Affairs of State

chapter Nine

Simon paused outside the building where his meeting was to take place and punched Ariella’s number into his phone. She was proving very elusive since she’d gone home to D.C. If he were more sensitive he might think she was trying to avoid him. The phone rang, and he leapt to his feet when he heard her tentative, “Hello.”

“How are you?” He managed not to ask where she’d been. Didn’t want to seem too oppressive.

“Um, fine. How are you?” She sounded oddly formal.

“I’d be a lot better if you were here.” He glanced around the busy London street. His imagination wanted to picture her darting along the pavement as she had been when he’d followed her on her secret assignation to meet her mother. “I can’t wait to see you next week.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was barely audible. “Me, either.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” The words shot into his ear so fast he almost jumped. “Great. Really busy with work. You know how it goes.”

“Absolutely.” There was so much he wanted to say to her but he knew now wasn’t the right time. He’d probably come on too strong already, and he was pretty sure that introducing her to his family had been a tactical error. He’d been so sure they’d be bowled over by her charms like he was that he couldn’t wait to get the introductions out of the way. Henry had been right. Poor Ariella. There was hardly anyone on earth who wasn’t intimidated by the queen, and Uncle Derek was a force of nature akin to a sinkhole. He should have introduced her to one or two family members on a one-on-one basis and let her get to know them before plunging her into their midst. “I did rather shove you into the middle of things here. I could tell you were a bit dazed by your visit.”

She laughed. “Was it that obvious? I was way out of my league.”

“You were fantastic. I’m sure they’ll adore you when they get to know you.” He’d caught a lot of flack for bringing her to such a public event with no warning. Pictures of the pair of them had been all over the papers for the next week and there’d been a lot of flapping about suitable relationships and time to settle down and stop playing the field.

He tried to ignore the naysayers. You couldn’t hold a sensible argument with fifteen hundred years of tradition so he’d learned to pick his battles and go about his business. If they wanted him to settle down, fine. But not with Sophia Alnwick. And if not her, then why not a fun, sexy, intelligent American girl? He generally preferred to just do stuff and explain it afterward, not get people all fired up over something that might not happen. “I can’t wait to see you.” Her face hovered in his mind all the time. He wished he could reach out and squeeze her. Traffic weaved along Regent Street in front of him, but time seemed to be standing still until he could see Ariella again.

“Me, neither.” She didn’t sound her usual self. Maybe she was in a room with other people, or rushing between appointments.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” For the first time she seemed to be speaking directly to him. “But I’m worried we’re getting into something that’s…too big.”

He froze. “That’s impossible.” Then he realized that he was pushing things along the way he tended to, and he tried to rein himself back. “We’re dating. That’s a perfectly normal thing for two healthy adults to do, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, but…we’re both in the public eye. And your family, I don’t think they…”

“Don’t you worry about what they think. Sometimes they need a little convincing but believe me, I have years of experience in that department.”

“I don’t want things to move too fast.”

“I know. I’ve been telling myself to slow down. Sometimes I’m like a steam locomotive in motion, but I’m putting the brakes on, I promise you.” He was running late for his meeting. “When I get to Washington, we’ll do everything so slow it will be downright kinky.” He glanced about, suddenly remembering he was in a public street.

She chuckled, but again, it wasn’t her usual enthusiastic laugh. She must be getting cold feet now that they were apart. Which only made him more impatient to get there and warm them up for her.

“I’ve got a board meeting for UNICEF, so I have to go, but I’ll talk to you soon,” he said after a pause.

“Great. Thanks for calling.” She sounded a bit like she couldn’t wait to hang up. He was tempted to call her on it, then reminded himself not to be pushy.

“You’re more than welcome.” Telling her he loved her would be waaaay too much pressure, even if he was convinced it might be true. That could wait for a more intimate moment, preferably one where no one but Ariella was in earshot.

* * *

Ariella hung up the phone with her gut churning. In the last three days since Scarlet had planted the idea in her mind, she’d become more and more convinced that she was pregnant. She hadn’t paid much attention to her menstrual cycle before, but based on the last period she could remember, she was due for another one, and it wasn’t showing up.

Talking to Simon and trying to pretend everything was normal was agony. She could barely get words out of her mouth, let alone make polite conversation. How would his snooty family feel about the exciting surprise of an unplanned pregnancy? She’d bet that wouldn’t go over too well.

