My mother looked at John who rolled his eyes and then stood. "I'll go and get changed," he sighed. Clair clapped excitedly and followed him into their bedroom.
"You gonna go?" I asked Alex.
He shook his head. "Nah, I'll stay and keep you company. I don't need to see the ballroom after I've lived in this place for a week. The bathrooms alone were enough. I mean, who needs gold faucets?" He winked at me and smiled.
The doors to the suite suddenly flew open and a very wet Tess walked into the room, leaving a water stain trailing behind her on the Persian carpet.
"Date get rained out?" smirked Alex.
"Date?" I asked frowning.
"Yup, Tess goes out riding with that stable boy every morning," he told me. "Didn't you know?"
I shook my head, "I had no idea."
"It's no big deal," shrugged Tess. "I didn't want to make it out to be something it wasn't. l am only here for a week after all."
Alex rolled his eyes, "Right."
"So, you like him?" I pressed, twirling one of the tassels on the pillow around my fingers.
Tess blushed and began walking towards her room, "I gotta get changed."
"She must have it bad to be this quiet," I smiled at Alex. "I think this is the first time she's been short on words for over a year."
"He gave her his email so they could stay in touch when she's back home," he whispered to me conspiratorially.
"I heard that," grumbled Tess, her wet clothing smacking against the hardwood as she discarded articles to the floor.
"That's so cute! We could be like a big family if you guys just stay here. I'll have Leopold, Tess will have Alexander, and Alex will have his Sous Chef, Nessa," I gushed teasingly.
Alex began to laugh and then thought better of it, "Hey!"
I shrugged, "It'll never happen. We will all go back home and go back to school."
"Please," said Tess as she re-entered the main room, running a comb through her damp curls. "You're gonna stay here. Even if you do come back to California, you'll end up back here with Charming eventually."
Alex nodded, siding with her, "You'd be stupid not to. There is no way you could give up on an opportunity like this, especially since you and Leopold are head over heels for each other."
"I know, I know, but I just..." I cut off, and buried my face in the pillow.
"So, are there any other takers?" asked my mom when she emerged from her bedroom, trying to put in her earrings.
Tess and Alex shook their heads.
"Good choice," muttered John, beside her.
"It really is interesting, you guys should go," I told my friends.
"I think we will wait for the after-hours Cat version," said Tess. "We had the general tour so we didn't get lost, which was fairly in-depth. Besides, I gotta have stuff to explore on my next visit."
"And I need to start packing," added Alex.
"Suit yourselves," my mother replied disapprovingly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is that everything, Mademoiselle?" M. Arsnault asked the next morning.
"You didn't forget anything, right guys?" I called into the back seat of the limo.
They shook their heads.
"I think we are good to go," I relayed to my guard.
He shut the trunk and walked around to our side of the car and opened the door for me. He was just about to shut all of us in the vehicle when I heard a shout.
"Attendez, attendez!" it called. Frowning, I glanced out my window towards the front doors of the castle. Alexander and Nessa were running down the marble steps. They sped across the pebble drive, skidding to a stop right in front of the car.
"Uh, guys?" I said, nudging Tess in the arm. She and Alex were frozen to their seat, wide-eyed with surprise, and blushing scarlet. "Well, go on then," I urged, "But make it quick or we will be late."
That was all Tess needed, she sprung up from her seat and out of the limo, throwing herself into Alexander's arms and pressing her lips to his. Alex followed slowly, hesitantly, awkwardly running a hand through his hair. He smiled at Nessa when he finally made it over to her, and accepted the basket she handed to him. Then, Alex bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Alex and Tess joined us in the limo after a few minutes, and the car took off out of the castle gates, headed towards the airport.
"What was that?" asked John.
Tess shrugged, busying herself with her iPod. Alex smiled and pulled a muffin out of the basket that Nessa had given him, "Travel snacks."
