“I so hope he comes,” Prudence sighed. “Wills really does liven things up. He’s loads of fun. Last year he brought his fiancée, though. I sincerely hope he doesn’t repeat that mistake.”
Barbara gave a short bark of laughter. “Why was it a mistake?”
They were reclining on the large four-poster bed, which dominated Barbara’s sunny, light peach room.
“Because Victoria Compton, that’s her name, is a whiny, stuck-up cow. Last year she and Wills got engaged so she seemed to think that Granny would allow them to share a room. One would have thought that for all her airs and graces she would have had more class. You should have seen the look on her face when Granny told Wills that he’d be staying in his usual room and then turned to Victoria and, oh so sweetly, informed her that she would be staying in a room downstairs. I wasn’t sure what enraged her more, the fact that the servants’ quarters are downstairs or that she and Wills would have separate rooms.” Prudence erupted in laughter at the memory. “Served her right, the little beast.”
“If she’s so awful why is your cousin marrying her?” asked Barbara.
“I’ve asked myself the same thing, you know, and all I can come up with is that she’s pretty and that her father is Wills’ dad’s best friend. He and Victoria have known each other since they were little, so it’s almost like an arranged marriage,” Prudence said mischievously.
“Oh my, how romantic.” Barbara said in a droll tone.
“I know. So nineteenth century. Anyway, whether he brings her or not I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
For weeks Barbara had a relaxing time. Yes, she talked to her agent and manager a few times a week and she occasionally spoke with her mother and sisters but for the most part she felt like she had been transported to another place and time.
English country life was glorious. If she had initially felt a little apprehensive at the prospect of a commoner such as herself mingling with British nobility all of that soon dissipated when Barbara began to interact with the Foster clan.
Prudence’s cousins had all seen The Lady, which was based on the best-selling British novel of the same name, and had been nominated for nine academy awards, including Best Actress. It was an impressive film with its lush cinematography, superb film direction and skilled actors. Barbara’s believable, compassionate portrayal of one of their own was especially pleasing. They eagerly welcomed Barbara into their ranks, quite excited, as Prudence had predicted, to have a movie star in their midst. Even the Duke and Duchess, who confessed that they had not seen the movie, were drawn to Barbara on sight and treated her as though she was one of their grandchildren.
The twins, Delys and Doris, were probably the ones most awestruck. Who knew that the allure of Hollywood would reach a co-ed boarding school in Britain? The girls retrieved copies of the latest Hello! Magazine and excitedly showed Barbara pictures of herself.
“Wait till we tell the other girls when we get back that we spent the summer with Barbara Dickson,” they gushed.
To ensure that they also had proof they took endless photos with Barbara.
The feeling was mutual. Barbara had great affection for the Fosters. They were warm and personable people, not at all the stuffy, stiff upper-lip Britons she had imagined nobility would be. They were also a good looking, easy going and active bunch. Every day they spent doing something fun and outdoorsy. They loved to ride, play polo and hunt. Thanks to her role in The Lady Barbara had learned to ride well and so had no problem joining them for some equestrian activities throughout the countryside. She declined to participate in hunting on ethical grounds. Since she wasn’t as strong a rider as they were they suggested that she not engage in Polo, which could be a rather dangerous sport if one wasn’t skilled.
The Fosters also played tennis. Barbara was not very good at tennis, however, and while Prudence had taught her a few basics she really couldn’t keep up with the accomplished players. Instead, she sat on the court in the warm sunshine with a cold drink and still had a great time as she watched the others compete.
Some nights after dinner, she joined them for pool in the games room. Pool was a game Barbara knew how to play very well and she wound up beating the other players soundly.
Some days she just strolled around the estate walking the dogs with Prudence and some of the other cousins and taking in the beauty of the grounds, the river and lush gardens, well maintained by an army of gardeners.
One morning, three weeks after her arrival, Prudence and her cousins went fox hunting. In their absence, Barbara found pleasure in perusing Rother Hill Manor’s vast library. She engrossed herself in the classic story of Joan of Arc and found it great background reading for her upcoming role.
By afternoon, she began to feel the stirrings of hunger and decided to go in search of some lunch.
Barbara was reading as she walked. She was so absorbed with the story she did not hear the approaching footsteps. As she rounded the corner she walked head first into a hard body and felt arms come around her to steady her as they collided.
“Oh,” Barbara exclaimed, as the book slid from her grasp.
She got a whiff of fresh, crisp cologne and a glimpse of a tousled dark blond head moving downwards as the man bent to retrieve the book. He straightened again and offered it to her with a smile.
Instantly, Barbara’s breath caught and her knees weakened.
Never before in her life had she seen a man who was so gorgeous!
“Sorry about that.” He extended a hand. “I’m William.”
It took her a full twenty seconds before she came back to earth, promptly closed her gaping mouth and gulped. He was watching her questioningly with his compelling blue eyes, hand still extended. She shook her head slightly and tried to regain her composure.
