The Prince’s Bride Read Free Page A

were a number of ships moored in close
     proximity to one another, not far from a port village.
    Nicholas frowned as he wondered if Bonaparte was on one of those ships. Perhaps it
     was not the English Channel. Perhaps it was the Atlantic. Was this Rochefort?
    Dammit. He needed to know where he was.
    Forgetting his headache and swimming stomach, he stalked to the door and grabbed hold
     of the knob, only to discover that he was locked in.
    He rattled and tugged at it, then slammed his shoulder up against it, but to no avail.
     The exit was impenetrable.
    The realization that he was a prisoner in this room struck him rather violently, but
     he swept the notion aside, for surely that could not be. Perhaps Véronique only meant
     to keep his presence here in her bedchamber a secret, for he was, after all, a royal
     prince, and they had sneaked out of a ballroom together for a dalliance that could
     hardly be called proper.
    Feeling ill again and deciding that he should not sound an alarm just yet, he walked
     unsteadily back to the bed and collapsed on top of the covers to wait for her return.
     Hopefully by that time, the headache would have subsided and a servant would have
     brought him some breakfast.
    He pulled the pillow over his head and fell back to sleep almost instantly.
    *   *   *
    Véronique was just about to spear her roast lamb with a fork when Gabrielle came bursting
     through the door.
    “He is awake, and he is not happy. You had best come quickly. He is causing a ruckus.”
    Véronique set down her utensils, removed her napkin from her lap, and tossed it onto
     the table. Her dinner had been brought to her private chamber by the butler only a
     few minutes earlier, and she wondered if anyone else had heard the commotion.
    She and Gabrielle had been placed in this very remote wing of the house to watch over
     the prince. Why hadn’t she heard anything? Perhaps she would need to move to a closer
     room.
    Following Gabrielle out into the corridor, she fought to calm her heart and prepare
     herself for Prince Nicholas’s wrath. She would have to answer any questions he had
     through the door, for she’d received very strict instructions to keep him contained
     until Lord d’Entremont arrived on Tuesday.
    That was three days from now.
    As she hurried down the wide carpeted corridor, the ruckus grew louder and more violent.
     It sounded as if she and Gabrielle had trapped some sort of wild beast. He was pounding
     against the door and shouting like an ogre.
    Bang! Bang! Bang!
    “I’ve had enough, damn you! Open this bloody door before I break it down and tear
     someone’s throat out!”
    Véronique stopped dead in her tracks and met Gabrielle’s stricken eyes. “Good heavens.”
    “What did I tell you?” Gabby replied. “He is not pleased. What if he does break down the door? Perhaps I should fetch a weapon.”
    Véronique held up a hand. “We must remain calm. I’m sure there will be no need for
     weapons. I will talk to him.”
    Bang! Bang! Bang! “Who’s out there! Open the f ____ ing door!”
    Véronique gasped and stepped back in horror, then recovered from her shock and strode
     forward to pound her own fist on the door. “Watch your tongue, sir! There are women
     out here!”
    Her retort was met with silence, while her heart pummelled her rib cage and fired
     her blood through her veins like a white-hot flood of terror.
    “Is that you, Véronique?” he asked in a much calmer voice.
    She inhaled shakily. “Yes, it is, Your Highness, and I apologize for the locked door.
     Are you all right in there? Do you require anything?”
    Again, her words were met with silence. She glanced at Gabrielle, who took hold of
     her hand as she used to do when they were young girls and she needed comfort and reassurance
     for some reason.
    Véronique squeezed her hand and nodded to convey that everything would be fine. In
     all honesty, however, she felt as if they had captured a lion, and the only