If she was pregnant, of course. There was no way to be sure until she took a test. Scarlet had brought one over for her yesterday and told her to take it whenever she felt ready. It sat on the shelf in the bathroom, in its unopened white-and-pink box, mocking her.

Was she too chicken to find out the truth? Possibly. If she confirmed a pregnancy, she’d have to deal with how to tell people. Scarlet, for a start. She had enough money saved to take some time off work, but you didn’t run a small business with someone then announce that you’d need a year of maternity leave. Then there was Simon….

She walked slowly into the bathroom and looked at the test. Picked up the box and read the directions. It sounded easy. Maybe she wasn’t pregnant? Maybe the nausea was just from stress and exhaustion as she’d first suspected. Or maybe she’d eaten something funny.

Her nipples had become very sensitive, but that could happen when she was expecting her period. Same with the sudden swings of emotion that made her weep over television coverage of the fund drive at a local dog shelter. She could simply be losing her mind. People had cracked under less extreme circumstances than she’d found herself in lately.

Her stomach contracted as she picked up the box and ripped it open. She was a big girl and could handle the consequence of her choices. She’d willingly had sex with Simon, and sex could lead to pregnancy. Everyone knew that.

But for some reason it hadn’t crossed her mind even once during those steamy nights in Simon’s bed. In his castle.

Go on. Do it.

She picked up the stick and followed the directions, waiting the exact amount of time listed while watching the long hand of her watch. If she were pregnant, a line would appear. If she weren’t the little circle would remain blank. She’d never wanted to see a blank space so much in her life. Her eyes started to play tricks on her during the agonizing wait, so she hid the stick under a tissue while the time was passing. When she reached the full five minutes she held her breath and lifted the tissue….

To see a thick pink line bisecting the white circle.

“Oh.” She said the word aloud, and startled herself. Then she ran from the room as if she could run away from the whole situation. Which, of course, followed her. Apparently—and she still couldn’t believe it—there was a baby growing inside her belly, right now. She glanced down at the waistband of her jeans. Her snug T-shirt sat against a totally flat stomach. Though of course at this stage the baby probably wasn’t larger than her pinkie nail.

Suddenly she felt dizzy and plunged for the sofa. How could it all happen this fast? She’d slept with Simon for the first time less than two weeks ago and now her entire life was about to change forever. It didn’t make sense.

She jumped out of her skin when the phone rang. A quick glance at the number revealed that it was Francesca. Normally she shared everything with her. She’d even taken her mother’s very private letter to show Francesca when it had first arrived and she needed to share it with someone. But her friend was now madly in love with the head of the most powerful television in network in the country, and this was quite possibly the scoop of the century. What if Francesca tried to convince her to announce it on air? After meeting her father for the first time in front of the entire country, it seemed anything was possible and her own privacy, even her feelings, were of little importance.

She let the call go to voicemail, as guilt trickled through her. More secrets and subterfuge. She wouldn’t tell Simon until he got here. It wasn’t the kind of news you should break over the phone and she’d see him in a few days. She’d have to tell Scarlet right away, especially since the nausea came and went in waves and she wasn’t sure how useful she’d be on the floor at events if she might have to rush to the ladies’ every few minutes.

And then there were the reporters. The TV special had reignited interest and she’d had a harrowing couple of days trying to smile and answer journalists’ questions every time she left the house. The creepy bearded guy who practically camped on her block had been joined by a few other camera-laden competitors, all vying for a money shot of her doing something newsworthy, like having a bad hair day. Maybe she could sneak away and run off to Ireland? It had worked for her mom, though of course she’d had her baby before she left.

The similarity in their circumstances smacked Ariella across the face. On instinct she picked up the phone and dialed the number of her mother’s D.C. hotel room. Ted Morrow had persuaded Ellie to stay in D.C. at least until the end of the month, so they could all have a chance to get to know each other again. Ellie’s now-familiar soft voice answered.

“It’s Ariella.” A strange wave of relief rushed through her, which was crazy as she’d barely met Ellie, but already she knew in her gut she had someone to confide in. “Something really strange has happened. Can I talk to you in person?”

“Of course, dear. Would you like me to come to your house?” Ellie had grown increasingly confident at navigating her way around D.C. despite an entourage of reporters.

