Christmas with the Prince

by Michelle Celmer

  “No. I mean, it actually disappeared. One minute it was there, and the next minute it vanished. I don’t even know how to explain it. It was as if it…dissolved.”

  “Dissolved?”

  “Like mist.” It was scary as hell, but the scientist in her couldn’t help feeling intrigued. She had always clung to the belief that there was no such thing as heaven or an afterlife. When you were dead, you were dead. Could this mean there was some sort of life after death?

  He looked at the window again, then back to her, still sprawled on the floor. “Are you saying that you saw a ghost?”

  “A few days ago I never would have believed it, but I can’t think of any other logical explanation.” And for some reason, seeing it with her own eyes, knowing it was real, made her more curious than frightened. She wanted to see it again.

  He held out a hand to help her up, and when she was on her feet he tugged her back into his arms. “If someone was watching us, alive or otherwise, they nearly got one hell of a view, because I was about two seconds from ravishing you.”

  So much for being discreet. “Suppose someone on this plane of existence did happen to come down and look in the window?”

  “So we’ll cover it,” he said, nibbling on her neck. “A sheet of paper and some tape should do the trick.”

  What he was doing felt deliciously wonderful, but now wasn’t the time for fooling around. Although she had the feeling that when it came to women, he was used to getting his way. If he was going to be with her, he was going to have to learn to compromise.

  “Aaron, I have to work,” she said firmly, planting her hands on his chest.

  “No, you don’t,” he mumbled against her skin.

  She gave a gentle but firm shove. “Yes. I do.”

  He hesitated a moment, then grudgingly let her go. “Do I get to see you at all today?”

  Though she could easily work late into the evening, if he had to compromise, then so should she. “How about a game of billiards tonight after dinner?”

  He grinned. “And after billiards?”

  She just smiled.

  “I’m holding you to it,” he said, backing toward the door.

  “Oh, and about Christmas,” she said.

  “It’s not up for discussion.”

  “But your family—”

  “Won’t mind at all. Besides, if Melissa were to get wind of you spending the holidays alone, she would probably have an emotional meltdown.”

  He was probably right. If Aaron didn’t insist she join them, Melissa probably would. Or maybe she was rationalizing.

  Compromise, Liv. Compromise.

  “Okay,” she said, and that seemed to make him very happy.

  “See you at dinner,” he said as he walked out.

  She’d never had what anyone would consider a conventional Christmas holiday. Her foster families never had money for gifts and extravagant meals. If she got candy in her stocking—hell, if she even had a stocking—it was a pretty good year. It used to make her sad when the kids at school returned after the holiday break sporting new clothes and handheld video games and portable CD players, but she’d learned to harden her heart.

  Even now Christmas was just another day to her. But she would be lying if she said it didn’t get a little lonely, knowing everyone else was with their families.

  But there were definite benefits, too. She didn’t have to fight the holiday crowds shopping for gifts, or have outrageous credit card bills come January. The simpler she kept her life, the better. Although it might be a nice change to spend Christmas somewhere other than alone in the lab. With a real family.

  Or maybe, she thought as she sat down in front of her computer, it would make her realize all that she’d been missing.

  Liv fidgeted beside Aaron as they neared the king’s suite. His parents had returned from England yesterday, several days later than expected due to mild complications caused by the reinsertion of the pump. But he was feeling well, in good spirits and happy to be home with his family.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t bother them,” Liv said, her brow furrowed. “I’m sure the king needs rest.”

  “He wants to meet you,” he assured her. She’d grown much more comfortable in the castle this past week. She seemed to enjoy spending time with his siblings, and the feeling was remarkably mutual. Even Anne had lowered her defenses within the past few days and seemed to be making a genuine effort to get to know Liv, and of course Louisa loved everyone.

  He took Liv’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, and even though no one was around, she pulled from his grasp. He was breaking her rule of no public displays of affection. Although he was quite sure that if his siblings hadn’t already begun to suspect their affair, it was only a matter of time. Nearly every moment Liv wasn’t in the lab, Aaron was with her and he’d spent every night for the past seven days in her room.

  If they did suspect, no one had said a word to him.

  “I’m so nervous. I’m afraid that when I curtsy I’m going to fall on my face.”

  “If you fall, I’ll catch you,” he assured her. He knocked on the suite door then pushed it open, feeling Liv go tense beside him.

  His father had dressed for the occasion, though he was reclined on the sofa. His mother rose to greet them as they entered the room.

  “Liv, meet my parents, the King and Queen of Thomas Isle. Mother, Father, this is Olivia Montgomery.”

  Liv curtsied, and even though it wasn’t the smoothest he’d ever seen, she was nowhere close to falling over.

  “It’s an honor to meet you both,” she said, a slight quiver in her voice.

  “The honor is all ours, Miss Montgomery,” his father said, shaking her hand, which she did gingerly, Aaron noticed, as though she worried she might break him. “Words cannot express how deeply we appreciate your visit.”

