The Making of a Princess (14 page)

A ball rolled close. She picked it up and tossed it from one hand to the other until Marcus came running. He stopped and held his arms up and she gently tossed it to him. It fell through his arms and he scurried after it.

She leaned back on her arms and waited for the next round of ball. Boot-clad feet appeared in her peripheral vision and she looked up the long, lean length of Xavier. Like the Secret Service back home, the Royal Guard wore black suits and ties, which allowed them to be less obtrusive in guarding the Prince or visiting dignitaries.

His shoulders appeared a mile wide. And though the formal look lent him an austere aura meant to intimidate, she remembered the hard body beneath the dark material and how it felt to be in his arms.

The hot intensity in his eyes made her think he was remembering the same thing.

Putting the dangerous thought aside, she patted the grass beside her. “Have a seat.”

This past week had been one frustrating moment after another as they played the part of lovers in public and platonic friends in private. Not that there were many private moments. Something she was sure Xavier deliberately arranged. Being alone with her was something he avoided at all cost.

But if she thought the invitation would chase him away, she was doomed to disappointment. He shrugged off his jacket, tossed it to the ground, and casually dropped down beside her. Like her, he watched the boys running wild.

“They are hard to resist, are they not?”

That quick emotion clogged her throat. “I love them already.”

“So, you are glad you came?”

“Yes.” No hesitation there. She’d found the family, the warmth of approval she’d always longed for here. She and Bernadette were already fast friends and the affection between her and her father grew daily. It made it hard to think of leaving.

“Thank you for convincing me to come.”

“You convinced yourself. You are a strong, smart woman. Brave in the face of change.”

“Wow. It sounds like you think a lot of me,” she teased to hide how his words warmed her soul.

“Aivier! Aivier!” The boys spotted him and came running. A foot away the two of them launched their little bodies in the air, hurtling themselves at Xavier. He caught the sturdy pair easily, tucking the pair under his arms and tickling mercilessly while the boys shrieked with laughter.

After a minute, he set them on their feet with a last tickle of their little bellies. Devin looked at Marcus and the two made another leap at Xavier. The game was repeated again, only this time they bulleted into her. Unprepared, she fell back under their weight, wincing as her hair fanned around her in the grass. That was going to be fun to comb out later.

Xavier loomed above her, ready to scoop the boys away, but she shook her head, thrilling to the screams of laughter and joy until her mouth felt tired from smiling so big for so long. Then she wrapped the boys close and whispered, “Let’s get Xavier.”

Their eyes got big and they rolled to their feet. With evil smiles on their faces, they tiptoed toward where Xavier sat with a content look on his face, momentarily distracted by the phone in his hand. It made for the perfect ambush. Sensing something at the last moment, he looked up in time to brace himself for the twin attack. What he wasn’t prepared for was for her to follow with a hard shove to his shoulders, and they all went tumbling to the ground.

The boys were instantly everywhere, digging in with their little fingers.

“I am not ticklish.” The words rumbled in Xavier’s chest under her ear. “But as I remember, you are.”

In a heartbeat, the target changed from being Xavier to being her. Fingers, big and little, dug into her ribs, making her giggle. For a moment the sight of Xavier looming over her with a look of satisfaction shot her back to her bedroom in San Francisco when it was just the two of them snug in her bed, making love.

And when his eyes flashed with heat, the sense of longing the memory brought reached clear to her toes. She ruthlessly pushed it aside.

Instead she focused on the toddlers. She fought but the three of them were too much for her, tormenting her until tears rolled down her cheeks and she cried out for mercy.

“Stop! Stop!” she gasped.

Xavier relented, rolling to his feet and plucking the boys off her with a fist in the back of their shirts.

While Amanda lay recovering, the boys’ nanny approached. She and Xavier exchanged words and he nodded. “It’s time for them to go inside,” he told Amanda. He kissed each boy on the cheek and then lowered them for her to give each boy a hug and a kiss.

The nanny took the boys in hand and led them inside. After watching to see the trio made it safely indoors, Xavier turned to offer her a hand.

Sad the happy interlude was over, she accepted and the hard yank he gave pulled her full into his arms.

She gasped and looked up ready to—

“We have an audience,” he whispered, angling her slightly so she saw Carlo and Elayna walking together through the courtyard.

