Free The Secret Prince by Violet Haberdasher Page A

lived at home, while most of their classmates had been off at posh academies with private cricket pitches at their disposal.
    “Rohan seems to be enjoying himself,” Henry pointed out.
    “Yeah, he couldn’t wait to be shot of us.”
    “That’s not true,” Henry argued. “He’s just tired of being an outsider. And anyway, I quite like Derrick and Conrad. You should give them a chance.”
    “I’d rather be friends with Frankie, thanks.” Adam folded his arms across his chest and sulked.
    “I’m
sorry
,” Henry said. “I didn’t mean to. She kept calling me ‘Mr. Grim’ and goading me.”
    “So you kissed her?”
    “I didn’t kiss her,” Henry hissed. “It was her
hand
.”
    “You’re unbelievable.”
    “Just admit it. You’re cross with me because you like her.”
    “Of course I like her,” Adam said through clenched teeth. “Are you
blind
?”
    “No, I’m just a stupid servant boy who doesn’t understand upper-class customs. Happy now?”
    Adam’s face flushed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, staring at the ground. “I didn’t mean—”
    Henry never found out what, exactly, Adam didn’t mean, as Frankie chose that moment to interrupt.
    “Hello. Who’s winning?” she asked, innocently twirling a lacy white parasol.
    Colleen sighed. “Miss, we should be gettin’ back—”
    “Nonsense,” Frankie said. “Supper isn’t for nearly an hour.”
    “No one’s winning,” Adam said. “It’s trials. There’s going to be a match against the second years on Saturday.”
    “Why aren’t
you
playing?” Frankie asked Adam, ignoring Henry completely.
    “I’m too skilled a player. Don’t want to ruin everyone’s self-worth,” Adam said.
    At this, Henry snickered.
    “Oh, hello, Mr. Grim. I didn’t see you there,” Frankie said coldly.
    “Good afternoon, Miss Winter. What a lovely sunshade you’re carrying,” Henry returned, in the same posh, polite tones that had so infuriated her that morning.“Perhaps I could escort you for a turn about the garden?”
    Frankie fake gasped. “But, Mr. Grim, you’re in nothing but your shirtsleeves! It would be a scandal.”
    “Would you two
stop it
?” Adam fairly yelled in frustration.
    Frankie and Henry glared at each other. “
I
will when
she
will,” Henry muttered, looking to Frankie.
    “You treated me like a
girl,
” she accused.
    “You
are
a girl.”
    Frankie looked like she wanted to slap him. “You’re just like the rest of them, given half a chance,” she said. “And I know what you were doing last night. I saw you playing chess with Valmont while I stood outside and
froze
.”
    Henry digested this new piece of information. No wonder Frankie was furious. She loathed Valmont. “I trust you are unwilling to hear an explanation?” Henry pressed.
    “That would be correct, Mr. Grim. Good day.” Frankie shot Henry a look of pure disdain and whirled around, intent on a dramatic exit. Her parasol, however, was intent on making a dramatic exit of its own. It smashed neatly into the side of Henry’s face.
    Henry cursed, cupping a hand to his right eye, which throbbed painfully.
    Frankie’s chaperone was so affronted by Henry’s colorful language, and raised such a racket with her gasps and protestations, that everyone stopped playing cricket to watch the spectacle.
    “Are you all right?” Frankie asked with genuine concern.
    “Just go,” Henry muttered, turning away. “Pretend I offended you or something.”
    “I don’t have to
pretend
,” Frankie snarled.
    Henry waited until Frankie had left before wincing and removing the hand from his face. “How bad is it?”
    Adam let out a low whistle.
    “What happened to you?” Valmont asked nastily at supper. “Did someone mistake your face for a cricket ball?”
    “If you must know,” Henry said with as much dignity as he could muster, “I was assaulted by a lace parasol.”
    This sent everyone nearby into hysterics.
    “What did you say to her, Grim?” Derrick asked,