Daniel laughed and pointed at Kyle. “You might as well give up right now.”
I looked at them confused. “Excuse me?”
“Let’s just say that there aren’t many eligible female nobles right now.” Daniel laughed at Kyle’s expression. “It’s a lost cause.”
“We don’t know that.” Kyle winked at me. “I’ve got a lot to offer.”
“Are you guys serious? I’m not looking to get married.”
“You’re fresh meat, sweetie.” Barney leaned forward and I could smell the bourbon on his breath. “Daniel here could care less since he’s not into skirts. But for every other eligible man in the country, you’re a potential wife. With a lot to bring to the bank… and bed.” He stared down at my breasts. I squeezed my hands into fists so tight I could feel my nails digging into my palm. All of the responses that popped into my head were wildly inappropriate for a queen’s sitting room.
“Barney.” Daniel glared at him. “That’s enough. We’re not all terrible, Samantha.”
“What are you talking about?” Catherine moved next to me. “You can’t monopolize the guest of honor.”
“I was hoping you’d come over here to check on her so I could enjoy that pretty dress up close.” Kyle tilted his head and looked up and down Catherine’s slim figure. She blushed, but didn’t look all that upset with his perusal.
“Dinner is served.” A door off to the side of the room opened and I couldn’t have been more relieved.
“Your Highness, may I escort you to your seat?” Kyle bowed to Catherine who accepted with a roll of her eyes.
“Samantha?” Daniel held out his arm to me and I let him guide me to into the dining room. There was a long rectangular table, with place settings for each guest. Little cards, with handwritten names told everyone where to sit. Daniel leaned close when we got to my seat.
“I may not be worried about finding a wife, but I am always happy to make a new friend.” He smiled at me, and I felt a little better.
“That would be nice.” I let him pull my chair out and help me sit, before he went to find his own seat.
“Welcome to Lilaria.” Daniel winked at me as he walked away.
“Kyle is not someone you should befriend.” Alex sat next to me and leaned close. “He’s only interested in what kind of dowry you have.” He glared over to where his sister was joking with the young duke. “Among other things.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” I whispered. “Tell me you’ve told your sister this.”
“Sisters don’t like to hear that kind of stuff from brothers, but yes, I’ve tried.” Alex opened his napkin and laid it over one leg. “You, on the other hand, have no one else to tell you this.”
“Not true. Barney has already informed me that I’m fresh meat.”
“He told you that? Those exact words?” The skin along his jaw tightened and he glared at where Barney was asking for a refill.
“Calm down. I’m not an idiot.” I shook my head.
“He can be very convincing when he wants to be. I don’t want to see you be taken advantage of.” He looked at me with frustrated eyes. “Consider it a friendly warning.”
“Are you upset that you can’t stomp around like a caveman and pee on my leg?” I poked his shoulder. “I’m not a tree, Your Highness.”
He laughed and several of the people at our end of the table turned their attention toward us. “What happened to my nickname?”
“That was an accident. Not going to happen again.” I looked around the table, noticing how everyone was watching us. The queen was smiling behind her wineglass and Rose was decidedly ignoring us as she spoke with the prime minister and his wife. Catherine, however, was grinning widely from her seat next to Kyle, a complete contrast to the glower he was shooting my way.
The food was delivered quickly and no one wasted time before eating. I could understand why; the food was delicious. I answered questions about my schooling, my family, and what I thought of Lilaria. I answered everything with the simplest answers I could manage. I didn’t want to tell these people my life story. By the time dessert was placed in front of me, I was exhausted.
When the queen stood to signal the end of the dinner, everyone raised a glass. “We’re honored to have back among us one of our family. Samantha, may you find happiness in Lilaria.”
She left shortly afterward with Rose and the prime minister, signaling that we could leave if we were ready. Catherine and Kyle made their way to where I was standing up. Alex had his back to me, talking to one of the parliament members.
“We’re heading out, want to come along?” Kyle had his hand on Catherine’s back but smiled at me in a way that made me want to punch him. He was definitely a worm and the fact Catherine seemed oblivious worried me. He was an attractive guy, but he oozed creep.
“Maybe another time. I’m ready to call it a night.”
“Would you like me to show you to your room?” Kyle dropped his hand from Catherine and stepped forward. Her eyebrows pulled together as she watched him.
“I’ve already offered to show her to her rooms.” Alex placed a hand on my back.
“Is that so?” Kyle glared at Alex. “Is it the same room Melissa used? Or the one Lora or Maggie stayed in? Maybe the room Adriane used the last time she stayed at the palace? How about the one Tabitha used? Maybe that was the same room Melissa stayed in.”
“Kyle!” Catherine gasped. Alex’s fingers stiffened against my back and I knew he was worried how I would react to a list of his conquests.
“I see pedigree has no bearing on whether or not you’re an a*shole.” While it bothered me to think of Alex with all those women, I was more disgusted by Kyle’s behavior. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some rest.”
Kyle sputtered, apparently surprised I had spoken up. Catherine looked at me with something close to jealousy and awe. Alex nudged me gently toward the exit. I left Kyle staring after us while Catherine watched thoughtfully.
Will America’s Duchess Fit in with the Other Royals?
—Celebrity Talk Magazine
“I apologize for that.” Alex ground his teeth when we were in the hallway.
“Don’t. It’s not your fault.” I was barely paying attention to the direction we went. I was so tired I had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I was also mentally chanting the list of women who had been with Alex, the image of him and Melissa flashing in my head. He stopped at a door and turned the ornate handle.
I stepped inside and looked at the giant bed and lavish furnishings. My bags had been unpacked and nightclothes were laid out on the mattress. I turned to look at Alex.
“Thank you. I guess I’ll see you sometime this week.” I bit my lip. I had no idea what the rest of the week held for me. Much less the rest of my life.
“Are you forgetting something?” Alex raised an eyebrow.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your dress.” He nodded toward me. “Or do you think you can manage on your own?”