  His mother didn’t even offer to shake Liv’s hand. Maybe the king’s health and all that time in the hospital was taking its toll on her. Although she’d seemed fine yesterday. Just a bit tired.

  “My children speak quite highly of you,” the king said, and added with a grin, “in fact, I hear you’re something of a card shark.”

  Liv smiled nervously. “I’m sure it was beginner’s luck, Your Highness.”

  “I’m assuming you’ve had time to work since you arrived,” his mother said and her curt tone took him aback.

  Liv looked a little stunned as well, so Aaron answered, “Of course she has. I practically have to drag her out of the lab just to eat dinner. She would work around the clock if I didn’t insist she take a break every now and then.”

  She ignored him and asked Liv in an almost-demanding tone, “Have you made any progress?”

  As was the case when she talked about her work or someone questioned her professionally, she suddenly became the confident and assertive scientist. The transformation never ceased to amaze him.

  “I’m very close to discovering the strain of disease affecting the crops,” she told his mother. Usually she explained things to him in layman’s terms, so he had at least a little hope of understanding what she was talking about. She must have been trying to make a point because when she explained her latest developments to his mother, she used all scientific terms and jargon. Though the queen had spent the better part of her life farming, botanical genetics was way out of her league.

  By the time Liv finished with her explanation, his mother looked at least a little humbled.

  “Would you mind excusing us, Miss Montgomery,” the queen said. “I need to have a word with my son.”

  “Of course,” Liv said. “I need to get back down to the lab anyway. It was a pleasure to meet you both.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Aaron said, leading her from the room.

  When they were in the hallway with the door closed, Liv turned to him and said, “I’m so sorry.”

  Her apology confused him. He should be the one apologizing for his mother’s behavior. “For what? I thought you were fantast
ic.”

  She frowned, looking troubled. “I was showing off. It was rude of me.”

  “Love, you’ve earned the right to show off every now and then.”

  “Your mother hates me.”

  “Why would she hate you?”

  “Because she knows.”

  He frowned. “Knows what?”

  She lowered her voice, even though they were alone. “That something is going on between us.”

  “How could she?”

  “I don’t know, but that was a mother lion protecting her cub. Her message clearly said back off.”

  “You’re being paranoid. I think between my father’s health, the security breach at the hospital and the diseased crops, she’s just stressed out.”

  Liv didn’t look as though she believed him, but she didn’t push the issue.

  “I’ll come see you in the lab later.” He brushed a quick kiss across her lips, ignoring her look of protest, then let himself back into his parents’ suite. He crossed the room to where they still sat, determined to get to the bottom of this.

  “What the bloody hell was that about?” he asked his mother.

  “Watch your tone,” his father warned.

  “My tone? Could she have been any more rude to Liv?”

  “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on between you two,” his mother said.

  So Liv had been right. She did suspect something. He folded his arms over his chest. “And what is going on, Mother?”

  “Nothing that your father and I approve of.”

  “You haven’t even been here, so how could you possibly know what’s been going on? Do you have the staff watching me?”

  “There’s someone I want you to meet,” she said. “She’s a duchess from a good family.”

  Unlike Liv who had no family, was that what she meant? That was hardly Liv’s fault. “If you’re concerned that I’m going to run off and marry Liv, you can stop worrying.”

  “It isn’t proper. She’s not of noble blood.”

  If his mother had the slightest clue about the behavior of those so-called proper women she set him up with, she would have kittens. The spoiled brats whose daddies gave them everything their hearts desired, while they dabbled in drugs and alcohol, and were more often than not sexually promiscuous. Liv was a saint in comparison.

  “Maybe you should take the time to know her before you pass judgment.”

  “I know all I need to. She’s not good enough for you,” his mother said.

  “Not good enough? I can safely say she’s more intelligent than all three of us combined. She’s sweet, and kind, and down-to-earth. And she could very well be saving our asses from total financial devastation,” he said, earning a stern look from his father. “Can you say that of your princesses or duchesses?”

  “The decision has already been made,” his mother said. “You’ll meet the duchess next Friday.”

  Since Chris married Melissa, their mother had been determined to find Aaron a wife, and even though he’d told her a million times he didn’t want to settle down, the message seemed to go in one ear and out the other. But he’d gone along with the blind dates and the setups because it was always easier than arguing. Easier than standing up for himself.

  He thought of Liv, who had fought like hell for everything she’d ever gotten, how strong she was, and wondered what had he ever done but settle? From the day he was born his family told him who he was supposed to be. Well, he was tired of compromising himself, tired of playing by their rules. It ended today.

  “No,” he said.

  She frowned. “No, what?”

  “I won’t meet her.”

  “Of course you will.”

  “No, I won’t. No more blind dates, no more setups. I’m finished.”

  She huffed out a frustrated breath. “How will you ever find a wife if you don’t—”

  “I don’t want a wife. I don’t want to settle down.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Every man says that. But when the right one comes along you’ll change your mind.”

  “If that’s true, I’ll find her without your help.”

