by Noelle Adams
Amalie’s face broke out in a wide smile, and Victoria clapped her hands together. Lisette gave a little giggle. They obviously knew I’d come to some sort of conclusion.
“I truly don’t know,” Amalie replied.
Victoria was already on her phone. She waited a moment, and then she said to whomever she’d called up, “Where are you?”
It was obviously Henry she was talking to. She waited a minute while he must have answered. Then she said, “All right. Good. Try to hurry.” After another pause, she said, “It’s not an emergency. We’re just all waiting for you.”
She rolled her eyes at whatever Henry had said. “Fine. Walk faster.”
When she disconnected the call, she smiled. “He’s almost back. He’ll be coming in through the back gate of the palace grounds. You can go and meet him if you want.”
I stood up.
“It’s snowing out!” Amalie protested.
“I don’t mind the snow.” The domestic staff had brought my luggage up and already unpacked most of it. I found the boots I’d brought with me and pulled them on. Then I found a knit cap and put it on over my hair before I put on my coat. “If you’ll point me in the right direction, I’ll go meet him.”
The Rothman sisters were clearly thrilled and excited by this plan, and they all went downstairs with me. We went out a side entrance, and they showed me a paved walk through the garden, telling me if I stayed straight on the walk, it would take me to the gate where Henry would be returning.
To my relief, they didn’t all come with me to meet him, so I walked alone down the walk they’d indicated.
It was snowing even harder than ever now, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell Henry had been doing taking a long walk in this weather. The wind was picking up too, blowing the top surface of the snow up off the ground and blowing it around with the big flakes that were falling.
I pulled my coat tight around my neck and trudged through the accumulated snow on the path. I couldn’t walk quickly, and soon I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me.
Maybe this had been a stupid idea. It would be much more comfortable to wait for Henry inside where it was warm and dry.
I’d just been so excited to see him.
I was so focused on staying upright and putting one foot in front of the other that I was surprised to see a figure a few feet in front of me. There was no way to tell who it was. It had a dark coat on. That’s all I could see.
I tried to blink the snow out of my eyes and take another step toward the approaching figure, but my boots didn’t pull out of the snow as easily as I’d been expecting, and the resistance tripped me up.
I couldn’t stop myself. I fell forward into the snow.
“Are you all right?” a voice came out of the wind. The figure had reached me now and was trying to help me up. “You shouldn’t be out here in the snow.”
It was Henry. I knew without doubt that it was. I still couldn’t see his face, but I would recognize his voice anywhere.
His tone had been kind and concerned, and his hands were supportive, but I realized he had no idea who I was.
I’d traveled halfway around the world and then hiked out in a blizzard for him, and he couldn’t bother to even recognize me.
I scowled. “Well, you shouldn’t be out here in the snow either. What kind of idiot decides that this is a good day to take a hike?”
His hands had been on my upper arms after he’d pulled me back up to my feet, but now I felt them clamp down so hard they actually hurt. “April?”
“Yes, it’s April. And I’m cold and covered in snow, and I want to go back inside.”
He made a strangled sound and pulled me into a fierce hug without any warning at all. Between my coat and his, I couldn’t really feel his body, but his arms were very strong and very tight.
I didn’t object to the arrangement.
“What are you doing here, schatzi?” he asked hoarsely, his face buried against my shoulder. “I’m not hallucinating, am I?”
“No, you’re not hallucinating. A hallucination wouldn’t be nearly so cold. My dad and I came to visit. For Christmas.”
Henry had released me from the hug, but now he’d taken my face in both his hands. He was leaning very close, trying to see my face. “You came all this way? But why?”
“Because I wanted to see you.”
He made another one of those helpless sounds—something akin to a choked sob. Then he was trying to kiss me.
I had no objections to kissing him, but I wasn’t feeling very stable in the snow. I had to hold on to him to stay on my feet.
As I might have expected, down we both tumbled into the snow.
Henry didn’t seem at all fazed by this development. He just sat up and pulled me toward him again. This time when he tried to kiss me, it actually worked.
It wasn’t a very deep kiss, but I had no complaints in the world. He was Henry, and being with him even on the ground in the snow just felt right.
Exactly right.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” he said, putting his arms around me again. “I was so afraid that you’d take the time to think and decide you just didn’t want me.”
“I do want you,” I admitted. “And I didn’t need as much time as I thought to figure it out.”
“I’m glad.”
I still couldn’t see his face very well, and it was bothering me. I wanted to see his eyes, his expression so I could reassure myself of the depth of his feelings. “Your sisters were very happy to see me too.”
“I’ll bet. Did they smother you?”
“Yes. Kind of. But they were very sweet.”
“They’ve been worried about me. I’ve been...”
“You’ve been what?”
“I’ve been kind of down this week. So they’ve been pestering me endlessly to try to make me feel better.”
“Oh.” I swallowed hard. “They told me that you were in love with me.”
I felt Henry stiffen slightly as I leaned against him. “They told you that?” he asked thickly.