I frowned. As much as I had complained about having to wear it, I was sort of fond of the dress and didn’t want to rip it. I looked up at him and nodded once before turning around so he could see the zipper. He closed the door behind him and moved toward me. I reached down to undo the belt at my waist but his hands slid around and closed over mine before moving them out of the way so he could do it. Slowly he pulled the belt from the loops and tossed it onto the bed. His fingers tugged the zipper at an almost torturous pace. His knuckles dragged along my spine the whole way and I shivered in response. When he slid the zipper over my bra I took a deep breath, but he never hesitated.
I knew I should stop him once he reached my waist, but I didn’t. I closed my eyes, enjoying the smell of him and the feel of his hands on me. I heard him take a deep breath of his own and he stopped the zipper just above my panties. I could feel his hands shake just before he let go and stepped away.
“I think you can take it from there.” Need mixed with frustration in his voice.
“Thank you for helping.” I took a step forward, clutching my dress to my chest as I turned around.
“How long are we going to play this game?” He was irritated and I didn’t blame him. He wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated.
“I’m not going to be another conquest, Alex. I don’t do one-night stands. I’m not that person.”
“And I’m not looking for a notch in my bedpost.” He took a step toward me.
His words scared me more than if he was just looking for a quick tumble in the sheets. Falling in love with Alex would leave me open to too much hurt. Anything I had with him would be short-lived. He’d eventually have to move on and marry someone who could help him rule a country. I looked around the room, at a loss for words. Refusing to say the words that would reveal my cowardice.
“Samantha, none of those women stayed at the palace.” Alex looked at me with serious eyes. He had taken my silence for something else. “At least they didn’t stay at the palace with me. Tabitha and Adriane have stayed here because they are from noble families. Kyle was just trying to upset you.”
“Alex, I don’t need to know.” I shook my head and grabbed at the excuse he had provided. “Besides. We’re friends. You don’t need to give me the list. I don’t care.” The last sentence sounded forced and desperate.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“I know.” But I wasn’t ready for anything else. Would never be ready for anything with Alex. I knew with just the little that had happened between us it would hurt too much when it fell apart. I had lost so much already and was on the verge of losing my father. Losing my heart would be unbearable. “I feel like my entire world was just shaken by a massive earthquake. I don’t know how anything works or what I’m supposed to do with myself. I can’t fall—” I stopped and swallowed. “I wouldn’t be a good girlfriend right now and I’m not up for sex with no strings. Once my dad gets here I won’t have any time.”
“All good things are worth the work. And what we could have would definitely be good.” He threw my words back at me and I had no response. I just stood there silently as he turned and left.
I let the dress fall to the ground and sat on the bed, staring at the door. My heart was still racing and I felt like kicking something. Mainly myself. And Alex. And Kyle.
Eventually I pulled myself up and got undressed. I checked out the attached bathroom and whistled. There was a huge jetted tub, separate shower, and everything was shiny. Apparently the inside of the palace was much newer than the outside. After sending a text message to Dad and Jess, I went to bed. I had no idea what tomorrow held for me.
Sunlight was streaming in the room and I woke to a knock on my door. I sat straight up and looked around the room in confusion. The knock came again and I slipped out of the blankets and padded to the door. I pulled it open and glared at Chadwick on the other side.
“Good morning, Duchess. I brought you some coffee.” He held a cup out to me that I took without hesitation. It could have been poison, but as long as there was some coffee mixed in I’d die happy. As I drank, he made his way into my room and set up a laptop and notebook on the desk in the corner. “I’ve already ordered another cup for you and can call for food if you’re hungry. I wasn’t sure if you’d want breakfast or lunch.”
“Slower, please.” I looked at him confusion. “Breakfast or lunch?”
“Yes, it’s almost noon.”
The cup stopped halfway to my mouth. “Oh my God. Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“There was nothing pressing this morning.” He sat down and went through the drawers until he found a pencil. “I thought you might need the rest. You’ve had a busy week.”
“You could say that.” I sat down in the chair across from the desk.
“I’ve gone through your schedule and set up some of the meetings you’ll need to have in the next few days, including time for you to see some of the country. Alex insisted you get to spend a few days here in the capital before leaving for your estate.” Chadwick sat primly at the desk. “I believe Catherine is hoping to join you as well.”
“Okay.” I pulled my feet up in my seat and finished off my cup. “First, food. Then we start doing what we need to do.”
“Excellent. We’ve already received requests for appearances and you’ve been invited to several dinners here in town. I’ve told them everything was pending approval at this point.”
“Appear where?” I latched onto the thing I thought most important.
“The American embassy has requested you meet with the ambassador. I believe they want to check on you.” He smiled fondly like it was cute. “There was also a request for you make an appearance at a local American school and the local zoological gardens sometime this week.”
“An ambassador, a school, and a zoo.” I thought it over in my head. “I haven’t technically been granted my title back.”
“That’s a formality. Speaking of which, the queen would like to perform the ceremony in two months, unless you have other plans?” His voice rose at the end letting me know it was a question.
“I do believe my calendar is clear.”
“Not exactly, but I understand what you mean. I’ll let the lord chamberlain know.” He smiled at me. “I’ve also spoken to Dr. Bielefeld’s staff and gotten them in contact with your father’s doctors. He should be looking over his paperwork at any minute.”
“Great! Is he here in town?” I sat up and leaned forward.
“Not yet. He was in Paris for a convention and to see a few patients. He keeps in regular touch with his office though, so we can expect steady updates.” Chadwick smiled a bit mischievously. “Apparently the doctor was excited to help out America’s Duchess.”
“Oh no. Tell me that hasn’t stuck.”
“It certainly has. Catchy, if you think about. There’s a definite fascination with royals in America. Probably because they don’t have any of their own.” Chadwick flipped open his notebook to a different page. “I hope you don’t mind, but I had your luggage inventoried and I believe shopping may be in order. You have several lovely dresses and outfits, but the fact is you’re going to need much more.”
