Dashing: A Royal Cinderella Billionaire Story

by Brooks, Sophie

  “Sweetheart, I was just joking.”

  Elyse clutched my hand. “Don’t let her be mean. Not to Cara.”

  “I won’t. Of course I won’t. Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it. You two stay in here, and I’ll send in Gretchen to keep you company. It’ll be okay, I promise.”

  I waited until Gretchen arrived before leaving. As I walked the empty corridors, I marveled at the change in Elyse. Minutes after being browbeaten by my mother, she’d actually spoken up and defended Cara. It was clear that the nanny had my children wrapped around her little finger.

  But perhaps that was too simplistic a way of putting it. The twins didn’t just like Cara—they needed her. She’d seen their pain when even I hadn’t. She’d figured out what they needed and was determined to see that they got it—even if it meant going up against a queen.

  My steps quickened as I neared my office. If it weren’t for her, I still wouldn’t have the slightest clue what was going on in either of my kids’ minds. I might have inadvertently kept comparing my daughter to my late wife. I might have kept on, oblivious, hurting them further.

  Cara rose from the sofa as I threw the office door open. Her jaw dropped but no words came out as I strode toward her.

  Moving quickly, I took her face in my hands, and kissed her.

  23

  Cara

  “You’re looking lovely today, miss.” The twins and I were having lunch, and the head housekeeper had popped in to chat.

  “Thank you, Gretchen.” In the three weeks since Elyse had chopped off her own hair, Gretchen had spent more time with us. She cared a lot about the children, too. “Why don’t you sit with us and have something?”

  “Maybe just tea.” She poked her head into the hallway and called out in rapid German.

  “You should have some cookies, too. They made them this morning, and they’re delicious,” Derrick added.

  Gretchen raised her eyebrow as she sat down across from the twins. “If they were just made this morning, how do you know they’re delicious, Prince Derrick?”

  “Umm… it’s just a guess,” the young prince said, a guilty look on his face. But Elyse giggled, and after a moment, he did too.

  “The cookies are always good here,” Elyse said diplomatically. The change in the little girl from a few weeks ago was dramatic. Gretchen had managed to shape her hacked-up hair into a shag cut. Today, the princess was wearing a pink headband and though short, her hair was still thick and glossy. She looked pretty but no longer looked like a miniature adult.

  The other physical change was her clothing. Like her brother, she wore jeans and a sweater. She still liked to put on the Merida costume after lunch, but in the mornings, she wore clothes she found to be comfortable.

  “Are you excited about your sister’s visit?” Gretchen asked me.

  “She’s coming the day after tomorrow,” Derrick responded before I could. “And she’s bringing some books on falconry!”

  “And archery,” Elyse added.

  “Let’s hope Miss Autumn has big suitcases,” Gretchen said, and I laughed.

  I was looking forward to seeing Autumn almost as much as I was dying to show her around. Though she now lived a huge house with my brother-in-law, a castle was another thing entirely. The kids seemed almost as eager for her visit as I was.

  “It’s wonderful that she’s able to come,” Gretchen said. “You’ve been so excited since you heard the news. It’s good to see you so happy, miss.”

  My face reddened—I could feel the flush. Hastily, I took a bite of my sandwich. The thick, homemade bread was delicious, but it didn’t distract me from my thoughts.

  I was excited about Autumn’s visit. Very much so. But the biggest reason for my newfound happiness didn’t have anything to do with her.

  It had to do with Nico.

  Ever since that awful night when I’d yelled at the queen, things had been different. When he’d taken me in his arms and kissed me long and hard, I knew we were in this together. Neither of us knew where we’d end up, but he wasn’t fighting it anymore. He wasn’t denying what he wanted.

  The past few weeks had been the best time of my life.

  We were taking it slowly—unlike that first time when we’d rushed things. Now we met every evening and whenever we could during the day. It was fun, sneaking around. I’d always suspected that there was a sense of mischief hidden behind Nico’s straight-laced persona, and now he was proving it. He’d pop out of nowhere and pull me into a little-used room of the castle and kiss me until I could barely stand. One time he treated me to a picnic in a round room at the top of one of the highest towers. Another time he showed me an actual secret passage that not even the children knew about. That turned out to be a good place for sneaking in kisses, too.