“I still say neither of them likes me,” she muttered, feeling the dagger of their glares in her back.

“You exaggerate. Neither has reason to dislike you.”

“Elayna does.”

“She knows that it is over between us.”

“Huh. Knowing and accepting are two different things. And Carlo always looks at me with suspicion in his eyes.”

“That is Carlo. He senses there is something more to your visit and is frustrated that he is not in the know. Ignore him,” he advised, his breath a caress across her cheek. “He cannot hurt you.”

“It’s not just me,” she protested. “I don’t want to cause trouble between my father and his people.”

“Do not concern yourself. Your father knows how to deal with his people.”

Carefully putting her back to the narrowed eyes of her nemeses, she pulled free of his unnerving embrace.

“I should get ready for the ball.”

“Of course.” He bowed his head in acknowledgement and bent to retrieve his jacket. “I will walk you inside.”

She wanted to protest, but welcomed the distraction. With him at her side she was too bothered to wonder at her reaction to his impromptu embrace. She’d been ready to do something, but was it to lash out or latch on?

Rattled by the enforced intimacy and her shifting emotions, half the time she didn’t know if she wanted to hit the man or kiss him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

B
ERNADETTE
SENT
A
young maid to help Amanda prepare for the ball. She knocked just after Amanda climbed into her filmy undergarments.

A bit disconcerted she tried to send the girl away, but Collette insisted the Princess would be most displeased if she failed to assist Amanda in looking her best for the ball.

She held up a makeup case and a curling iron. “I do very nice things for the hair.”

Hair was the magic word. Amanda opened the door wide and let the girl in. She’d been wondering what to do with her unruly mass of hair.

First Collette helped her into her dress and then Amanda sat and let the girl do her very nice things. She asked Amanda a few questions about her tastes, nodding at the honest answers then went to work.

“Oh my.” Surveying her reflection in the mirror, Amanda caught her breath at the stunning picture she made. Strapless, the fitted bodice of the dress consisted of ruched panels with one panel at the breast and one over the hip, encrusted with silver beading. The back laced up like a corset and the skirt fell from the hips to the floor in a glimmering sweep of liquid silver. A short train gave the skirt a satisfying swish.

The makeup was subtle except for the mysterious shadowing Collette had given her eyes. And her hair Amanda sighed. She’d swept the mass up into a sophisticated French twist, but of course there was too much hair, so from the top of the twist on down, the rest cascaded down her back in flowing curls. Tonight she truly felt like a princess.

“Collette, you have magic fingers. Thank you.”

“It is easy when I have such beautiful hair and skin to work with. You are truly lovely.” Collette finished packing up her tools and gave her a smile. “If you please, the Princess asked me to show you to the Blue Room when you were ready.”

“Of course.” Amanda checked her clutch and then followed the maid from the room.

“Enjoy the ball,” the girl said a few minutes later after showing Amanda to a parlor beautifully appointed in shades of blue.

Not wanting to wrinkle her dress, she walked over to admire a painting of blue water lilies only to realize it was a genuine Monet. She blinked, experiencing an Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole moment. But then this whole week ranked as an out of reality experience.

She lifted her chin and drew her shoulders back, standing straight and tall. She’d handled it.

“Amanda.”

Swinging around with a soft swish of her skirt, she found her father had joined her in the room. He wore a dark suit with a military cut and gold braiding over the shoulders, and his royal crest on the arm, looking every bit the prince he was.

“Papa,” she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. “How handsome you are.”

“My dear, you take my breath away.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him for a hug. She sank into the embrace, feeling both safe and cherished. This she realized was what she’d missed her whole life, a simple moment of closeness, a silent exchange of affection.

“I am so happy you came—” he pressed a kiss to her temple “—that we have had this time together.”

“Me too.” She stepped back, putting a finger to the corners of her eyes to catch the tears threatening to fall, before they could ruin her makeup. “I was just thinking how unreal much of this week has been. But the welcome you have all given me has been very real, very warm. Thank you.”

“No thanks are necessary. You are family.” He walked with her to a settee. “Amanda, I want you to know you are welcome to stay here. I will speak with my advisors this week and plan an announcement that you are my daughter.”

“Oh. Really?” Flustered, she prattled with no thought behind her words. She took a breath and looked into his eyes. “I hadn’t considered that option.”

