The Surprise Princess (23 page)

For an instant she thought— No, she couldn’t read the emotions in his eyes. Though she thought the emotions there were strong.

She jerked her head back to the front of the church.

Nearly at the altar, King Jozef took April’s hand and kissed it. Grady stepped forward for the final steps, while the king went to stand with Hunter. The two men had beautifully shared the honors of escorting the bride and of best man.

There was not a dry eye to be seen.

Not then and not as April and Hunter exchanged their vows of love and hope, then put on the rings that symbolized those vows.

Katie found herself rubbing at the empty spot on her own ring finger. She clasped her hands together hard.

Pronounced husband and wife, Hunter and April were invited to kiss and accepted with gusto.

Brad’s lips on hers. For the first time during their wedding. Then a week ago on her couch. At the inn…

She shook her head, concentrating on the scene before her. When April and Hunter were presented to the guests as an officially married couple, both grinned widely. So did their attendants, who followed them back up the aisle. Pew by pew the guests joined the progression, every one of them smiling.

When it came to Katie’s turn, she exited the pew and saw those behind their row were also smiling.

With two exceptions.

A toddler who had fallen asleep on his father’s shoulder. And Brad Spencer who looked almost grim.

She tried not to look at him, standing so straight and handsome in the same suit he’d worn at their – no. She wouldn’t let her thoughts go down that path.

He was staring straight ahead, apparently oblivious to everyone around him.

She didn’t see him outside the church or in the stream of people walking across the street to the hotel, where smiling employees directed guests to elevators reserved for those going to the reception at the top of the hotel.

Katie took another elevator to her room for a moment alone to repair her calm and her tear-damaged makeup.

And there, as she started back toward the elevators, was Brad, opening the door to his room, several doors down and on the other side of the hall from hers.

He was in the room, about to let the door swing closed when she reached the doorway.

“Brad.”

She thought for an instant he was going to let go of the door. No, he held on, but for how long?

She stepped inside.

“What’s the matter, Brad?”

He looked down at her, expression unchanging. “I’m sorry, Katie.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“For robbing you of this.”

“Of what?”

He jerked his head in apparent reference to the reception rooms above them. “All this. The church, the flowers, the guests. It’s what you should have. It’s what you deserve.”

And then he leaned forward. And no thoughts could form except one.

He was going to kiss her.

He leaned closer…

… and kissed her on the nose.

On. The. Nose.

S
quirt. His fingertip on the tip of her nose. Kiss on the top of the head. And now this.

“What I
deserve
? What I deserve is to not be kissed on the nose like a … like a
puppy
.”

“A puppy? I didn’t— What are you— Hold up, Katie.”

But she was already out the door and turned toward the elevators. She was aware of Brad coming after her, but if she had to take off her heels and sprint, she’d get to an elevator before he reached her.

Then she recognized King Jozef coming toward her, with three people behind him.

Her determination to keep going wobbled as King Jozef neared and she saw his expression. This was the face of a king. Of a ruler. Of a man responsible for the welfare of many. A man who took that responsibility completely to heart.

Her own heart dropped.

The DNA test was in. His face told the result. He was so solemn because he was here to tell her the test wasn’t positive enough. He would claim only the irrefutable princess as his granddaughter.

She’d worried so much about the other result that she hadn’t considered this.

No family.

No history.

No one who had been looking for her all of her life.

Until this instant she hadn’t known how she had counted on that in some hidden part of her.

She forced herself to straighten. “Your Majesty.”

He was nearly in front of her. “You must come with us now.”

“Come with you? To the reception?”

“To the airport. Immediately.”

“What? No.” The king reached for her arm. She stepped back. Directly into Brad. She knew it was his chest against her back, his hands gripping her arms to steady her.

“She's not going anywhere she doesn't want to,” Brad said.

“Young man, you are no part of—”

One of the men behind King Jozef murmured something. The king's jaw tightened. “Yes. This is no place for discussion. We shall go into your suite, Katrina.”