The castle was quiet with everyone gone. It was strange how it was both peaceful and unnerving when it was this empty. My family was gone, I had no Phillipa or lessons to busy myself with, no Leopold to escape with, it was just me. Angelique and M. Arsenault helped me fill the time. We went over the plans for the Governors' Ball the next day, I beat them both in a game of Go Fish, and ate dinner. I was relieved when it was finally late enough to make going to bed seem reasonable. I changed into a pair of PJs and crawled into the center of Leopold's bed, stomach turning in anticipation for the next day.
"Cat!" Phillipa cried, as I walked into the Yellow Room the next afternoon. She skipped over to me, throwing her tiny arms around me in a delicate hug.
"It's good to see you too, Phillipa. How was your trip?" I asked, once I was released from her hold. It was nice to see her again. I had grown accustomed to seeing her every day for the lessons, so our week apart, while relaxing, had been strange.
"Amazing!" she said, smiling brightly. Abruptly, her face becoming serious, she continued, "We can talk later though as I need to make sure you know the schedule and details for today, then I have to go and get ready myself."
"M. Arsnault went over everything with me last night," I told her as I headed over towards the changing screen. I stripped out of the bathrobe I was wearing and pulled on the thin cotton nightgown-like dress I had to wear under the corset and hoop frame.
"Tell me," she said, "I just want to make sure."
"I enter with Leopold, at three exactly. We are to walk around and talk to the Governors. He will introduce me to people. I am not allowed to drink anything but water while socializing. He will give his speech at four. Lunch will be served by four thirty. I am to sit directly across from Leopold at the Prince of Mortimer's table. I will not finish everything on my plate. Our exit is at six," I recited obediently, then emerged from behind the screen.
Phillipa nodded her approval, "Good."
I frowned suddenly, "Phillipa, is Leopold back yet?" I would have expected to see him the second he had arrived but it was now two hours until our entrance and he was nowhere to be seen.
Phillipa shook her head. "He was held up at the base, but he should be here shortly. At least, he better be. Anyway, I better go. I will see you later," she said, and kissed me on the cheek before she whisked out of the room, leaving me with Angelique and Mme. DuBeche.
I walked over to the vanity that was set up on the far wall of the room, and sat down in the plush armchair. Angelique came over immediately and started drying my damp hair into soft curls. I chatted idly with her as she worked, trying to help the long process of my preparation pass more quickly. Once she was happy, she set to work braiding my long hair and pinning it up in some sort of complicated, yet stunning looking creation on top of my head. Guests were beginning to arrive; I could see through the Yellow Room's windows as they walked about the gardens.
Half an hour later, my hair and makeup had been deemed complete. Mme. DuBeche readily stole me from Angelique and placed me up on the pedestal. She wrapped the corset around my waist and began lacing up the back, squeezing the breath from my lungs, as Angelique stood before me and let me grip her shoulders for support.
A knock on the door interrupted their work.
"What?" Mme. DuBeche snapped, clearly upset that her limited time was being wasted.
The door opened and Leopold walked in. Mme. DuBeche quickly realized her mistake and dropped into a low curtsy. Angelique bowed as well, and then quickly le
d the seamstress out of the room, giving Leopold and I privacy. The second they were gone, I ran to him, bare feet slapping against the hardwood as I crossed the room, and threw my arms around his neck. "You're back," I cried, burying my face in his chest.
Leopold wrapped his right arm around my waist, pulling me to him. A brief flash of guilt shot through me at the thought of ruining Angelique's hard work, but it was instantly forgotten as he pressed his lips to mine in an urgent kiss. I replied greedily, my hands sliding down his chest, across his ribs, to his back, nails digging into his shoulder blades, as I closed the distance between us.
"Ah, attention," Leopold grunted, as he winced. I let go immediately, and tried to jump back from him, worried and confused as to what had happened. Leopold did not loosen his hold on me though. I could feel his rough fingers tightening on my skin through the thin fabric of the dress, as he rested his forehead against mine, trying to catch his breath.
"What's wrong," I asked, my voice laced with concern.
"A small accident," Leopold replied, straightening. "Hurt my shoulder slightly; it's nothing to be concerned about."
"Are you sure?" I asked him.