  We’d talk for hours, and somehow, I didn’t feel a frantic need to push for more like I did before—probably because I knew he was in this with me. It was no longer a case of me trying to experience as much as possible because I worried it would be snatched away at any moment. Nico and I were in this together.

  I didn’t know what would happen after August, but I did know I wouldn’t trade this time together for anything in the world.

  24

  Nico

  The children and I waited outside the main entrance as Cara paced back and forth, eagerly anticipating her sister’s arrival. At Cara’s request—well, okay, at her pleading—I’d put on my dress uniform. I hated it, but Cara thought Autumn would get a kick out of the royal regalia.

  Elyse had on her Merida costume. She was eager to show it off for the woman who’d bought her the toy bow and arrow. Derrick had on a miniature version of my uniform. It had been made for him for a Falkenberg festival last year and it was already a bit small on him. My kids were growing up.

  Though I was happy to humor Cara, I’d drawn the line at wearing my crown. That didn’t happen unless there was absolutely no way to avoid it, such as a major holiday or a parade. Fortunately, nothing was scheduled for the near future. Time never passed more slowly than when I sat in the reviewing stand as bands, floats, and local groups marched by.

  When the gates opened and the SUV pulled in, the twins were almost as excited as the lovely young woman at my side. I held the kids back when Franz opened the door and Autumn stepped out. The two sisters deserved a hug before the twins crowded in. Plus, the high-pitched shrieking the two blondes made probably would’ve damaged my children’s tender ears.

  Derrick, whose sense of humor seemed to be developing along the same path as mine, tugged on my sleeve and whispered, “I’ve heard that there’s this whistle that only dogs can hear…”

  Amused, I bent down to whisper back, “Yes, son, that’s exactly the sound it makes.”

  At last, Cara led her sister over. “Autumn, I’d like you to meet His Royal Highness, Prince Nickolaus of Falkenberg.” With difficulty, I refrained from rolling my eyes at Cara’s formality, but Autumn seemed to be taking it in stride. The good-natured grin on her face looked so much like Cara’s that it made me feel I already knew her.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Your Majesty.” Autumn made a curtsy like her sister had months ago in this same spot.

  “The pleasure is mine, Autumn. And now that you can say you’ve addressed a royal properly, I sincerely hope you’ll call me Nico.”

  “Told you he’d say that,” Autumn whispered in her sister’s ear. Apparently, she had my number. “I’ve heard so much about all of you. You must be Prince Derrick and oh my goodness, it’s Princess Merida from the movie Brave!”

  Her response made my daughter beam. A moment later, Elyse was showing Autumn how she could shoot her toy bow and telling her about the real ones we’d recently received. I was staggered—my little girl was avidly talking to a stranger? Cara was the one who’d brought about that change. I wanted to pick the younger Andrews sister up and twirl her around, but I refrained out of respect for the others present. But all bets were off next time we were alone.


  Lunch was a special occasion. The kitchen staff had gone all out, preparing a multi-course meal featuring many Falkenberg specialties. I’d visited my mother’s chambers earlier this morning just to make sure she wasn’t planning on dropping in unannounced. The night my mother had yelled at Elyse and Cara, I’d told her in no uncertain terms to back the hell off.

  Now, we had an uneasy truce, neither of us mentioning that evening. In fact, except for matters concerning the governing of Falkenberg, we didn’t talk much at all. And as far as I knew, Elyse hadn’t visited her since that night, either. That was probably best for the time being.

  “Autumn, can you sit next to me?” Elyse asked, pulling a chair out.

  “No, next to me,” Derrick said. “I want to tell you about Apollo.”

  Autumn raised her eyebrow, and I filled her in. “Apollo is the name of the first falcon we’re purchasing.” Autumn nodded and, with the same quick thinking as her younger sister, dragged a chair around so that she could sit between the twins.