“I hope you will.” He set a black velvet case on the table, to hold her hands. “I wish to acknowledge you as my daughter. You will never be in line to rule, but you will be an honored citizen.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Except
Thank you God,
she’d never be in line to rule. She thought of her grandmother’s ultimatum versus the warm welcome, the sense of family she’d found here. If she returned to the States, she may mend her relationship with her grandparents, but if she stayed, it was probably finished.

And then there was Michelle and Elle. Leaving them behind was unthinkable.

“Is it Xavier? He told me of your time together.”

“He did?” Her eyes went big as her heart sank. She couldn’t believe Xavier betrayed her again.

“No.” He lifted the chin she’d lowered, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You must not blame him. I saw the way you clung to him and guessed there was more to it. He very reluctantly confirmed my suspicions. He held his silence much longer than I, his Ruler and your father, cared for.”

“I’m not sure you get to be both at the same time.” Did she get to be mad at Xavier for answering a direct question from his Prince? She didn’t think so. She wouldn’t lie to the President of the United States.

“But I am both.”

“Not when it comes to my love life. Promise me there will be no politics, no persuasion, no undue pressure, no hint of a preference from you to Xavier regarding anything to do with me.”

Clearly he did not care to have his hands tied. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I know and I appreciate it, but my relationship with Xavier is over,” she assured him, ignoring the mortifying heat in her cheeks in the hopes it would soon recede. “He ended it.”

“And if he hadn’t?”

Good question. She eyed him through her lashes. “He says we could never be together.”

“Because he is a guard and you are—”

“Your daughter, yes. Is that true?”

For the first time since she met him, he didn’t seem to have an answer. “I—I do not know. There is no precedent.”

He stood and paced in front of the fireplace. She held her breath unsure why she let him struggle with the question when it didn’t change anything. She’d given up on any future for her and Xavier. Hadn’t she?

“I think in the past it may have been a problem, but these are modern times. Whether you agree to stay or only come for occasional visits you will be an honored citizen, and I would be most pleased if you found one of my people to make a life with.”

“Oh, Papa.” Such acceptance humbled her. “Then you need to let us find our own way. I cannot be with a man if I don’t know that he is with me of his own free choice because he loves me.”

“Of course he cares for you. Who would not love you?”

“Papa,” she chided him, both pleased and exasperated. “It is not as simple between a man and a woman as between a father and daughter. But even in this short time I have also come to love you.”

“Ah.” He inclined his head to her. “A proud man does not always find it easy to express emotion. But you are smart as well as beautiful and you read me well. Yes, you have burrowed your way into my heart. I will be quite distressed if we were to become separated again.”

“Me too,” she said softly. “Papa, how did your relationship with my mother end? Did she just leave at the end of the summer?” He’d told her much of her mother, but not this.

“There are times when you look so much like her it takes me back twenty-five years. Those were not my best years. I was arrogant and felt entitled. And I was hurting, as it seemed certain I would lose my grandmother.” He led her back to the sofa, urged her to sit.

“Haley made all that go away. When her time to leave Pasadonia came, I asked her to stay and she did, allowing her friends to travel on to Italy without her. I believe she wrote letters to her parents and had her friends mail them for her. She never liked to talk about them much.”

“But she returned with her friends to the United States.”

“
Oui
. Again I asked her to stay, but I could not give her assurances of a future together. I was not ready to settle down. I could not think of such with my grandmother’s illness.”

“You never tried to find her?”

“I had no reason to. Life moved on. If I had known of you, I would have stopped at nothing to find you.”

“I know.” She believed him. Believed also that her mother had lacked the courage to reach for forbidden love so far from everything she knew.

If given the chance, would she have the guts to do what her mother hadn’t?

“Enough of this seriousness.” He walked to the table and picked up the black case. “I came to give you this.” Lifting the top, he revealed a glittering diamond necklace. A web of descending scallops ending in a teardrop diamond as big as her thumbnail.

“It was Vivienne’s. It seems appropriate you should have it.”

“Oh, no.” A hand to her throat, Amanda stepped away. “I couldn’t possibly.”

“I want you to wear it.” He lifted the jewels from the case.

“Bernadette,” she said helplessly.

“She agrees these will look beautiful on you.”

“Someone may recognize them,” she argued, even as she stopped her retreat.

“Doubtful. The only portrait of her wearing the jewels has been on tour for nearly six months.”

