by Katie Dowe
“Luis and Alejandro are at school and our baby girl, Gabriella, is at the moment sleeping.” Debbie looked at Noelle. “Our sons are six and our daughter is three. I had an easy time with the boys, but Gabriella was a bit of a challenge,” she said with a laugh. “I guess it was nature’s way of telling me it was time for me to stop.”
“My wife wanted four children,” Prince Alexander said with a wry smile as their plates were being cleared away by the maids. “And as you know, Jerrold, I have no say when it comes to what she puts her mind to.”
Debbie laughed at that and reached out a hand to touch her husband’s hand. “I really should tell you the story of how Alexander and I ended up together, Noelle.”
*****
Later that evening, after the two dark haired boys who had a remarkable combination of their father’s look as well as their mother’s had come charging in with their guard right behind them and had been introduced to Noelle, they spent the rest of the time in a large ante room with crossbows and impressionable swords displayed on the walls. Gabriella had been brought in by her nanny all showered and fed with her gorgeous curly black hair and looking like a small replica of her mother and had gone straight into her dad’s arms. Very soon, they were shown their suite, lavender colored area complete with two bedrooms, a bath, a sitting room, and a balcony that faced the eastern section of the palace. Debbie had promised her the tour tomorrow and had told her that it would take several days to complete it!
She stood at the railing and felt the heady spring breeze to stir her hair and brushed her skin. The smell of roses and some other exotic plant teased her nostrils and she breathed in the clean air, feeling a sense of peace permeating her body. She smiled and leaned back against the solid man who had come up behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. She had glimpsed a bottle of Costa Light reposing in a bucket at the bedside table as well as fruits and various types of cheeses. Jerrold bent his head and nibbled at her neck sending delicious shivers up and down her spine. “So? What do you think?”
“I am finding it hard to believe that this is real,” she murmured as she wrapped her hand around his. “This place is incredible! And I was scared to meet the prince and princess, but they are so nice and welcoming. And those kids, they are beautiful!”
He kissed the top of her head. “And they happen to like you.” He turned her to face him. “There is something I want to discuss with you.”
Chapter 14
He led her back into the bedroom and sat with her on the side of the bed, his hand holding hers. “I watched you eating this afternoon and later and there were no signs of the nausea that was plaguing you when we wear home.”
Noelle nodded. “I actually feel fine. I don’t know if it is the air.”
“That might be it,” he agreed. He laced his fingers through hers and stared at the ring he had put there. “I want us to get married here.”
She stared at him in surprise. “When have you decided that?”
“On our way here,” he told her with a grin. “I have always loved the unspoiled beauty of Costa Land and the way I feel when I am here. I mentioned it to Alexander and he is over the moon with it. Several of our friends had their weddings here. Truth be told, it is a fantastic destination wedding location.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “Alexander and I have been friends for a very long time. When I first met him in college in the states, he was a pain in the ass, but we got along quite well and have become closer over the years. He invited me a long time ago to come and make Costa Land my home for as long as I want to stay. I have been thinking about it.”
“You want to stay here indefinitely? In the palace?”
“Not in the palace but one of the houses in the vicinity that is a part of the entire kingdom.” His eyes twinkled as he looked at her. “You have only seen a small fraction of the entire grounds, darling. I am afraid the place stretches over several thousand acres with farm lands and cows grazing on rich abundant green grass. Costa Land is fertile and produces the finest vineyards in the world as well as the most organic fruits and vegetables to be found anywhere. There are no malls even though you have the choice to order your goods online and Romano’s has set up something like that with the insistence of Debbie.” His eyes searched her face. “I will not do anything without you agreeing.”
Her eyes shifted around the large airy room with the delicate tapestries on the walls, the throw rugs on the parquet floor, and general air of exquisite elegance that surrounded the place. She had fallen in love with the place from the moment the plane had hit the tarmac and she had seen the swaying green trees and brilliant sunshine and her love had only increased when she met the reigning prince and princess and their beautiful children.
“Will you think about it?” Jerrold asked her anxiously.
“What would you be doing while we are here?”
“I have been asked by Alexander to set up a basketball team and be in charge of the sporting side of things. Alexander and Debbie are determined to make Costa Land into a country with a civilized western flair without the intrusion of the outside world. He has introduced banking the western way and has gotten rid of the archaic way his father along with his ancestors used to handle things. Without taking away from the charm of the place, both he and Debbie have managed to make Costa Land into a functional country with all the modern amenities the people who live here can ever wish for. There are plans to build another hospital which I am on board with and will be investing in and a huge sports complex where the youths will be able to explore their talents as well as be able to host other countries when matches are being played. I will be in charge of seeing to that but only if you say yes to live here half of the year.”
Noelle stared at him and felt the idea taking shape inside her mind. “How about we do the tour first and then I decide after?” she suggested.
He smiled and nodded but he knew she had already decided. “That sounds good.”