  Forgoing the head of the table, I sat across from them and next to Cara. Her hand found mine under the tablecloth as soon as we sat down.

  Derrick was happily telling Autumn about the falcon. “He’ll belong to Wilhelm, because he’s a Master Falconer. Someday I will be, too.”

  “What kind is he?” Autumn asked.

  “A peregrine. They’re the fastest birds ever. When they dive down to hunt, they can go up to 320 kilometers per hour.”

  “Wow. That sounds fast,” Autumn said, smiling at my little boy.

  “That’s about 200 miles per hour,” Cara chimed in. “See? I’m learning your strange, European measurements.” She winked at me, and I grinned back at her. Autumn looked back and forth between the two of us with interest. Her kind blue eyes were a lot like Cara’s.

  “How’s the archery practice going, Elyse?” Autumn asked.

  “It’s really fun, but it’s not easy. My bow is for kids, but it’s still hard to pull the string back. It’s really hard to hit the target. Sometimes even dad misses.”

  “Thank you very much for pointing that out,” I said in a mock growl to Elyse while she and Cara giggled. “I’ll have you know that it had been at least fifteen years since I’d even touched a bow.”

  “Well, keep practicing and in no time, you’ll both be shooting like Katniss,” Autumn said.

  “Who?” Elyse wanted to know.

  “A character from a book,” Cara cut in. “A book you can read when you’re much older.”

  “Ah, good point,” Autumn said, looking chagrined. “Sorry.”

  “No problem,” I assured her. It was a bit disconcerting to see Cara’s sheepish smile on someone else’s face. It made me realize how many different expressions I’d memorized in the time she’d been here.

  The conversation flowed freely, but by the time dessert was served, I needed to discuss some logistics. “If you’ll forgive me, Autumn, I need to talk about something with my family for a moment.”

  “Of course,” Autumn said, placing her napkin on the table. “I was finished anyway.”

  “You don’t have to leave,” Cara said.

  “She’s right—I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.” I reached for Cara’s hand under the table and squeezed it. I was pleased that Cara hadn’t also assumed that family business didn’t include her. She certainly felt like more than just a nanny to all of us.

  “I’ve got some meetings to attend in London at the end of next week. I’ll be there for several days. I thought we could all go together.”

  “Me too?” Elyse asked.

  “London, really? I’ve never been there,” Derrick said.

  “I have.” Cara’s eyes were shining. “it’s a wonderful place.”

  I smirked at her. “We’ll see if you still think so after shepherding two very curious children around it.”

  “Oh no, we’ll have an amazing trip,” she said, smiling at the twins. As usual, Cara’s enthusiasm was all but bubbling over. “We can ride on the London Eye—that’s this huge Ferris wheel. And we can tour Westminster Abbey and the Globe Theater…”

  “Are those things for the kids to do or things that you want to do?” Autumn teased. “But speaking of theater, maybe you can see Frankie.”

  “Yes! That would be awesome if we could see him.” She turned to me, her eyes sparkling. “If we have time, I mean.”

  “We’ll see.” I tried my best to keep from scowling at Cara’s excitement over seeing another man, but I don’t think I fooled Autumn. She was watching me with a slight smile on her face. I’d have to be careful how I acted around Cara while her sister was here—Autumn struck me as a very observant woman.

  “Is he the one who made my dress?” Elyse asked.

  “Yes, he did. And he found that wig for you, too.”

  “I’d love to meet him and say thank you,” Elyse said sincerely, and I felt like a jerk for the flash of jealousy I’d felt before.

  “We’ll see what can be arranged,” I said a bit gruffly, regretting my previously uncharitable thoughts about the man who’d made my daughter so happy. “I’ll be busy with work for most of Thursday and Friday, but you three can do some sightseeing. I’ve got a driver and extra staff lined up. And over the weekend, we can all do some things together. Maybe see a show.”

  “That would be amazing!” Cara practically squealed. “London’s the best place to see live theater.”