  She gave him her token you-would-be-lost-without-me-to-run-your-life look. “Aaron, sweetheart—”

  “I mean it, Mother. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

  She looked stunned by his demand; his father, on the other hand, looked amused. “He’s made his decision, dear,” he said. And before she could argue, he sighed and said, “This conversation has worn me out.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” She patted his shoulder protectively and summoned the nurse, shooting Aaron a look that suggested his father’s sudden fatigue was his fault. “Let’s get you to bed. We’ll talk about this later.”

  No, they wouldn’t, he wanted to say, but for his father’s sake he let it drop. She would come to realize that he wasn’t playing by her rules any longer.

  While the nurse helped his father into bed, his mother turned to him and said, “Please let Geoffrey know that your father and I will be taking dinner in our suite tonight.”

  “Of course.”

  She smiled and patted his cheek fondly. “That’s a good boy.”

  A good boy? Ugh. What was he, twelve? He turned and left before he said something he regretted. She seemed to believe she’d won, but nothing could be further from the truth. Knowing Liv had made him take a good hard look at his own life and he didn’t like what he was seeing. It was time he made a few changes.

  Thirteen

  T he following Monday was December first and overnight the castle was transformed to a holiday wonderland. Fresh evergreen swags dotted with red berries and accented with big red bows hung from the stair railings, making everything smell piney and festive, and mistletoe hung in every door and archway. Life-size nutcrackers stood guard in the halls and every room on the main floor had a Christmas tree decorated in a different color and theme. From one hung various styles and flavors of candy canes and other sugar confections, while another was festooned with antique miniature toy ornaments. Some were draped in all shades of purple, and others in creamy whites. But the most amazing tree was in the ballroom. It stood at least twenty feet high, decorated in shimmering silver and gold balls.

  The outside of the castle was the most incredible of all. What looked to be about a million tiny multicolored lights edged the windows and turrets and lit the shrubs.

  Liv had never seen anything like it, and she couldn’t help but get drawn into the holiday spirit. For the first time in her life Christmas wasn’t something she dreaded or ignored. This time she let herself feel it, get caught up in the atmosphere. And she almost felt as if she had a family. Aaron’s siblings made her feel so welcome, and Liv was particularly fond of the king. He was warm and friendly and had a surprisingly thorough understanding of genetic science and an insatiable curiosity. They had many evening conversations about her research, sitting by the fire in the study sipping hot cider.

  “Science is a hobby of mine,” he once told her. “As a child I used to dream of being a scientist. I even planned to go to university and study it. That was before I was crown prince.”

  Much the way Aaron had dreamed of being a doctor, she thought. “You weren’t always crown prince?”

  “I had an older brother, Edward. He would have been king, but he contracted meningitis when he was fifteen. It left him blind and physically impaired, so the crown was passed on to me. It’s a bit ironic, really. We would spend hours in this very room, sitting by the fire. I would read to him, or play his favorite music. And now here I am, the incapacitated one.”

  “But only temporarily,” she reminded him.

  He just smiled and said, “Let’s hope so.”

  The queen didn’t share her husband’s affection for Liv. She wasn’t cruel or even rude. She was just…indifferent. Liv had overcome enough adversity in her life to understand that she couldn’t let herself be bothered by the opinions of one person, but she would be lying if sh
e said it didn’t hurt her feelings just a little. Particularly because she was being judged not on the merits of her accomplishments, or even her morals, but on her lack of pedigree.

  The Sunday before Christmas a blizzard dropped nearly a foot of snow and Liv let Aaron talk her into trying cross-country skiing. He wanted to take her to their ski lodge on the other side of the island, but with the Gingerbread Man still on the loose, the king insisted they stay on the castle property.

  As Liv anticipated, she spent the better part of the first hour sitting in the snow.

  “It just takes practice,” Aaron told her as he hauled her back up on her feet again, and she actually managed to make it two or three yards before she fell on her face. But he assured her, “You’re doing great!”

  As inept as she felt, and embarrassed by her lack of coordination, Aaron’s enthusiasm was contagious and she found that she was having fun. Since she arrived on Thomas Isle, he had introduced her to so many things that she otherwise would have never tried. If not for him, she would still be in her lab 24/7, working her life away instead of living it.

  As much fun as they had been having, Liv knew it wouldn’t last. She was in the process of testing compounds in hope of finding one that would kill the disease, and when she found the right combination, there would be no reason for her to stay. Leaving would be hard because she’d grown attached to Aaron. In fact, she felt she may even be in love with him, but that didn’t change who they were. Besides, he had made it quite clear that he didn’t want to be tied down. It was destined to end, and all she could do was enjoy the time they had left together.

  An hour before sundown, exhausted to the center of her bones and aching in places she didn’t even know she could ache, Liv tossed down her poles and said enough.

  “You have to admit that was fun,” he said as they stripped out of their gear.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said, hissing in pain as she bent over to unclip the ski boots. “Spending an entire day sitting in the snow has always been my idea of fun.”

  He shot her a skeptical look.

  “Okay,” she admitted with a shrug that sent spirals of pain down her back. “Maybe it was a little fun.”