or anyone…. At least she had Cedric, and Merrick seemed all right, but this Richard….

Soon after that, she fell asleep, glad to be exhausted from the flight so she could sleep, even with all the thoughts in her head.

 

* * * * *

“Danielle,” a deep voice said. The rumbling sound ripped a shudder from her.

She furrowed her brows. “What?” The word was thick with sleep.

“Your food is here. Wake-up so you can eat it.”

Danielle rubbed her eyes and then pried them open. She blinked. All three of her guards stood next to the bed, each holding a paper bag or plastic box. This confirmed her suspicion that she was going to have very little privacy with these guys. They’d probably barge in while she was in the bathroom if they felt she was in danger, or trying to make a phone call, or needed to feed.

“Your salad, my lady,” Cedric said, opening the takeout box and setting it onto the bed next to her.

“Strawberries, dipped in chocolate, lass.” Merrick opened another box and set that next to the salad.

“Bread and soda,” Richard grunted, holding a paper sack and a thirty-two ounce cup.

“But, I-I don’t drink soda.”

“I told you she’s one of those healthy eaters, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Richard scowled and told Merrick to shut up, then asked her, “What do you drink then?” in a kind gentle tone. She suspected that maybe he was attempting to make up for his rude behavior earlier.

“Water…. Please?”

His mouth twitched and she thought he almost smiled as he set the bag down onto her lap. He left to retrieve water, she thought. The other two filed out after him.

Danielle was surprised to find that the bread was warm, and for some reason that touched her. Maybe because they’d gone to the trouble of gathering a meal she would enjoy. She knew those strawberries couldn’t have been easy to get this time of year. Even Richard had made the effort to get her a drink and bread that was so fresh it hadn’t yet cooled. In light of this, she thought perhaps these men weren’t so bad after all. She broke off a piece of bread, and the wonderful smelling steam rose to her nose. Chewing, Danielle felt her mood shifting from fear and irritation to acceptance, and hoped that the remainder of her time with these men would continue like this.

She was working on the salad when Richard returned with a goblet filled with water.

“Thanks. This is all very nice.”

“You’re welcome.” He was in the process of wringing a napkin in his tense grip. A napkin that she figured was probably meant for her. “I’ve been told that I need to apologize for my ... er ... abruptness earlier.”

“It’s all right. I know you couldn’t help it,” she said, unable to resist the tease.

He blinked. “What do you mean by that?”

“You must be called the Black Prince for a reason.”

“They never called me that until long after my death. But I think it was because of my black armor, nothing to do with my character.”

Sure, she thought.

He then noticed what he was doing to the napkin, ironed it with his fingers, and then handed it to her.

She took the wrinkled linen. “Thanks.”

“Is there anything else I can get you?”

Danielle dragged the container of strawberries to her lap. “Nope. But thanks again.”

“Just call if you need anything.” He swept into a bow and then left.

Perhaps they should have called him the Indecisive Prince, because it seemed he didn’t know if he wanted to be a grouchy brute, or a chivalric gentleman.

 

* * * * *

When she emerged from her bedroom she found the three of them lounging on the sofa watching football.

“This American football is prissy compared to our British sport,” Richard commented dryly.

Before the others could reply, they noticed her, and all of them scrambled to their feet. She almost laughed because she didn’t expect that kind of respect from them, but suspected it was one of those things engrained so deep in their mannerisms they couldn’t break the habit.

Then she noticed Richard’s muddy, booted feet as he stood on the new cream-colored rug. “Hey, you’re making a mess!”

The prince frowned at her, then dropped his gaze to his big feet. After heaving a big sigh, he removed the offending footwear and tossed them to the entryway, which made a mess of dried dirt clods as they bounced. “Better?” he asked.

“Um,” she managed, then noticed his socked feet, and smirked at the big toe sticking out of the hole in his left sock. He noted her gaze, tore off the socks, and chucked them toward his boots with a curse.

This earned him a round of chuckles from Merrick and Cedric, whom he punched soundly in the arms for it.

Danielle scooped her purse from the table and slung it over her shoulder.

“Whoa!” Richard bellowed as he lunged for her. “You’re not going anywhere!”

“I just want to go see my parents and my brother.”

“You can’t leave this house until Ethan is here.”

“But he doesn’t know when he’s going to be here.”

“Did you honestly think you could leave on your own?” he bit out as he confiscated her purse, lifted her from the floor, hauled her to the sofa and set her down onto it.

“No, I knew one or more of you would be following me. But—”

“I heard about your freedoms before now! So you thought it would be like that again, where you could go anywhere you pleased and we’d just tail behind?”

Yes … but apparently not…. She had thought she could be stealthy about it, and figured that no one was looking for her here, especially if she was believed to be there.

“There will be no more of that!” he bellowed, leaning over her in a threatening stance. “I’m commanding this guard and you will not be leaving this house, not even to go to the garden!”

Anger simmered through her veins. “And where do you get off taking my phone! I was just going to call Ethan!”

