Scanning the place, only a handful of early risers sprinkled around the seating area, reading newspapers or chatting quietly while holiday music played lightly from speakers.
At the last table against the wall sat an older man with a cane, newsboy cap, and dark overcoat, his familiar brown eyes zeroed on me.
Keeping my head bowed, my insides knotted as I noticed the front pages of the trashy tabloids everyone was reading.
Spencer Sutton Caught In Cheating Sex Scandal! Our Prince Heartbroken Over Video!
Locking my jaw, I moved to the table, sliding into the seat across from William.
“You have created quite the scandal.” He stirred the tea in his cup. “I’m not surprised. I did see this coming, after all.”
“What do you want?” I hissed, my gaze darting around the room, making sure no eyes were turning our way. “To brag? Rub it in? Well, good for you. You foresaw what a complete disaster I am. Congratulations.”
“I didn’t come here to brag.”
Snorting, I leaned back in the chair. “Really? So why did you ask me here? Alone, may I add.”
“Because you two being together in public would be noticed.” Damn. He was right. No disguise could really hide Lennox. He stood out, had enough energy and confidence that turned heads.
William smirked, sipping his tea, his emotions locked away. “I also didn’t feel like having my life threatened by him again.”
“You deserved it.”
“Possibly.” The cup clicked as he set it down on the saucer, his eyes finding mine again. “I wanted to talk to you, and I wanted to do it alone.”
“And you thought now was a good time.” I peered over my shoulder again, feeling like the entire room was staring through my layers of clothes, but all were lost in reading about me instead. Little did they know the girl on the front cover was sitting only feet from them.
“I figured this was the last opportunity.”
“How did you even know where I was?”
“Not all that hard to find out. And I’m not even a nosey gossip rag.”
If William found me so fast, that meant paparazzi wouldn’t be far behind.
“You wanted to talk. So…talk.” I crossed my arms, waiting for him to continue.
He exhaled, a ghost of sadness leaking from him. “I’ve decided to step away from public life and return to my country estate, probably to my wife’s horror, but I think it’s time to be somewhat of a husband to her.”
“What?” My lids narrowed. This was not the direction I had seen this conversation going.
“Good or bad, the Royal House isn’t the only thing you have completely spun upside down. What you showed me in the hospital,” he swallowed, glancing to the side, “brought up things in my past I thought I were over, thought I had rectified, only to realize they had consumed me instead. They turned me into someone who spent most of his life bitter and angry. Revengeful. I forgot I had been capable of loving someone. It had turned to hate so long ago, but seeing Landen this time…not seeing Fredrick or the reason she left me, but my son. I realized how much time I had wasted.”
My spine stiffened, fear punching my chest.
“Don’t worry, girl.” A taunting smile tipped his mouth, his finger tapping on the handle of his cane. “Even if you don’t believe me, I couldn’t hurt him, not now. I have destroyed any possibility of my son ever respecting or loving me. I understand it is better for him not to know about me.” He blinked, his irises glossy with emotion. “That is my cross to bear. My choices in life brought me here.” Grief flooded his features before he cleared his throat, regaining himself quickly. “Take it from a miserable old man at the end of his life. No matter what people say to you, don’t make our mistakes. We could have left this all behind. Been happy. And in that life, I would have been a good father, possibly a good man.”
I curled my lip.
“I said possibly,” he retorted, making me snort. He glanced to the side, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “At least I like to think so. I will spend the rest of my life wishing things could have been different, wasting away in the dream of the life I didn’t live.”
Emotion pierced my throat like an arrow. As much as I still wanted to hate him, my heart ached for his loss, for the life he could’ve had if only my aunt chose him instead.
He pushed his cup away, scooting out his chair. “Your family’s debt to me has been nullified. Not that they don’t have other problems, but my connections with your family are done.” His voice was formal and arrogant. He gripped his cane, his fingers touching the brim of his hat. “It’s been… interesting, Ms. Sutton. Getting to know you has changed my life. You are an amazing, strong, fierce, young woman, and I wish you the best in your ventures.” He nodded his head and then took off for the door, his cane clipping the tile as he walked out, never glancing back.
Staring after him, my mouth opened in awe and disbelief, a strange feeling settled in my stomach—a warm buzz of confused fondness, relief, and appreciation. Three feelings I never thought I would have associated with Lord William. I would never forget what he did to me, but I sensed someday I would learn to forgive.
Relieving my family of our biggest debt and confirming he wouldn’t be telling anyone about the truth of Landen’s real heritage, I couldn’t help but feel grateful to the old man.
Sitting for a few more minutes, I tried to wrap my brain around what had happened, but the aroma of coffee taunted me, curling in my nose and dragging me over to the counter. I knew Lennox would be worried, but I was already here…
Keeping my head down, I ordered the coffee and tea and stood over to the side to wait. The door swung open, boisterous voices forcing me to peer over at the door. At least six co-eds, giggling and yelling, stumbled in, dressed in clothes you’d wear to a club, still appearing quite drunk from their outing that looked to be just coming to an end.
Anxiety had me tugging the cap down farther, turning my head deeper into my shields.
“Can you believe it? What a stupid fucking skank!” A blonde girl pointed at a paper lying on the table, trying to stay steady on her cheap, sparkly heels, her hair falling out of its pinned-up style. “Who could possibly cheat on Prince Theo? He’s beyond fit! Daft cow!”
“Always watch out for those sweet, innocent ones, closet slappers every time.” A tall, heavier guy with brown hair laughed. “She sounds just like my type. Got a hard-on watching that video. I would love my turn to make that elitist bitch choke on my dick.”
Air sucked sharply into my lungs, bile rising in my throat, fear and humiliation heating me under the clothes.
“Sounds like she’s got her mouth full for a while.” Another guy made grotesque motions with his hand and mouth. “Guarantee she was giving head to all the guards.”
“Guys, what do we want?” A brunette girl stumbled to the counter, but the rest of them were far too distracted by shiny things to hear her.
The first blonde girl picked up the discarded paper, holding it up.
“I don’t see why Theo or that buff bodyguard even liked her. She’s not that pretty. And talk about a snore. Her put on act of loving animals like she’s fecking Cinderella. Oh, and her spiel after the bombing about thinking about others who had been hurt or died…ugh…what utter bullshite. God, I hate her. Theo’s so hot. If I had the chance to be a princess, never work or have to go to school, simply attend parties and have designers begging to dress me? That girl needs to be slapped. Hard.”