“I’ll come to your hotel if that’s okay. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

Ellie glowed with warmth as she opened the door, and Ariella felt oddly relaxed in her presence despite her dramatic news. This one person would know exactly how she felt.

Ellie ushered Ariella into the large suite that ANS had reserved for her, and they sat on the sofa. “What’s going on? You look white as a sheet.”

“I’m pregnant.”

Ellie drew in a breath. “Oh, no.”

Ariella’s throat closed. This was not exactly the comforting response she’d been hoping for. Though she had to admit it was her own initial reaction. “It’s okay. I’m perfectly healthy and I’m in a pretty okay financial situation to have a baby.” Now she was trying to soothe her mother, not the other way around. The irony of the situation made her want to laugh.

“Do you love him?” Ellie’s question shocked her.

“I don’t know. We’ve only been seeing each other a few weeks. It’s Simon, who you met in London.”

“Oh, dear.” Ellie’s face crumpled.

Ariella put a hand on her arm. “What’s the matter?”

“I feel like history’s repeating itself. Why couldn’t you be pregnant by a nice ordinary man who could marry you and live a comfortable ordinary life?”

“Simon’s surprisingly ordinary for a prince.” She tried to smile. “Okay, maybe not ordinary but he’s very warm and down to earth.”

“But his family. Those royals are absolutely bound by tradition. That’s why Prince Charles couldn’t marry Camilla in the first place like he should have.”

“He’s married to her now, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but.” She sighed. “So much sadness happened in the meantime. I’m still not sure they’re ready to welcome an American into the family.”

“Me, either, to be quite honest.” She lifted her brows. “I socialized with them at a polo match last weekend and I felt like any of them would have happily driven me to the airport right then and there.”

Ellie stroked her hand and looked softly into her eyes. “So they’re not going to be too happy about you having his baby.”

Ariella’s breathing was steadily becoming shallower. She stopped and drew in a deep draught of air. She certainly didn’t need her baby to be deprived of oxygen at this crucial stage in his or her development.

She laughed.

“What?” Ellie’s eyes widened. She was probably wondering if Ariella had lost her mind.

“I was thinking about my baby. I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl.”

Ellie’s eyes brightened. “I always knew I was having a girl. I dreamed of little girl dresses and dolls and all kinds of frilly pink things over and over again.”

“And you were right.” Though Ellie had never had a chance to enjoy dressing her daughter in fluffy dresses or buying her Barbie dolls with extravagant wardrobes.

Ellie’s blue eyes suddenly shone with tears. “You won’t give the baby up, will you?”

“Not a chance of it. I’m lucky that I’ve had a good career for a few years now and I have some savings. I can work right through the pregnancy, and probably hire a nanny soon afterward and work from home a lot. It’s very doable.” She was trying to convince herself as much as her mother.

Ellie smiled through her sudden tears. “You’re much more confident and capable than I was. That’s a blessing.” Then her face grew serious. “Have you told Simon yet?”

Ariella shook her head. “I haven’t told anyone yet. You’re the first.”

Ellie gasped, and suddenly their arms were around each other. “That’s a great honor.”

“An honor?” Ariella buried her face in her mother’s soft hair. “You were the first person I thought of when I needed to tell someone. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am to have you back in my life.”

“Back in your life?” Ellie pulled back a little. “They took you from me as soon as you were born. They never even let me see you.” Her eyes still glittered with tears. “They said it was for the best, but even then I knew they were wrong.”

“You took care of me for the nine months that I was growing inside you. During that time we formed a bond that could never be broken. Not really.”

Ellie breathed in slowly. “I thought about you every day for all of those twenty-eight years.”

“See? In a strange way we were always connected, and you came back into my life just when I need you the most.”

Her chest heaved as she held her mother tight. It was going to be okay. But first she had to tell Simon.

* * *

Simon couldn’t stop whistling. It was midmorning and he’d been floating on air ever since he got off the plane in D.C. the previous evening. He had some urgent business to attend to and now Ariella was on the top of his agenda. She had invited him to her apartment, and he took that as a very promising sign. She’d been cool on the phone lately—when he could even reach her. Suddenly she wanted to see him, and as soon as possible. Apparently meeting his family hadn’t scared her off as much as he thought.

