Royal 02 - Royal Passion by Jennifer Blake Read Free Book Online

presence of the woman had seemed odd the night before, but she had been too upset to consider it. Now she could not help wondering how she had come to be one of the prince's trusted band and just what her position was among them.
    The cadre itself, the small group of followers with the prince, did not seem odd at all. She had heard so much from Grandmère Helene about Prince Rolfe, Roderic's father, and the men who had come with him to Louisiana all those years ago that it might have seemed strange if Roderic had not had a bodyguard, his own garde du corps, around him.
    There had been five members in Rolfe's cadre also. Grandmère had enjoyed telling her of how they had arrived at the ball she was giving in the country near St. Martinville, of how they had entered the room with their dress uniforms flashing with gilt braid and the gems of military orders, their movements precisely coordinated as if they were on parade. So brilliant had they appeared in such country society, so stunning had been their attendance there, that it had been as if a phalanx of peacocks had seen fit to invade a dovecote.
    The ball had been disrupted. Prince Rolfe had singled out Angeline Fortin for his attention. His cousin Leopold, his half brother Meyer, the veteran with one eye, Gustave, and the twins Oscar and Oswald had also found partners. They had danced one dance, then, at the signal of the prince, departed, leaving behind ladies drooping and sighing—those who had been disappointed, and ladies sighing with ecstasy—those who had been honored. The night had been one of triumph for Grandmère Helene: Her house had been honored by a prince! She had not known then that the same prince would steal away the woman her son loved.
    Prince Roderic had identified the first of his cadre that he introduced to her as his cousin Michael, son of Leopold. This must be the same Leopold who had been in Louisiana with Rolfe. Were the others also the children of some of that original loyal band? Mara wished that she could ask, but so long as she had to keep her name and background secret, so long as she must pretend to have no memory of her own past, she could not. It was frustrating.
    Despite her handicap, however, there came an opportunity to discover some few details later that day. The others, Michael and the Italian count, Estes, had returned. A noon meal of stew and hard-crusted bread washed down with wine was eaten. The camp was nearly empty; many of the gypsies had been gone since before daybreak, dispersed throughout the country on various errands and schemes. Roderic had ridden out with Michael and the twins, leaving Estes and Trude behind, ostensibly to watch the camp, but actually to keep an eye on her, or so Mara thought.
    The blond amazon busied herself currying her horse. Finished at last, she came to drop down on the rug beside the fire. Mara looked up from where she had been pulling the burrs from the long hair around Demon's muzzle. Estes had been with her, entertaining her with tales of droll happenings while the cadre had been on campaign in Italy, but had excused himself to make a circuit of the camp. She gave the other woman a tentative smile, well aware that Trude was less than pleased at her guard duty.
    "Estes tells me that the cadre has been in many battles all over Europe. Were you—that is, do you fight with the others?"
    "Estes talks too much.” The voice of the other woman was grim, but far from masculine.
    "He was bearing my company, a kindly impulse."
    "He was ingratiating himself. He likes the company of women, any woman."
    The scathing tone touched Mara on the raw. “And you, I suppose, have little use for your own kind?"
    "I would as soon not listen to their giggling and constant talk of clothing and conquests."
    "You care not at all for such things, in fact?"
    "No."
    "You like killing instead.” The woman's attitude made it impossible not to press her.
    "I don't like it, but I can do it."
    "Then you should be well suited