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He smiled at her. ‘Ruby, I don’t ever want to let you go. You are the only woman I want by my side. But more than anything I want you to be happy. You are the best woman I’ve ever known. I love you, Ruby. Annabelle loves you too. I’d love to tell you I don’t care what the media says—but that wouldn’t be true.’
She flinched and he pressed on, moving one hand from her waist and pressing it above her heart.
‘I care because you care. I don’t want anyone to hurt you. I don’t want anyone to upset you. I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. I want to love you, cherish you and keep you for ever. I want you by my side whatever I do.’
‘But what about me, Alex? What about my work? I’m not a stay-at-home kind of girl.’
Even as she said the words she wondered how true they were. She’d already been thinking of changing her role at work and trying to find a less stressful kind of job. She loved her patients. She just didn’t love the bureaucracy.
He smiled. ‘I want what you want. I want to support you in any work you want to do. What is it you want to do, Ruby? Can you do it Euronia?’
She nodded slowly. ‘I want to work with people, Alex.’
‘Then you can. We have a hospital here. You can be the people’s Princess Ruby. If you want to work there—you can.’
‘Really?’ Things were starting to seem more real. More possible. More within her grasp.
‘I want you to be the person I turn to when I need guidance. I want you to be the person Annabelle comes to when she cuts her knee, quarrels with her friends and...’ he grimaced ‘...needs boyfriend advice. I want you to be the person holding my hand and squeezing it when Annabelle says her first sentence. When she starts school. When she’s crowned Queen of Leruna.’
Her voice trembled. ‘That’s a whole lot of wants, Alex. Some parts even sounded like wedding vows.’
He nodded slowly. ‘They did—didn’t they?’ He reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair. ‘Here’s another one, then. I want to make this work. I want to make this work for you and me.’
Tears were forming in her eyes. ‘I want this to work too, Alex. I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed Annabelle these last few days. I felt as if I’d left part of me behind. But I still want to be normal too, Alex. I’ll let you down. I’m not cut out for this kind of life. I’m just Ruby Wetherspoon from Lewisham.’ She gave the slightest shake of her head. ‘I can’t be Princess Ruby.’
One tear slid down her cheek. He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. ‘I think you can. I think you and I can figure this out together. There’s no one else for me, Ruby. It’s just you. Tonight is our anniversary. Tonight, eleven years ago, someone was smiling down from up above and telling me to reach into the crowd and pull the girl in the red coat up next to me. And that was it.’
He pulled back and pressed his hand over his heart.
‘That was it for me, Ruby. Our defining moment. Everything in between has been just smoke and mirrors. Everything that’s happened has brought us to here and now.’ He held out his hand over the palace grounds. ‘This is where we’re supposed to be right now. This is what we’re supposed to be doing.’
‘Paris was a fairytale, Alex. Every girl knows that fairytales don’t come true.’
He smiled and slipped an arm around her shoulders, turning her to look out over the crowds. ‘But fairytales are magic, Ruby—don’t you know that? Every girl doesn’t get a prince. Just like every guy doesn’t get a princess. But I’m hoping that tonight my fairytale comes true.’
The fireworks started immediately.
The crowd in the gardens all turned towards them. They were spectacular. White and gold Catherine wheels streaking across the black sky. Flashes of blue and red confetti cannons. Roman candles and rockets firing into the sky and exploding in a cascade of brilliant lights. The effects were dazzling.
Multi-coloured waterfall fireworks came at the end of the display, mirroring the fireworks in Paris eleven years ago. They’d been put there at Alex’s special request. Would Ruby remember them?
Of course she did. She turned and smiled at him.
‘It’s almost identical.’ Her voice was low and hoarse. ‘I haven’t watched a firework display since then, Alex. I didn’t want anything to spoil the memories I had of Paris.’
