Inwardly, Juliette screamed. Outwardly, she smiled gently and said, “All right, Armand. Go on.”
“How are we doing in here, Emilia?” Alicia asked.
Juliette, wearing a formal gown, was standing in the middle of her bedroom with Emilia on her knees beside her, straightening her hemline.
“Oh, you look just lovely, miss,” Alicia raved. “Emilia, don’t forget the bracelets.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How are things with the princess?” Juliette asked Alicia.
“Oh, that girl,” Alicia sounded exasperated. “Not good, I’m afraid. She slept all day but she’s still exhausted. Yet she insists on attending the banquet tonight. She can be such an angel when she wants to be but when she’s in a headstrong mood-”
Armand poked his head through the doorway and interrupted. “Ladies, I need Miss Juliette downstairs in 15 minutes, please.”
“Yes, sir,” both Alicia and Emilia chimed simultaneously.
Armand continued, “Miss Juliette, Princess Sofia sends her deepest regrets but she won’t be able to meet you before the banquet tonight.”
“Thank you, Armand,” Juliette replied.
“Well, I better go finish up with the princess, then,” Alicia said. “You really do look lovely, miss.”
“Thank you, Alicia.”
Guillermo stood just inside the door of the King’s Study listening to the Sergeant-at-Arms announce the banquet attendees one by one.
“Duke Antuan Chevalier,” the Sergeant-at-Arms’ booming voice echoed across the foyer.
Armand entered the room carrying a white uniform coat with gold buttons and a bow tie draped over his shoulder. Guillermo stood still as Armand flipped up the collar of the prince’s white dress shirt and began to expertly tie the bow tie.
“How’s Juliette?” Guillermo asked.
“She looks lovely, sir.”
“Yes, but is she prepared?”
“She is quite intelligent, sir. And she has received high praise from her instructors.”
“Yes, but nothing quite prepares you for one of these things.” Armand finished with the tie and adjusted Guillermo’s collar. “I wish I could be there with her. I should never have agreed to separate rooms.”
“Well, it was a request from Baron Amsel himself, sir.”
“The baron,” Guillermo frowned. “I’ve met with him — or one of his lackeys — every day since my return, always with the same questions. What are they up to, do you think?”
“I haven’t a clue, sir. Shall I investigate?”
Guillermo considered it briefly, then said, “No, never mind. He’s such a buffoon, I’m sure he’ll tell me himself eventually.”
“Very good, sir.”
“Say, Armand…”
“Yes, sir?”
“I’ve been wondering something. Close the door for a minute, will you?”
Armand closed and locked the door, making the room completely soundproof.
“How did you find out about Juliette? I mean, how was it that you had an entire dossier prepared on her when I returned from North Africa?”
“I was asked to conduct a discreet investigation by your brother, King Arturo the Second, sir.”
“My brother?”
“Yes, sir, shortly before he died. I believe he had received several burglary complaints from members of the aristocracy. He asked me to conduct an investigation.”
“Why you? No offense intended but why not the chief of police or the royal guards?”
“He said it was a matter of trust, sir.” Armand paused, then ventured, “If I may be so bold, sir, your brother had become quite obsessed in the weeks before his death.”
“About what?”
“Finances, sir. He never confided in me about specifics. But I noticed him looking at the royal ledgers many times in the weeks before his death which, as you know, was quite unlike him.”
“But I’ve been over those ledgers myself just this past week. And I’ve met with the bankers overseeing our investments. There’s nothing wrong with them. In fact, if anything, our investments grew during Arturo’s reign.”
Armand spread his hands. “And yet, here we are, sir.”
Guillermo had an awful thought. “Tell me, Armand, in your expert opinion — speaking as an ex-military officer — was the king’s death at all suspicious? Could he have been murdered?”
“Oh, most certainly not, sir. No, the accident was seen by several witnesses: a tourist from Japan, a local farmer and his son, as well as two of the other hunters in his party. No, I’m certain that any concerns King Arturo might have had about finances were unrelated to his tragic death.”
