against his bare back.
Lady Wendy was perched on the edge of the couch, that funny-looking purse lying flat on her lap. She had a death grip on the fine-grained leather. Instead of long talons or work-shortened stubs, she had natural-looking, clear-polished nails that looked real classy. “I’m employed by the royal family of Belegovia. I’m charged with coordinating the prince’s tour of Texas for the purpose of expanding economic opportunities and tourism.”
“I saw something about the prince on the news yesterday. He’s been up in Dallas, hasn’t he?”
“Yes. We had several engagements there before traveling to San Antonio.”
“Is that where you’re headed? ’Cause I have to tell you that you made a little detour.”
Maybe he should have made her that hot tea so she’d have something to do with her hands besides holding that purse in a death grip. “I’m aware of where I am and why, Mr. McCauley.”
“Why don’t you call me Hank, Lady Wendy? We Texans don’t stand on formality.”
“Since my proposition is a business one, I’d prefer to keep our discussions less personal.”
He shrugged. “Whatever you like. So, what’s this proposition?”
“First, I must insist this conversation remain confidential between the two of us.”
He nodded. “I’m a man of my word.” As much as he’d like to brag he’d been propositioned by a classy English lady, he’d listen to her story and keep their discussion to himself.
She took a deep breath, giving him a pretty good view of her breasts. Not buckle-bunny, pop-the-snaps quantity, but nice nonetheless. “It appears the prince has decided to take his own holiday.”
Hank pulled his attention away from Lady Wendy’s quality, not quantity, attributes. “What?”
“Prince Alexi has taken a short deviation from our planned itinerary. I’m not sure when he’ll return.”
“Is this a problem?”
“It may be. You see, we have two events in San Antonio, a dinner in Austin, then we hoped to meet with the president if he is going to be at his ranch for the weekend.”
“I guess you don’t want to stand up the president.”
“I don’t want to cancel any of these events. Prince Alexi can be…difficult, but I certainly didn’t expect him to leave me in the lurch.”
“So, are you and this prince an item?”
“I beg your pardon!” If possible, her spine got even straighter. He could probably bounce a quarter off her deltoids.
“You know what I mean. This sounds a bit personal. Are you and the prince…involved?”
“Absolutely not! I’ve known Prince Alexi Ladislas since we were both public-school mates in England, and I’ve never considered him anything more than a friend.”
“Ah, so it is personal.”
“Not in that manner.”
“But he’s your friend, meaning he let you down.”
Lady Wendy seemed to deflate just a bit. “I should have anticipated something like this. There was an unfortunate incident with an actress in Monaco last fall…” She seemed to shake herself away from her memories. “He’s been restless lately, more so since we’d planned this trip to the States.”
“I don’t know what I can do for you, Lady Wendy. That prince is sure not hiding out on my ranch.”
“No, but for all intents and purposes, he could be here.”
“What do you mean by that?”
She took another deep breath, then bent forward just enough to pull that silky material tight against her breasts. “You really are the very image of Prince Alexi, Mr. McCauley. With just a proper—I mean a similar—haircut and his wardrobe, I know that we’d be well on our way to—”
“Whoa! You want me to pretend to be this prince until he shows up?”
“Exactly,” she answered with more enthusiasm than he could have imagined. “With any luck, we’ll be able to contact Prince Alexi within twenty-four hours. I’m sure he’ll see reason and return to his entourage. Unfortunately, canceling the events until his return would appear suspicious, even if I were to come up with a good excuse.”
“Why? Is he involved in something shady?”
“Shady?”
“You know…illegal, immoral or just a little crooked.”
“Absolutely not! He’s a fine, upstanding man from one of Europe’s oldest royal families. He’s educated, intelligent and heir to a kingdom.”
Hank narrowed his eyes. “You sure you aren’t sweet on this guy?”
“No! And besides, even if I were, that’s beside the point.”
“Which is…?”
“I need your assistance, Mr. McCauley, and I’m prepared to make it worth your while.”
“How’s that?”
“While the treasury of Belegovia does not rival those of Great Britain or the Arab world, I can offer you a substantial fee for only a few days of your time.”
Hank shook his head. “I’ve got chores to do, horses to tend. Twenty-five bags of sweet feed are bein’ unloaded this afternoon. This ranch doesn’t run by itself, Lady Wendy.”
“Surely you can hire someone to fill in for a few days. If we get started immediately, I can have any alterations made to the wardrobe, brief you on the itinerary and give you some lessons on protocol.”
“Protocol, hmm? In other words, you’d tell me what to do and say. Tell me, Lady Wendy, how are you gonna explain my Texas accent?”
“I would, of course, give you elocution lessons.”
“You’d teach me to speak like some foreign prince in less than a day? I don’t think so.”
“Prince Alexi speaks English flawlessly. He grew up in England while his family was in exile. He even lived in the States for five years before returning to Belegovia.”
“Did he live in Texas?”
“No, Boston.”
“Then he might as well talk like you, Lady Wendy, because Texans can barely understand those fast-talking Yankees.”
“Surely with a little practice…”
Hank shook his head. “No offense, Lady Wendy, but I don’t think you’ve thought this plan through. Maybe it would be best to just tell everyone he’s sick. Food poisoning, or a summer
