‘Of course, Your Highness.’ Madame smiled beatifically at Nell.
‘Let’s have a look at these...’ He was shuffling through the dresses. ‘No...no...no... What about this one, Nell?’ He held up a dark blue dress and then shook his head. ‘No, it’s got a bow at the back.’
‘Detachable, of course, Prince Hugo.’
‘Oh. What do you think, Nell?’ He turned to Nell, suddenly still. Somewhere, deep in his eyes, she saw that maybe this wasn’t going to be as excruciating as she’d thought.
‘It’s...very nice.’
‘Watered silk, Miss Maitland.’ Madame’s voice held a tang of disapproval. Clearly very nice wasn’t the right reaction.
‘Hmm.’ Hugo peered at the bow at the back of the dress and shrugged. ‘Well, perhaps that can go on the “possible” pile.’
He looked around, obviously trying to decide where to put the dress, and Madame clicked her fingers. One of her assistants sprang to attention, wheeling an empty rail forward and taking the dress from Hugo.
‘This one, Prince Hugo?’ Madame tried to reassert herself, grabbing a fuchsia-pink sequined gown.
‘My fiancée is a doctor, Madame, not the Christmas Fairy.’
‘Hugo!’ Queen Margaux had been watching quietly, but now murmured a reproach.
‘Apologies, Madame. What do you think, Nell?’
‘It’s...not really my style.’ Nell smiled apologetically at Madame, who pursed her lips. ‘What about this one?’
‘Very plain.’ Madame took the dark green velvet dress from the rail. ‘Of course, with Queen Margaux’s emeralds, it would be most striking.’ Nell’s heart sank as Madame held the dress up against her.
Hugo shook his head. ‘Better without. What is it you say, Mother, wear the dress and don’t let the dress wear you?’
Queen Margaux stifled a laugh. ‘Yes, exactly. When did you become so interested in women’s couture, Hugo?’
‘Nell’s been teaching me all kinds of things,’ he responded dryly, and his mother smiled. ‘Let’s put that with the “possibles” and leave the emeralds for later.’
They’d whittled the dresses down to four. Three blue and the green one, which Madame was obviously regretting putting on the rail to bring to the palace. Hugo was questioning Madame closely on the latest trends in menswear, which gave Nell a chance to slip away alone to put the first dress on. When she returned, Madame practically ran over to her, tugging unnecessarily at the bodice.
‘Perfect...perfect.’ She turned to Hugo as if Nell didn’t exist, looking for his reaction.
‘You like it, Nell?’ Hugo’s gaze found hers.
‘It’s...it looks beautiful.’ Nell looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Was that really her? ‘It’s a little tight.’
‘Form-fitting...’ Madame murmured the words.
‘I’d recommend breathing over form-fitting. Can you breathe, Nell? On a scale of one to ten.’
Nell grinned at him. ‘About three and a half. Maybe only three if I’m sitting down.’
‘Well, go and take it off quickly. Before I have to resuscitate you...’
* * *
The dress was chosen. Hugo had somehow managed to infer that the diamond earrings and bracelet that his mother was lending to go with it were all Madame’s idea, and she’d left, trailing the scent of slightly mollified disapproval in her wake. Queen Margaux had asked Hugo whether he was going to interfere when the hairdresser arrived, and he’d shrugged. Nell had laughingly told him that she thought she could manage alone.
‘It’s a matter of knowing your power.’ Since the choosing of the dress had been accomplished in record time, they were now free until three o’clock, and Hugo had taken Nell for a stroll in the palace gardens.
‘I’m not sure I have any power, do I?’ Nell looked up at Hugo. Caressed by the sun and relaxed in the warm breeze, he seemed the epitome of a handsome prince.
‘Of course you do. You know, when you’re a prince, people will tell you that you’re the one in charge. And then they tie you up in knots over all of the things you can and can’t do.’
‘Like having to accept your own private doctor?’ Nell knew now that Hugo’s studied avoidance of her advice hadn’t been just a game. He’d been fighting to express his own feelings over his surgery.
‘Well...that worked out. And you were right, I did need to rest a little more. And I needed to be told that I’m not indestructible.’
‘You needed to accept that for yourself. Not to be told.’
He chuckled. ‘Yes. Big difference. And you don’t need to be told which dress you like, so remember that next time.’
‘There probably isn’t going to be a next time.’ Nell had to remind herself every day that this wasn’t permanent. That she wasn’t really Hugo’s fiancée and that in a few months’ time she’d be leaving.
‘No. I suppose not.’ Suddenly the space between them seemed to grow. Their leisurely pace was the same, but they were just taking the same path through the gardens, not walking together.
‘Thank you for stepping in, though. I’m not sure what I would have ended up with if you hadn’t been there.’
‘My mother knows how to handle Madame and her entourage. It might have deteriorated into a squabble, though.’
‘A squabble? Surely not!’
Hugo chuckled. ‘They’ve known each other for years. Madame has access to all the best dresses, but she’s not that flexible in her approach. There have been a few full and frank discussions.’
‘I didn’t realise...’
‘That’s what I mean about taking your own power. People like Madame love to tell you what to do, but if you stand up to them, they’ve got nothing.’
