Carrick ran up to Rebecca and David with a sly smile on his face. He heard what Rebecca had said but it simply didn’t register in his 30-month old brain. Carrick had no mother of his own and didn’t know who Rebecca’s mother was. Instead he was focused entirely on the desire to have fun. Carrick looked over his shoulder at Miss Smyth who was hurrying towards him as fast as she could while still keeping a measure of decorum.<br/><br/>“We’re playing hide and seek!” Carrick explained joyfully, pointing at Miss Smyth. “Wanna play too!?!” he asked the siblings.<br/><br/>If they hesitated or refused the child would gleefully run away, or attempt to at least, in order to escape the clutches of his nanny.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>In the antechamber outside, Prince Ewan smiled gratefully and appeared to become slightly misty at the kind words of his secret lover. The emotion was an expertly generated ruse intended to communicate a depth of genuine emotion and familial love which the man, in truth, did not actually possess.<br/><br/>“My lady, that is perhaps one of the kindest things ever spoken to me, or indeed any father. Thank you. Now,” he added, clearing his throat. “I should enter and allow your other guests to be introdued. I thank you again, and offer up my most sincere congratulations,” he said as he nodded respectfully to his hosts.<br/><br/>Once inside, Ewan began to schmooze with the other high ranking guests with his servants in tow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Carrick running about and he chose to ignore it. The boy was having fun, and he didn’t care who that might annoy – even Victoria. He would find a way to make it up to her later if need be.