He strode past Katie to stand in front of the door.

“It's my room, actually,” Brad said.

The king's face stiffened even more. Brad held his gaze an extra beat then unlocked the door, following it in to hold it open.

The king entered first. The older man – the ambassador – and Madame inclined their heads, indicating Katie should precede them. She joined the king by the windows, aware of those two, then Derek Kenton, his day off apparently canceled, following them in. As Brad let the door close, the king said, “We shall not detain you.”

Brad turned to her. “Do you want me to go, Katie?”

“No.” She shot a look toward the king, then back to Brad, and said stronger. “Please stay, Brad.”

“Sure thing.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall.

“Katrina, this is not for outsiders—”

Brad interrupted. “I’m not going.”

The ambassador gasped. King Jozef remained still for two breaths, his shoulder to her, which didn’t allow her to see what was in his face. Brad’s held unshakeable determination.

Abruptly, the king turned to her.

“We must waste no more time. The test you took is conclusive. A higher percentage match of DNA than even the most experienced expert had seen across two generations. You are – as I knew you were – Josephine-Augusta, daughter of Princess Sofia and Prince Leopold and thus the Princess Royal of Bariavak.”

Katie didn’t realize her knees had liquefied until Brad was there, holding her up. A small part of her mind wondered how he’d gotten there first when he’d been the farthest away. But most of her mind was occupied with spinning at a sickening speed.

“Great way to ease into it,” Brad muttered.

“This is merely an added confirmation,” King Jozef said, dismissively. “There is no surprise. As I have said, I knew, Katrina.”

“I’m Katie.” She caught the king’s glowering frown, but that wasn’t her top concern. “I don’t know what to do. How to decide—”

“Decide?” The king’s rich tones swelled. “There is no decision. We will depart on the royal jet immediately for Bariavak. You are Her Royal Highness, Princess Josephine-Augusta. You will do your duty to your country and your name. You will do as I command you.”

“Command?” Katie repeated. Her knees no longer felt shaky.

“Yes. As your king. As your grandfather. My command is—”

Madame made a low sound, deep in her throat.

King Jozef glanced toward the two men who had accompanied him. “Leave us.”

For a heartbeat no one moved. No one seemed to even breathe. Or maybe she thought that because she wasn't breathing.

“Your Majesty?” said the ambassador.

“Go.” he repeated. Then more mildly. “Go to the reception.”

They started out, but from the door Derek Kenton gave Brad a pointed look.

“Not going anywhere,” Brad said evenly.

Kenton then said, “I will be right outside, Your Majesty.”

The king raised a hand in acknowledgement and royal dismissal. It was an impressive gesture, giving way on this point of continued security without ceding one iota of his royal prerogative to have tossed them out of the room. Could she ever master a gesture like that if she were—

Not if she
were
a princess, because she
was
a princess. She truly was this stranger named Josephine-Augusta. And King Jozef wanted her to fly with him right now to Bariavak. As his granddaughter. As his heir.

The door closing snapped her thoughts back to this moment. She braced herself to not be overrun by the force of the king's will.

But he looked over his shoulder to Madame. “What would you say to me, Therese?”

Without any conscious intention, Katie found herself looking toward Brad for his reaction. His brows went up, his mouth quirked, and the blue of his eyes glittered as if amusement had electrified them.

“As Therese to Jozef?”

Katie admired the woman’s tone. She asked for confirmation, not permission.

“Yes,” he said.

“You would not allow anyone else to disrupt this day for April and Hunter. Would you do so yourself?”

“I shall simply withdraw with my granddaughter and depart. There will be no disruption.”

“Sure,” Brad agreed with such deceptive affability that Katie almost wanted to warn King Jozef. “Nobody will notice the most famous guest leaving with someone who looks remarkably like the media's previous princess candidate. And what? Motorcade out to Dulles Airport where the official royal jet gets cranked up in a hurry and an emergency flight plan is filed. Nah. Nobody will notice.”

