The Disgraced Princess Read Free Page A

shared; he had other loyalties, other responsibilities now.
    Rosie had expected it to happen and she didn’t resent it, but she missed their closeness.
    Gerd asked laconically, ‘So what is your plan?’
    â€˜Oh, take a look around, see what I can find,’ she said airily. ‘And what are your plans, now that you and the country have emerged from the year of mourning? What changes are you going to make in Carathia?’
    â€˜Only a few, and those slowly. I didn’t realise you were interested in my country.’
    She met his eyes with a swift, dazzling smile. ‘Of course I am. Being related to the ruler of Carathia gave me immense prestige at school. I used to boast about it incessantly.’
    He held her away from him, examining her face. Bracing herself as a flame of awareness sizzled throughher, Rosie met that intent eagle-amber gaze with cool challenge.
    The grimness faded from his expression, although his smile was narrow as a blade. ‘I don’t believe that for a moment. Why did you decide to become an accountant?’
    She wasn’t going to tell him about her love affair with flowers. ‘It just seemed a sensible thing to do. As I’m sure you’re aware, my father was hopeless with money—he spent everything on his expeditions—and my mother isn’t much better. I wanted to know how things worked in the financial world.’
    Cynicism tinged his deep voice. ‘Or did you just decide to shock your parents?’
    She shook her head, stopping abruptly when her curls bobbed about in a childish fashion. ‘I wanted to come away from university with something concrete, skills I could use.’
    Something that made people see past her outward physical attributes. Most people took one look at her and wrote her off as a flirtatious little piece of fluff.
    On a cool note she finished, ‘And I don’t regret it at all.’
    Gerd looked sceptical. The music swelled, and he caught her closer to steer her around a slight traffic jam of dancers ahead. Resisting the quick, fierce temptation to let herself relax against him, Rosie followed his steps.
    Above her head he said, ‘You asked what changes I plan; in parts of Carathia change is treated with suspicion, so I’ll be treading carefully, but I intend to extendthe scope and the range of education, especially in the mountain districts.’
    â€˜Why education? What about health?’
    Broad shoulders lifted in another swift shrug. ‘My grand mother concentrated on health services. They’re well-established, but not as fully used as they could be, especially in the mountains where superstition is still rampant and many people prefer to use the local wise women. When patients do finally present at hospitals, they often die there.’
    Rosie nodded. ‘So I suppose they try even harder not to go near them.’
    â€˜Exactly.’
    â€˜And you think education will help? How?’
    â€˜By giving children an understanding of science and some knowledge of the outer world. Life in the mountains is still very insular, very remote. Children in the alpine villages have to travel to the bigger towns for secondary education, so most miss out. I want to take higher education— good higher education—to each market town.’
    â€˜It seems logical,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘What’s the school leaving age?’
    â€˜Thirteen. Far too young, but parents say they need them at home to help with farming, so any alteration will have to be managed with tact.’
    Gerd felt her curls tickle his throat when she nodded.
    Thoughtfully she said, ‘To change attitudes you need to corral them at school while they’re still open and receptive. How are you going to set up this system of a high school in every valley?’ She glanced up at him, wide blueeyes intent and serious for once. ‘I assume that’s what you’re planning?’
    Gerd told her,