Christmas at the Castle

by Melissa McClone

  Of course his mother would say that. He had no doubt Rowena was being displayed as one of his future bride choices.

  His breakfast curdled in his stomach. Not happening.

  Claude pulled over to the side of the road.

  Gill leaned forward until the seatbelt across his shoulder stopped him. “Is there a problem?”

  “A phone call from the castle,” the driver answered. He held his cell phone to his ear. “We’re in the car now, Princess Sophia. Of course I will relay the message. Is there anything you need us to bring home?”

  That didn’t sound like an emergency. Gill leaned back against the seat.

  Rowena patted his arm. “I’m sure everything is okay.”

  He hoped she was right about that. “If not, they would have called me.”

  She leaned into him. Her chest pressed against his arm. “Where are we going next?”

  He wanted to skip the Christmas Market. If Rowena wanted to see that, she could do that on her own. “The waterfalls. James, the Marquess of Darbyton, said they are spectacular-looking right now.”

  “Oh, I know Jamie quite well.”

  That didn’t surprise Gill.

  “That was Sophie, sir,” Claude said. “Congratulations, you’re going to be a grandfather.”

  The driver’s words didn’t register. Gill blinked, though his eyesight had nothing to do with his hearing. “What did you say?”

  “When Kat and Jamie were out with the camera crew, they took Max with them. He led them to a hole in the castle wall where they found another dog who is about to have puppies.”

  There was another dog following him. A smaller yellow one.

  Kat had seen a second dog. He should have listened to her instead of dismissing her words out of hand because he’d thought the worst of her. Foolish. Arrogant. Wrong. Kat was intelligent, compassionate, and competent. A woman worth more than the jewels in the royal collection.

  “The dog is in labor. Kat has taken charge, and everything is going well.”

  The dog would be in good hands with Kat, but Gill wanted to be there.

  “She’s alerted the veterinarian in case there are complications or they need x-rays to make sure all the puppies have been delivered,” Claude continued. “Bertrand and Jamie have constructed a whelping box. The queen thought the stable was the best location for the puppies given the wedding.”

  It wasn’t surprising that his mother would want the dogs hidden from guests. Fortunately, the stable’s heating system was first rate and would keep the puppies warm. “Anything else?”

  “No, your sister thought you should know.”

  “Why didn’t she call me?”

  “Princess Sophia said she tried but was sent straight to voice mail.”

  “My phone hasn’t rung all day.” Gill pulled out his cell phone. He tapped his screen. Nothing. His phone had been fully charged when they left. He held down the button on top to restart his phone. It powered up. Full battery. “That’s strange. The power was turned off.”

  Rowena stared out the window. “I wonder how that happened.”

  “I wonder.” He had his phone on the seat next to him when they’d left this morning. He had an idea who might have turned off his phone. “Let’s head back to the castle.”

  “What about the waterfalls?” Rowena asked, her voice rising.

  “Claude can drop me off and take you.”

  “I want to go with you.”

  Her lower lip thrust forward in a pose that some might consider sexy. He didn’t. The exact opposite in fact. He kept his beast mode reined in. Best not to lambast her for turning off his phone and playing the coquette. The princess was a guest. He needed to be polite. “Perhaps another day.”

  “Yes, please. Find a date on your calendar. My schedule is rather open at the moment due to the holidays.”

  The time it took to return to the castle stretched in interminable silence.

  At the front entrance, his mother welcomed them home. “I’m so sorry your day was cut short.”

  Rowena curtsied. “It’s fine, ma’am. We’ll be setting a date to see what we missed.”

  His mother beamed. “Meet me in the sitting room in thirty minutes. We’ll have tea.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Rowena smiled at Gill and then went inside.

  The door closed.

  “I’m going to the stable,” he said.

  “You should have continued your tour.” His mother had that knowing look in her eyes. “You won’t find a more suitable princess bride than Rowena.”

  Unbelievable. Anger simmered low in his belly. “Then you marry her.”

  She arched an eyebrow and gave him her best intimidating stare down. “Excuse me?”

  “It isn’t going to work, Mother. Not today. Or ever.” He was growing tired of her meddling. A son—man—could only be pushed so far. “You may have the legal right as queen to approve my future wife, but you will not choose her.”

  His mother sighed. “This is that American’s fault. She’s filling your head with ideas the way she has your sister.”

  His fingers curled into fists at his side. He purposely flexed them. “Don’t blame Kat for this.”

  She may be the catalyst, but she wasn’t at fault.

  Kat made him want to take action, do more, to lead—not only follow what his mother ordered. He’d pushed aside what he’d wanted in life to be the dutiful son worthy of the kingdom, but like Kat dreaming about grand adventures in Africa, maybe he didn’t have to give up everything he wanted.

  “I’m thirty-one,” Gill stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “I respect you as my queen and am more than willing to do my duty for our family and Alistonia, but I don’t need my mother micro-managing my personal life.”

  “Your romantic life—your marriage—will never be your own.”

  Her tone sounded more like a warning than her trying to control him.

  “That may be true, but it’s more mine than yours.”