*****
She got the tour the next day after waking up to the smell of the fresh scent of spring rain that had fallen during the night. She woke up and stretched languidly, realizing that she was alone in the bed and turning around she read the note that Jerrold had propped up on the pillows. “I know you are going to need time to recharge, love, after last night and I am giving you that.” He had put a smiley face next to the last word that had her going warm all over. He had kissed every inch of her body until she was almost begging him to take her, but he had ignored her pleas and had almost driven her crazy with need before he entered her. He had kept her up half the night until she had fallen into an exhausted sleep sprawled across his chest. She stretched languidly and put her hand on her flat stomach, a smile on her lips. He had started talking to her baby and crooning to it in his deep baritone voice. She had asked him if he wished for a boy or a girl and he had told her that he was not particular. She swung her legs out of the bed and glanced at the clock realizing to her dismay that it was almost nine AM and wondering if she had broken some palace rule. She took a hurried shower and selecting a pair of faded denims and a light cashmere sweater and bundling her hair into a neat ponytail, she made her way through the myriad of rooms, taking a little time to admire the décor as well as the spaces and high intricate ceilings. A uniformed maid was hurrying past her with a bundle of fresh linen in her hands and stopped to point her to the breakfast alcove before hurrying away. She went into the small space and saw just Princess Debbie seated at the table with a device in her hands and without her crown. She still managed to look regal in faded denims and a thin blue cashmere sweater. She looked up and saw Noelle in the doorway and gestured her in. “I am just planning my day, my secretary sent me a ton of things to deal with, but I am shelving most of them and taking you on a tour of the place.” She nodded to the maid who disappeared to serve the breakfast. “How was your first night here?” she asked as she poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Noelle.
“I slept like a baby, hence my getting up at this hour.” She looked at
the older woman apologetically as she sipped the strong black coffee and tried not to grimace.
Debbie noticed it and laughed. “I had the same reaction when I first tasted it.” She signaled a maid hovering in the room. “Clarissa, please bring in a pot of tea. That is also something I am not quite used to. I am from a working class family and was an ordinary American citizen, now I am soon to become queen of this country and I am not yet used to being the princess.”
“You seem so well adjusted.” Noelle commented.
Debbie waited until the maids had finished putting the food down before she said anything. “It is a façade I am afraid, but don’t tell my husband that,” Debbie said with a smile as she buttered a thin flaky croissant with homemade marmalade. “He tells me that I was born to be a queen and I told him I believe him.” She looked across at Noelle. “Have you met the wives of the members of Jerrold’s club?”
Noelle shook her head no.
“They are quite a group of women that I am so proud to be a part of. Seemingly ordinary African American women who never cease to amaze me and make me proud! They are into every charity you can think of and not just because they want their names in the spotlight, but because they really do care. I was an assistant to my husband’s mother when I met him.” She shook her head in wonder as she sipped her tea. “Arrogant and entitled should have been his first name, not to mention proprietary! He could not believe that I was the only woman who was not going to fall at his feet and give in to him and we had the fight of our lives! Even now after we have been married for a number of years, we still butt heads! Alexander was born royalty and is quite used to getting what he wants.”
“I understand that there is a bit of a scandal attached to the Costa name?” Noelle said as she cut into her Spanish omelet.
“You mean the fact that his uncle wanted to kill his father to take over the throne? The same uncle who was also in love with the queen?” Debbie asked in amusement.
“It sounds like the basis for a romance novel,” Noelle said with a laugh.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Debbie broached the subject. “So would you consider staying here?”
Noelle rolled her eyes. “Did Jerrold put you up to this?”
“When my husband told me about it, I wanted to jump up and down in excitement! Being the princess, it is very hard to make friends with the local women. They will forever see me as their princess and worst now that I am slated to be queen. They are never going to see me as anything except royalty and it gets annoying having people bow to me wherever I go.” She made a face and Noelle laughed sympathetically. “I spend hours talking to the other girls and when I can visit them I will go and they come to visit us when they can, but we have very busy lives and the visits are far and short so having one of us live here in this country would be something I am looking forward to.”
“Do you miss America?” Noelle had finished the meal and was enjoying the fresh strawberries placed in front of her.
“No,” Debbie said frankly. “I have my mother, brother, and sister, and my nieces there and they come for visits very often, so I am not without family, but I love it here and I believe that you will too.”
Noelle concentrated on her fruits. “Jerrold gave a very compelling argument, but I told him I will give him my answer after the tour.”
“Then let the tour begin.”
*****
Several minutes through the tour, Noelle realized why Debbie had insisted on them using a golf cart. Two men followed behind them at a discreet distance as they made their way across grass as green and as soft as any expensive carpet! The grounds stretched for several miles and as Debbie pointed out the various attractions, including the white gazebo with the green trellis wound about the columns, the horses grazing in paddocks, a playground that was designed specifically for the children, an old crumbling building that had been part of the original structure, streams bubbling over smooth stones which to Noelle’s surprise were filled with large fish darting around in the clear water. There was a basketball court, a tennis court, and a large octagonal pool with water gushing from rocks high above it. Set far back from the palace was a charming two story house with a quaint wood fence stretched around the perimeter. “A long time ago, this was the maid’s quarters as they were not allowed to be in the same area as the royalties.” Debbie stopped the car and waited until Noelle had alighted.