The sweet and gracious way Ariella had handled his large and intimidating family further confirmed that she was the perfect woman for him. He’d trusted his instincts when he first saw her across that crowded ballroom, and so far they had been dead-on. She was the one they talked about, who came along once in a lifetime. He felt it deep in his gut. Or was it his heart? His whole body sang with emotions that he’d only read about in books before. He didn’t plan to waste his once-in-a-lifetime chance at happiness. Now all he had to do was convince Ariella herself that they were meant to be together.

His jacket pocket bulged slightly with the tooled leather box delivered just before he left. Nestled in white satin was the loveliest ring he’d ever seen. He had to admit he hadn’t paid too much attention to engagement rings before, but once he’d decided to propose, he did extensive research among his female friends.

He made up the elaborate excuse that he might be interested in helping promote the sale of African diamonds to help his charity, and he wanted some feedback on designs. He wasn’t entirely sure they fell for it, but he got a lot of great information anyway: not too bulky; flashy is fine but not for everyone; steer clear of color unless you know it’s one she adores. There was a long list he’d carried in his mind to the jeweler.

With the help—and promised discretion—of the queen’s appointed jeweler, he’d chosen a stunning, very pale pink diamond with a provenance dating back to the maharajas of India. Together they’d designed a setting of tiny diamonds and, since she always wore silver jewelry rather than gold, a simple platinum setting. The jeweler’s workshop had put the ring together almost overnight and he was convinced that it was the perfect ring for Ariella and that she’d adore it.

If she’d agree to be his wife.

He wasn’t nearly so confident about that part. Ariella wasn’t the type to accept just because he was a prince—which was one of the many reasons he loved her. He’d missed her so much since she’d returned to D.C. Playing it cool and not bombarding her with phone calls had been torture. He ached to see her again. To put his arms around her and kiss her as if the world was ending. He’d never felt even a fraction of this passion for a woman before. He knew his intense feelings meant that Ariella was the only woman for him.

The car pulled up in front of Ariella’s tidy Georgetown house and he got out. A sizzle of anticipation ran through him as he saw the lights were on in her first-floor apartment. He intended to build up to the proposal. He’d woo her and get the mood romantic before he plunged in with the question of a lifetime.

She’d had cold feet the last time he saw her. He’d be sure to warm them up and reassure her that even the most intractable members of his family would come to their senses. The monarchy hadn’t survived for so many years by being inflexible. No one was going to force him out of the country or make him give up his position in the royal family because of whom he loved. Together they’d slowly but surely win them over and make them realize that an infusion of fresh energy from across the Atlantic was just what they all needed. He’d kiss her until she was weak in the knees and maybe even make love to her until they lay spent in each other’s arms—then he’d ask her.

His driver handed him the big bunch of pink roses he’d ordered. No doubt any nearby photographers would have a field day, but soon enough they’d all be scribbling the story of their engagement so it didn’t really matter what they were speculating. In fact he welcomed them heralding the happy news that he and Ariella would spend the rest of their lives together.

He climbed the steps to her building with glowing anticipation and rang the bell a little too long. The first sight of her face after a two-week absence almost made him shout. She was unquestionably the most beautiful woman on earth, with her long dark hair tumbling about her shoulders and those big, soulful eyes fixed right on him.

When he flung his arms around her, still clutching the roses in one fist, he noticed she seemed a little stiff. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“Yes.” Her answer seemed a little less than enthusiastic.

“I brought you some roses. I thought they might remind you of our English rose gardens.”

She smiled. “Your country does have the most beautiful gardens in the world.”

They were talking about gardens? He was dying to propose to her and get it over with, as the suspense was killing him. But something wasn’t right. She looked pale. “How are you?”

She ushered him into the apartment. Wordless, her shoulders slightly hunched, she seemed very tense. “Please sit down.”

He frowned. “I feel like you’re about to drop some kind of bombshell. I’m not going to fall down like an old granny.”

That gentle smile hovered about her mouth again. “I’m sure you wouldn’t, but just in case.”

“You do have a bombshell to drop?” His mind ran through the possibilities. Her father had asked her to go live in the White House and forbidden her from dating? She couldn’t take the press anymore and had decided to go underground? Aliens had invaded and…

“I’m pregnant.”