Royal S.O.B. (A Bad Boy Romance) by Kaitlyn Kevette Page B

to note it down somewhere.

 
    "Mrs.
Bradford," she said in the tone of a request.

 
    "Please
don't, for a moment, think that I'm this high and mighty princess this or that.
I'm just Addie . So please read this
with an open mind, and give me your objective views."

 
    She
handed her a sheet of paper. It had scarcely eight lines on it.

 
    Mrs.
Bradford took it and removed her spectacles. She wiped her lenses with a
handkerchief and put her glasses back on again. Then she read the poem.

 
    Addie
watched her governess. This lady must have, like her, lost her freedom when she
entered the palace premises. The only difference between them was Addie was
'part' of the family, and she was a member of the palace staff. But their
situation was the same. Both were trapped in the confines of this luxury
resort.

 
    But,
Addie had to agree that she was better off. Her so-called privileges protected
her to a large extent, and if she so wished, she could call the shots. But it
was not in her nature to be high handed or haughty. She was really just a plain
Jane, who loved it that way.

 
    Not
for her were the arc lights or preferential treatment. She liked it best when
she was left alone and she could curl up in her bed with a book, or when she
could shut herself in her room and write something. This kind of constant
hounding in the name of royal protocols was exasperating.

 
    There
was another way she was fortunate – fortunate enough to override the huge
fortune of being inducted into the royal family. She was free to leave it all
behind and migrate elsewhere; say, to another country. She could live there
like a free individual, away from the fetters of royalty. It was something that
was always in the back of her mind. For now, of course, it was her mother's
emotional blackmailing that bound her to this place. For as long as it was possible , she told herself.

 
    "I've
read it," confirmed the governess, waking up Addie from her daydreaming.

 
    "Great,"
said Addie.

 
    "And
what do you think?"

 
    "Go
ahead and read it on your Annual Day."

Chapter Twenty

 
 
    It
would be easy.
    But then again, everything was easy
for Prince Kenrick. All he had to do was instruct one of his many assistants
for a report on Princess Adelaide. In a matter of hours, he would have a folder
on his desk. And then he would know everything there is to know about his new
stepsister.

 
    Hold on!

 
    Kenrick
stopped himself from thinking any further. His hand had almost reached the
button to ring for his assistant.

 
    This
was a sure recipe for disaster. In his capacity as prince and heir apparent to
the throne of the kingdom, he could not initiate a request for a report on his
own stepsister! That would be enough grist for the rumor mills and the tabloids
to go ballistic on that! It was a strict
no-no.

 
    In
fact, this secret need of his MUST remain a secret. It could not be taken out
of the four walls of his heart. This was that kind of a mission.

 
    That
wanker Pat. He could have done this for Kenrick. He already knew of Kenrick's
little thing for his new stepsister, and he could have been trusted with this
task. But the bastard had to leave just then! And Kenrick did not even know where he was headed.

 
    He
could call him, but… lately Pat had been getting on his nerves, and now with
his mental state in a state of disarray, the last thing he wanted was his best
friend throwing tantrums at the wrong time.

 
    No,
he had to do it himself. He had to do this on his own.

 
    That
was the problem with something as secretive as this. It simply could not be
entrusted with anyone else.

 
    If I were to die today , thought Kenrick, this secret would go with me to my grave .

 
    He
went into his study. The study of Prince Kenrick was a lot bigger than Princess
Adelaide's. It had a large room with bookshelves towering along the walls, with
a central area that had chairs and tables.

 
    Obviously,
it was not meant