I glared at him and set down my cup. He picked it up and put a coaster underneath. “You inventoried my clothes?”
“Well, yes. That’s part of my job. Helping make sure you have everything you need.” He looked at me with patient eyes. “I know it feels like an intrusion, but try to not look at it like that. Besides, I couldn’t care less about your bras and panties—they wouldn’t fit me. Though I would recommend getting more nightclothes. You only brought tank tops and giant shirts.” He said it like it was a crime.
“Hey!”
“No offense. They’re very nice tank tops and giant shirts if you like that sort of stuff, but if you’re going to let Prince Alex help you undress each night you might want something a little sexier to slip into.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Not that I’ll say a word about it of course. Not a word.”
“It’s not like that!” I sputtered. “He’s a friend and I couldn’t reach the zipper… I just… It wasn’t like that!”
“Of course not, honey. Not that I’d blame you if it was. That man has sent many a hearts fluttering.” Chadwick smiled up at me through his red hair and winked. “And if you need any help next time, let me know, I’d be happy to assist. I was coming to see to you, which was when I caught Alex leaving your room.”
“Oh, um.” I wasn’t exactly any more comfortable with the idea of Chadwick helping me undress.
He laughed at my hesitation. “I’m not going to be ogling you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Not the right bits, okay?”
“Oh. Okay.” That explained the joke about my bras and panties. “Listen, you really can’t tell anyone what you saw last night. It was nothing and Alex has had enough trouble with the press.”
“You can trust me, ma’am. I wouldn’t have been given this job if there was a chance I’d leak stuff to the press or start any rumors.” He smiled at me and patted my hand. “Now, I’m going to order some food while you get dressed. Any preference?”
“Fruit? Maybe some yogurt or oatmeal?”
“Done. I’d wear the blue suit-dress. It’ll look lovely on you. And it would be appropriately patriotic.” Chadwick disappeared out the door and I wondered what had just happened. I did as he said though, grabbing my clothes and taking a shower. I hurried because I wasn’t sure how long I had before the food would be back. There was a blow-dryer in the bathroom, so I quickly dried my hair and pulled half of it back out of my face. The sheath dress fit perfectly, but I hated I had to wear hose with it. It wasn’t really a suit, but rather a simple dress with a fitted jacket over it. I put my mother’s earrings back on and slipped into the nude pumps Jess had insisted on.
Breakfast was sitting on the table near the fireplace. Someone had stoked the fire, so I was very toasty as I watched the light snow flutter outside the window while I ate. Chadwick had a bowl of soup as we went over the schedule for the rest of the day. Once I was ready to leave, Becca and another “suit” came to escort us. We went straight to the embassy to meet with the ambassador for the United States. There were photographers outside the palace gates and more when we reached the embassy. I stopped and smiled for a few pictures before ducking inside out of the cold. If Chadwick hadn’t given me puppy eyes, I wouldn’t have stopped for a picture at all.
Chadwick turned out to be invaluable. He knew everyone by name and could tell me all about the things they were currently working on. The ambassador was a nice lady with blond hair, serious eyes, and quick smile. She introduced me to her aides and offered help getting my things moved over arranging transportation for my father. I was there for an hour total. It was like a whirlwind history class. There were dates, stories, and pictures. I could only pray I wouldn’t be tested on any of it. Then again, Chadwick would make an excellent cheat sheet. We made an appearance at an elementary school for American workers and expats sent their children to. I enjoyed that visit much more than I did the one to the embassy. The children had all kinds of crazy questions. I took a picture with one of the classes and a tiny girl with dark brown hair in braids crawled into my lap. The palace photographer had met us at the school and while thorough, he seemed to understand too many pictures would drive everyone crazy.
After the school, we went shopping. Becca seemed to enjoy watching me suffer through it all. And suffer I did.
Chadwick was a slave driver, constantly handing things over the door. It was as much fun as I thought it would be, but I left with several dresses from a Lilarian designer, dressy slacks, and new sweaters. I was fairly certain I had offended Chadwick with my sense of style. He would shake his head and put something on the counter I had originally declined.
“Trust me. If I wasn’t the assistant extraordinaire, I would have gone into fashion.” He mock-glared at me and I pretended to roll my eyes. “This will look great on you, ma’am.”
“Why did I even have to come if you were going to pick everything out?” I looked at him in disgust.
“You did find that gorgeous sweater, so you’re not completely hopeless. Think of me as a fashion guru and you’re my reluctant protégé.”
I laughed at him, glad we were getting along so well. It was a bit like having Jess with me. She had texted me to let me know I had been on the news. Apparently my landing had been streamed on live TV in the States. I had been horrified, but she seemed to have loved it. Said it felt like she had been there. My father had another chemo treatment today and I was feeling incredibly guilty for shopping while he went through that torture. Patricia had texted me to let me know he was fine and that they had watched me on the news.
I needed to call Dad soon and made a mental note to try later tonight. I wanted to hear his voice. I had been busy from the moment I set foot here, but I was still more than a little homesick.
Romantic Dinner or Friendly Get-Together?
—Lisa Talks
Once the sky began to darken, Chadwick started to hurry me along.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Do you want me to get new nightgowns or what? There’s a billion to choose from.”
“Yes. I got down on my knees this morning and prayed you would get rid of those hideous nightshirts, but we’re running out of time, ma’am.” He tapped his watch. “Prince Alex and Princess Catherine will be waiting for you, so just pick something.”
“All right, all right.” I grabbed several different colors of the one I was looking at and headed toward the clerk. “And stop calling me ma’am. You’re older than I am. Just call me Sam.”
“Sam?” He wrinkled his nose at me. “I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“It’s just that Sam doesn’t really seem like the name of a duchess.” He looked at my face and backpedaled. “Not that there is anything wrong with Sam. What about Samantha?”
“Fine.” I shrugged. “Anything is better than ma’am.”
“Well, only in private of course. It would be highly inappropriate if I called you that in public.”
I ground my teeth. “Okay.”