“Yes. They did.” I paused. “Were they right?”
“I don’t want to scare you away, schatzi. Not when I’ve just gotten you back.”
“You won’t.”
I heard him take a breath. “Then yes. They were right. I know it’s been less than a month, but I’m completely in love with you. Head over heels. The whole thing.”
“Oh.”
“You’re the one who wanted to know,” he said when I didn’t say anything else.
“I know I did.”
“And you’ve got nothing else to say to me?”
I adjusted my position and stretched my face up so it was just an inch or two away from his. That way I could actually see his eyes and the creases on the side of his mouth. “I think I might love you too,” I whispered.
He groaned in palpable relief and kissed me hard again. This time we were doing better, really getting into it, but I got too excited and pushed against him too hard, and he fell back into the snow, taking me with him.
We managed to extricate ourselves from the tangle and then hauled ourselves up to our feet.
Together we went back into the palace.
It would be a lot easier to kiss inside anyway.
WE HAD TO DRY OURSELVES off and then greet Henry’s sisters and then my father, all of whom seemed genuinely happy for us.
Then it was time to change for dinner, and the dinner itself lasted for more than an hour.
I was happy. Everything was good. And Henry was beside me with a light in his eyes I’d never seen so on fire before.
But still... I was happy when dinner was over and everyone had gone their own way so Henry and I could finally be alone.
After we said good night to my father, Henry took me by the hand and wordlessly led me up some stairs and through a number of hallways until we finally reached a door.
It led into a bedroom and sitting room that was obviously
his.
I beamed at him as he closed the door.
Then he surprised me by putting his hands on my shoulders and asking me urgently, “I can’t believe I forgot to ask you earlier. You’re not... you’re not pregnant, are you?”
I blinked in surprise. “Oh. Oh, no.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. I’m sure. I’m not pregnant.”
He nodded and let out a breath, but I saw something flicker across his face for just a moment.
I gasped as I recognized it. “You’re disappointed?”
“No. Of course not. This is far better for everyone.”
“I know that. But I saw that look on your face. And you were a little disappointed!”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m really not. It’s better if a baby isn’t an accident. But I guess part of me... a little part of me... liked the idea of you having my baby.”
God help me, I melted just a little.
I managed to give him a little sniff. “Our baby.”
“Our baby,” he affirmed. “But I know we’re not ready for that, so that part of me shouldn’t be indulged.” He paused and gave me that crooked little smile. “Yet.”
I gave him a playful slap on the chest, amazed that I wasn’t even scared by the words.
It didn’t seem scary—or at least not much. It just seemed right. That I could be with Henry. That we could build a life together. And that maybe one day we could even have a family.
“Now come on,” he said, taking me by the hand again and drawing me farther into the room.
I didn’t resist. “Where are we going?”
“We’re going to bed.”
“Bed? But it’s not even ten o’clock.”
“We’re not going to sleep.”
He’d reached the bed, and he swung me down so I was on my back, looking up at him. “But what about your parents? Do you think they’ll approve of us—”
“I don’t really care if they approve. And they’re not going to know anyway. I’m all by myself on this wing, and I can’t wait any longer to be with you again.”
I didn’t feel much like waiting myself.
Our first round didn’t last very long. We were both eager and excited, and we fumbled to get each other’s clothes off and then made love in a clumsy rush. But after another hour, we tried it again, and this time was slower, longer, deeply tender.
I went to sleep knowing for sure that if I could make love to this man for the rest of my life, then I was going to do it.
THE NEXT DAY WAS CHRISTMAS Eve, and I spent it in a whirlwind of activity, as Henry showed us around Villemont, and then we participated in a number of celebrations, concluding with midnight mass at the cathedral.
I snuck into Henry’s room after that, but I went back to my own room before six the following morning. When I’d showered and dressed, I went downstairs to the breakfast room, where the family trickled in for breakfast every morning.
I wanted to make sure I was up bright and early so Henry’s mother wouldn’t think I was lazy or a late sleeper.
Everyone else seemed to like me, but I’d picked up only cool vibes underneath her politeness.
Despite my conscious attempts to get up early, I was startled and unsettled to discover that she was the only person in the room when I arrived.
What a way to start Christmas morning—an awkward conversation with your boyfriend’s disapproving mother, who also happens to be a queen.
“Good morning, dear. Happy Christmas,” she murmured coolly, her eyes not lifting from the paper she was reading. She had evidently grown up in London, and she spoke with a crisp British accent.
“Merry Christmas, ma’am.” Henry had said his parents didn’t stand on ceremony in their private lives, but I felt like I had to give her some verbal sign of respect.
When she didn’t stop reading her paper, I went to put some food on my plate. There was a full breakfast laid out, as there had been yesterday morning, with the added treat of hot cinnamon buns.
I wasn’t very hungry, in addition to being nervous and uncomfortable, so I didn’t put much on my plate. When I’d gotten what I wanted, I sat down to the left of the queen, who was sitting at the foot of the table.