The king glared coldly at Brad. Madame cleared her throat.

“The young man's casual language is regrettable, but his points are valid,” she said. “The media would surely speculate if you were to depart now.”

Brad pursued the point. “Right now, no one has reason to suspect there's been a test, much less the result. No sudden moves and you won't startle the media into swarming. But if you rush Katie off her feet and spirit her away, how long will it take some enterprising journalist to put two and two together and go after the DNA info?”

King Jozef stared at the far wall for a long moment. “We can handle the media efficiently in Bariavak. However, I shall order the departure to be moved to tomorrow. One day before the schedule should not startle any journalists. We shall enjoy the wedding celebration today, then I shall take my granddaughter home to Bariavak.”

His always resonant voice hit a deep note on those final words that stirred simultaneous empathy and determination in Katie.

“I have not agreed to go to Bariavak,” she said simply.

“What!” the king roared.

Katie thought she heard a sigh from Madame, but was too focused on giving back look for look to the king to be sure.

“I will think about it and let you know if I want to visit Bariavak. And if I do, when I will go.”

“You will—”

Brad interrupted. “She will do exactly what she said.”

The stalemate broke only when Madame said, “Nothing will be determined during the time of Hunter and April’s wedding reception.”

Katie gave herself a little shake. “You’re right, Madame. I’m going to the reception.”

She was aware of Brad behind her. But he didn’t try to catch up. He simply followed at a distance.

“You of all people, Therese—”

“Hah. Because I honor your rank with the respect it is due does not mean I am blind to your errors, Jozef.”

“Errors? What
errors
have I made? I have allowed her to wrap herself in this cloak of independence all these weeks upon weeks when everything in me wanted – no,
knew
she should be safeguarded and the lessons begun for all she will need to know. She is a lifetime behind in this education and to waste even another—what? Now what do you sigh over, woman?”

“You. I know your heartbreak, Jozef. And I know that is driving you. But you are making mistakes a second time that you never should have made thirty years ago.”

“Thirty? What has thirty years ago to do with this? It was twenty-eight years ago that those subhumans stole Katrina from us.”

“And it was thirty and more years ago that you nearly drove your daughter away for good.”

The king’s shock at the truth delivered so bluntly let Madame continue.

“Sofia was your true daughter in spirit and stubbornness. It appears this Katie might also be your true granddaughter. Not in a way that blood and tests determine. But in the way a spirit responds to orders. To
commands
. You know your reaction. You know Sofia’s. You cannot now be surprised if Katie feels the same.”

“I obeyed. Sofia obeyed eventually. Katrina will, too.”

Madame shook her head slowly. “You said you had learned from Sofia. But now you would assume your granddaughter is not like you in order to have your commands fulfilled?”

Katie felt a touch on her back, suppressed the instinct to jump, then saw it was Leslie. “Are you enjoying yourself, Katie?”

“It’s was a wonderful wedding and it’s a wonderful reception, Leslie. Absolutely lovely.”

She smiled, looking around. “It’s been a labor of love. Not to mention a monumental struggle not letting Madame on one side make it stiff and formal or Maurice and Etienne on the other side turn it into a grand blowout. Either of which would have made Hunter and April miserable.” They both chuckled. “But I notice you didn’t answer about you enjoying yourself, Katie.”

“Oh, I don’t want you to think I’m not. I didn’t mean that at all.”

“What I think isn’t the issue, either.”

“I don’t know many people here,” she said quietly.

“Bless your heart, about the only one who does is April. That’s the thing about a wedding. It pulls people together from all the aspects of the bride and groom’s lives. Course Hunter’s been so one-track-minded about work his are pretty narrow. Although …” She scanned the room. “See there? See those two couples talking with Tris and Bette?”

“Yes.”

“The younger man is the son of the older couple and that’s his wife. The older couple had another son who was in the Army. He saved Hunter’s life when he was a little boy. Saved him and then was killed himself. Scotty’s Army buddies got Hunter to the States to fulfill a promise.”