“It’s not so bad.” He patted my arm.
The staff hadn’t batted an eye when I’d come through the door, but it made me feel awkward to buy anything like a nightie. What if it ended up on the news? The cameras and news vans had lowered in numbers the longer we shopped, but as soon as I left the store I ran into a crowd of people hollering my name. Chadwick put an arm around me while Becca made a path for us to the car.
I thought we were in the clear as we pulled away from the curb, but cars surrounded us almost immediately.
“What are they doing?” I leaned forward to look out the window. “This is dangerous!” I squeaked when a car swerved close to us around a corner. Our driver slammed the brakes and we skidded, just missing the curb.
“Sit back, Samantha.” Chadwick moved to make sure I was buckled in.
“This is cr—”
A light blue van slammed into the back of our car, making my teeth snap shut. Blood pooled in my mouth from where I nipped my tongue. I covered my lips with my hand and looked around wildly. Camera flashes blinded me as I tried to see just what had happened. A motorcycle stopped in front of our car and the person on the back snapped pictures through the front windshield.
“Are you okay?” Becca turned around in her seat.
“Yeah.” I nodded my head and tried to quell the nausea that was bubbling in my stomach. Adrenaline and anger ran through my body. Balling my hands into fists I glared out the window at the people still busy taking photographs.
“Can you get us out of here?” Chadwick asked.
“As soon as I have an opening.” The driver never took his hands off the steering wheel.
“Should we call the police?” I looked from Becca to Chadwick.
“Best to get out of here fast.” Becca shook her head.
My door handle made a loud noise as someone tried to open the door. I turned to check that it was locked and almost sighed in relief when I realized it was closed for sure. The driver took his foot off the brake and edged forward. I watched as he pushed the bike with the front fender and almost cheered when the motorcycle driver pulled away from us.
Our car shot forward and I felt like celebrating, but I still felt sick. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that someone had hit our car just to get a picture of me.
“It’ll calm down, Samantha. They just don’t know what to make of you.” Chadwick patted my arm.
“Are you kidding? They could have hurt us! They did hurt us! I bit the shit out of my tongue.” I waved my hand in the air. “All that for a picture of me? Me? Why?”
“You’re interesting and they make the most money by selling photos of interesting people.” Chadwick pursed his lips.
“I’m not interesting. I’m the same as every other person. I have to brush my teeth, use the bathroom, and take a bath, same as everyone else.”
“You also just found out that you’re the duchess to a huge estate in a foreign country.” He frowned. “I understand what you’re saying, and they shouldn’t behave the way they are, but it’s because you are interesting. Things will calm down.”
“Please don’t say eventually.” I shook my head. “Everyone keeps telling me that it will calm down eventually, but it just seems to be getting worse.”
“I know.” He frowned and looked out the window as we reached the palace gates.
The car deposited me and my bags at the main door while Chadwick basically pulled me into the palace. That was fine by me. I didn’t want to stay in that car another second.
Catherine and Alex were chatting near the entrance to a room. They were both wearing jeans and I felt incredibly overdressed. This was the first time I had seen Alex in jeans and I had to admit it might be my favorite view of him. His worried gaze found mine immediately.
“Are you okay?” He took a step toward me and stopped.
“Yeah. I’m okay.” I ran a hand through my hair but dropped it when I realized it was shaking. “It was pretty crazy.”
“We heard the bodyguards talking about it. That must’ve been scary.” Catherine shook her head. “I’m so sorry they’re hounding you like this.”
“Maybe when they figure out how boring I am, they’ll leave me alone.” I tried to make a joke, but it sounded a bit too hopeful.
“I’m sure it’s going to calm down.” Alex’s fingers opened and closed by his legs. He looked antsy. In fact he looked as shaken up as I felt.
“You went shopping without me!” Catherine glared at the bags someone carried in. I was grateful the subject change. I didn’t want to think about what had just happened.
“It was Chad’s fault. He made me do it.” I pointed at my assistant, who rolled his eyes at me.
“Trust me, there is still much more to do.” He lifted the bags. “I will take care of these, Samantha. Enjoy your night out with these two.” He gestured with a full hand toward Alex and Catherine. My heart froze. I’d almost forgotten I would have to go back out in that mess. “Don’t let them get you into any trouble, and call me if you need me when you get back.” He winked at me as he turned around so the others couldn’t see.
“Thanks, Chadwick.”
“We don’t have to go out.” Alex watched me carefully, a small tic running along his jaw.
I thought about it for a minute. I didn’t want to go out. I wanted to curl up somewhere quiet and hide. But I also didn’t want to stop living just because some nutso person wanted my picture.
“I’ll call for extra security,” Cathy offered. “If you want. Or we can try again another day.”
“No. Let’s go.” I was glad my voice sounded so sure, because the rest of me wasn’t. “Mind if I run and change? These shoes are killing me.” My feet were screaming in agony. I’d throw them away if I could forget how much they had cost.
“Of course.” Alex leaned against the wall and tucked his hands into his coat.
“I’ll be quick.” I hurried down the hallway in the direction of my room, only to stop and look around, confused. I looked back behind me and Catherine was smiling. Alex pointed to the right, so I nodded my head and took that hall.
Chadwick was standing at my door and held up one of my new sweaters.
“Be careful tonight.”
“I will.” I blew him a kiss as I took it out of his hand ducked into the room. I changed quickly, pulling my hair down from the clip I had been wearing and grabbing my scarf. I threw my necessities into my pockets and headed back to the others. The entire walk back I chanted in my head: I can do this. I will have fun. I can do this. I will have fun. I didn’t want the media to stop me from seeing my new country.
By the time I got there, my stomach was growling and Catherine laughed. “I think someone needs dinner.”
“I haven’t eaten since noon.” I winced.
“We can fix that. Do you have a preference?” Alex opened the door for us and I shook my head. I noticed there was a second car behind us, containing several bodyguards.
“I’d settle for a peanut butter sandwich at this point.”
