The Royal Couple: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 1)

by Nicole Taylor

  He walked towards the foyer then stopped abruptly. Without turning to face her he said, “I think it best that we keep our distance from each other, so please don’t contact me. Good-bye Barbara.”

  Chapter 33

  Christmastime is the most wonderful time of the year in Manhattan. The City lights up into a winter wonderland with Christmas trees, Christmas lights and holiday window displays. Even the worse kind of scrooge would have to admit that it is a spectacular sight.

  Barbara Dickson loved Christmas. It was her time of the year. No matter what else was happening in her life the season always made things seem more hopeful somehow, easier to bear. This Christmas was no different.

  As she walked down Madison Avenue she pulled the scarf tighter around her neck. She felt a cold blast of wind swirl around her. The weather certainly seemed ripe for snow. She returned her hands to the pockets of her fur coat and quickened her pace. It was just a week before Christmas and she had almost completed her gift shopping. She still had one more gift to purchase and she would do that today.

  She continued her trek up Madison Avenue, ogling the creative, festive, window displays. She approached a Salvation Army officer who was ringing a bell at the entrance to Macy’s. She slowed her steps as she rummaged around in her huge handbag for her purse. Locating it she took out several hundred dollar bills, folded them carefully and fit them into the kettle slot a few at a time. A broad grin spread over the face of the officer.

  “Thank you ma’am and have a merry Christmas,” he said in happy surprise.

  “You’re welcome. Have a merry Christmas yourself,” she returned. She wasn’t sure he recognized her. She was bundled up fairly well in the black coat and matching black hat that hid her hair.

  When her knee high leather boots hit the floor of Macy’s, Barbara snatched off her hat and stuffed it into her bag. Waves of hair cascaded down her shoulders and she sighed as she unbuttoned the coat, revealing blue jeans and a white sweater. She was gratified as she listened to the music of Handel’s Messiah. It did much to sooth her soul.

  She was on a mission. She had come in search of a special gift. A special gift for the man she was hoping to woo back. The man whom she loved and missed so much.

  She was leaving for London bright and early the next morning. Her bags were already packed and she had already given her mother and sisters notice that she would be spending Christmas there.

  Her palms sweated and she tugged at her mittens and stuffed them into the bag, even though she knew that they were not really responsible for her sweaty palms. No, the fact was that for all her bravado in telling family and a few friends that she was spending the season in London she had no idea what her reception would be when she got there. Suppose he didn’t want to see her anymore. Suppose she was too late.

  When William had left the night of the gala, Barbara had spent the next few days in denial. She had pretended that it didn’t matter. She had attempted to resume her life, go back to the way things had been pre-William and act as though he had never walked back into her life in the first place. It had worked too – until four days later.

  She had been sitting at her desk at Changing Lives, watching clips of Israel when Beverly called from her office and told her that an accountant from Lamport Holdings had requested the financial report on the final costs of production. That was when the dam broke. Just hearing the name “Lamport” had done it. The reaction had been so sudden, so unexpected, that she had barely had time to tell Beverly that she’d called her back before she had dropped her head in her hands and bawled. She had taken the rest of the day off, crawled into bed and cried until she had no more tears left.

  When Prudence had called later that night to tell her that William had returned the sketch she had given him for his birthday and then asked her what on earth was going on between them, her devastation had been complete.

  She’d turned up at her church the next day seeking solace and prayer. She considered it a miracle that Rev. Fulbright had been there because she vaguely recollected afterwards that he wasn’t usually at the church on Thursdays.

  Rev. Fulbright had listened patiently as she poured out her heart. She spoke of her relationship with all the men in her life beginning with her father. She talked through her issues – the fact that she felt as though she couldn’t trust another man with her happiness after all the heartache she had suffered from William’s choice to leave her, from Jacques betrayal, then Gerald’s death. She finally blurted out that she had an irrational fear that if she married William there would be no happily ever after. The minister had listened attentively to her and had only nodded but had kept silent. When she was through, he took her hands gently in his own and looked at her with his compassionate brown eyes.

  “Barbara, I’d say that your deepest problem is not your lack of trust in William or any other man, but your lack of trust in God.”

  “I trust God,” she protested, sniffling.

  “Perhaps you trust him with some things, but you don’t seem to be willing to trust him with your heart. From what you have told me it was through your influence that William came to accept the Lord. So I can already see a positive from your relationship with him. You’ve also told me about how much money he helped you raise for the Foundation. Again, that’s a positive. I wish that I could sit here and promise you that everything would be great if you marry William but I can’t. Life has no guarantees. We never know what awaits us around the corner. Even if you don’t marry William it doesn’t mean you won’t suffer heartache. Something could happen to someone you love, your close friends or your siblings, your mother even William. Yes, William. You’re already in love with him. This separation from him is clearly tearing you apart. I’m certain that if something were to happen to him it would still devastate you whether you were married to him or not. It’s too late to worry about getting in too deep. You’re already invested in your relationship with him. You can’t prevent that. What you can prevent is living a life afraid to allow yourself to love and to share your life and heart with someone on the off chance that they may leave you or betray you or die. That’s unbiblical. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’

