The Surgeon and the Princess Karin Baine (websites to read books for free .TXT) 📖

That was a word he used a lot, as though he didn’t have enough of it. Yet he was always available when she needed him. It raised all sorts of questions about his home life and she hadn’t forgotten he’d spoken of personal commitments. She was sure it wasn’t a child he was talking about because he would’ve told her and he wouldn’t have been so accommodating if he’d had a little one to get home to.

Perhaps he had a house full of cats to take care of, to feed and to empty litter trays. The image of Ed as a friend to felines amused her, but she hadn’t seen one single cat hair stuck to his clothes.

One of the most frustrating things about him was that he was even more guarded than she was about his personal life. If she was to have any thoughts about going into business with him, she needed to know more about the man inside the business suit.

Ed was a good man, hard-working and incredibly easy on the eye. It was hard not to be attracted to him. Even more so the longer she spent in his company.

‘Now, where are we eating? Here or on the floor?’

In keeping with the informal nature of the evening she went with the second option. She was loving the fact that he didn’t see their time together as a chore or part of his charity work. Especially when he was fast becoming the highlight of her day.

Being with Ed was a taste of normality and she didn’t have to pretend about anything when she was with him. Sometimes she wished they’d met under different circumstances. Pre-amputation.

He sprawled out on the floor next to her, his long legs parallel to hers with the parcel of food sat between them.

‘You’re a homebody, then?’ She steered onto the topic of his family to detract from her wandering thoughts as she helped herself to a breadcrumb-coated drumstick.

‘More through circumstance than choice,’ he said, grabbing a handful of fries. Georgiana had to wait until he’d washed them down with a gulp of cola before he explained. ‘I’m the eldest of six. Mum and Dad worked full time and when my youngest brother was born with spina bifida they had their hands full taking care of him. It fell to me to look out for the others because they spent so much time at the hospital for his surgeries and treatment. I guess they got used to me in the carer role. My siblings are married with families of their own but I stayed to take care of our parents. They’re getting on in years now. Then there’s my little bro, Jamie, who, despite his insistence he doesn’t need me hanging around, I like to keep an eye on too.’

It was more about his personal life that he’d shared in the interval before his next bite of food than in the entire time she’d known him. She could see how the implications of his circumstances filtered into every other aspect of his life once she read between the lines.

‘Is that what caused the friction between you and your ex?’ She could imagine that fighting for his attention against his responsibilities to his family and work could have been demoralising. Yet, he’d been able to find time to fit her in. Perhaps he hadn’t been with ‘the one’.

Why did that give her a glimmer of heartless satisfaction and where did she rate in his priorities alongside a girlfriend? These were questions that were going to plague her later and she knew why. She liked him. More than she should for someone she’d only known for a few days and she wanted to believe it wasn’t one-way traffic. Nothing could come of it, she understood that, but it would be nice if he found her desirable in some way.

‘In hindsight, she put up with a lot. Quality time as a couple ended up at the bottom of my priorities. With work and taking care of my family, I was never there when she needed me. Perhaps I should’ve tried harder, or maybe I’m just not cut out for relationships if I can’t give someone what they need from me.’

‘Relationships are tricky at the best of times but when you’ve got complicated family matters going on too it’s impossible to make them work. It’s not as easy to walk away from family as it is a relationship. I should know. I joined the army to distance myself from mine, yet here I am, back living with my parents. Any chance of suitors is a distant memory.’ She consoled herself with another bite of fried chicken. It had been an age since she’d been with anyone and longer still since any meaningful dalliance. She’d had too much going on with her home life and her army career to consider anything serious.

‘It’s not as though you’ve moved back into a terraced house where you’re all living on top of each other. You live in a palace. Don’t expect me to feel sorry for you.’

She mirrored his good-natured grin. Ed wasn’t afraid to call her out on things like that. He didn’t pander to her and made sure she stayed grounded, not caring she was royalty. However, that insolent comment deserved a suitable reaction.

She lobbed a chip at him, which he managed to catch in his mouth.

‘Show-off.’

‘Are you going to tell me what caused the rift between you and your parents? It’s none of my business but they do seem to genuinely care about you.’

Georgiana couldn’t argue with that, despite their differences in the past. They’d gone out of their way to adapt the home for her coming back. Even if she had seen it at the time as resignation that she was changed for ever. At least she’d had somewhere to retreat to when coming to terms with everything. Their actions were only beginning to sink in now her emotions weren’t so fraught.

What Ed was asking her to do