What could she do without appearing to be rude? She waited for him to say his goodbyes then went to the closet to retrieve his coat.
When she handed it to him, he said, “Thank you, Karia. You look so much sweeter without the pout. I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow.”
“Enjoy your visit to Scotland,” she said as she watched him open the door to leave.
“I will see you back at school.” And then he was finally gone.
Her day with Henry was enjoyable as always. She was able to put Oliver out of her mind for a few hours at least. Her parents welcomed the prince to their home, her mother served tea, and then the two of them exchanged their gifts to each other. She’d gotten him a nice sweater, and he’d bought her a gold bangle bracelet. After visiting with her parents for a while, Henry asked if she’d like to go to dinner.
“Yes, just let me get my things.” She went to her room to freshen up and grab a coat and purse before meeting him in the living room. He and her dad were chatting when she returned.
“I have a driver and a guard waiting out front. She’ll be perfectly safe, sir,” Henry was saying.
“I’m more worried about the paparazzi than anything,” she heard her dad reply.
“They can’t be avoided, I’m afraid, but the guard and driver will help if need be. We’ll go someplace away from the main business area.”
“All right. Enjoy your dinner.”
“I’m ready,” Karia said as she walked into the room.
Henry rose and walked to her. They told her parents goodbye and were soon on their way.
“He was giving you a hard time, wasn’t he?” she asked when they were in the car.
“He’s just concerned,” Henry told her.
“I suppose.”
They ate at a small restaurant on the outskirts of the area where Karia lived. There were no flashing cameras, and the driver and guard ate at a table nearby.
After a scrumptious dinner and delightful conversation, they rode back to the house, but Henry had told the driver to take the long way.
He closed the partition between the front and back seats and took Karia in his arms as soon as they had privacy. She melted into his embrace and raised her face to accept the inevitable kiss.
“I’ve wanted to do that all day. Correction, for days,” he murmured.
“Mmm, I missed you.”
“I wonder when we’ll be able to see each other again,” he said as he sat back with his arm still around her.
“I’ll be in the city for Fashion Week in February. If you’re not traveling, possibly then,” she suggested.
“Send me the dates, and I’ll see what my schedule looks like. I may be able to arrange for you to stay at the palace. That way, you’d have a driver and a guard at your disposal.”
“That would be wonderful. And, it would save the school a hotel bill, so I don’t know why they would object.”
“Your parents? Will they have a problem with it?”
“I don’t see why. I’ve stayed at the palace a few times in the past. As long as I attend the events I’m supposed to and work on my article, there is no reason I shouldn’t stay there.”
He pulled her close for one last passionate kiss before they arrived back at her house. Karia enjoyed the feel of his arms around her and his lips crushing hers. Their tongues played a game of Twister with each other, and she giggled as he grazed her bottom lip when the kiss ended.
“I think we’d better stop now,” she said. “We can’t finish what we’re trying to start.”
He reluctantly agreed. When the driver pulled up in front of her house, Henry got out and walked her to the door.
“Thank you for a wonderful day and for the sweater as well.”
“It was a perfectly lovely day, and I love my bracelet. I’ll text you the details for February.”
He left, and she went inside and to her room. She’d had fun with Henry as always. So what was all that anxiety last night around Oliver?
She pulled out her phone and checked the details on her calendar then texted the dates to Henry for Fashion Week.
He replied to tell her he’d arrived home and would get back to her after he’d been able to check his schedule.
She got ready for bed and turned on the telly in her room. She had every intention of sleeping in the next day because she had a feeling she wasn’t going to be able to rest for several hours. Her mind was full of all sorts of conflicting thoughts… once again.
Chapter 10
After the holidays, Karia plunged into her studies with a new vigor, determined to stay as far away from the master as her schedule allowed. It had unnerved her more than she cared to admit that he had been a guest in her home. But, he was a friend of her father’s, so there wasn’t much she could do to prevent it from happening again, should Gordon decide to issue another invitation at some point in the future. At school, she still had classes with him as well as periodic meetings, which she detested. Or did she protest too much about those? That was probably what bothered her the most, the fact that she wasn’t even sure.
And then there was the time spent with Henry on Boxing Day. She’d had a pleasant enough time, even though they weren’t able to be alone. He was settling in to his new role quite well, it seemed. She was grateful to have been able to spend the day with him and to have a conversation with him over a meal. She hoped for more opportunities like that in the future. With his schedule, those times weren’t easy to come by.
She was staying busy preparing to attend this year’s Fashion Week in the city. She would be able to add some things to her article by being a part of it. She had also ordered a few new outfits to wear that week. She was meeting with Professor Evelyn that afternoon to coordinate her stay. She crossed her fingers that the woman would agree to let her stay at the palace rather than a hotel as Henry had suggested.
When she walked into Master Armstrong’s classroom, he looked up from his desk. “Good afternoon, Ms. Daly.”
“Good afternoon, Master,” she replied.