She lifted her eyes to me as she took a sip of tea.
I gave her a slightly wobbly smile.
I couldn’t stand undercurrents like this. I always felt better when tension was broached. And I wanted Henry in my life for as long as possible.
So I said, “I know that I’m not anything like the kind of girlfriend you would have chosen for Henry.”
She arched her perfectly manicured eyebrows. “Why do you say that, dear?”
I blinked. “Because of my... my past, all that stuff in the tabloids about me.”
“It is unfortunate. They targeted my youngest and her fiancé not so many months ago.”
I realized her words were a kindness—she was blaming the tabloids rather than me. But I wanted to be as honest as possible. “She mentioned that, and Henry told me about it. What they did to Lisette and Alex is inexcusable. But my situation is different. I wasn’t innocently living my life. I wanted the attention. I was lonely, and I felt unloved, and I did a lot of really stupid things. It wasn’t just the tabloids hounding me. It was me.” I paused, wondering why I’d spilled all this and probably given Henry’s mother a worse impression of me than she’d already had. “But I’ve changed. I have.”
“I know you have. The way you’ve turned your life around is quite impressive.”
This was another kindness. “But I can’t change my past, and I know it’s the last thing you’d want Henry to have to deal with.”
“It can be dealt with.” She took another sip of her tea as if she’d said everything she needed to say.
I didn’t feel quite the same way. “I do love him. Henry.”
Her eyebrows arched up again. “Of course you do, dear. Why else would you be willing to put up with the media storm once it’s made public that you’re with my son?”
I swallowed hard. It was going to be terrible. I knew it was going to be terrible.
“He loves you too.”
I’d been staring down at my plate, and I was so surprised by the words that I actually looked around to make sure it was the queen who had spoken them. But she was the only one in the room.
“Would I have preferred for Henry to have an easier time of it? Naturally. But he loves you, and he’s chosen you, so we will deal with what comes.”
I stared at her for a moment until I realized she was telling me the truth. She wasn’t holding some sort of grudge against me for letting my trashy life infect her perfect golden boy. She knew what was coming, and she’d accepted it.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
She gave me a little smile. “If I may, I do have a suggestion for you.”
“Of course.”
“If you’re willing, we could take a lot of power out of the hunt to uncover your past by telling your own story.”
“What do you mean, ma’am?”
“We can get ahead of it. I can arrange for a couple of interviews for you, paired with the announcement that you’re dating Henry, and you can tell the story our way.”
“I don’t want to lie or... or sugarcoat my past.”
“No sugarcoating. You could tell your story exactly as you just told it to me. The public loves a redemption story. And if you’ve already admitted everything, the tabloids will have much less fodder. There will still be stories, but they won’t have the same teeth. If you’re willing.”
“I would be,” I said sincerely. “I’d be happy to, if you think it would help.” I actually hated the thought of it, but I instinctively knew she was right. And I’d do anything to help calm the waters.
“Excellent.” She gave a little nod as she sipped her tea. “You’re a very brave girl.”
I experienced a wash of pleasure at the dry compliment. She meant it. She at least appreciated something about
me. And she wasn’t going to do anything to try to block my relationship with Henry.
She was actually trying to help it along.
“Although...” I said, thinking of something else.
“Yes, dear?”
“We shouldn’t go through all this unless Henry thinks it’s a good idea.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
I swallowed. “It implies that he and I are... very serious.”
She gave a little laugh. “Of course he’s serious about you. I’ve been trying to get him to settle down for years now, and I started to wonder if it would ever happen. I should have known he’d do it in his own way.” She met my eyes across the table. “He will marry you, dear, if you’ll have him. That’s why I think it would be wise to take control of the story in the media.”
My cheeks flushed hot—with self-consciousness and pleasure both. “Oh.” I swallowed hard. “Well, then... I’m good with the strategy, as long as Henry is good with it too.”
“As long as Henry is good with what?” Henry’s voice came from the doorway, surprising me so much I jumped.
When I turned around, I smiled to see Henry, looking quite scrumptious in a dark red sweater and a pair of gray trousers, with my father coming into the room behind him.
I shared a little smile with my dad.
“Good morning, gentleman,” his mother said.
“Good morning,” Henry said, frowning as he came to sit in the chair beside me. “As long as I’m good with what?” He was clearly worried about the conversation that had taken place in his absence.
“Why do you look so disapproving?” the queen asked coolly. “April and I have been having a very good conversation about a plan for dealing with the media. But she was worried that you wouldn’t be pleased with it because it implied you were serious about her. So I simply told her that you would marry her.”
“Mother!” Henry sounded and looked horrified. He leaned toward me and murmured in my ear, “I’m so sorry. She’s always like this. Please don’t get scared away.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m not scared,” I told him.
I could see the relief on his face, paired with naked affection, as he smiled at me, causing those adorable creases to appear on the corners of his mouth.
