“My God! Your parents will be so—wait a minute. That’s why you weren’t quite as concerned about this new law, isn’t it?” Remorse struck him anew for the horrible words he’d thrown at her.
She hesitated. “Until James is found, the first male heir could well be the Crown Prince. I am worried, but I also know my chances are as good of having a female child. If it’s a son and we don’t want him to be king, it could be done, but it would be a tedious process. As a last resort, we can petition the parliament to pass over him.”
Rafe gathered her into his arms. “We’ll deal with it together when the time comes, if the time comes. And if your brother is found, then we can just be an average pair of doting parents.”
She smiled. “Well, perhaps not quite average.”
“The important thing,” he said, drawing her even nearer, “is that we spend the rest of our lives together.”
And as he found her lips and claimed his princess, he felt something inside him click into place, something he’d waited for his whole life. He was loved.
Epilogue
Elizabeth stood at the back of Wynton Chapel, her sisters gathered around her.
Alexandra, ever practical, had a list in her hand. “Now, Serena, don’t forget to hand your flowers to Katherine right before they go up to the altar. She’ll hand them to me. When Elizabeth hands you her bouquet, you two repeat the same thing so your hands are free to help with her train—” She broke off, fishing a tissue from her bodice to dab at her upper lip.
“Are you all right?” Katherine stopped adjusting Elizabeth’s bridal veil and took her eldest sister by the elbow. “I thought this morning sickness stuff was only for the first three months.”
“The doctor swears it will ease any day now,” Alexandra replied, taking deep, shaky breaths. “If he’s wrong, I’m going to have him beheaded.”
“All you have to do is make it through the wedding,” Serena said. “Then you can throw up all you want.”
“Thanks,” said Alexandra dryly.
“The wedding,” Serena repeated. “I’m so glad at least one of us is getting married here. The rest of us will live vicariously through you, Elizabeth.”
“And it will make Mummy and Daddy so happy.” Katherine’s face lost a bit of its happy glow. “I still feel badly that I deprived them of the chance to throw us a big ‘do.”’
“Mummy and Daddy are happy for all of us,” Elizabeth reassured them all, thinking back to her mother’s words before she’d left for Phoenix the last time. “They wanted each of us to find love and hold it tight for the rest of our lives. And we have.”
“I only wish we could have found James,” Alexandra said. “What a wedding present that would have been!”
There was a moment of silence as they contemplated how very close they might be to giving their parents the gift of a lifetime.
“One last group hug,” Serena said as she sniffed and dabbed at a tear. “The music’s started and we have to start down the aisle any minute.”
The four sisters huddled together, Katherine fussing at them not to wrinkle Elizabeth’s gown.
She loved them so much, Elizabeth thought, swallowing tears of her own. It was almost inconceivable to think that they’d set out for the States mere months ago. So many events had occurred that it seemed much longer.
And now they would all be married. The wedding would barely be over before preparations for the coronation anniversary celebration would move into high gear. Mitch and Alexandra, along with Katherine and her new husband, Trey, as well as Serena and Gabe, would be staying in Wynborough until after the festivities.
Her smile faded a bit. The only person missing was Laura, whom they all cared for dearly. But she was needed at the Colton ranch in case John Colton showed up during Mitch’s absence.
The wedding coordinator hissed at them then, and a maid handed Katherine her flowers. Katherine blew Elizabeth a kiss as she started up the aisle, and Alexandra gave her a sickly smile when her turn came. Serena accepted her bridesmaid’s bouquet and flashed her one last wink before moving toward the front of the enormous old church.
Then it was her turn. King Phillip, who had been watching his other three daughters, came to her side and offered her his arm. One single tear slipped down his cheek and she reached up and wiped it away with her thumb.
“Don’t you start,” she said. “Serena was bad enough. I refuse to get married with smudged mascara.”
Her father’s chuckle was genuine. “Sorry. I was remembering you as a bare-bottomed baby and it suddenly hit me that very soon you’ll have a baby of your own.”
She grimaced. “I did things a bit out of order.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her father’s tone was fierce, but his eyes softened as he looked toward the front of the chapel where the woman he’d loved for more than thirty years waited to see him give away their child. “What matters is that you and Rafe love each other, and for that, your mother and I are very, very thankful—for all four of our daughters’ marriages. Not everyone is so lucky.”
“We had a fine example to show us what it should be like.” She gave him one last, misty smile. “I love you, Daddy.”
He led her forward then. As she got near enough to the front of the church to see the tall, broad-shouldered man waiting there with his father and brother and a line of other attendants, she gave Rafe a radiant smile.
Her father was right. They were lucky.
And she intended to show Rafe every day for the rest of their lives just how much she valued his love.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to
Anne Marie Winston for her contribution to
the Royally Wed series.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1328-9
THE PREGNANT PRINCESS
Copyright © 2000 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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