When the rest of the class had assembled, he stood and walked to the front of the room to begin his lecture.
Karia tried to pay attention, but today’s subject was pretty boring to her. She took notes dutifully and attempted to listen as he talked on and on about writing mysteries. That just wasn’t of interest to her. She was more into investigative reporting. The fashion piece she was doing did interest her, however, and she was looking forward to her week in the city.
The class was finally over, and she hurriedly gathered her things and got up to leave. But before she could get out the door, the master called to her, “Ms. Daly, a word, please.”
Great! she thought to herself. What now?
She walked over to his desk. “Yes, sir?”
“Sit a moment. I promise this won’t take long.”
Karia sat down in the chair next to his desk and waited.
“I understand you will be in the city next week and that you will be traveling alone this time,” he began. “I must caution you to mind your Ps and Qs, as they say. The city is no place for a young lady to be out alone. I sincerely hope that you will not venture out at night.”
“Actually, I have been invited to stay at the palace. I will be provided a guard and a driver if Professor Evelyn agrees to that arrangement.”
Oliver looked at her for a moment and then said, “I see. Well, that would take care of the problem, I suppose.”
“And it would save the school a hotel bill,” she added.
“Yes, well, as I said, just be cautious and aware of your surroundings at all times.”
“I will, sir. I have no wish to be kidnapped or mugged or to have any other vile thing happen to me.”
“Very good, Ms. Daly. Oh, please tell your parents that I enjoyed the party in their home.”
“I will. I talk to them a couple of times a week, so I will pass along the message.”
“You may go now. I know Professor Evelyn is expecting yo
u.”
“Thank you, Master Armstrong.”
Karia left the room and, when she got into the hallway, let out a deep sigh of relief. She hurried on then to Professor Evelyn’s office to finalize the plans for Fashion Week. She had been afraid Master Armstrong had noticed that she wasn’t paying close attention in class and didn’t contribute to the conversation, but she had lucked out on that one. Now, if she could just convince Professor Evelyn to allow her to stay at the palace while in the city.
The professor was waiting when she reached her office and invited her in immediately.
“I’m sorry if I am late. Master Armstrong wanted to speak with me after class,” Karia explained as she took the seat Evelyn was offering.
“No problem, dear. I’ve made a pot of tea for us. Would you care for a cake as well?”
“That would be nice. Thank you,” Karia replied.
“Now, let’s talk about your itinerary, shall we?” the woman said after they were settled with their tea.
Evelyn looked over the list of events she had pulled up on her computer screen. “I think everything is in order here. You will be wearing a press badge. Are you all right with that?”
“Yes, I think so,” Karia replied.
“Do you have any questions regarding the events, before we move on to accommodations and rules?”
“No, ma’am.”
“All right then. I received a call from the queen’s personal secretary yesterday afternoon. She advised me that the royal family has extended an invitation for you to stay with them during Fashion Week. They will provide a driver and a guard for you. Were you aware of this?”
“Yes, ma’am. I was going to mention it to you today. I received the invitation over the Christmas holiday.”
Evelyn smiled. “It would save the school money, and I feel relieved to know that you will have a guard, given some things that have occurred in the past. So, I’m going to give my approval to the arrangement. I will formally accept the invitation on behalf of the school when our meeting is over.”
“Thank you, Professor.” Karia smiled and took a sip of her tea, pleased with this news.
“Now, we shall talk about rules.” The woman looked at Karia before continuing. “As a student of the academy, of course, you are expected to act appropriately while you are representing us at this event. I realize, because of your association with Prince Henry, the paparazzi will be in full force once they know you are there. I expect you to conduct yourself in a manner that will speak volumes as to your character. Smile, but don’t engage. Am I making myself perfectly clear?”
“Of course, Professor.”
“It will help that you are going to have a royal guard at your disposal. Now, as for nightlife, I assume you will be spending your evenings at the palace or, if you choose to go out, you will be with a member of the royal family. Is that correct?”
“Yes, ma’am. I won’t be venturing out alone.”
“And one more question I must ask. Are your parents aware of this arrangement? Do they approve?”
“Yes, I have told them of the invitation and that the school would have to approve it. They said if you were agreeable to it, they were too.”
“I don’t need to call them to confirm that, do I?” the professor asked with a grin.
“No, ma’am. I mean, if you want to, you can, but it’s really not necessary.”
“Very well, Ms. Daly, unless you have questions about anything, I will make the arrangements. If the palace doesn’t send a driver for you, we will have one of ours take you into the city on Thursday evening. You will be there for the full week, so you should be able to get some interviews behind the scenes. I will email you a full schedule once I’ve spoken to the queen’s personal secretary again.”
“Thank you, Professor Evelyn. I am looking forward to getting some good information for my article this week.”
“That is the reason you are going. Keep that in mind, my dear.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Karia said as she stood to leave.
“Have a nice evening,” the professor said.
“Thank you, you as well.”
