Princess in Love

by Julianne MacLean

  “The new hospital,” she replied. “I couldn’t help but notice the plaque at the gate. Did it say ‘Cavanaugh’?”

  Alexandra regarded her carefully in the thick and humid summer heat. “Yes, and now that you are home, I suppose you should know everything there is to know about what has changed since you left.” She leaned out the window again. “Take us through the gate at All Saints’ Hospital, please.”

  The coach lumbered forward on the wide street and turned around, while Rose’s heart began to beat very fast. She had not experienced anything like it in years, and it made her feel rather young and foolish.

  “Are you going to tell me about the changes, or am I required to guess?”

  Alexandra crossed to sit beside Rose and laid a gloved hand on her knee. “When you left Petersbourg all those years ago, I remember how difficult it was for you. I knew that you were in love with Lord Cavanaugh. What happened between you was most unfortunate.”

  Surprised by her sister-in-law’s blunt confession, Rose inclined her head with curiosity. “For him more than anyone.”

  “Yes, indeed, but everything changed for him after Waterloo. Thanks to you and your husband, his honor was restored, as well as his title and property.”

  Rose had known about that, naturally, for she had made inquiries not long afterward, but it had been many years since she asked any questions about Leopold. She had felt it best to let go of the past and live the life she had chosen.

  “Ever since then,” Alexandra continued, “he has devoted himself to the service of this country. He is greatly loved by the people.”

  The coach drove through the open gates at the entrance. The hospital, at the end of a long circular drive, was situated on a wide expanse of grassy parkland overlooking the meadows on the south side of the city. It was the park where Rose—in what seemed like another lifetime—went riding each morning.

  “This is all his doing?” she asked, admiring the ornate stonework outside the front entrance.

  “Yes. It took him three years to raise the funds, which he accomplished through various charity events and … well, mostly by asking every influential aristocrat in the country to donate something. All their names are engraved on the wall on the east side of the building, so they are recognized and feel quite heroic for their contributions.”

  “Can we go inside?” Rose asked. “I would like to see it.”

  Alexandra glanced at the front of the building, its white walls gleaming in the bright summer sunshine. “The staff will have a fit. Perhaps we should make arrangements to come another day.”

  “Oh, no, that will not do,” Rose replied. “I must see it now. There is no need to make a big fuss about it. We will just stroll into the reception hall and take a quick look around. I don’t require a formal tour. Perhaps while we are there we can make arrangements for that.”

  Alexandra hesitated and stared at her uncertainly.

  “What’s wrong?” Rose asked.

  Alexandra laid a hand on her knee again. “He won’t be there, you know. He spends most of his time in the country.”

  Rose wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed …

  Relieved. Yes, of course she was relieved—for it was difficult to imagine what she would say if she encountered Leopold unexpectedly. It had been such a long time …

  She looked out the window at the gardens as they passed by. “Is he married?”

  Alexandra shook her head. “No, he never took a wife.”

  The bells chimed at the nearby cathedral to indicate the hour, and Rose leaned her head back against the soft, plum-colored velvet upholstery. She closed her eyes. “How I missed the sound of those bells.” She waited for them to finish, then opened her eyes and lifted her head. “I admit I am surprised to hear that Leopold never married. Surely he could have any woman he wanted.”

  “He certainly could, and he has had no shortage of female suitors. That’s probably why he spends so much time in the country—to escape the hunt. Poor man … like a fox in a hole with the dogs constantly yapping at his heels.”

  The coach pulled to a halt at the front of the hospital, and a servant opened the door.

  “Well, then,” Rose said. “Let us venture inside and see the place, shall we?”

  Gathering up her reticule and slipping her fan into it, she slid across the seat. A footman quickly appeared to assist her and Alexandra out. Together they strolled up the stone walk to the main entrance.

  * * *

  “What a lovely hospital,” Rose said to Alexandra an hour later after enjoying a full tour of the building from top to bottom, and making arrangements to return another day to visit the children in the east wing. They would organize some form of entertainment. A puppet show perhaps.

  Though Rose had been very interested in the tour, she often found herself preoccupied, for it was as if the walls were alive with Leopold’s presence. Every step she took over the smooth marble floors made her feel connected to him again, for this was his project, his creation.

  She was so very proud of him and could not deny that still—after all these years—he held a special place in her heart and always would.

  As she and Alexandra entered the coach, she found herself wishing that fate had intervened and brought Leopold to the hospital that day while they were taking their tour. She would have congratulated him for his achievements since the last time she saw him.

  She had been a married woman then.

  Oh … dear, sweet Joseph. He had been the best husband a woman could ask for. It had been more than a year since his passing, and she still missed him every day.

  Rose was accustomed to such feelings, however, for she had lived with them most of her adult life.

  “Is there anywhere else you would like to visit?” Alexandra asked as they settled into their seats, facing each other.

  Rose withdrew her fan from her reticule and opened it with a slow flick of her wrist. “No, I would prefer to go home now. It has been a long day.”