‘And you take a lot of pleasure in standing up to them, don’t you?’
He didn’t answer. The complex politics, the unspoken expectations of the palace must be hard to live with. Being a doctor seemed suddenly a lot simpler.
‘I’ve been thinking. About Martin...’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Yes? You do that a lot?’
‘Not all that much.’ The last ten days had been busy. And full of the kind of achievement and joy that didn’t naturally bring Martin to mind. But that respite had served to consolidate Nell’s thoughts.
‘I’m glad to hear that.’ There was a note of possessiveness in Hugo’s tone.
‘I checked his social media accounts. He’s been very quiet recently.’ Nell had wondered whether Hugo had had anything to do with that.
‘The email that our legal team sent him might have had something to do with that.’
‘So you did do something.’
‘Nothing very much. They simply made contact and made a polite request that any future public statements be copied to them, as a courtesy.’
‘But coming from an eminent law firm, with the backing of the palace... That sounds like a threat to me.’
‘There were no threats. All bullies are cowards, don’t you know that? If Jarman backs off because you have powerful friends, that’s his business.’
‘I was thinking maybe...that I might make him back off by myself. I’m considering lodging an official complaint with the hospital.’
Hugo nodded. ‘If that’s what you want. It won’t be easy, though. Our lawyers can support you through the process.’
‘I know, but I don’t want that. I thought about what you said, about him probably acting that way towards other people. I’d been so bound up in my own problems that I thought I was alone, but if there is anyone else...’
‘You want to support them.’ He clearly approved of that wholeheartedly.
‘Yes, I do. And I want him to know that I did it alone. That I have the power to fight back by myself.’
‘Okay. Does that mean I’m not allowed to help?’
‘As a friend?�
� That was a far more demanding proposition. One word and he could have the weight of highly placed contacts and a hotshot legal team crashing down on Martin’s head. It would take a lot more input from him to support her through the process as her friend.
‘Yes. Always.’
‘If I wrote everything down, would you be able to look through it? Give me your opinion?’
His hand drifted to hers, and he tucked it into the crook of his elbow, his thumb brushing against the ring on her finger.
‘Yes, of course. Partners.’
‘Thank you. I’d like that.’ The ring meant one thing to everyone else who saw it and quite another to her and Hugo. That they couldn’t love each other but they could be friends, who protected each other.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
HUGO HAD LET her go, and Nell had set off for his parents’ apartment with a hint of determination in her step. Whatever happened with her hair and make-up, he was pretty sure that Nell would have a say in it.
He took more time than usual dressing, his left arm still hampering him as he sorted through his wardrobe to find a waistcoat that was exactly the shade of the dress she’d chosen. He’d never done that before, not for any woman, but Nell... They were of the same mind. Beneath all their differences they were cut from the same cloth.
He heard her let herself back into his apartment and rose from his chair to meet her. A little thrill ran up his spine, tempered by a reminder to himself that he shouldn’t expect too much.
And then, not expecting too much became irrelevant. He couldn’t possibly have expected her to look this stunning. The slim-line green dress traced her curves, the hem high on her ankle. A slender row of diamonds at her wrist and neck and a pair of high-heeled, strappy shoes balanced the look perfectly.
‘What do you think?’ She was pressing her lips together, and Hugo realised that his over-awed silence had left Nell waiting a little too long.
‘I think the dress is very nice.’ He wanted to touch the soft folds of material, but instead he allowed his hand to trace the shape of her waist, just millimetres away from it. ‘The diamonds are just right for it.’
She gave him a nervous smile and he permitted his fingers to follow the curve of her chin. Still not touching her. Somehow not touching was almost as sensual as feeling the softness of her skin. ‘They’d be nothing without you, though. You are exquisite.’
‘You think...it’s all right?’ She was smiling now.
‘It’s so much better than all right that...no, it’s not just all right.’
Nell nodded, obviously pleased, walking over to where his jacket hung across the back of the chair. Picking it up, she helped him on with it, smoothing her hands across his shoulders.
‘Will I do?’ He smiled down at her.
‘For an everyday, handsome prince? You’ll definitely do.’
He made her feel good. Clinging to his arm had become a matter of each supporting the other now. Nell protected him from being bumped and jostled, and he protected her from the enquiring heads that turned to look her way.
Everything glittered, from the magnificent chandeliers high above their heads down to the jewels of the assembled company. The great and the good of Montarino, along with delegations from their neighbouring countries. Hugo passed effortlessly between them all, his arm always there for her, the place by his side always reserved for Nell.
The King and Queen led the way into the grand dining hall. Queen Margaux shone in a canary-yellow dress, which complemented her blonde hair, and King Ferdinand was upright and gracious beside her. Everyone was seated, and Nell looked around nervously, feeling Hugo’s fingers brush hers under the snowy tablecloth. She looked into his smile and nodded an answer to his unspoken question. As long as she waited and followed his lead in picking the right one from the array of silver knives and forks in front of her, she’d be fine.
Hugo had taken charge of the conversation at their part of the table, asking questions and including everyone. Soon their group was animated and laughing and even Nell began to relax. Underneath the fine clothes and the magnificent surroundings, they were just people getting to know each other.
