His Royal Highness

Chapter Seven

"Of course not, I was merely allowing you privacy," he replied seriously.

Charlotte plastered a smile on her face. "Don't be silly. You can join me. This lake is big enough for the both of us," she invited him.

If there was any sign if trouble, Sebastian would be able to see and help out. That fact comforted her in the back of her mind.

The man pondered about it and reluctantly took her suggestion. He hung his items from a low branch on a bush, including his shirt. Although, he hesitated on that and decided not to take any more clothing off.

Charlotte was mentally grateful for that, even though he already had his shirt off. If anything else came off, Sebastian might come out if hiding and drag her away. She had to push her discomfort aside to see if this was the person she was looking for.

"My name is Cecilia," Charlotte half-lied. It was her middle name. "What's yours?"

The man's eyes widened a fraction - after being asked for his name - before reverting back to normal. "Tobias," he answered, walking into the lake. "Pleasure to meet you, Cecelia."

Charlotte was delighted to find out that the local had told the truth and even more so now that she could surreptitiously investigate the duke.

"The pleasure is mine. Now, I have someone to converse with," she smiled.

Duke Tobias looked slightly uncomfortable at the idea of being her chat mate. Based on the lack of information known about him, he most likely kept to himself and didn't share much.

But that needed to change.

"You look like you need time to let loose and be carefree," she claimed. "Chatting is a wonderful remedy for that."

She lifted her feet off the ground so that she could tread water. Once again, he relented and swam over.

Charlotte was slightly nervous. Last time, she had asked around and not the suspect directly. This time, she was talking to someone that she and Sebastian thought could be a murderer.

But as long as he didn't know that she thought that, she should be fine. After all, to him, she was some random woman swimming in his usual spot.

"Are you from this area? I don't believe I've ever seen you before," Tobias asked.

"Oh, I live near Ferring Forest. I'm here visiting family," she lied.

"I was near there a few months ago. It's a shame I didn't meet you there," he said politely, the edge of his mouth curling slightly.

This time, her interest was genuine. "Really? When were you there?"

Tobias thought about it for a moment. "Exactly three months ago, in fact," he answered. Charlotte grew excited, yet nervous at the same time. He was in the area when Philip was killed. Could he be the killer or could he have hired one?

"Do you travel a lot?" she asked. "Have you ever been to the mountains? The ocean? The palace?"

"Yes to all three. My job takes me to all kinds of different places," he said, then grimaced as if revealing too much.

"What's your job?" she feigned ignorance. Perhaps she could see how he thought of his standing based on the way he answered it.

"I am a duke," he stated, in a matter of fact tone. Charlotte made sure to wear a look of surprise. "I was actually shocked when you asked for my name, because that meant that you didn't know who I was."

"Forgive me, Your Grace, I didn't even address you properly," she said.

Tobias's eyes widened again. "It's fine, you didn't know. Furthermore, it will throw off the carefree atmosphere," he insisted.