“That’s right.” She remembered the piece now. “This necklace was on the tour. I saw it in San Francisco.”

“I had it flown back just for tonight.”

“Goodness, I guess I can’t let that extravagance go to waste.”

“Excellent.” He had her turn and fastened the clasp. Then he walked her to a gold-framed mirror. “Absolutely stunning. No doubt about it. You will be the belle of the ball.”

* * *

Amanda slowly made her way to the ball. Her father had given her much to think about. Not least of which was clearing the way for her and Xavier to be together. Would he be pleased by the news or find another excuse for them to break up?

And how did she feel? Did she want another chance with Xavier?

The sharp spike of lust and longing she’d experienced in the courtyard earlier surely indicated yes. The simple truth was she loved him.

And she missed him.

All week he’d been close by, either keeping an eye on her and the kids, or her and the Princess, or escorting her to some event or another. Those were especially trying times, when he actually touched her. How bittersweet to have him hold her hand or drape an arm around her shoulders when she knew it was just for show.

She wanted to go back in time to when they were a couple and pretend the breakup never happened. But she hadn’t played make-believe since the year Grandmother refused to let her go back to Princess Camp.

So the question remained, did she love him enough to put the past behind them and move forward together? Assuming he even wanted her.

Who was she kidding? She knew he wanted her. The flash of heat in his eyes today, the way his hands lingered on her longer then circumstances warranted, and his overstimulated protective instincts made it clear. He couldn’t hide his feelings any better than he could lie to his Prince. Honor and honesty were built into his DNA.

Being so hurt she’d lost sight of that for a while. Not anymore. She had a future to plan and where he fit into it played a big part in the decisions she had to make.

Reaching the top of the staircase leading to the foyer of the ballroom, Xavier suddenly came into view. He waited to the right of the entrance, out of the flow of traffic.

Her breath caught in her chest. He looked magnificent in his dress uniform of black trousers and white jacket, with braiding and medals draped and pinned on him to show his rank and mettle. He stood as tall and proud as any Prince Charming she had ever read about.

But this princess had found her prince in her father and now she just wanted an ordinary man, to live an ordinary life.

No, she corrected as she walked toward her future, an extraordinary man to live an extraordinary life.

His eyes gleamed his approval when she reached him. He bent over her hand, kissing the backs of her fingers.

“Never have I seen anything more beautiful than you in this dress. You are a moonbeam sent down from heaven.”

Pleased, she beamed up at him and ran a proprietary hand along his lapel. “I feel beautiful tonight. You look gorgeous yourself. I’m going to have to find a stick so I can fight the girls away.”

“I have eyes for no one but you.” He tucked her arm into the crook of his elbow and led her inside. “You must save every dance for me.”

Hearing their names announced together gave her a thrill and set the tone of the evening. After proceeding through the receiving line where she exchanged warm glances with her father and Bernadette and wary gazes with Carlo, Xavier led her through the glittering crowd to a cocktail table where his parents stood with drinks waiting.

There would be no sitting in the ballroom, but a few salons opened off the east wall and the terrace doors were open, inviting the guests to enjoy the evening air.

“My dear, you are simply enchanting.” Yvette greeted her with a kiss on each cheek.

Philippe also claimed a kiss as Amanda admired Yvette, the woman’s lush curves shown to advantage in a scooped neck midnight blue gown that belled gently from a dropped waist.

“This room is spectacular.” Amanda turned in a complete circle to take in the huge room framed by elaborate molding in antique gold, while white marble columns marched in matched pairs down the length of the room, separated by side tables topped by white rose bouquets bigger than she was. Three crystal chandeliers glimmered overhead and a dropped balcony housed a full orchestra. A lovely stage for the festive attendees dressed in lavish gowns, slick tuxedos and sparkling jewels.

“I love these affairs,” Yvette confessed. “It is the one night of the year I feel important.”

“My dear.” Philippe pulled her close and planted a kiss in the curls piled on top of her head. “You are important to me every day of the year.”

“Mon amour.”
She gave him a loving glance and he took the opportunity to steal a kiss.

Amanda sighed. Such love after being together for more than thirty years. That’s what she wanted.

“I know what Yvette means. Tonight has a special feel to it, a fairytale feel.” She lifted her glass of champagne. “So I propose a toast, to happily ever after.”