  “So this fear you feel is not of God. It is of the enemy. He sees the work that God has done in you and continues to do in you and he’s on a mission to fill you with self-doubt and self-pity so that you will not experience all the joy that God has in store for you. Who knows, it may be God’s will for you to marry this man and it may be his will for the two of you to work as a couple to spread his word. That’s a conversation you need to have with God. All I can tell you is that I know for a fact that God doesn’t want you to be like this, moping around, depressed and fearful. Remember, John 10:10 says that Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He wants you to live your life to the full. Live it to his glory and honor. Don’t live a life of fear. Live a life of joy. Trust God every day. Trust him that if you and William get married and something bad happens His grace will be sufficient to get you through it.”

  As the minister spoke it was as if the scales fell off her eyes. It was as if a burden she had carried for so long was lifted off her shoulders and carried away on the wings of grace.

  She was suddenly filled with unspeakable joy and peace. Rev. Fulbright was right. She was free to love William because the God who had sustained her through all the losses in her life would continue to be with her no matter what happened. She need not fear. She wanted to be with William and she could feel in her spirit that God was telling her that it was his will that they be together.

  Even before she reached her car she was calling Lisa and asking her to book the next flight to London. She wanted so badly to call him, to tell him how much she loved him, to ask him to forgive her for being so foolish but she paused. No, some things needed to be said in person. A niggling voice suggested that maybe he wouldn’t want her back. She shut it down
immediately, reminding herself of 2 Timothy 1:7.

  No, she trusted God. It was His will and therefore He would work it out. William was the man for her. He had always been the man for her. It had taken a while for them to get there but things happened for a reason. Perhaps if they’d gotten married that summer in West Sussex they may not have come to know the Lord and ultimately that was all that counted.

  Now here she was in the premier jewelry store at Macy’s and with the help of the sales clerk she eventually identified William’s gift. She entered another store to have it gift wrapped and then she was on her way, whistling to the Christmas tunes and even waving at the department store Santa who recognized her and grinned from ear to ear.

  ~*~*~*~

  William changed horses after the 5th chucker and knew that he had to keep his head in the game but he was finding it hard to do so.

  One of his team mates, Pat Lindsay, gave him an odd look. “Are you alright Lamport?” he asked.

  They were playing indoor polo. While William preferred the outdoor version he had no choice but to play indoors at this time of the year when it was so baltic that it would be impossible to play outdoors.

  He pulled himself up onto the polo pony, adjusted his helmet and pasted on a smile. “Just fine,” he lied and then led the horse back onto the turf.

  The mounted umpire threw in the ball and play began. William worked to stay at a gallop. He got his polo pony in line with the ball. He swooped down and swung the mallet forward on the pony’s off side. Instead of passing the ball to his nearest team mate, Sobers, who was well positioned to take it to the goal post, he started to carry it down field for an attempt to pass it through the goal bars. He easily failed as an opposing team player jostled him for the ball and it quickly was in the possession of the other team.

  During half time, William sat on the side lines chugging water and absently watching the spectators mingle with each other and the players.

  Sobers stomped over to him. “What was that about, Lamport? I was wide open. You should have taken the man.”

  William shrugged, surly and unrepentant. “I thought I could take the goal.”

  “That was a poor judgment call. I could have nailed that goal. We’re trailing behind. You’re not yourself today. You seem distracted or something. Why don’t you let Hollander substitute for you? Sit the rest of the game out.”

  William recapped the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He could not believe Sobers’ impertinence. He was the strongest player on the team and Sobers was treating him like a novice. He shook his head vigorously. “Absolutely not. If I let Hollander substitute for me we’ll lose for sure. I’m fine.”

  Sobers exchanged looks with Lindsay who was sitting next to William but said nothing.

  William ignored them both and stared off into space. He knew that he was in fact not fine. His mind was on Barbara, although he was trying desperately not to think of her at all.

  That was the reason he was playing today. While he had made the commitment to play in the match for charity a few weeks ago, he could easily have gotten out of it, but he had decided that he needed the distraction. In fact, he had spent the last week immersing himself in every pastime imaginable so that he wouldn’t have to think of her and how devastated he was.

  He knew that he had done the right thing. He had felt the Holy Spirit urging him to get her to make a commitment. He had done that and although he knew deep down that it had been necessary the outcome had hurt so bad. It was the second time in his life that he had to walk away from Barbara and the pain was so acute that he almost preferred to suffer physical torture instead.

  He had wanted so many times to pick up the phone and call her and apologize, but he hadn’t. What was he going to say, “I love you but I’ll be just your friend forever if that’s what you want.” No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t go back to that arrangement.