She took his hand. “No, it was my fault. Pleased to meet you. I’m Barbara.” She marveled that she actually sounded normal because, really, her insides were melting.
“I know you. Barbara Dickson, all the rage in Hollywood right now.”
Barbara smiled. He smiled back.
“You look slightly different than you do on the big screen.”
“Yeah, amazing what makeup and lighting can do,” she said with a self-conscious laugh.
“I was thinking more along the lines that you’re even more beautiful in the flesh.”
Barbara could feel warmth immediately flood her whole body. “Thank you,” she breathed out.
“I normally don’t go for romantic movies but I took in The Lady, at Prudence’s insistence.”
“And what did you think?”
He appeared to consider the question. “I think…that you’re an amazing actress. You should have won that Oscar. You were really brilliant.”
Barbara looked down at her feet. The sincerity that had flown from his comments had left her speechless.
“Thank you,” she eventually squeaked.
“So, are you here hiding out from the press?”
She blinked a few times, not expecting the question. “Why would you ask that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You seem to be everywhere. You were on the cover of the GQ I bought this morning plus there was a feature story on you when I tuned in to BBC last night. It’s like the press can’t get enough of you.”
“I probably shouldn’t complain. If they got enough of me it might not bode too well for my career.”
“Yet you’re here. Hidden away in the English countryside.”
Barbara lifted her shoulders towards her ears. “I needed a change of scenery. After a while a girl needs to take a break.”
“Fair enough,” he replied with a slow, sexy smile that set her nerve ends tingling.
Barbara closed the book and hugged it to her chest. “So when’d you get in? Prudence has been looking forward to seeing you.” She was trying very hard to appear cool and hoped he was buying it.
“Actually, I just arrived and was on my way to my room to change and join the hunt when I ran into you or sho
uld I say you ran into me.” There it was, that sexy smile again. “But it seems that my cousins went off and left you behind. How could they?”
Barbara grinned and shook her head vigorously in protest. “No, your cousins invited me to join them but believe me I’m not into that stuff. I’m a New Yorker. The only thing we hunt for is bargains.”
He laughed loudly. “Beautiful and a sense of humor. Always a winning combination.”
Barbara felt as though she would swoon. Was he flirting with her? Didn’t he have a fiancée? It might be safer if she went about her own business as planned.
She pointed towards the kitchen. “Before our little accident I was on my way to get lunch, so please don’t let me keep you from getting dressed and joining your cousins.”
She made a motion to go when he gently grasped her arm. “I’ve actually got a better idea. Since you’re hungry, and come to think of it I could use a bite myself, why don’t I introduce you to the best country food in the world?”
“Where’s that?”
“The Beacon. It’s a pub in the village. Have you ever eaten there?”
When she shook her head no he replied, “Well then, you’re in for a treat. It’s just ten minutes away.”
Before Barbara knew it she was on her way to The Beacon in William’s silver Porsche Coupe. The windows were down and as he tore through the countryside she had to hold back her hair as it whipped around her face.
They arrived at their destination in five minutes. Barbara looked at her watch and then at William as he opened her car door and held out his hand to her.
“Didn’t you say it was ten minutes away?” she asked.
He sighed exaggeratedly as they made their way to the entrance. “Yes, it usually is but you looked really hungry so I hurried.”
She shot him a glance and realized that he was fighting to keep a straight face. “Oh, you are such a kidder!” she said and gave him a playful slap on his arm.
He had been right. The meal at The Beacon was the best she’d had in all her trips to England. The company, of course, made it even better.
She tried not to be captivated by him. It helped thinking of him as some other woman’s man. The fact that he was off limits made it easier to just enjoy his company and not read anything into this impromptu ‘date’.
Long after their meal was over they were still chatting away. Barbara could see why William was Prudence’s favorite cousin. Besides the obvious attribute of his looks, he was also smart, funny and engaging. She realized, with a start, that she was in serious danger of falling for this guy – the guy with a fiancée – so she started to pull back emotionally.
He seemed to have noticed that she had become a little pensive. He reached out his hand and touched hers. “Hey, what’s wrong? I’m not boring you to tears am I?”
As if you could possibly bore anyone. She smiled and shook her head. “No…I was just thinking that we should be getting back. The others will wonder where we are.”
He sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice how late it is. I’ve been having such a great time. There’s no way my dreary old cousins can compete with you.”
She laughed as he signaled to the waiter for the bill. “I’m going to tell them you said that.”
“That’s okay,” he responded with a grin. “They already know what a dreary lot they are.”
When they returned to the manor the butler told them that William’s cousins had already returned from the hunt and were in the dining room having afternoon tea.
There were exclamations of “There you two are!” and “Wills, old boy, so glad you made it!” when they walked in.
Barbara hoped that she didn’t look as sheepish as she felt. She tried to fade into the background as she took up a position a little apart from the rest of the Foster clan and watched them and William interact.
Prudence, ever ebullient, had launched herself at him on sight. The others, while more restrained, were affectionate.
Peter thumped William on the arm and said, “Glad to see that you finally decided to grace us with your presence.”