  “I’m only looking out for you.” His mother’s voice softened. A closed-mouth smile formed. “You’re such a good son, Guillaume. You always follow the rules and do what’s required of you, even when you’d rather not. I’m sure doing that gets old, and you get the urge to do something wild or inappropriate. And you want what you can’t have.”

  An image of Kat appeared in his mind. Longing flooded him. He did want the American. For now, for always.

  His throat clogged. He couldn’t speak if he wanted to.

  “You may find this hard to believe, but I’ve been in your shoes,” his mother continued. “I know what it’s like to have so many others’ expectations piled on your shoulders and want to break free, if only for a day or a few hours, but your infatuation with that American is only going to lead to disappointment.”

  His mother didn’t raise her voice. If anything, her tone was compassionate, even if he didn’t appreciate her words.

  “That woman will break your heart the same way Clarissa did. You deserve so much better, my son.”

  “Kat and I are friends.” Being friends would never be enough for him. He wanted more with Kat, and he knew she wanted the same.

  The question was what.

  And how. There was so much at stake. He couldn’t picture a future together because of being the crown prince. Yet, that was where his rebellious mind wanted to go.

  His mother raised her eyebrows. “Be careful then. The way she looks at you might bring additional benefits soon.”

  The insulting tone and insinuation made the urge to lash out strong, but Gill pressed his lips together. He flexed his fingers again. Time to retreat before he did or said something he’d regret. “I’m going to the stable now.”

  The walk there would give him time to cool off, except a quarter of the way down the snow-cleared walkway, he didn’t want to take his time getting there. He quickened his pace and reached the stable in less than five minutes.

  Inside, lights and cameras greeted him. The film crew had
set up around a stall. Voices were quiet, but he counted several people—the four crew members, their pretty pregnant assistant, her husband the security guy, Isaac, Sophie, Bertrand, Jamie, and, of course, Kat.

  Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her peaches-and-cream complexion flushed. The concentration on her face was arresting.

  No one noticed Gill. All eyes and camera lenses were focused on the stall. He moved until he could see what everyone was looking at.

  There was a large box with sides about two feet high and an opening in the front. A yellow dog rolled around inside the box.

  Kat kneeled by a basket not too far away from the yellow dog. A blanket or two appeared to be inside wrapped around something. A puppy? The smile on her face sent his heart careening into his rib cage.

  Gorgeous.

  “Mama dog is having more contractions. This little girl, however, is doing fine.” Kat pointed inside the basket. “She has similar coloring to Max.”

  Jamie laughed. He held Max’s leash and patted the dog. “You done good, boy, but I have a feeling you’ll be going to the vet soon for a little snip-snip.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Gill cringed. He’d thought about breeding his dog at some point. Guess Max had taken the initiative.

  Sophie stood in front of Bertrand; he had his arms around her. She stared down at the basket with a big smile. “When will the next puppy arrive?”

  “Hard to say, but depending on the size of the liter, we could be here all night.” Kat sounded happy, not worried at all. “This mama dog knows what she’s doing. Our job is to assist her. Keep the puppies safe and warm until she stops moving around and can nurse safely. Nursing can help labor.”

  Gill watched Kat with a sense of awe. Respect and affection for her overflowed. She was a special woman, one he wanted to take into his arms and kiss.

  There had to be a way…

  Bertrand rested his chin on Sophie’s shoulder. “A good thing the wedding isn’t tomorrow.”

  Brad elbowed Nick. “Rating’s gold. I’m telling you.”

  “How will you know if the puppy is warm enough?” Addie asked.

  “There’s a heating pad under the blanket in the basket, and then you let the puppy tell you how they feel. Usually, crying means too hot. Whimpering too cold. They have similar signs when they’re hungry.”

  Jennings arrived with a stack of folded towels. “In case Mama needs assistance cleaning the puppies, sir.”

  “Thanks.” Gill took the towels from their longtime butler and made his way into the stall. He didn’t want to be in the way, but this gave him an excuse to be near Kat. “Where do you want these?”

  Kat was already smiling, but her face brightened. “You’re back.”

  An energy flowed between them, once again, and drew him closer. “Jennings brought these out.”

  She pointed to a corner where other towels, blankets, and supplies were stacked. “Put them over there.”

  He did. “Puppies, huh?”

  “Max is a daddy.”

  Gill laughed. “I suppose I should have said more about the birds and bees to Max.”

  Kat’s gaze kept going from him, to the mama dog, to the puppy in the basket, but he never felt like she wasn’t listening. “What did you say to him?”

  “That birds are for hunting and bees sting.”

  She laughed. “Well, now you have puppies for Christmas. You’re fortunate because I think a couple of people here might want one.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. Jamie raised his hand. So did Sophie and Bertrand.

  “We’re discussing it,” Nick said.

  Addie crossed her fingers.

  His fingers itched to touch Kat. “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Thanks, but it’s up to Mama now. All we can do is wait.”

  “Then that’s what I’ll do.” He hunkered down beside her.

  There was no place Gill would rather be than with Kat.

  *

  After midnight, with the smell of horse and hay in the air, Kat leaned her shoulder against Gill as they sat in the corner of the stall and watched the puppies with their mama in the whelping box. Contentment flowed through her. A sense of belonging, too, that had eluded her since she arrived. But here, in the stable and next to Gill, she felt at home.