“We can do better than that,” Catherine said as we climbed into the car.
“What do you have in mind, Cathy?” Alex sat next to me, his leg brushing mine.
“How about that little place you like in the South District?” Cathy poked at his stomach. “The one with all the greasy burgers.”
“I don’t know. I just got back from the States, I’m not sure these will measure up. Why not get some local food?” Alex turned to look at me.
“Sounds good.”
Cathy gave the name of the restaurant to the driver and we headed into town. Reporters followed us as soon as we left the palace gates. Cathy shook her head, but I could see how tense Alex was next to me.
“What’s the big deal? We’re just going to dinner.” I frowned. Maybe we should have just stayed at the palace. Ordered pizza or something.
“They’re hoping to catch an embarrassing shot.” Alex sighed. “It’s their livelihood.”
“Like ketchup on our chin?” I was trying to lift some of the dreariness that had settled over the car.
“Like us stumbling drunk out of a bar.” Catherine shook her head. “Like we would ever do that.”
“It happens.” Alex frowned at her. “Kyle is often photographed acting like a baboon at nightclubs.”
“Kyle just likes to have a good time.” Cathy looked out the windows. “Look, Samantha! There’s the Rousseau monument!”
I looked out the window surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. Your family fought off a northern invasion and gave the capital enough time to rally troops.” Alex looked out the window with me as we drove past the large statue. A man rode a rearing horse, sword held high.
“How about that.” I felt a little bubble of pride in my chest. My family had faced down invaders.
“Just down the road here is the Lilarian library. There are paintings of some of the earliest families inside. You should go visit them when you have time.” Cathy was proving to be an excellent guide. “Oh! And that’s the Sverelle Bridge. Our mother’s family is responsible for it being here. It’s one of the few that survived the Nazis occupation.”
“Wow.” And I meant it. There was intense pride in her voice for the work of their family and that of their country, and I understood. This was their home and they could literally trace their ancestors back to massive historical moments or places. It gave the history a life, a face.
We pulled up to a small family style restaurant situated between two buildings. There was faint music spilling out of the door, and I could smell food as soon as Duvall opened the car door. The press were on us immediately and I felt my hackles rise. I was trying to get used to the idea, but they certainly weren’t giving me any adjustment time. Alex opened the door for us and a tall thin man greeted us inside.
“Your Highnesses, Duchess. A pleasure to see you.” He bowed to us.
“We’ve been coming here since we were kids, Luca. Why are you suddenly bowing?” Cathy pulled her coat off and hung it on a rack near the door. A few of the patrons inside turned to look at us, but for the most part seemed more interested in their food.
“Ah, but this is Duchess Rousseau’s first visit!” Luca smiled widely. He motioned us to follow him, and he sat at us at a booth in the back. It was far from the little window at the front and I knew he was used to dealing with public figures.
“You’re going to love this place.” Cathy smiled at me over the table. She pushed a menu at me. “I already know what I want.”
Alex eyed the booth for a minute before taking a seat next to his sister. I was relieved. Sitting next to him in the car had been difficult enough. It’s amazing the little things you notice about someone when you have the hot’s for them. Like the way he smells or how long his legs are compared to mine. Then there are the other things, like wondering how his hands would feel running over my skin. Things I wouldn’t think about sitting next to just anyone, but here I was thinking about them and trying to pretend that I wasn’t.
I opened the menu and looked over the selections. I frowned when I realized it was in Lilarian. There weren’t even any pictures to help me pick. I looked up at my companions and Alex was watching me with shrewd eyes.
“Need help?”
“A translator would be nice.” I winced and laid down the open menu on the table. “I have no idea where to begin. I want to try something new.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. You don’t speak Lilarian, do you?” Cathy shook her head. “You need a teacher.”
“I have a teacher.” I raised my eyebrow at Alex. “I won one in a bet.”
“Really?” Cathy looked at her brother. “You lost at something?”
“Don’t.” He shook his head. “It’ll never happen again.”
“What was it? The bet?” Cathy looked at me, her large eyes wide with curiosity.
“I beat him at Monopoly.” Alex groaned and leaned back in his seat.
“No way!” Cathy leaned forward. “Did you figure it out? He has to be cheating. There’s no way he’s won that many times otherwise!”
“Maybe the karma gods thought it was time he lost.” I shrugged.
“Karma gods, huh? Well, it’s about time.” Cathy sat back in her seat.
“So, foreign-language teacher. Tell me what this is!” I pointed at the first thing on the menu.
“Well, that is the word for stuffed.” Alex grinned while Cathy laughed.
“Oh.” I looked at the menu and wondered if there were any words that wouldn’t trigger naughty thoughts.
“And I said I’d be your teacher, not your translator.” Alex shook his head.
“Well, you’re not doing such a good job. I’ve been here a day and know nothing. I think I should get the drawing as forfeit.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Luca brought over three glasses of water, wineglasses, and a bottle before quickly departing.
“Drawing? Is that the one I saw on your desk?” Cathy turned toward Alex with a small smile.
“Miss Nosy wanted to know what I was working on, so I made a bet. I won.”
“So she hasn’t seen the picture?” Cathy narrowed her eyes at Alex.
“No. But she does owe me a week of volunteer work for the FBT.”
“Then how did he end up being your Lilarian teacher?” Cathy looked at me, confused.
“It was a long flight. He lost the second game.”
“Ha! Alex, you better start teaching her, or that lovely sketch isn’t going to belong to you anymore.”
“Fine.” He leaned forward and pointed at the menu. “This is the word for stuffed. What do you think would be good stuffed?” His eyes twinkled at me in the candlelight. I could think of something I’d like to stuff, all right. And who I’d like to do the stuffing.
“Chicken? Lamb? Some kind of pasta?” I ignored the innuendo, though it was hard to do.
“Chicken. So, this is the word for chicken, this is stuffed, and see how these words are in the front? They tell you what the chicken is stuffed with. Here.” He turned the menu so that it was facing me. “See if you can figure out any of the other dishes with these words.”