William shot back with a smirk, “Some of us have jobs you know.”
“I have a job,” Peter returned with mock indignance. “Don’t I darling?” he asked, turning to Sue.
Without missing a beat she responded, “Yes, he does. He has quite the job keeping an eye on his investment portfolio.”
“Traitor,” Peter muttered and playfully nuzzled Sue’s neck.
The room erupted with laughter. After the laughter died down someone, Penelope perhaps, asked, “Where’s Victoria? How come you didn’t bring her this year? Did she have as much as she could stand of us last time?”
There was a hush in the room when William replied tersely, in a tone that discouraged further questioning, “Victoria and I broke up a few weeks ago.”
Someone muttered, “Sorry Wills.”
“I’m not,” he responded.
His eyes searched the room. When his gaze rested on Barbara he smiled.
“Cousins, we have a newcomer from across the pond in our midst. It is our duty as Englishmen to ensure that when she returns to those United States she has nothing but an excellent report about her stay in our parts.”
The others groaned and all at once started to berate him.
“Where’ve you just come from? We’ve been showing her a good time. Haven’t we, Barbara?” They asked.
Before she could reply, William was shooting them down.
“You lot left her alone to go hunting. How is that showing her a good time? I had to arrive on my white stead and rescue her.”
“Oh, shut up,” someone told him and laughter broke out again.
William came over to Barbara and dropped down on the sofa beside her. “Isn’t that true, Barbara? Didn’t I rescue you from death by boredom?”
Barbara laughed. “That’s not true. I was enjoying my book.”
“Aww, she’s just going easy on you lot. Well, I’m here now so I’m taking over as activities director. Miss Dickson, it will be my personal mission to keep you entertained during your stay in our humble parts.”
Barbara giggled as William’s cousins groaned.
She felt lighthearted. The news that William was no longer engaged was so welcomed that she had to remind herself that it didn’t mean that he would now fall at her feet and declare undying love. Sure, he’d flirted with her and seemed like he was interested. But interested in what exactly – a summer fling or a long-term relationship? She wasn’t interested in a fling. That left a long-term relationship and it seemed improbable that they would walk off into the sunset together. They were from two very different worlds. She needed to keep William at arm’s length and protect her heart. When she returned home she would probably never see or hear from him again.
In the days that followed, though, her heart seemed to have forgotten what her head had vowed to do. Or maybe she’d just given up trying to resist William. It was too hard. She reflected several times afterwards on how she had come to fall for him so hard and so fast and she realized that she hadn’t really stood a chance.
He was like no one she had ever met before. He was like something out of a fairy tale. If she had ever listed all the qualities she wanted in a man he would have met them. And it seemed as though he felt the same way about her. In fact, it felt as though he was wooing her. He always sought her, never missed an occasion to be with her, and seemed to even devise ways for them to be alone.
When he discovered that she couldn’t play tennis he offered to teach her. He woke her at 6:30 a.m. every morning and took her down to the tennis court to take her through the rudiments of the game. On one such occasion he stood close behind her as he demonstrated how she should follow through on a serve. She tried to appear relaxed but his touch left her breathless and her nerve ends tingling.
Another time William orchestrated a late night scavenger hunt for all of them. Somehow, he and Barbara wound up alone together in the middle
of the woods on the estate with just a flashlight and a list of the things they needed to get. Yet, he never tried to take advantage of her. The most he did was cover her with his suede jacket when she got chilly and drew her close to his side as they eventually made their way back to the Manor house. Despite the strange sounds of wild life she felt so safe and secure with him, like nothing could possibly harm her once he was near.
There was also the karaoke session he planned for them one night. When it was his turn to sing William serenaded Barbara. He did justice, with his beautiful baritone voice, to Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together. She simply sat there, glued to her seat, her eyes locked with his, as he stared unwaveringly at her and sang.
It was during the third week of meeting William, that Barbara became fully aware of the intensity of her feelings for him.
She came downstairs for breakfast and noticed that he was missing. She assumed that he’d slept in but after breakfast was almost over and he still had not appeared she enquired after him.
“Oh,” Prudence replied. “He left a message that he had to return to London unexpectedly this morning, something Uncle William wanted his help with. He said he’d be back by this afternoon, though.”
He wasn’t back that afternoon. Nor that evening.
Barbara spent the whole day feeling inexplicably depressed and antsy.
She attended the annual summer cocktail party the Duke and Duchess hosted but she was in the worst possible mood. She smiled politely whenever she was introduced to a guest but she didn’t even try to engage in small talk.
Eventually, she grabbed a glass of white wine and sat to one side, sulking, while the Fosters and their guests mingled. She felt as though she was having withdrawal symptoms from a potent drug.
Several people, mainly young men who recognized who she was, approached her and tried to strike up a conversation. She was rather non-communicative so they eventually gave up and wandered away. It then dawned on her quite suddenly that she didn’t even want to look at another man. She just wanted William.
In that instant, she realized she was in love with him.
The Royal Couple: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 1) Page 10