His heart lifted. She felt the same as he did. ‘Ruby, I love you. I want you to stay with me in Euronia. I don’t want you to be Annabelle’s speech therapist. I don’t want you to be an employee. I don’t want you to be waiting in the wings. I’m ready, Ruby. I’m ready to tell the world that I love you and I want you by my side.’
He held his hand up to the fireworks.
‘This is for us, Ruby, and I’ll recreate these fireworks every year for us. Eleven years ago was the start. I wish we’d had a chance to continue from there. And while I wish my friend Sophia hadn’t died I couldn’t ever wish my daughter Annabelle wasn’t here. Maybe it was always destined that our two countries would be united. But what I know in my heart is that I was always destined for you.’
He knelt down on one knee and pulled the ring he’d had made out of his pocket.
‘I love you, Ruby Wetherspoon. Will you do me the honour of agreeing to become my wife? I promise to love and cherish you for ever. I promise to be by your side no matter what happens. Whatever you want to do, you will have my full support. And I hope I will have yours. What do you think, Ruby? Can we create our own fairytale here, in Euronia?’
The fireworks continued to explode behind her. The shimmering silver dress reflected every one of them in the dark night. The colours lit up Ruby’s face and there it was—the sparkle in her eyes again. The thing he’d longed for and hoped to see for the last two weeks.
She reached down and pulled him up. She was smiling. ‘Don’t kneel for me, Alex. That’s not where I want you.’ She slipped the custom-made ruby and diamond ring on to her finger. ‘I want you right by my side.’
He slipped his arms around her. ‘Is that a yes?’
She slid her arms around his neck and tipped her lips towards his. ‘That’s definitely a yes.’
And he kissed her as the fireworks lit up the sky behind them.
Princess Ruby was here to stay.
EPILOGUE
RUBY ADJUSTED HER veil nervously while Polly fussed around her.
‘How long is this train?’
They were currently all enveloped in the back of the car by mounds and mounds of jewelled pale cream satin. She practically couldn’t even see her father at this point.
‘Twenty-five feet.’ She smiled, even though she was afraid to move. ‘Apparently it’s a tradition.’
‘It’s a tradition, all right. Can you even walk with this thing?’
Ruby nodded. ‘I’ve been practising.’
Polly’s eyes widened. ‘You have? When?’
She smiled again. ‘At night. Rufus—Alex’s private secretary—has helped me for the last few nights. We’ve practised up and down the main staircase and out through the main doors.’
‘Wow.’ Polly h
anded Ruby her red flowers and lifted her hands to straighten the ruby and diamond tiara on Ruby’s head. ‘Seems like someone has introduced a few traditions of their own.’
‘Ooby—look!’ Annabelle was practically standing on one of the other seats, waving at the crowds as they passed, her short red bridesmaid dress bouncing around her.
Ruby stretched over. ‘Come here.’ She gave Annabelle a hug. ‘You look beautiful, Annabelle. You’re going to be the most gorgeous girl anyone has ever seen.’
The little girl couldn’t stop smiling. Her speech was improving every day. Simple words...
The car pulled up outside the church and Ruby couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. This was it.
It seemed to take for ever for Polly and her father to unwind her dress and the train from the car. Then there was a nod as Polly took Annabelle’s hand and led her ahead.
She waved to the crowds and headed to the church door, the heavy train hampering her steps. If she had her way she’d be running down the aisle to meet Alex.
The crowd in the church was hushed. Queen Isabelle turned from the front pew and gave her the tiniest nod of her head. But Ruby’s eyes were fixed on Alex.
There was no tradition here. Her groom would never stand facing the front, waiting for her to appear.
Alex had turned around to face her, his bright blue eyes fixed firmly on hers, smiling from ear to ear. He’d never looked more handsome. She’d never been so sure.
Ruby’s father took her arm. ‘Ready?’
She nodded. ‘Always,’ she said, and took the first steps that would start her new life.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from TAMING THE FRENCH TYCOON by Rebecca Winters.
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