“What is this? Advanced classes? What happened to starting with the alphabet?” I let my eyes run over the menu and tried to pick out words that seemed familiar. There were a few words I remembered from my high school French class.
“Go over there and help her! She’s starving and Luca will be back any minute.” Cathy shoved his shoulder.
He looked at me and I could see the hesitation in his eyes, but he slid out of the booth and in beside me. Leaning close, he pointed out some of the words that would help me most. After a minute I’d found a dish that sounded great and we were ready to order. Luca came over, blocking Alex’s exit from my side of the booth, and started pouring wine.
“This is one of my favorites. A celebration to the duchess coming home!” Luca smiled at me and I lifted my cup before taking a sip. I wasn’t much of a drinker, so had no idea if it was a good vintage or not. It also struck me as odd every time someone welcomed me home. I understood why they said it, but home would always be in the States where I had grown up.
“To the Rousseau family.” Cathy lifted her glass.
“To Samantha.” Alex looked at me over his glass of wine.
The food was delicious and I was completely satisfied by the time Luca brought several bowls of chocolate mousse.
“I don’t have room!” I groaned.
“Make room! You don’t turn down Luca’s mousse. It’s amazing.” Cathy dove into her bowl with relish and I looked at Alex. He had finally relaxed next to me and stayed there through the dinner. His arm lay on the back of the booth and his long legs stretched out under the table.
“Where does she put it all?”
“No idea, but if you want to try it, you better do it before she finishes hers.”
“You only live once, Sam! Try it!” Cathy nudged my bowl with her finger and I realized that was the first time she had called me by my nickname. A little piece of me relaxed and I picked up my spoon.
The dessert melted in my mouth and it was like I had swallowed a little piece of heaven. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the flavors. There was a hint of raspberry from the sauce that made me consider pouring the rest of the bowl in my mouth. Forget the spoon. When I opened my eyes, Cathy was nodding her head in agreement, but Alex was watching my mouth with a stony expression.
“Told you! It’s like crack. Or, I think it’s like crack. What drug is it that only takes one time?” Cathy tilted her head thoughtfully. I was struck in that moment by her youthful eyes and guarded upbringing. No wonder she didn’t see Kyle for what he truly was.
“That would be it.” I took another bite but tried to keep my reaction sedate. “And this is definitely addicting.”
“Don’t tell the head chef at the palace, but his chocolate mousse doesn’t even compare.” Cathy sighed.
“My lips are sealed.”
As we were finishing up, there was a commotion at the door. I looked over the booth to see Luca talking angrily to a man at another table. The man tried to calm him down but eventually stood up and pointed a camera at our table. A large chef and waiter joined Luca as they tried to push the man out the front door. Luca was hollering in Lilarian, but from his tone I could tell it wasn’t very pleasant. Becca and Duvall showed up at the table, blocking our view of the scene. Or, more importantly, blocking the camera’s view of us.
I tried to calm my racing heart. There were a lot of people in the little restaurant who wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. I just couldn’t believe the trouble the photographers were going through for a picture.
“Oh, poor Luca.” Cathy sighed and set down her spoon.
“Duvall, make sure we take care of that man’s dinner. I don’t want Luca losing money just because someone was trying to take our picture.” Alex leaned toward the people standing outside our booth.
“Of course, sir.”
“Why are they so focused on us? Is it like this all the time?” I frowned at them. What had I gotten into that I couldn’t go enjoy dinner with friends?
“I haven’t seen them this rabid since…” Cathy trailed off at a quick look from Alex. “I’m sure it’ll calm down, Sam. They just want pictures of the new duchess.”
“Did they do this with the other guy? The duke that was reinstated?” I had feeling what she had been about to reference.
“No.” Alex shook his head. “But you’re younger, so they feel like you’re more interesting.”
“Not to mention beautiful.” Cathy smiled at me. “All that dark hair and your dark eyes.”
“That too, of course.” Alex gave me a small smile.
“There’s also a lot of press about you and Alex. They love to drum up romance stories.” Cathy leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table. “They’d just love it if you two were an item.”
“We’re friends,” Alex and I said in unison. I chuckled weakly.
“Of course you are.” Cathy sat back in the booth with innocent eyes.
I felt queasy and I wasn’t sure if it was from all the food or the reminder of what life would be like if I did give in to Alex. We ended up leaving through the back door. There were too many people out front for us to be able to reach the cars. Luca had boxed up some of his chocolate mousse for us to take and apologized that our dessert had been interrupted.
“That wasn’t your fault!” I shook my head.
“I should have realized he was paparazzi.” Luca said the word like it was an insult.
“Thank you for watching out for us.” Alex followed his words with a few in Lilarian, which seemed to make Luca happy. We left, getting in the cars and zipping out into the streets.
We drove around for a little while, Alex and Cathy giving instructions to the driver so that I could see a bit more of the city. We never stopped and got out, but I didn’t complain. It was cold and I was tired. Not to mention, I didn’t want to deal with the press again. When we got back to the palace, I took my little box of chocolate mousse and dragged my sorry tail inside.
“Do you remember how to get to your room?” Cathy asked, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Alex can you show you. His room is down that way too.”
“I’m heading to bed anyway. I have to be up early tomorrow for a meeting.” Alex kissed Cathy’s cheek.
“Thanks for showing me around,” I said to Cathy.
“No problem. When things calm down we’ll do some more.” Cathy reached out and hugged me. “It’s nice to have another girl here.”
“Looks like there are lots of girls.” I frowned, thinking of her mother, aunt, and the women I’d seen working earlier that day.
“It’s not the same thing.” Cathy looked at me with shimmery eyes. I handed her my mousse and she instantly brightened up. “You don’t want it?”
“Nah. Your puppy-dog eyes just broke my heart a little. Take it.”
“Thanks!” Cathy took off in a flash and I stood there with my mouth open.
