Leopold: Part Five by Ember Casey, Renna Peak Read Free Book Online

the state dinner. I should also probably give her a few lessons in the history of Montovia and a general overview of our customs and culture, as well as the role my family plays in governing our small but great nation. It will be a daunting task, I suspect—three months isn’t so very long when I think of what she’ll have to learn—but I find I’m excited by the prospect of showing Elle more of my life.
    Now if only I can get the rest of my family to behave.
    Fortunately, when I reach the eastern dining room—the smallest of the six dining rooms in the palace and the one we use for private family dining—my father has yet to arrive. My mother, however, is already seated at the table. She rises with a smile as soon as she sees me.
    “Leopold,” she says, extending her arms toward me.
    If my father were here, I’d merely kiss her hand, but since he isn’t, I let her pull me into a hug. The lace on her gown rustles as she pulls me close. She’s nearly my height—the international media loves to call her statuesque —and she plants a kiss on my cheek before pulling away.
    “I was wondering if you’d ever return to us,” she says with a smile.
    I grin. “I was only gone for a few nights.”
    “Yes, well, I know how you get about women sometimes,” she says, her dark blue eyes shining. “And it’s clear this one is particularly important. I half expected to hear you’d lost your head and run off to Bora Bora or something.”
    “Lost my head?” I say with a laugh. “What did you think would happen between Elle and me?”
    “Truly, I couldn’t tell you,” she says. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”
    Unlike my father, my mother actually seems excited—or at least curious—about this development. She places a gloved hand on my cheek.
    “I’m looking forward to meeting this woman,” she says. “She is here, isn’t she?”
    “Yes,” I say. “Though I didn’t think it would be appropriate to bring her to supper.”
    Her smile drops. “I suppose you’ve spoken with your father?”
    “However did you guess?” I take her hand in mine. “Don’t fret, Mother. We’ve come to an arrangement.”
    She raises a silver eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”
    “It was actually my idea,” comes Andrew’s voice from the door.
    I straighten and turn. My brother strides into the room and takes our mother’s hand. He brushes a kiss against her gloved fingers. “Good evening, Mother.”
    “Andrew.” She smiles. “So tell me about this arrangement of yours.”
    But before either my brother or I can answer, my father appears at the door with Stephan at his heels. His eyes are hard as he looks us over.
    “Let’s not spoil our supper with such discussions,” he says. He glances around the room. “Where is Sophia? Is she late again?”
    “It’s still five minutes to seven, darling,” my mother says, moving toward him. “She’ll be here.”
    “She had better,” my father says. “Her behavior recently has been unacceptable.”
    What has my sister been getting into? I think. I glance over at Andrew, but his expression gives nothing away. Part of me is a bit relieved I’m not the only one causing trouble around here—better to not be the sole object of our father’s disdain—but the other part of me worries for our youngest sibling. Sophia has always been a bit of a wild spirit, but she’s been a lot more rebellious recently—or at least distracted. She hasn’t quite resorted to running off to other countries the way I have.
    My mother is doing her best to calm my father. She runs her hands across the shoulders of his embroidered jacket and looks up at him with the expression she gives him when she’s not particularly pleased with his behavior.
    “Why don’t we sit down?” she says calmly. “I’m sure Sophia will be here very soon.”
    Andrew and I take our cue and go to our seats, and after a moment our father lets out a sigh and seats himself as well. He and our mother sit at opposite