‘Would you like a break?’ As they rose from the table, Hugo bent towards her, murmuring in her ear.
‘Can we...? Don’t you have to stay with your guests?’
‘My parents have it covered. Just for ten minutes, so that you can stop having to keep smiling.’
That would actually be nice. Nell’s jaw was beginning to ache a little. She followed Hugo as he slipped through the open French doors and out onto the stone-flagged terrace. A number of people seemed to have had the same idea, and Hugo led her out of the circle of light cast by lanterns that were positioned around the terrace, down the steps and into the garden.
‘You’re sure we won’t be missed?’
He chuckled. ‘This is Montarino, not England. Protocol practically demands that a newly engaged couple disappear for at least ten minutes during the course of the evening.’ Hugo walked slowly along the paved path, which was flanked by a sculpted hedge.
‘Ten minutes. Not much time, then?’ She grinned up at him.
‘Something else you need to learn about Montarino. We know how to make very good use of just ten minutes.’
Suddenly ten minutes seemed like ten hours. Out here in the warm evening breeze, the lights and noise of the house were beginning to recede behind them. Nell shivered at the thought.
‘Cold?’
‘No, it’s nice to be out here. It was beginning to get very hot inside.’
Their leisurely pace grew more leisurely, until they were standing together. She had to touch him. Nell ran her fingers down the lapel of his jacket and felt Hugo’s hand resting lightly on her waist.
‘So...while everyone thinks we’ve escaped to do what every engaged couple does...’ Hugo chuckled.
‘We could read the paper?’
‘We could. Or play a game of cards.’
‘Not enough time.’ Nell reached up to touch his face. There was only one thing she really wanted to do right now. And since tonight was all about their public personas, an engaged couple who were naturally very much in love, maybe that one thing was permissible.
‘No. You’re right.’ His gaze never left her face as he raised her hand to his mouth, kissing her fingers.
They could have stopped there. But Nell didn’t want to, and she knew that Hugo didn’t either. Ten minutes.
His lips were almost touching hers. This wouldn’t be the formal kiss, planted on her cheek or hand, to delight the people around them. This was just for her.
Hugo’s arm tightened suddenly around her waist and she felt his body tighten against hers. ‘Who’s there?’
There was a rustle in the bushes behind her. Hugo pulled her away, facing the hurried whispers coming from the darkness. And then a shape detached itself from the deepest of the shadows, followed by another.
‘Who’s there?’ Hugo asked again, his tone demanding an answer.
‘The necklace...’ A low voice, full of menace, spoke in French and Hugo pushed Nell behind him. Not a good idea, even if he had been in full health. Nell kicked off her shoes, ready to run, clinging to Hugo’s arm.
‘All right.’ He held one hand out in a gesture that was clearly intended to calm the situation.
‘Quickly!’ The man spoke again, taking another step forward. He was holding something in his hand, and Nell wondered whether he was armed.
This must have been so easy. Any one of the women here was wearing jewellery that would fetch a high price. The men had only to get through high railings at the perimeter of the palace, conceal themselves in the garden and then wait.
‘Nell. Give me the necklace.’
‘What?’ Queen Margaux’s diamond necklace. She’d promised herself to take good care of it. But if giving it up was
unthinkable, the alternative was even worse.
She fumbled with the catch at the back of her neck, but it was too firmly secured for her trembling fingers. And she’d hesitated for a moment too long. The man lunged towards her as if to tear the necklace from her throat, and she felt Hugo’s body pushing her back and taking the brunt of the impact.
‘No... Hugo!’ He was stumbling to one side and Nell cried out in terror. ‘I’ll give it to you.’ She pulled frantically at the necklace, trying to get it off.
But it was too late for that. She felt a gloved hand close around her wrist, trying to get at her bracelet, and then she was free again as Hugo let out a great roar, tackling her assailant. The man lashed out at Hugo, and she saw a spark. In the silence, broken only by the sound of the wind in the trees, the clicking sound seemed to last for a very long time, even if it was just a few seconds. Then Hugo screamed in pain, dropping to the ground like a stone.
‘Hugo!’ There was no possibility of just giving the men what they wanted and letting them go now. Nell yelled for help at the top of her voice, hoping that if the assembled company in the palace didn’t hear her, there would be a security patrol in the grounds that did.
The men were running now, and Nell dropped to her knees beside Hugo. He was still groaning and gasping for air, and she grabbed his arm, feeling for his pulse.
‘Uh...’ He tried to speak, but couldn’t. All Nell could do was to hold him, as if that might absorb some of his pain into her own body and spare him.
‘I know. He had a stun gun. They’re gone now.’ Nell knew that a jolt from a stun gun could disable the strongest man. It dealt excruciating pain, rather than injury, but a recent operation and a pacemaker complicated things.
Hugo knew that as well as she did. ‘You’re okay, Hugo. I can feel your pulse.’
His body relaxed a little, but there was still fear in his eyes. ‘You’re...sure?’ His voice sounded thick and strange, and his free hand drifted to his chest.
From Doctor to Princess? Page 10