  She sneaked a peek at him staring at the dogs.

  She could never think of him as only a friend.

  Yes, they were friends, but he meant so much more, more than she could say. She was having trouble denying her feelings. And pretending.

  That wasn’t working at all.

  He might be Crown Prince Guillaume of Alistonia and the last man she’d ever pictured herself wanting to spend time with, but he was the only one she wanted to be with now. Tingles erupted with the brush of his fingers against her skin or just thinking about him. Gill was far from perfect—she wouldn’t kid herself about that—but she saw behind the mask he wore as a crown prince dutiful to his country to the sweet and kind man who loved his family and his dog.

  Gill had stayed long after others went for dinner or to bed. He’d helped when two puppies arrived one after the other and Mama needed help removing the membrane and stimulating the second pup. The work was dirty, but he hadn’t complained about the mess and helped clean up. And after the last puppy arrived into the world healthy, he’d wiped the tears of joy from Kat’s eyes and kissed her. A lingering kiss that had exploded in her heart like a burst of sunshine.

  Gill was everything she could imagine wanting in a partner, a lover, a husband. If only…

  Best not to let herself go down that heartbreaking path.

  Side by side, one tucked under another, the puppies nursed. A few made little noises that broke the silence.

  He laughed. “Cute, but they’re hungry little devils.”

  They had one desire—to nurse. If one fell off a nipple, an alarm might as well sound because they would not be quiet about not getting fed. “That’s what puppies like to do.”

  He smoothed back stray strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail. “Well done tonight.”

  She heard the pride in his voice. Pride for her. His touch was a caress that sent shivers through her. “Thank you.”

  The only deliveries she saw these days were the ones with complications. To watch the process happen naturally, as intended with healthy puppies, filled her with both amazement and relief.

  “You’re an excellent assistant,” she said.

  He met her gaze. His green eyes were soft. Adoring. “We work well together. Make a good team.”

  She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Yes, we do.”

  His expression turned serious expression. “So what do we do about this?”

  “About the puppies?”

  “About us.”

  Us. Kat liked the sound of that. A pipe dream, but still…

  Her heart rate accelerated. She had no idea what to say. She had no experience with this type of complicated relationship.

  “It doesn’t make sense to cause problems with your mother when I’m leaving in a few days,” she said finally as reality closed in.

  The rehearsal was tomorrow. The wedding was next, followed by Christmas Eve and then Christmas. She flew out the next morning. Going back to America. To her apartment, her job, and her friends. Her life. A life that didn’t—couldn’t—include him.

  “I’m not in the habit of wanting to kiss my female friends.”

  “Me, either.” She gave a small laugh. “Male ones, that is.”

  He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. “I keep wanting to do that.”

  “Me, too.”

  He blew out a breath. “Do we have to put a name to whatever this is between us? Can’t we just be together, enjoy each other until it’s time for you to leave? I don’t want to worry about what anyone else thinks.”

  “Yes, but…” Kat was torn. Whatever was between them—even if it turned serious—could go nowhere. She rememb
ered what he’d told her about his mother. If they made the most of Kat’s remaining time here, there might be consequences. “You could be left to deal with the fallout.”

  “I can handle my mother. The time together will be worth it.”

  But would memories be enough for Kat? She didn’t know. But maybe having those was better than nothing.

  She took a breath. “So we’ll spend time together…”

  “Like this. More than friends, but not a fling. Something in between.” He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed. “Of course, no blatant PDA. That’s frowned upon no matter what the situation if you’re a royal.”

  That made her laugh.

  “We’ll be subtle,” he added.

  She nodded, even though she had a feeling her emotions wouldn’t be so easy to turn on and off when she said goodbye and returned home.

  Worth it, right?

  Kat wished she knew.

  She didn’t want to leave behind her heart in Alistonia, but with her growing feelings for Gill, that was a big possibility.

  *

  December twenty-third, the royal wedding day, arrived with snow flurries. The perfect Christmassy day for a princess, or any bride in Kat’s opinion, to say “I do.” She sat in her room with Lady Heloise, the other bridesmaid. Both wore big, fluffy pink robes with their first initial embroidered in hot pink. A present given to them that morning from Sophie.

  Kat studied the morning’s schedule. “I knew today would be a big day, but there’s a lot of stuff to do.”

  “Typical royal wedding day prep.” Heloise was twenty-four with long, strawberry-blond hair, dark blue eyes, and freckles like her brothers. She resembled Bertrand more than Jamie. “Knowing my mother and the queen, though, this could be over the top. The boys will have a much easier time.”

  Gill.

  Thinking his name brought tingles.

  So far, being together—or whatever they weren’t calling this thing between them—was working. Not that they were in anyone’s face, but during yesterday’s wedding rehearsal, Gill put his arm around Kat and the world didn’t end. No one noticed except for Queen Louise. That blood vessel in her forehead didn’t actually burst, so Kat called that a win. The queen also didn’t say anything, but that was most likely due to the film crew that was there. Those guys, especially the cameraman named Wes, cracked Kat up.