“C’mon.” Alex chuckled beside me. He placed his hand on my back and I almost sighed with relief. Just a few days ago I had thought it was silly when he did it, now I had come to look forward to it. “You better build up a tolerance to Cathy’s anime eyes or you’ll never get another dessert.”
“Ha! They did look like a pathetic anime waif. She’s got it down pat.”
“You have no idea. She has four dogs and two cats. Dad couldn’t tell her no. They’re all incredibly old now and the staff is always having to clean up behind them.” Alex chuckled.
“She must’ve been very young when you lost him.” I watched him out of the corner of my eye. We hadn’t talked about it, but I knew that the king had died from an aneurysm almost ten years ago.
“She was, but Mother has made sure she never felt neglected.”
We turned onto the hallway my room was on and I stopped at my door. I pulled the key out of my pocket and played with it for a minute. “Thanks for taking me out to see a bit of the city.”
“You’re welcome. It was nice to get to relax.” Alex smiled at me. “I don’t get to spend as much time with Cathy as I used to.”
“She’s great.” I bit my lip. I was making small talk because I didn’t want to say good night yet. And I sucked at it.
“We can do it again sometime.” He was watching me closely.
“That would be fun.” I sighed. “I really suck at this.”
“At what, exactly?” He smiled his devil smile.
“This whole small-talk thing. I’m not good at it.” I motioned between us. “But I want to be. I don’t want stuff to be weird between us.”
“I think you’re doing just fine. I don’t seem to recall you having a hard time in Minnesota.”
“I’m out of my element here. And I tend to blab whatever I’m thinking when I’m nervous.”
“I’ve noticed.” Alex lowered his voice. “It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite things about you.”
“Why is that?”
“Because when you blab whatever you’re thinking, I find out you’re thinking about me.”
“You get all that from me being worried about small talk?” I shot him a skeptical look.
“You don’t worry about it with anyone but me.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Good night, Samantha.”
“Good night, Alex.”
In my room one of the new nightgowns was laid out with a robe. I looked at it for a minute before picking it up. I stuck it in the top drawer next to my big T-shirts and grabbed a tank top and pair of shorts instead. On my desk was a stack of papers, including a schedule for the next day. I had to okay shots that the royal photographer had taken, sign a form detailing how much it would cost to fly my father over, and there was paperwork from my college to terminate my classes.
I glanced at the pictures and initialed the paper, agreed to whatever it cost to get my father over safely, and stared at the paperwork from school. It was all so bland and boring; nothing in the wording pointed out how I was giving up a lifelong ambition or how much I already missed my birds. I squeezed the pen in my hand and flipped through the pages again. There were no personal notes, nothing telling me they cared that I’d left the program. Just a blank line waiting for my signature.
I signed my dreams away with angry strokes. Throwing the pen down, I got up and went to sleep with tears in my eyes.
Getting Frisky at the Zoo
—The Daily Gossip
The next morning I put on slacks and a nice shirt. Breakfast was brought up early and Chadwick wasn’t far behind. He came in carrying a newspaper and clipboard. He sat down with me while I ate and looked through notes for the day.
“I’ve barely set foot in this country and people are asking me for interviews and to come to openings.” I set the newspaper down and took another sip of my coffee. “I’m used to cutting up mice and tracking birds. Shaking hands and taking pictures with strangers is not something I’m accustomed to.”
“That can’t be true.” Chadwick looked at me over his paper. “I’m sure you shook people’s hands in America. You’re not completely uncivilized over there.”
I threw one of the raisins from my muffin at him and laughed when he blocked it with the paper. “You know what I mean. I’m just ready to go see my house and learn more about the area I’m going to be spending my time in. I feel like I’m winging everything. I don’t like that.”
“I get it, Samantha. I do. And we’re heading out to your family estate at the end of the week.” Chadwick frowned. “But the reality is that this is your life.”
I set my muffin down and looked away out the window. He was right, but that didn’t make all this craziness any better.
“I’m scheduling only the important things. I’ve turned down a hundred meetings.” He looked sad, so I tried to smile. I felt a little guilty for being so difficult. “That’s just pathetic.”
“I’m trying here.” I gave up and glared at him instead.
“That’s better. I like it when you’re all saucy.” He winked at me before going back to his paper.
By the time I finished my muffin and coffee, we were moving out of my room and toward the car. Chadwick went over the schedule for the day and he gave me a quick rundown of the people I’d be meeting.
“So, the zoo keeper that requested me to come out is American?” I smiled at the man who opened the door. Becca was standing next to the car, talking to one of the other suits.
“Yes. He is relatively new to the position.” Chadwick held my purse while I climbed into the car. “I think he’s excited you’re a wildlife biologist and I thought you might prefer this to the luncheon planning the garden fund-raiser.”
“Nailed it.”
“Of course.” He flipped through the paperwork while I tried to ignore the cars that followed us as soon as we pulled out of the gate.
The zoo was a little ways out of the city center and I really enjoyed getting to see some of the scenery. It was a heavily forested area with a lot of hills. As we exited the highway, I could see the sign for the zoological gardens, thankfully written in English as well as Lilarian. I really needed to spend more time learning the language, but I would probably try to find a real teacher. I still hadn’t figured out what it was that Alex had whispered in my ear. I had tried online translators, but I must not be spelling it right, because all I ever got was gibberish. Something about a hamster—and I was pretty sure he hadn’t been talking about a hamster.
We pulled right up to the gate and were ushered through after a few pictures were taken in front of the signs. It was a pretty zoo: lots of plants, trees, and decent-sized enclosures. An attractive man a few years older than me met us just inside. He walked straight up to me and held out his hand.
“Duchess, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jeremy.”
“Nice to meet you, Jeremy. Thank you for inviting me out here.” I shook his hand and noted the calluses. He wasn’t someone to sit back and let everyone else do all the work.
“Thank you for coming! We’re honored that you accepted our invitation. I know you haven’t been in the country very long.” He motioned for us to walk, so I fell in step beside him. My detail kept a close proximity, but I did my best to ignore them.