  The coach lurched forward, and they headed back to the palace.

  * * *

  The breeze was cool on Rose’s cheeks as she galloped fast and hard across the rolling green meadow with her groom a short distance behind.

  Indeed, it was glorious to be home again, to bask in the familiar surroundings that were so much a part of her identity. How many times had she ridden across these gorgeous green pastures? Hundreds of times, to be sure, and now, after having been away for five years, she cherished them more than ever. She cherished everything about Petersbourg, and felt suddenly euphoric as Zeus leaped over a low stone wall and carried her toward the sweet-smelling forest, where it would be cool in the shade of the leaves.

  Slowing Zeus to a trot, she entered the wood and patted him on the neck. “Good boy. Let’s walk for a while and catch our breath, shall we?”

  She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh pine-scented air while the canopy of branches overhead reigned majestically over the path that would take her to the top of the ridge.

  Again, her thoughts drifted to another time when she had ridden this path with the expectation of meeting her first love. He had come, as promised, and that day would always remain one of the most magical, romantic memories of her life.

  How could she not help but dream about encountering him here again? What would she do if he came cantering down the bridle path, exactly as before? She would smile, of course. Her heart would delight in the happiness.

  She did not encounter Leopold, however, as she slowly climbed the ridge. There were no others in the forest except for her groom, who followed at a discreet distance.

  At last, she reached the clearing at the top and dismounted. She handed Zeus to her groom who tethered both animals to a tree and waited patiently while she strolled to the edge of the rise to look out over the city.

  Sitting down on a fallen tree that had not been there before, she untied the ribbons of her bonnet, carefully removed it, and set it down beside her whil
e she cooled off in the gentle mountain breezes.

  A short while later, the sound of voices caused her to turn quickly, for she thought she was alone here.

  Her heart nearly beat out of her chest when she saw Lord Cavanaugh—Leopold—sitting high in his saddle carrying on a casual conversation with her groom, who held Leo’s horse steady while he dismounted.

  Wondering if this was yet another fantasy, Rose stood up and stared.

  Oh, how handsome he looked, dressed in a dark green riding jacket and tawny breeches with polished boots and an elegant top hat. Muscular and fit, he still possessed an inconceivable power to knock her over with his unparalleled charisma and confidence.

  Slowly he approached and removed his hat. “Your Royal Highness,” he said with a bow.

  She needed a moment to collect herself, for her heart was on fire at the shock and pleasure of seeing him again. It was like staring into the sun.

  At last, she managed to find her voice. “Leopold.”

  It was wrong to address him by his given name, but it spilled from her lips before she had a chance to think it through.

  “I thought I might find you here,” he said. “I heard you had returned to Petersbourg. Yesterday I was informed of your visit to the hospital.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh, yes! It is very beautiful. I was most impressed. I was going to send you a note to congratulate you.”

  He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then spoke in a gentle tone. “I was sorry to hear about your husband. He was a good man. Please accept my condolences.”

  “Thank you.”

  They each lowered their gazes while a light breeze whispered through the treetops.

  Feeling a sudden reckless impulse she could not resist, Rose looked up and said, “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

  “Of course.”

  She picked up her skirts and crossed the clearing to speak to her groom. A few seconds later, he was mounting his horse and riding back to the palace alone.

  “I told him he could leave us,” she explained to Leopold as she returned to him. “Perhaps you would be kind enough to escort me back?”

  “I would be honored.”

  She smiled at him and motioned toward the fallen tree, which served as a comfortable bench to look out over the city. They sat down beside each other.

  “I must confess it is wonderful to see you,” Leopold said. “I can hardly believe we are sitting here.”

  “Nor can I,” she replied.

  “There is so much to talk about, isn’t there. I don’t know where to begin. How much time do we have?”

  She laughed. “I am feeling the same way, as if we will be forced to part ways before we are finished.”

  He laid a hand on his chest. “My heart is pounding.”

  “Mine, too.”

  In the distance, the bells chimed in the cathedral tower. Rose closed her eyes, again relishing the sound.

  “You have a daughter,” Leopold said. “Will you tell me about her?”

  Naturally, Rose was delighted to talk about her beautiful Marie and how she was so confident and smart for her age. Leopold listened intently with genuine interest and fascination.

  She then asked about the hospital and his other charitable endeavors, and he described a number of worthy causes that inspired him. She was inspired as well, and offered to help in any way she could.

  Next they chatted about how the world had changed for the better since the war, and Leopold told her that his mother had recently remarried. She was now Lady Bosworth, wife of a kindhearted viscount who shared her love of flowers and country living.

  Before Rose realized it, more than an hour had passed. She glanced with some concern at the horses. “They are probably getting thirsty,” she mentioned, though she didn’t want to leave just yet. She wanted to continue the conversation.

  “Shall we walk them to the creek?” Leopold suggested.

  “An excellent idea.” Rose stood and picked up her bonnet, which she tied quickly under her chin.

  They untethered the two animals, led them into the woods, and began the gradual descent down the east side of the ridge.