“That’s a relief,” Guillermo exhaled. “So whatever it was, he wasn’t killed over it. Did he ask you to do any other investigations?”
“No, sir. And from what I can tell, all of the aristocratic jewelry robberies during the past 3 years can be traced back to Miss Juliette.”
“Hmm,” he mused, “so it was all about Juliette.” Guillermo chuckled to himself. “My fiancée…”
“Yes, sir?”
“To think that she could cause so much trouble that even my lazy-ass brother would be prodded into action. She’s really something, isn’t she?”
“Yes, sir,” Armand smiled.
“All right. Go ahead and crack the door, Armand. I want to arrive just after the baron. Let’s see what this banquet is really about.”
Juliette waited alone in the formal dining room, resisting the urge to pace. She could hear the Sergeant-at-Arms’ voice reverberating down the hall announcing guest after guest — but, so far, no one had walked into the dining room with her. And, frankly, who could blame the wives for skipping this one, when they’d just be shuttled off to some antechamber to await their husbands?
Just as she was beginning to think that she might get off the hook and not be forced to play hostess after all, her maid, Alicia, entered the room and announced, “Duchess Antonia Pilar de Somavía y Livid and her two children, Roberto and Andrés.”
Duchess Somavía curtsied and said, “So nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too-” Juliette was in mid-curtsy when the two boys ran past her and grabbed a toy train off of the bookshelf in the back of the room.
Duchess Somavía giggled. “You’ll have to excuse them. We’ve been in the car for 2 hours.”
“Oh? Where did you-”
“Boys,” she called. “Now put that down.” She walked past Juliette, following her two children to the bookshelf.
Alicia entered the room again. “Duchess Natalia Irene Bordiú-Rossi and her daughters, Mia and Bárbara.”
Duchess Bordiú-Rossi curtsied. “How do you do, miss?” The two cute little girls curtsied, too.
“Oh, they’re adorable!” Juliette said. “How old are they?”
“Mia is 6 and Bárbara is 4.”
“Four and a half!” Bárbara corrected her Mommy.
Juliette smiled. “Oh, my! Aren’t you a grown up-”
“Oh?” Duchess Bordiú-Rossi looked past Juliette. “Is that you, Antonia?”
“Natalia!” Duchess Somavía called from the back of the room. “Oh, it’s good to see you. We have so much to talk about.”
“Come along girls. Go say hello to the boys.”
Duchess Bordiú-Rossi and her two girls left Juliette standing alone at the entrance, feeling like she had just been stood up by her prom date.
Oh, boy, this is going to be a long night!
“The most honorable Baron Silvio Michel Amsel, esteemed member of Parliament, and the senior Senator from the Province of Canillo la Vella,” the Sergeant-at-Arms announced majestically.
“Well, he’s here,” Guillermo said, straightening the sleeves on his coat. “How do I look?”
“Like royalty, sir,” Armand smiled.
“I feel like a schoolboy going to meet the principal. Wish me luck.” Guillermo paused at the King’s Study door and looked back. “Armand…”
The royal butler read Guillermo’s mind. “We’ve done all we can, sir. Princess Sofia will be with her. We just have to trust Miss Juliette.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Guillermo smirked, “Besides, it’s only my first state dinner as a host. What could possibly go wrong?”
Chapter 10
“Lady Olivia Adana Amsel,” Alicia announced to the formal dining room.
“Pleased to meet you,” the young woman with tightly-wound brown curls spoke as she curtsied in front of Juliette.
“Pleased to meet you, Lady Amsel,” Juliette returned the curtsy. Something about this woman’s outfit seemed a bit “off” but Juliette couldn’t quite put her finger on what. And why, when she had to know that she was going to be secluded in a room with other women, was she showing so much cleavage?
“Please, call me Olivia. I assume you are Juliette?” Her manner seemed a bit haughty.
“Yes, I am.”