  God, I liked making her eyes light up like that. “Have you ever seen Hamilton?”

  Cara exchanged a secretive smile with her sister. Then she beamed up at me. “No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard it’s incredible. I’d love to see it.”

  * * *

  After lunch, Cara took Autumn on a tour of the castle. She’d finally stopped getting lost—I liked to think that it was our ducking into rooms to make out that had finally helped her understand the interior layout. I grinned, glad to have been of service.

  The twins wanted to join them, but I insisted that we head up to the classroom. The two sisters needed some privacy since Autumn could only stay three days. Plus, I had a business call and canceled the twins’ last European history lesson.

  Those lessons had also changed since Cara came into our lives. Before, I used to just lecture to the twins. Now, they were active participants. Together, we drew maps, assembled timelines, and looked up things online. Though Cara claimed she was no longer a teacher, her example had made me a better one.

  Normally, Derrick and Elyse liked the lessons. Derrick, especially, enjoyed learning about Falkenberg’s role in recent history. But today it was difficult to keep them focused. We were sitting at round table looking at maps of WWII-era Europe, but neither one of them was paying much attention. I guess the novelty of having Cara’s sister visit had them distracted.

  Of course, with kids, you never knew.

  “Dad?”

  “Yes, Elyse?”

  “Are you going to marry Cara?”

  Every muscle in my body tightened as I stared at my daughter in shock. Where had that come from? Why would she even ask?

  “Cara’s the nanny, you know that,” I said, my tone as casual as I could make it. My mind was still reeling. Maybe I should’ve seen this coming. The twins were very fond of Cara. She was rapidly becoming a very important part of their lives. When she left, it was going to be very hard on them. On all of us.

  “Can’t nannies get married?” Elyse asked. From her tone, it was clear she was wondering if they were some kind of special category, like nuns.

  “I think they can, someday.”

  “Maybe you can marry her then,” Elyse said.

  My pulse sped up even as the conversation seemed to slow painfully down. God, what I wouldn’t give for a change in subject right about now.

  At last, I marshaled my thoughts, or at least as much of them as I wanted to share. “Mommy was my wife. A very good one. And now I’ve got you two. You’re my family.”

  “Okay,” Ely
se said, apparently satisfied with my answer. Thank god.

  “But you can still kiss Cara, right, Dad?” Derrick wanted to know.

  Shit.

  Derrick’s question made my heart stutter in an irregular rhythm. Which gave me an idea… maybe I could fake a heart attack to get out of this conversation? No, probably not.

  Seriously, though, what the hell was I supposed to say? And why was he even asking? Had they seen me and Cara kissing? We’d tried to be discreet. Sneaking around was part of the fun.

  Maybe the best defense was a good offense. “What do you know about kissing girls?”

  “Not much,” Derrick said, and I fought back the urge to grin—an urge that disappeared when my son continued on. “But I think you’re supposed to know all about it.”

  Placing my head in my hands, I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I’ll look into that, son.”

  25

  Cara

  Autumn loved the castle tour. Afterwards, she’d taken a short nap in a guest bedroom, citing jetlag. Now we were in the library, and Gretchen had just departed, leaving us with tea and cookies.

  “Cara, this is all so lovely, so amazing…” My sister was sitting across from me at a table by the window. “The palace, those adorable children—hell, the whole country looks like a postcard. Thank you so much for inviting me here.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad so you could come. And thank you for all those books! The twins loved them.”

  Autumn chuckled. “The people at customs seemed to think I was starting an illegal book-exporting business.”

  “You’re the best sister ever.” I reached over and squeezed her hand.

  “No, you are,” she said, squeezing back. “And now that we’ve got the small talk out of the way, tell me what the hell is going on between you and Nico.”

  My heart did a little flip-flop before settling into its normal rhythm. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to sound puzzled. She didn’t bother to answer. Instead, she gave me the kind of look that only a big sister could pull off. It was a look that clearly said: Do I look like I was born yesterday? and I know something’s going on so spill the beans.