Leopold nodded. "I will be alright, but Cat, do not tell anyone. I will explain it all later, alright?"
I frowned. This wasn't sounding good. "I'll stay quiet," I told him, "For now at least."
Leopold laughed slightly, "I would expect nothing less. I am so happy to see you, ma belle."
He kissed me again, lightly. I kept my hands at my sides, worried I would hurt him again. A clock chimed somewhere within the castle. Leopold pulled away, swearing under his breath.
"I should go," he murmured, but made no move to leave.
"Are you ready?" I asked him, as I carefully placed my hands in his hair, playing with the curls at the nape of his neck. That had seemed a safe place last time.
"I think so. You?"
"Never," I replied honestly.
Leopold smiled and leaned in to kiss me one more time before detaching himself from me, "I will see you soon, ma belle."
Angelique and Mme. DuBeche ran back into the room as soon as Leopold left, and began wrapping me in the layers of boning, lace and petticoats at top speed until I was dressed, floppy hat and white gloves included.
"These," said Angelique, producing a large velvet box, "Are from the collection of the Arcadian Royal Jewels. Governor Richard and the Queen have asked that you wear them today."
She opened the box. Inside were a necklace, bracelet and earrings, all made of oblong shaped emeralds surrounded by diamonds. Once my body was adorned with the jewels, they stood back to admire their work.
"You are perfect, Mademoiselle," smiled Angelique. Mme. DuBeche nodded in agreement, clearly satisfied with the final result.
Angelique checked her watch, eyes growing slightly large. "It is time for you to go now, Mademoiselle," she told me.
Angelique helped me maneuver through the halls in my big dress until we came to the formal entrance to the garden. Other members of the DuMont Family were arriving as well. Beatrice and Phillipa wore dresses similar to mine, but in dusted rose and gold colors. The men were all in morning suits, complete with coat tailed jackets, waistcoats, ascots, gloves, and top hats, all in varying shades of the gray scale.
We quickly took our formation. Phillipa and Hector first, followed by Leopold and me, then Felip and Beatrice. The flourish sounded, the national anthem started playing, and Phillipa and Hector disappeared down the steps. I took a deep breath and grabbed hold of one of the hoops, lifting my skirt slightly as I had been trained. Leopold offered me his arm, and together we descended the stairs into the garden with the Governors and their families.
We had to circulate through all of the guests, making sure that they saw each member of the Royal Family, and that we spoke to all of the necessary people. After that, we moved on to the food tent for Leopold's speech and lunch. I let Leopold guide me forward, stopping every few steps to talk to someone and to make introductions. My face started hurting from smiling so much, and I was surprised my glove hadn't been worn through with all the lips that had kissed it.
I watched him carefully, still concerned about his injury. I couldn't tell what was wrong exactly, but he was favoring his right side, which couldn't be good as he was normally left-handed. I tried to hide my distraction from the guests, which wasn't too hard since most of them seemed very eager to talk to me.
Trumpets flourished somewhere amongst the flowers, and the guest began making their way towards the giant white tent. It had been set up between the rose garden and the orchard and housed six round tables, the podium, and cascades of gossamer and white flowers. It was humid in the tent, making it even more difficult to breathe in my corset. I winced, and pressed my hands into my ribs, as Leopold lead us through the arch into the makeshift building.
"I must go and take my spot," Leopold told me when we arrived at our table.
"You'll be great," I assured him, squeezing his hand. He smiled and then disappeared into the crowd of Governors and their families, careful to avoid the large girth of the ladies' skirts.
"You look absolutely stunning in that dress, Princess. Like the exact replica of your grandmother Queen Catherine." I froze, the little breath I had catching in my throat. I recognized the voice, it belonged to Antoine. I should have realized he would be here.
"Hello, Antoine, nice to see you again," I said, voice tight, as my manners kicked in. This could go wrong in so many ways. I searched the crowd for Leopold, not sure if it was better if he saw me with Antoine and came to my rescue, or if he didn't and things would clear up by themselves, in what I hoped would be a less messy manner. I finally caught sight of Leopold speaking to an old, tall man near the podium, distracted. I resolved to handle this myself, and turned to face Antoine. "Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked in smooth French.