“I am so looking forward to getting to know you better, Juliette. Really, I feel we’re going to be the best of friends-”
“Countess Marie Isabella de Fuensaldaña y Prevot and Lady Cordelia Roslynne O’Duinn Gothieu,” Alicia interrupted from the doorway.
“Marie! Roslynne! It’s about time you arrived,” Olivia said.
“Sorry, Olivia,” Marie apologized. “The viscount’s car-”
“Oh, no one cares, Marie,” Olivia waved her gloved hand as if shooing away a fly. “I’d like you to meet my friend Juliette.”
Both girls curtsied and said, in unison, “Pleased to meet you.”
Juliette responded in kind.
“Yes, yes, enough of that,” Olivia said. She hooked her arm through Juliette’s and squeezed it to her breast. “Now, Juliette, tell me, how are you finding palace life?”
“Oh, yes, Juliette,” Marie interjected, “what’s it like?”
The intense stares from these three young women were a bit overwhelming. Reflexively, her training on dealing with the media came back to her and she said, “I love Palais d’Or. Everyone has been so good to me.”
“How did you and Prince Guillermo meet?”
Juliette blanched. “How did we meet?”
That’s not on the “answer” list! That’s on the “to be avoided” list!
“Well, you see-” she stammered.
Just then Alicia appeared at the door. “Princess Sofia Genoveva de Valdivia y Beaumont.”
Time seemed to stand still as Princess Sofia glided into the room. She was wearing a stunning red formal gown, matching high heels, an elegant gold necklace, and a tasteful diamond and silver tiara. Juliette was in awe, feeling like she was standing in the presence of true royalty. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t picture the image of this young woman bawling her eyes out in Guillermo’s arms last night.
“Ladies,” the princess bowed, displaying her trademark wan, regal smile.
“Princess Sofia, it is an honor,” all of the adults in the room said-
-except Juliette, who said-
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Oh?!” Olivia piped up. “You two haven’t met before? My, how interesting!”
Shit! I wasn’t thinking!
“Oh, Olivia, forgive the girl. She’s just nervous,” Princess Sofia admonished. “You remember your first royal banquet, don’t you?”
“Yes, well,” Olivia eyed Juliette suspiciously, then continued, “You’ve arrived at just the right time, Sofia. Juliette was just about to tell us the story of how she and Guillermo met. Weren’t you, Juliette?” Olivia smiled sweetly.
“Uhm, well, I-”
“Oh, Olivia, I’m sure Juliette has answered that question 100 times for the reporters,” Princess Sofia interrupted. “Let her rest for just one night.”
“But it must be so interesting,” Olivia gushed. “I mean, flower shop girl one minute, engaged to the prince the next. It’s almost too good to be true, don’t you think?”
What’s with that emphasis on “too good to be true?”
Once again, the princess rescued Juliette, saying, “All in good time, Olivia. All in good time. Let’s just relax and have a nice meal together. Shall we take our seats?”
As Olivia and her two friends reluctantly made their way to the dining room table, Juliette felt a hand on her arm. She turned and, to her surprise, found Princess Sofia looking up at her with her big blue eyes, mouthing the words, “I’m sorry.”
Juliette was so stunned that she didn’t know how to respond. Then, in an instant, the wan, regal smile was back as the princess moved to take her seat at the head of the table.
Sorry? Sorry for what? What’s going on, here?!
“And so, I propose a toast,” the elder statesman, dressed in a gray formal ceremonial uniform, raised his champagne glass. The 50 or so other men in attendance at the royal banquet also raised their glasses. “To Prince Guillermo and his lovely bride-to-be. May your marriage be a fruitful and happy one!”
“Hear, hear!”
“To Prince Guillermo!”
The cheers rang up from the crowd.
The Prince, hiding his intense boredom, forced a smile and drank another sip of champagne.
Dear God, is every man here going to give a toast? Let’s just get on with it already.
As if on cue, a portly man with tightly-groomed gray hair and mustache stood. “Esteemed colleagues, I wonder if I might be allowed to speak?” Like most of the other men in the room, he was also wearing a gray ceremonial uniform — but his was decorated with ribbons, medals, and gold tassels on each shoulder pad.