“No. Phone. Calls. What if his phone has been tapped? Danielle, you’re supposed to be in London with Ethan! If you call, or you’re seen here they’ll know Gillian is not you! Do you not understand how much danger you’re in?”

Oh, she knew. She didn’t want to admit to it sometimes, but she knew. Even though she’d desperately wanted to see her parents, she could also see his point. And this harsh lecture combined with his angry tone cracked her easily fractured emotions. Tears she couldn’t stop rolled down her cheeks. Embarrassed, she buried her face in her hands. Of course she hated how much she was crying lately, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She didn’t really feel pregnant yet, and she wasn’t showing yet. She just felt all messed up inside.

“Now look what you’ve done!” Merrick shouted, addressing Richard.

“You’ve upset her!” Cedric said. “Again!”

Richard drew in a measured breath and slowly released it, then shoved Merrick aside and sat down next to her. He slung one arm over her shoulders and tugged her to his side. “I must apologize…. My main task is to keep you safe, and I tend to get a bit—overzealous.”

“A bit?” Danielle asked on a wet sounding little sob.

He laughed. “Okay, I suppose it is a tad more than a bit.”

Danielle fanned herself trying to stop the waterworks. Cedric produced a handkerchief and dabbed at her wet face. “There now, would you like some tea?”

She nodded like a child. She felt like one at the moment: in trouble for her actions, being disciplined for it. All of these men were older than her grandfather. While they didn’t look it, they could display the stubbornness that is occasionally witnessed in the elderly, especially the prince. Hopelessly set in their ways….

Cedric strode to the kitchen to prepare the tea for her.

“Don’t mind Richard, lass,” Merrick said. “Underneath that crusty, ogre exterior is a generous and heroic softy. Else he wouldn’t bother to say he was sorry.”

She had seen hints of that here and there, and his comment did remind her of her history lessons about The Black Prince. It was said that he’d been extremely giving with his money before he died. She would guess that he had remained that way.

“Silence, Merrick, before you ruin my reputation.” The prince turned the volume up on the television. “Let’s watch some football. Now tell me, who are these Dallas Cowboys?”

Danielle realized he was trying to reduce the tension and soothe her bruised emotions. But it confused her, one minute he was shouting in her face, and the next he was almost jovial, almost flirting. “They’re the team from Texas,” she answered quietly.

“Ah, I’ve heard of Texas. What does it mean when they do that little dance in front of the pole there?”

“He just scored…. Richard, shouldn’t you know about this? I mean, I think you’re plenty old enough.”

“I never ventured from Europe; spent most of my time in Spain, and I haven’t watched much television.” He turned his face back toward the television and scowled. “Why do they line up like that?”

“I don’t really speak football.”

“But you’re a Yank.”

“And a girl. I’m not into it. Sorry.” She reached for the remote to change the channel.

He resisted by extending his arm out to its fullest length. Dang, his arms were long. “I’ll change it for you. What would you like to watch?”

“I don’t know.” Danielle stretched for it again.

Again he resisted her efforts easily, and changed the station. “How about this?” he asked. It was some cooking show.

“No,” she said, and wanted to reach for the control again, but knew she’d never get it away from this medieval knight without doing something major like throwing a tantrum, so she let it slide. “I’d like to watch a movie.”

After flipping through half the channels he finally found one she deemed satisfactory and she smirked evilly. It was a chic-flick, a musical in fact. She relished in the thought that she was going to make these three guys suffer through it with her. Well, she wouldn’t be suffering; she liked this kind of stuff.

By the time it was over the men were all snoring loudly. Hmmm, she thought, vampires really do sleep.

Richard popped one eye open when she slid from the sofa. “Hmm?”

Her eyes rounded. This guy was even alert when he was seemingly unconscious. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight, cranky prince.”

“Sleep well, spoiled princess.” There was that almost gentle, teasing side of him again.

She smiled and went to bed.

 

* * * * *

Again she was awakened by a deep rumbling voice. “Danielle, get up for breakfast.” It was Merrick.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “You seriously just woke me up for that?”

“Ethan insists you eat. Regularly.”

She tugged the blankets up to her chin and looked at the clock. “I never eat breakfast this early.” It was five am. Was Ethan trying to be Mr. Overprotective from across the ocean? She did tend to skip breakfast. Had he noticed the habit? Of course he had, she realized with a frown.

Merrick sighed and worried his chin with two fingers. “You must for that wee bairn.”

While deciding “wee barin” meant small child, her attention was drawn to Richard when he said, “Don’t make us force you,” as he entered, eating up the space between the doorway and her bed in long strides.

“You’d force me to eat breakfast?” she asked, incredulous.

“Um, Richard,” Cedric interjected, “you can’t force her.”

Richards’ fists landed on his hips and his eyes narrowed. “Sure I can.” That narrowed gaze shifted from Cedric and landed on her. “You must be fed a well balanced meal three times a day, plus snacks, plus regular tea,” growled the prince.

“I’ll eat when I’m hungry thanks.” I’m not a toddler, she thought with irritation.

“Ethan was very specific. Breakfast at—”

“Give me my phone back. I need to talk to him,” she demanded feeling stubborn.

