“And what? You just came for a visit?”

The last few times I had seen this man, his eyes had been blurry and his voice had been heavy. Right now, he was alert, if irritable.

“Yes, sir. Marty and I went fishing.” I tugged at the collar of my shirt. The couch hadn’t exactly been the most comfortable place to sleep.

“Fishing.” He grunted. “Boy would spend his life fishing if he could.”

“He certainly seemed at home out there.” I looked around on the floor for my shoes. I had kicked them off at some point during the night.

“Why are you really here?”

“What do you mean?” I tried to keep calm, but I wasn’t known for being overly sociable. Especially in the morning.

“Did the queen send you to make sure we didn’t do anything wrong?” He grunted. “Keep the dirty cousins from making a scene?”

“No, I’m here to help Meredith.” I paused for a moment. “And you.”

“Help us with what exactly?” He ran his hand along the arm of the chair he was sitting in.

“Helping with the ceremony, keeping Marty busy . . .” I was running out of polite explanations. I didn’t care if the old man wanted to make an ass out of himself, but I did care about how it affected Meredith and Marty.

“That’s it?” He drummed his fingers on the chair.

“I also agreed to be a pallbearer.” I shrugged and ran a hand across the back of my neck. Having a conversation with the man who tried to hit Meredith was pushing my patience.

“Where’s your bodyguard?” He leaned back in his chair.

“I don’t require him all the time.” I narrowed my eyes.

“Huh.” He grunted again and his eyes flicked toward the liquor cabinet in the corner of the room.

“A little early to be hitting the drink, isn’t it?” I didn’t regret the words¸ which was probably a bad thing.

“Don’t come in my home and judge me.” He smacked his hand down on the chair arm. “What I do in my own home has nothing to do with you.”

“It does when it endangers Meredith and Marty.”

“They are only here for the funeral, then back to England they go.” He scratched at the scruff on his chin. “Bet they’re dying to get back.”

“It might be easier on them if you cut back on your drinking while they are here.” I sat up straighter and put my hands on my knees. “You could try actually spending time with them, instead of being passed out in your room.”

“They can spend time with me anytime they want.” His eyes darted back to the cabinet.

“Not if they’re afraid you’re going to hit them.” I ground my teeth together.

“I wouldn’t have hurt Mere.” He rolled his eyes, and it took all of my willpower to keep from leaping across the table between us.

“If I hadn’t been there, you would have hurt her.” There was no disguising the anger in my words.

“Ah. I see. You want to champion my daughter.” The old man leaned forward, just begging to be punched. “Be her knight in shining armor and steal her away from this horrible life.” His laugh made my muscles tense.

I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. I did want to whisk Meredith and Marty away. Whisk them right back to their place in England, where they would be safe. He made it sound wrong, dirty somehow.

“Let me tell you something, boy. My daughter is using you. Trailing you along like she does all the men that come sniffing around her door. She’ll use you, get what she wants, and never look back.” His smug smile made the hair on my arms stand up. “I don’t know what you have that she wants, but there’s something. Fuck, you’re a goddamn prince. She might want to be queen.” His mirthless laugh filled the room. “Or she wants to use you to get attention for her singing career. I don’t know. But I can tell you this; this family isn’t anything but trailer trash. You can give us a title, lands, and money, but it doesn’t change a thing. Deep down, we’ll always be the poor neighbors.”

I stood up and stared down at the miserable man across from me. “Meredith has more breeding, backbone, and strength than anyone I’ve ever met. You, on the other hand, are exactly what you say you are.”

“High-and-mighty, aren’t you?” Arthur stood up and walked to the liquor cabinet. “You’ll see.”

“Dad?” Meredith’s sleepy voice came from the hallway.

“In here.” Arthur turned around with a smug expression. “With your boy toy.”

“Stop that.” Meredith rounded the corner and pulled her robe tight. “Prince Maxwell is a friend.”

“As you say.” He motioned with his full tumbler.

“For the love of God, Dad. It’s barely eight o’clock in the morning.” Meredith put a hand on one hip. “We have company coming today.”

“I didn’t invite anyone.” The old man shrugged and took a sip of his drink.

“The royal family is coming to pay their respects.” Meredith glanced toward me and then back at her father.

“Looks like he’s already done that.” Her father raised an eyebrow. “Kicked him out to sleep on the couch when you were done with him?”

“Father.” The warning in her tone was ignored.

“You could have at least let him have one of the guest rooms.” He leered.