Baron Amsel. Finally, the real kingpin speaks.
“Gentlemen, it is a privilege to address such a highly cultured assemblage of great men. I, too, like all of you, am honored to raise a glass in the presence of the prince and praise him for his ambassadorship to North Africa. You do us an honor, good sir, by representing San Morrando so vociferously.”
“Here, here!”
“To the prince!”
Vociferously? You’ve got to be kidding me.
“But, reluctantly, I must broach a somewhat grave and serious topic. With all that is happening in the world today, with the situation in Africa being what it is, with the stresses and strains of the economic turmoil swirling all around us, to be thrust into the political spotlight after almost no training at all, the burden of rule must be quite tremendous.”
“Indeed.”
“Quite so.”
“And so, I, Baron Amsel, humbly offer my services; to my prince, and, to my country. Should the strain of rule become too heavy of a cross to bear, let the record show that I, Baron Amsel, would reluctantly carry that weighty burden with the honor and dignity befitting the throne.”
So. There it is. The bastard wants my crown.
Polite applause filled the room.
“Well said.”
“Good show.”
All right. Time to nip this in the bud.
Guillermo rose; a hush fell over the room. “Thank you all for attending tonight. And thank you for the support you have shown my brother and my father before him. I want to thank Baron Amsel for his kind offer. I want to assure everyone in this room that I will give the Baron’s offer the serious consideration it deserves. However, I want to also assure you that I am fit, able, and ready to meet this challenge head on, and I hope I can count on the support and guidance from everyone in this room.”
“To the prince!”
“Long live the prince!”
“Long live the prince!”
Thunderous applause echoed throughout the ballroom. Guillermo smiled and waved. Out of the corner of his eye, Guillermo noticed that the baron was frowning.
Juliette took her seat next to Princess Sofia and across from Olivia. The perky Marie sat to Juliette’s right; Olivia’s other friend, the redheaded Roslynne, sat directly across from Marie.
No sooner had they sat down than Princess Sofia asked, “So, how are things with the viscount, M
arie?”
Marie instantly lit up, “Oh, Sofia, you missed the most wonderful party yesterday!”
“Oh really? Give me all of the details. Don’t leave anything out!” Sofia encouraged.
“Well, so, when we first pulled up to the marina — that’s Olivia, Roslynne, and I — we see this enormous boat in the distance. Oh, it was just gorgeous, Sofia! And I said, ‘That can’t be the viscount’s ship.’ But before you know it, the viscount’s butler…”
As Marie prattled on about some lavish party on a luxury yacht, Juliette silently surveyed her surroundings. The two mothers sat at the other end of the table enthralled in their gossip, occasionally calling out a warning to their children, not even acknowledging the young women who were only a couple of empty seats away. The 4 children sat at the modern black table near the fireplace, their innocent chatter echoing pleasantly around the room. The candelabra was lit tonight, the flames dancing, casting silver reflections across the finely polished table.
Eventually, Alicia returned with two assistants and began laying out the first course: a small salad splashed with oil and vinegar. Juliette’s lessons on table etiquette came back to her.
Salad is the outside fork and remember: don’t start eating until the princess starts eating!
Juliette sat patiently as Marie rambled on about her date. Princess Sofia picked up her salad fork and, as if it were rehearsed, so did everyone else at the table. The salad was surprisingly sweet and tasty; Juliette made sure to eat in measured bites and when the princess laid her fork down, so did she.
So far, so good! No major blunders!
Alicia and her assistants gracefully swooped in to remove the salad plates and quickly replaced them with the main course: Boeuf Bourguignon with mashed potatoes, Escargots Persillade en Brioche, and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. The porcelain dinner plates were a simple peach color with a fine line of gold around the edges. Gravy had been carefully drizzled in a criss-cross pattern. The meal looked like a delicious work of art.
Princess Thief: Stealing Your Heart Page 9