“Not very long.” I nodded my head. “But I have a weakness for animals.”
“I was hoping so.” He smiled at me and I realized he would likely be someone that would have made my heart flutter before Alex. My stomach clenched. Before Alex.
“So, why did you invite me out here?” I bit my lip. I wasn’t very good at doing the political dance around things.
“Straightforward. I like that.” He touched my shoulder, leading me toward an aviary. “A few reasons, actually. One, I figured you would enjoy seeing the zoo since you’re a wildlife biologist. Two, I was hoping to meet America’s Duchess.” He winked at me and I felt my face heat. I really hated being called that.
We walked through the large aviary while he pointed out some of the species they had managed to obtain. It was an impressive enclosure with a large array of birds that I hadn’t seen in person before. I stopped to admire one of the waterfalls in the habitat and he stopped with me. There was a tile mosaic at the bottom that glistened under the water.
“I designed the enclosure when I first arrived about three years ago.”
I didn’t blame him for being proud—it was a beautiful and efficient building. “I like the way you have the feed dishes dispersed. Very natural-looking.”
“Thank you.” He held his hand out to help me from my kneeling position by the water. “I spent a lot of time studying some of the ones in the larger zoos. I really wanted people to feel like they were observing the birds out in the wild. This design is what got me my position.”
“Mission accomplished.” I smiled at him. I was wondering how he had managed to be in charge of so much at such a young age.
“Lilaria has a long relationship with birds, and I was very excited to receive a spot at this zoo. I feel that I can do a lot of good for our avian friends here.” He led us through the exit door and into a small schoolhouse setting. There were models of birds, a poster listing extinct species, and a wall with windows into a nursery type of room where tiny birds hopped around and chirped loudly. There were TVs along the top of the room, showing footage of birds in flight, raptors chasing ever-changing clouds made up of thousands of sparrows. It was an impressive educational tool and obviously directed at getting people interested in birds—especially children.
“The Future Bird Trust helped pay for this building.” Jeremy put his hands on his hips and looked around the room. “There is a heavy emphasis on education.”
“That’s excellent. We need to teach children why it’s so important to preserve what we have.” I watched some of the hatchlings with a smile. I missed the birds.
“It is important, but I feel like we should also reach out to the adults in charge of things now. Otherwise, there won’t be as many birds when the children grow up.” Jeremy stood next to me and stared into the nursery. “I’d like to start a promotion that targets adults.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I have several ideas, including setting up falconry classes and holding events for parties, wedding receptions, and conventions here at the zoo. A set fee would go to the care of the animals, but it would also give us a chance to introduce large and sometimes influential groups to the birds.” He leaned against the glass and looked at me. “I’d also like to run advertisements in the papers and with the news stations. There is a community-sponsored channel that is willing to do a series on birds with the zoo.”
“Those are all ideas that could work.” I tilted my head in thought. “I’d also say to not underestimate the amount of power a well-educated child has on their parent. I’ve seen a lot of families take up recycling because their children insisted.”
“Oh, we’ll keep the programs we have in place, but I’d like to target the immediate threat directly.” He moved a little closer toward me and I found myself stepping backward to put space between us.
I nodded my head and moved farther away, walking around the little room, taking in the posters and little odds and ends that had been strewn about the room. Becca was watching me closely and had taken a closer spot to where I was standing. I knew she could tell that I had become uncomfortable. Chadwick was checking his watch and raised an eyebrow in my direction.
“May I call you Samantha?” Jeremy followed close behind me and I had to keep from rubbing at my skin. He seemed nice and he was bright, but I had a feeling that he didn’t see me as a human or even as a biologist—he saw me as a means to an end.
“Sure.” I didn’t look at him, instead I motioned toward Chadwick. “Look at this, Chadwick. This is an article my advisor was credited in.”
“Oh? That’s interesting.” Chadwick flipped through the periodical. “He must be very good at his job.”
“Yes. He’s one of the best.”
“I heard you studied with Dr. Geller.” Jeremy looked over Chadwick’s shoulder. Suddenly I had a feeling the periodical had been placed there just for my benefit.
“Yes, I was very lucky.”
“You must have hated giving up that spot.” Jeremy shook his head. “I know how much work goes into that stuff.”
“Yes, it hurt, but I hope to resume my studies in the future.”
“Well, if you’d like to work with the birds here, we’d be happy to have you.” Jeremy sat on the bookshelf next to me and crossed his arms. “We’re always in need of knowledgeable volunteers. And it might be nice for you to get your hands dirty again.”
I laughed. It was true that I would probably enjoy working here, but the fact was I’d also be under constant scrutiny. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m sure I’ll have a chance to be hands-on once on my property.”
“Will they let a duchess do any work?” Jeremy laughed. “Lilarians take their royals very seriously.”
Chadwick glared over at Jeremy. Even though I was American I could see why that statement would bother those born here. It was in his tone that he didn’t think that much of the royals in general.
“I know that Prince Alex does a lot of hands-on work with the FBT, so I’m sure if I want to help out here, no one would say otherwise.”
“And that’s why you’re America’s Duchess.” He gave a throaty laugh and I felt myself cringe again. So he thought I would do what I wanted just because I was American? I guess he had a point, but it still seemed rude to bring that up while I was invited here as a Lilarian duchess.
“So, what other animals does the zoo house?” I walked toward the door, not acknowledging his comment.
“A lot of the basics: lions, apes, antelopes.” He jumped ahead of me and held the door open. “We had a baby elephant two days ago. Would you like to see her?”
“I’d love to.” And I meant it.
“Right this way,” he said.
The baby was still ungainly and stayed close to the mother, but I was in love with all the adorable wrinkles and clumsy feet. “Chadwick, look at its legs! They’re all wobbly.”
He laughed. “Looks a bit like you when you got off the plane!”
“Hey!” I slapped his shoulder, even though he was probably right.
“Samantha would be a great name for her!” Jeremy nodded his head. “You both arrived in Lilaria the same day.”