Karia hurried up to her room, ready to throw her books down and take a deep breath after the two meetings she’d just had. When she got there, Colleen was just coming out of the bathroom.
“Hey, Colleen, how was your day?” she asked as she collapsed on the bed.
“Not as bad as yours, apparently,” the other girl said. “What’s up?”
“Oh, it wasn’t bad, really, just draining. After class, Master Armstrong asked me to stay so he could talk to me about my trip to the city for Fashion Week next week. After that, I had a meeting with Professor Evelyn to firm up the details.”
“I see. What did the dear master have to say?”
“In a nutshell, he told me to watch my Ps and Qs.”
“He did what?” Colleen said as she collapsed into a fit of giggles. “He actually said Ps and Qs?”
“His exact words,” Karia said as she started giggling too.
When the two girls had composed themselves, Colleen asked, “How did it go with the professor? Did she agree to let you stay with the royal family, or do you have to go to a hotel?”
“Actually, the queen’s personal secretary had already called her and issued a formal invitation. She agreed to let me stay there, provided it’s all right with my folks, which it is.”
“Wow, and you were so worried that she wouldn’t. That’s pretty cool.”
“I’ll have a driver and a royal guard at my disposal, which Professor Evelyn thought was a great idea. She is worried about the paparazzi.”
“With good reason, probably,” Colleen said.
“I bloody well hope not. I have had about enough of those vultures to last a lifetime.”
“Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, sweetie, but as long as you are dating the heir to the throne, they are always going to hound you.”
“Ugh, I know. She told me to smile and not interact with them.”
“Probably a good piece of advice. Now, why don’t you get freshened up for dinner? I’ve already changed and am ready to go whenever you are.”
“Good idea. I had a light lunch, but I had cakes and tea with Professor Evelyn, so I’m not totally famished but getting hungry.”
“She offered tea and cakes? You are so spoiled.”
“I am not!” Karia said as she threw a pillow at her roommate.
“Are so!” Colleen said, throwing it back as Karia got up to change her clothes.
A short time later, the two of them were sitting with their friends in the dining room, enjoying roast chicken and light conversation.
After dinner, they lingered at the table talking until Colleen finally said, “I need to study. I really hate to leave this fun group, but I must.”
“I understand,” one of the other girls said.
“I should get going too,” Rhiannon said as she stood up. “It’s been fun, girls.”
“Have a good night, everyone,” Karia added.
While Colleen studied, Karia shot off a text to Henry.
K: It’s all good. I will be staying at the palace next week.
A few minutes later, she got a reply.
H: I know, Mum told me. Good news!
They texted for several minutes, and then she told him she needed to study, so they said their goodnights. Of course, he told her that he loved her before signing off.
She picked up one of her books and began to read about writing satire. The assignment was to read a satire book by the end of the month and do a book report. She leafed through the choices and finally picked one before stretching and telling Colleen she was going to take a shower and get ready to turn in.
“All right. I’ll make our cocoa while you’re in there. I just finished my assignment, and I showered earlier. See you in a few.”
After the girls enjoyed their nightly ritual of hot cocoa, they turned in for the night. Karia was getting really exc
ited about her week in the city. Her new clothes had arrived the day before, and she and Colleen had oohed and aahed over them while she’d tried them on. Her mum had also sent her a new outfit for the trip.
By the time Thursday rolled around, she could hardly contain her excitement. She had packed and repacked three times and had finally chosen a pair of black leggings topped with a royal blue sweater to wear that day. She wore black boots on her feet and had brought her dress coat back with her after the holidays, for the event.
A car pulled up in front of the school at precisely three o’clock, and the driver got out to load her bags in the trunk. When he opened the door to the backseat for her, she was delighted to see Henry sitting there with a grin on his face.
“Surprise!” he said when she got in.
Karia laughed and said, “I’m happy to see you. I wasn’t expecting you to ride along.”
“I finished everything I had to do just so I could escort you. Are you excited about Fashion Week?”
“Extremely!” she exclaimed.
“Well, we’ll make sure you get to have some fun too. Can’t have you working around the clock,” Henry replied as he leaned over to kiss her.
When they arrived, Maggie was on hand to help her settle in, then she went downstairs to have tea with the queen. Maggie had relayed the invitation as she was unpacking her things for her.
“Good afternoon, my dear. How are you?” Henry’s mother said as she walked into the parlor.
“I’m good, a bit excited about Fashion Week, I have to admit.”
“I would think so. You look lovely. That color of blue is good for you.”
“Thank you. I ordered some clothes for the week, and my mother also sent a few things. The way we have to dress at the academy wouldn’t have been appropriate for the biggest fashion event of the year.”
“Well, feel free to help yourself to some of Emma’s things as well. She laid some out for you in her room before she went back to school over the weekend.”
“I’m sorry I missed her. That was awfully kind of her. She’s not coming home this weekend, then?”
Karia and the Prince (Avalon Adventures Book 2) Page 13
