glad to hear it,” her friend said. “Any news on when you’ll be coming back?”
Jenna’s stomach dipped. She’d have to go back, but her parents wouldn’t necessarily be pleased by her return. They’d definitely be angrier than they were with her now when they found out she’d had a baby out of wedlock. She’d been brought up to remember one golden rule: duty before all else. Duty before fun, duty before friends, duty before personal dreams, duty before everything.
And after they’d recovered from their personal disappointment, the focus would shift to how to protect the monarchy. In days gone by, they would have put Meg up for adoption or quickly married Jenna off to a husband willing to overlook her indiscretion and fudged the dates on official documents. With the advent of the internet, it was much harder to hide indiscretions unless she went completely underground, as she’d done. And she’d never consent to giving up Meg.
She just needed to find a solution that suited everyone.
“Not yet,” she said, wincing at how inadequate that sounded.
“Your mother is becoming more insistent in her questioning when I give her your updates.”
Jenna’s heart hurt. When she’d first left, she hadn’t considered how many people would be affected by her plan. “I’m so sorry to have put you in this position, Kristen.”
The other woman blew out a breath. “I don’t regret helping you, but I can’t hold your parents off forever. So far they’ve respected your request for privacy, but I think that won’t last too much longer. I wouldn’t be surprised if your father is already planning to have someone in the Patrol track you down.”
“Oh.” Seeing them again and telling them everything would be hard enough, but being confronted by surprise, when she didn’t have her thoughts in order, would be so much worse.
“You’ll have to reveal the secret sometime,” Kristen said.
“I know.” And, despite knowing how disappointed her parents would be in her, she still longed to hear her mother’s voice, to see her father’s face.
“What can I tell them this week?” Kristen asked, breaking into Jenna’s thoughts.
“Tell them...” What exactly? She chewed on her lip. That she was scared she was falling for the wrong man? That she wished she was a normal woman who could simply fall in love and not have to consider her duty in every situation, even when she was AWOL? “Tell them I’m fine,” she said wearily.
“You know they won’t be satisfied with that.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s the best I can do.” Without a doubt she was going to have to find a way to fix the situation she’d caused, and soon. “Kristen, I’m sorry again—”
“Don’t worry about it. I can handle this. It’s no worse than that day when we were eight and you pushed me into the mud. My mother was furious I’d ruined my dress before the party.”
Jenna laughed at the memory. “I was such a brat, even if you had just called my ringlets stupid. But you never told anyone it was me.”
“That’s not my way,” Kristen said in her trademark matter-of-fact tone.
A ball of emotion welled up in Jenna’s throat. “I miss you.”
“Then come home.” Jenna sensed an exasperated smile in Kristen’s voice.
“I will,” she promised, hoping to heaven that was true. “I just don’t know when.”
* * *
Liam walked through the back door and paused. Jenna was on her cell phone talking in her native language. The accent was light and musical, and without realizing it at first, he was smiling. The language suited her. Made him want to hear her whisper those musical words near his ear, to kiss the mouth that sang its sentences, to run his fingers through her blond hair as she spoke. He adjusted his collar, which was suddenly too tight.
Jenna looked up and saw him, and her face fell in unmistakable guilt. He stilled. Why? She was using her own phone, and he didn’t doubt Bonnie was sleeping or taken care of or she wouldn’t be relaxed and chatting. What else could she feel guilty about?
Was it a boyfriend? He shook his head as he dismissed the idea. One thing he knew—Jenna Peters wasn’t a woman who would kiss him if she was already involved with a man.
Jenna ended the call and smiled at him, but it was a thin mask. Perhaps it had been what she was discussing that made her feel guilty. Had she forgotten the conversation wasn’t in English so he had no idea what she’d said?
“Liam,” she said overly brightly. “I didn’t expect you home in the middle of the day.”
He watched her face for any telltale signs as he spoke. “I thought I’d take Bonnie for a walk in the baby carrier. Maybe keep her with me for a while.”
“That’s a great idea,” she said and slipped her cell phone into her pocket.
“Were you talking to someone from home? Your family?” He knew he had no right to pry, but still, he couldn’t resist prodding just a bit.
“Er, no.” Her eyes slid to the left. “Well, yes—a friend from home.”
He prowled a few steps closer. “Is your friend in America now? I don’t mind if you have visitors here at the house.”
“Um, no. She’s still in Larsland.” Her voice was even, but the pulse at the base of her throat was rapid, her pupils too large.
“Do your family ever come over?” he persisted. “You’re more than welcome to offer them the spare room next to Katherine’s.”
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.” But her expression said she wouldn’t. “I’ll just get the baby carrier and Bonnie,” she said, edging out of the room.
Liam watched her go, his gut in knots. Obviously more was going on with Jenna’s family and homeland than she was prepared to admit. It shouldn’t feel like a slap in the face that she hadn’t shared that with him—she was under no obligation to tell him her life story.
But it felt uneven somehow.
He’d trusted her by letting his guard down and being open with her on more than one occasion—about Rebecca, about his fears of being a father, even about work and the Midnight Lily, which was still a secret from most people. Yet Jenna hadn’t let him in on pretty much any level in return. Meg was the only person in her life that she talked about. Why was that?
And why did it sting like hell?
He raked his hands through his hair, swore under his breath and followed her up to Bonnie’s room. Maybe they’d both be better off if he stopped obsessing about his nanny and let her have her damn secrets.
From this moment on, Jenna Peters was an employee, no more.
* * *
Two days later, Liam pushed away from his desk and pocketed his cell. His parents were about to board a flight that would take them to Oslo—the first leg of their