  He drew a hand through his hair. He knew that he must look awful. He hadn’t been to the barber since the gala so his hair had gotten longer, he had a stubble because he hadn’t shaved in days and his eyes were bloodshot because he hadn’t been getting much sleep. He was tired – mentally, physically and emotionally.

  Half time was over. William got back onto his pony and when the umpire threw in the ball he was off again.

  He was galloping towards the ball when it happened. He was never sure why it happened. Maybe he was galloping too fast or maybe he wasn’t attentive enough. Maybe he’d been distracted or maybe his reflexes were slow, but in the most freakish of freak accidents it seemed as though he had crossed the line of the ball in front of another player. He was in the process of swooping down to side swipe the ball when he saw the player’s mallet swinging towards this head. His head was protected by the helmet but instinctively he flinched and twisted his body and in that moment the unthinkable happened – he could feel himself slipping from the pony’s back. He tried to grab onto the horse as he fell but his hands easily slid off the pony’s smooth, damp hair.

  William hit the ground with such force that his teeth rattled in his head. He didn’t have the luxury to think or even catch his breath. He saw horses galloping towards him at full speed. His adrenaline pumped and he willed his body to roll out of the way of the pounding hooves. He quickly rolled to his right. A horse was coming that way. He rolled to the left. In the distance he could hear the commotion of the blowing of a whistle, shouting, screaming. He looked up. A horse was coming towards him with great speed. It was too late to roll away. He covered his head and curled up in the fetal position praying, “God, please help me.” He felt excruciating pain. Then everything went black.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Mom, has Frank dropped off the gifts?” Barbara asked, gratefully stepping through the open car door into the warmth of the limousine. She placed her handbag on the seat next to her and settled back in the seat. It felt good after the icy blast that had greeted her just outside of London Gatwick Airport.

  She had switched off her cell phone during the flight and had only just switched it back on to call her mother and let her know that she’d arrived safely in London. Her sisters would be spending Christmas with their mother in New York. She proceeded to instruct her on which gifts to give whom.

  “The gifts are all labeled, sweetie. Relax,” Erin said. After a pause, she asked cautiously, “Are you in London to spend time with William, Barbara?”

  Barbara responded happily, “Yes I am, Mom, and I’m hoping that I’ll have some good news for you soon.”

  Barbara could hear the smile in her mother’s voice. “Well if it’s the kind of news I think you mean that would be all the Christmas present I need.”

  Barbara was about to respond when her phone beeped. She glanced at the phone. It was Prudence. “Mom, let’s talk later. Prudence is calling me.”

  “Okay, hon.” Erin disconnected the call.

  Barbara connected Prudence. “Hi, Prunes, what’s up?” she said lightly, wondering if she should tell Prudence that she was on her way to beg William to give her another chance.

  “Barbara, I’ve been trying to reach you for hours! Didn’t you see missed calls from me?”

  Barbara didn’t know why, but she could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise. There was something in Prudence’s tone that alerted her that something was wrong.

  “My phone was off. I just turned it back on. What’s going on?”

  “Oh, Barbara, something terrible has happened. There’s been an accident.”

  Barbara stopped breathing.

  How many times had she heard those words, the precursor to tragic news? Her mother’s words, “Girls, I have something terrible to tell you. Your father…” The airline president, “Miss Dickson, I have terrible news. There’s been an accident. Your husband…”

  She didn’t speak. She gripped the phone so hard it was a wonder it didn’t shatter in her hand. She closed her eyes tightly.

  “It’s Wills,” Prudence said.

&n
bsp; Barbara’s gasp was involuntary, she pressed her arm into her stomach and pitched forward. She felt all the blood drain from her face. “What…what happened?” she asked in an urgent whisper.

  “He’s been in an accident. He was injured during a polo match...”

  “Is he alive?!”

  “Yes, he is, but he’s been unconscious for hours. They can’t wake him. Oh, Barbara–”

  “Tell me where he is!” Barbara interrupted.

  Prudence told her. Barbara lowered the window that separated her from the driver and gave him urgent instructions to take her directly to the hospital in Gloucestershire. “How long is it going to take us to get there?”

  “That’s about two and a half hours away, Miss Dickson.”

  Barbara almost started to hyperventilate. Two and a half hours! Anything could happen in two and a half hours! Oh Lord, Please don’t take him from me. Not now. Her stomach was in knots. She did the only thing she could. She buried her head in her hands and prayed.

  ~*~*~*~

  Kendra Lamport, her sister, Kate, and her niece, Prudence, were all huddled together awaiting news on William’s condition. There had been others there when William had initially been rushed to the hospital hours before, but they had eventually left.

  Kendra suggested they pray for William. They held hands as she prayed for her son.

  Prudence stood when the prayer ended. She began to pace. “I wish we could do something.”

  “We just did,” Kendra responded softly.

  “Something more. Why are you so calm, Aunt Kendra?”

  “Because I just prayed and I have to trust that God will take care of William.”

  “They haven’t told us anything,” Prudence said, drawing a hand through her hair.