A Royal Mess and Her Knight To Remember by Jill Shalvis Page A

Tim before breakfast the next morning. She was no longer mad. Or even hurt.
    But she did feel wiser. Apparently, in this so-called modern country, no matter what the men claimed, they didn’t want to be come on to. She’d remember that the next time her hormones kicked into overdrive.
    She baked a dish she remembered from school, similar to the American quiche, which despite itsplain ingredients, was quite spicy and exotic. It came out excellent, if she said so herself.
    But Tim stared down at the plate she served him. “You, uh…didn’t decide to poison me for last night, did you?”
    Sally lifted her head. “What happened last night?”
    Natalia took a bite of the delicious, hot meal.
    â€œHello?” Sally said. “Last night?”
    Tim looked at Natalia.
    Natalia took another bite.
    Sally frowned. “Oh, man.” She pointed at Tim. “You. You’re an idiot.”
    He didn’t take his eyes off Natalia. “I’m well aware of that, thank you.”
    Sally turned to Natalia with a questioning look.
    Natalia simply continued to eat.
    Until Sally leaned close. “Stop messing with his head or I’ll mess with yours.”
    â€œSo charming in the morning.” Natalia took another bite and smiled sweetly at the men. “Isn’t she? Are you always that way, Sally, or is it just me?”
    â€œIt’s you.” Sally lifted her fork, sniffed at the food, then set it down with a clatter. “You’ve never heard of simple scrambled eggs?” Shoving away from the table, she pulled a five out of her pocket and tossed it toward Seth. “I’ll expect you in the barn. Come supplied.” She left without another word.
    Natalia left the table, too, and went into the kitchen to check on the bread. When she came back out, the food was gone. So was everyone else.
    At least she was doing something right, she thought with a spurt of satisfaction at the empty table. Just because Tim and Sally obviously had no taste whatsoever meant nothing.
    Back in the kitchen, she turned on the sink faucet. Contrary to what most people thought of a day in the life of a princess, she did know how to do dishes. She could also do her own laundry, bathe and feed herself. Shocking.
    She looked out the window at the great day. She was up to her elbows in greasy dishwater, she was exhausted from getting up before the crack of dawn, but she wouldn’t have traded any of it for the world.
    Not even the kiss.
    Nope, no regrets. Besides, she’d be gone before she knew it. Back to her life, her very busy, fulfilling life, where she’d never look back—
    Oh, who was she kidding? She would look back. She’d smile and get misty all at the same time, because she’d had the time of her life here.
    All in spite of one gorgeous, sexy, stubborn Timothy Banning.
    She stared out in the yard, yearning for a quicksight of him, maybe working his horse. Riding. Walking. Breathing.
    She could watch him breathe all day long.
    He didn’t feel the same.
    How was that for humility? Amelia always said she needed more of that in her life. Well, she had plenty now, didn’t she?
    In the pen in the yard, in front of her, the blind goat walked into the three-legged pig. The pig fell over and then struggled to get up, but he did get up.
    Only to have the goat do it again. Now the pig was squealing like a…well, pig. He was stuck on his side, his three little legs peddling the air ineffectively, like a bug on its back, while the goat nudged at it as if in apology.
    Natalia’s heart tripped at the sight of the pig struggling. “Damn it.” She watched another moment. “I’m not going out there,” she said to no one. “I’m not.”
    But the pig continued to struggle. She grabbed a bag of leftovers she’d been saving and went into the yard. For a long moment she stood in front of the pen, trying to breathe normally. This was a