“I take it that times have changed,” she said dryly as they made their way towards the gate and Debbie pushed it open.
“Tremendously so,” Debbie told her with a laugh. “I am the first African American woman to ever become a princess.”
To Noelle’s surprise, the door had not been locked. “It’s pretty safe here and this is a part of the palace property so it is well guarded. ” The interior took her breath away! Glittering chandeliers hung from high arched ceilings while the walls papered in the most delicate of shell pink and lavender offset the winding white staircase that led to the upper floor. The living room was large with an enormous fireplace and recessed walls that opened out to show a liquor cabinet complete with dozens of bottles of wines. “Costa Land is a wine country as you may have known.”
Noelle nodded as she walked around and trailed her fingers along the silk sofas. Next they went into the sunken ultra-modern kitchen with an old range in the corner. “It still works,” Debbie said with a smile. A solarium and dining room was next as well as two half baths before they went up the curving staircase that led in opposite directions. There were five suites in all, complete with sitting rooms, bathrooms, and a wraparound balcony that offered a spectacular view of the town. Noelle stood in the magnificent master bedroom and stared around, admiring the pale tan carpeting and the silken tan and brown wall papering.
“What do you think?” Debbie asked her.
“I think that I am convinced I have stepped into paradise ever since I landed and now I am truly convinced. It’s breathtakingly lovely, Debbie.”
Debbie expelled a breath and linked her hand through the girl’s arm. “I am so happy you think so. Does that mean you are going to stay?”
“How can I say no?” Noelle asked with a laugh.
“Good!” Debbie hugged her suddenly. “I want you to accompany me somewhere.”
“Where?” Noelle followed her as they made their way back downstairs.
“The hospital. Today is Wednesday and it is my time to visit the cancer children. The wives and I rallied to get a section added so that the parents could visit with their children and stay over if they felt the need to do so. I want you to find your place here, Noelle, as there are lots of positions to be filled and I would like your help.”
“I will do what I can.”
“it is so great that you are going to be staying!” Debbie, forgetting her position as royalty, said with a whoop and flung her arms around the startled Noelle who hesitated a moment before returning the hug. She had never had a female friend before because of her past but in a short space of time she was in a relationship with a wonderful man and on her way to becoming a wife and a mother and friends with a princess at that!
*****
The trip to the hospital meant that they had to go back to the palace and shower and chang before heading out again. It also meant that Princess Debbie had to put her crown on her head and be escorted with guards who accompanied them driving close behind them in another town car, this one bearing the royal crest of the royals. “It’s cumbersome and at times a nuisance, but I have to dress the part whenever I go out in public. I once made the mistake of venturing out to the market just to pick up some fresh fruits. I wanted to shed the crown and the title and just be myself for one day!” She shook her head. “I was recognized immediately and there was such a furor in the papers you would think that I had murdered my husband and his parents!” Noelle joined the laughter as the vehicle pulled up outside the quaint but rather large hospital: Faith and Hope General. The driver pulled up outside the entrance. “Read
y?”
*****
Noelle had never had so much or felt such sympathy for the surprisingly cheerful children in the large open area of the rather elegantly furnished playroom that had also been donated by the same women who had made the rooms available for the parents to spend the night and be with their sick kids. She admired the natural way Debbie had when dealing with them. She took off her crown and placed it on the head of a rather sickly little girl who was no more than four years old but diagnosed with an inoperable tumor. The little girl sat on her lap and listened to everything that was being said with a happy smile on her face. Noelle excused herself briefly to take a phone call from Jerrold whom she had not seen since he left this morning. He had called and told her that he and Prince Alexander had some things to discuss and meetings for almost the entire day, but he would be back in time for dinner.
“I was beginning to think that you had flown back to the states and left me,” she teased as she found a quiet area in the cafeteria to take the call.
“I am sorry, darling, but I have been in meetings for most of the day with Alexander. How are you and our baby?”
“We are doing quite well. I had breakfast this morning and then lunch a few hours ago and I am keeping it all down.”
“I am glad to know that. Did you get the tour?”
“You mean of the beautiful two-story house that is supposed to be ours?”
“As well as the grounds surrounding the castle.”
“I did and I have a feeling that we have more grounds to cover. I have yet to see the famous flowers gardens and the herb ones as well. I am at the hospital visiting with Debbie.”
“I am happy she has taken you with her. I did not want you cooped up in the palace with nothing to do.”
“Somehow in all those many rooms I would have found something to occupy my time,” she told him laughingly. “And Jerrold?”
“Yes, my love?”
“I want to stay.”
She smiled at the pause and waited for him to respond. “Thank you, darling. I promise you will not regret it.”