Antoine cocked an eyebrow, "You have learned some new tricks, Princess, they are grooming you well," he said, ignoring my question. Then he leaned down, close to me, his breath hot on my ear, "Have you thought about my offer since the last time we met? It is not too late, we would still have time."
I pursed my lips, "Sorry, the answer is still no."
Antoine straightened, reaching a hand out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I shivered as his fingertips brushed my neck, "Hmmm, I guess I will have to be more persuasive then."
I was saved, or so I thought, when the horns flourished again. It was time for the speech to start.
I made a moved towards my chair, causing my unwanted hero to jump into action.
"Here, allow me to assist you," purred Antoine, pulling out the chair for me.
My eyes grew in alarm. Sitting down in a hoop skirt was an event that required planning, and his assistance did not mesh with the schedule. "No, please it's fine. It's really much easier if…" I started, but it was too late. Antoine pushed my chair in before I had time to lift one of the hoops, and he hit the wooden ring dead on, sending my entire skirt flying forward and into the table. There was a loud crash as the silverware and glasses were disrupted, and were sent flying to the ground. Guests who were already seated at the table jumped up, trying to get away from the chaos. I was pinned between the chair and the table, watching as red wine slowly sped into the tablecloth, and ran right into the white lace of my skirt. I winced as the boning was disrupted, causing it to pull and dig into my already tender skin.
I looked around quickly to see that nearly all the eyes in the tent were on us. It was as if the world had frozen, waiting for direction from one of the hierarchical superiors on how to act. Instinctively, my eyes found Leopold. He was speaking in a rushed manner to M. Lefevre, not looking pleased at all.
"Mademoiselle, if you would please come with me," said M. Arsnault, breaking the still scene, as he appeared beside me. He grabbed hold of the chair, freeing me, and stayed close on my heels as we fled back to the castle.
"Thank you," I told him, as he helped me back up the
steps to safety.
"Just following orders, Mademoiselle," he replied, taping the intercom device in his ear. "You are to go see Mme. DuBeche in the Yellow Room."
"Oh, no, no, no!" gasped Mme. DuBeche as she leaped to her feet when she saw my dress. "What happened?"
"Someone knocked over a glass of wine," I told her as she pulled the dress over my head. The wine had seeped down through the layers of petticoats.
"Idiots," she mumbled angrily under her breath. "No matter, we will just have to modernize you a little bit. I am thinking, Leopoldian period."
I simply nodded, not entirely sure what she was talking about, hoping that meant I could lose at least half this dress.
She worked quickly, removing all of the layers of hoops and fabric, freeing me of the hoop that got me into this mess in the first place. Unfortunately, the corset stayed. The dress was pretty and lighter. Sheer lace covered the shoulders and the high collar. The rest was a light sea foam colored silk that flowed down from the bodice to the floor, interrupted only by a blue sash at my waist and embroidered beads at the hem and train. I kept the gloves and jewelry, but my shoes and hat were changed to something that matched the color of the dress.
"Alright, go. Do not let anyone ruin this one," Mme. DuBeche chided, shooing me out of the room.
M. Arsnault was waiting for me just outside the door. He led me back to the garden, to my seat at the table. Leopold had finished his speech, and the guests were now working away at their first course. The men at the table stood as I approached. Leopold caught my eye. He was still angry and tense; I could see it in the line of his jaw.
I took my seat between Antoine and an older woman. She was the Countess of Merabelle from what I could remember from my lessons. If so, she and her husband owned the largest cross-country skiing facility in Solis.
"I am so sorry, Princess," said Antoine beside me. "It was not my intention to ruin your lovely dress. If it is any consolation, this one is even more beautiful than the last."
"It was an accident, it's fine," I said, probably a little too tersely and coolly.
I turned away from him, toward the Countess. "So Countess, how much snow do you think we should expect this winter?"
The Inherited Series Book 1: The Inherited Page 18