Richard cursed and ignored her. “Ethan asked me to get groceries for her.” He turned abruptly and stalked toward the door.

“You’re shopping?” Cedric asked, his eyes rounding with surprise.

“One of you two will make food for her while I’m gone. And, when she’s up and dressed, she will eat it.” The prince then left, leaving tangible tension in his wake.

“I hope he knows what he’s supposed to be getting,” Cedric said.

Danielle shifted in the bed, then asked, “Has he ever been inside a grocery store?”

“I highly doubt it,” the Highlander said, still showing white teeth from his amused grin. “What would you like for breakfast, my lady?”

And since they had woken her up, she decided she was hungry after all. “Pancakes?”

Merrick turned to Cedric. “Do you know how to make those?”

“I can do eggs and bacon.”

She gagged. “I’ll make it.” Danielle shoved the covers aside, dropped her legs over the edge of the bed and then stilled. She was trying to decide if she needed to race for the bathroom, or if she could make it to the kitchen when her stomach roiled at the thought of greasy breakfast meats.

“She just lost all color in her face.” Concern tainted Merrick’s tone.

Cedric forced her to lie back down. “We’ll make you something.”

“Toast. Can you handle toast?” Danielle groaned staring blankly up at the ceiling, thinking that bread might settle her insides.

“Yes. With fruit preserves.” Merrick stepped away from her bed.

“And juice.” Cedric followed.

They left, discussing how to make toast as their footsteps trailed away.

 

* * * * *

Later that day a quick smile curled Danielle’s lips as she looked at her cards. “Uno!” she shouted.

“All ready? I never win at these things,” Cedric complained.

Merrick scowled as he was forced to add a seventh card to his hand because he couldn’t play the one Danielle had discarded. “This game is more luck than brain or brawn,” he grumbled.

“Oh, there’s definitely some strategy involved. You need brains for that, not one of those Highlander swords. What do you call those things?” said Cedric.

“A Claymore. It is a double-edged blade that is as long as I am tall, and had to be strapped to my back.”

“So cool. Do you still have it?” Danielle asked.

“Of course. It is displayed above the fireplace in my castle.”

After gasping, she asked, “You live in a castle? Do you still wear one of those skirt things?”

Irritation lined his pursed lips. “A kilt, lass, it is called a kilt, not some feminine, flowery—”

Cedric chuckled, and then snorted. “A skirt.”

Merrick growled and rewarded Cedric with an angry kick to the shins. Cedric simply laughed harder, then looked down at his hand of Uno cards. “Ha!” Cedric blasted. “Draw four, Danielle!” Grinning hugely he wagged his eyebrows at her.

She had nothing to counter that, apparently she wasn’t winning after all. Danielle rolled her eyes and could feel her bottom lip twisting into a pout as she took the cards. “What about you, Cedric? What was life like in eighteen…?”

“Nineteen forty.”

“Oh, right.” She watched as Merrick took his turn, and was able to play one card.

Cedric played his hand after that, his number of cards dropping to three as he answered, “That was when color television was invented, but most people didn’t even own a black and white set because life was largely influenced by World War II, and the depression. But we did have scarlet-lipped, pin-up girls, and Slinkies.”

A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. She’d had a Slinky too. Danielle took her turn, and then The Black Prince returned from shopping in a blacker mood than usual, interrupting their game and conversation. He entered from the garage, his huge hands burdened with six bags each, as he barked out an order, “Merrick, Cedric, come help me put this away.”

They obeyed swiftly, both wearing mirth on their faces. “Hold the game, Danielle. We’ll be back in a moment.”

Danielle set her hand of cards down onto the table. With how much the prince was carrying, she figured it would take them longer than a moment, and decided she needed to witness this.

Their gruff voices drifted from the kitchen and grew louder as she neared it.

“No, Richard, that’s perishable, it needs to go in the ice box,” Cedric lectured.

“I remember not having refrigeration, and the cheese was left out on the table. Though it wasn’t an orange brick wrapped in plastic like this,” Richard said with his lip curling in disgust as he considered the package of aged cheddar.

“Yes, I remember cheese being left out too. That and bread, and fruit, and salted meats,” commented the Highlander.

“You guys are going to make me sick with your medieval thinking,” she said, stepping from the wood flooring in the hallway to the tiled kitchen. She took the cheese from Richard and stuck it in the refrigerator.

“I told you it needs to go in the ice box,” said Cedric.

“Ethan will murder us all if we poison his child-laden bride.”

Richard and Cedric seemed to agree with Merrick as they stared at her.

Then Richard spoke while he rubbed his whisker-covered chin, causing a sound somewhat like sandpaper grating against wood. “Danielle, would you please direct us?”

She snickered. “Sure.”

Danielle was slightly shocked with how much food Ethan had ordered them to purchase. Was he going back to his old pattern of overfeeding her? It was possible with his concern for the baby. But she was pleased to see so much fresh fruits and vegetables, which went into the “ice box.” Richard and Merrick appeared to be confused by that, but said nothing against it.