  It was shady and cool beneath the shelter of the tall pines, and Rose was highly attuned to the sound of their footsteps, and the tap of the horses’ hooves upon the packed ground as they walked.

  “It’s so peaceful here,” she said on a wistful sigh as she looked up at the sky.

  “It’s like heaven,” he replied. “Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the peace of our country and the simple fact that I am here on this earth, alive and well enough to enjoy the beauty of it.” He slanted a look at her. “Forgive me, Rose. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Why not?” she asked. “I feel the same way.”

  He squinted into a sun-dappled clearing along the side of the path. “Yes, but you lost your husband recently. That was insensitive of me.”

  “Not at all,” she assured him. “It’s important that we embrace life and never take it for granted. Joseph believed that, and he made the most of the time he had after Waterloo. He often said that what happened to him was a blessing because it taught him to appreciate life so much more.”

  Leopold was quiet for a moment. “What happened in the end?” he asked. “I often think of those days in Waterloo and the decision I forced upon you.”

  “You didn’t force us,” she said. “We agreed with you.”

  “I held a gun to the doctor’s head,” he reminded her with a half chuckle. “It wasn’t my finest moment, I assure you.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh along with him. “I must disagree with you there, Leopold. What you did was very fine indeed. And if you are wondering about Joseph’s leg, it healed remarkably well. He walked with a limp that was barely noticeable, and he only required a cane in the last year, when it began to ache more than usual on rainy days. He lived a full and healthy life, and we had you to thank for that. It was something else entirely that claimed him in the end. A severe fever. It happened quickly.”

  They reached the creek and led the horses for a drink.

  Leopold turned to her. “Are you home to stay now, Rose, or will you return to Austria?”

  “Oh, I am most definitely home to stay,” she replied. “Did you not know that?”

  He shook his head. “I thought perhaps Emperor Francis might not wish to part with his grandchild.”

  She stroked Zeus’s shoulder. “I am sure things would be different if I’d had a son, but my daughter has no claim to the throne. That will go to Ferdinand. Francis has always been sympathetic to my attachment to Petersbourg. He wanted me to be happy. He let me go with his blessing.”

  The horses finished drinking, so they led them back to the path.

  “Then I am very glad you are home,” Leopold said, pausing before they mounted to ride the rest of the way.

  “I am glad, too,” she replied. “I never said this to anyone before, but I always felt rather displaced in Austria.”

  “I felt displaced, too,” he softly said, “even though I was here the entire time.”

  They faced each other in the cool shade of the forest, and all at once, an unsettling wave of emotion washed over Rose. She felt exuberant and excited as she admired Leopold’s arresting blue eyes and handsome face, yet melancholy at the same time, for she wasn’t sure if it was too late for this mad love they had once shared. So much had happened to tear them apart, and she knew very well that no one could ever turn back the hands of time. She was no longer the young, inexperienced virgin she had once been. She was a widow now, with a young daughter …

  Leopold squinted in a blinding shaft of sunlight that broke through the treetops and illuminated his face. He was still the most handsome man she had ever known. That would never change.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said, gazing at her with intense affection and an obvious vulnerability that curled around her heart like a sweet caress.

  “I missed you, too,” she replied. “
It hurts sometimes when I think of how we lost touch, and how I never knew what was happening in your life. There is still so much I want to ask you.”

  “Ask me now,” he said.

  She glanced down at her feet and smiled. “I fear that if I start heading down that path, Leopold, we could be here all night, for I would like to know every detail of every moment of your life since we parted in the stable yard that last day in Waterloo.”

  He nodded as if he felt the same way. They turned and started walking again.

  “You never married,” she mentioned in a casual tone.

  “No, though I considered it a few times. My mother has certainly done her part to wrangle me into matrimony, but I could never go ahead with it, despite everyone’s best efforts.”

  “Why not?”

  The horses plodded along behind them, their heads bobbing as they walked.

  “Because I could never love anyone but you, Rose, and I am quite sure my heart will be yours until the end of time.”

  Another deep wave of emotion rolled over her and she stopped abruptly, for they were the sweetest words she’d ever heard in her life.

  Oh God … how she loved this man.

  Leopold stopped, too, and faced her.

  “I always told you that I’d never give you up,” he said. “That I’d wait forever, and it has felt like forever since I let you go. But now you’re here before me, and all I want to do is hold you in my arms. I don’t know how I’ve managed not to.”

  “Then hold me,” she breathlessly replied. “Please, for I’ve waited a long time as well.”

  He needed no further encouragement. He stepped forward and pulled her into his loving embrace. The forest all around them seemed to explode into a stunning rainbow of color.

  His touch was pure heaven. Rose wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung tightly to his strength. She couldn’t seem to get enough of him. How long she had waited for this. Everything felt right and no longer displaced. She was where she was meant to be—with the man who had always possessed her heart.

  He drew back and took her face in his hands, searching the depths of her eyes with joyful disbelief. “Is this really happening?” he asked. “Is it possible you could be mine? Am I dreaming?”