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The press had certainly changed their tune.
Beneath the article was the statement she’d released via the Palace press office yesterday.
Princess Gabrielle has arrived in Mirinez to take up the role of Head of State after the abdication of Prince Andreas. She is ready and willing to take up this position, serving the people of Mirinez to the best of her ability.
Princess Gabrielle makes no excuses for the fact that she is a doctor. Her experience served her well following the recent mine explosion, and she will continue to serve as a doctor, in a community setting, as well as carrying out her state duties.
Princess Gabrielle was accompanied on her return home by Dr Sullivan Darcy, a surgeon who has worked for Doctors Without Borders and served in the US military. His skills proved vital in dealing with the victims of burns from the mining explosion and Princess Gabrielle is grateful to have his expertise at this time.
Everything would be almost perfect if it wasn’t for the slightly grainy picture underneath of the two of them locked in each other’s arms. It made it look as if she were trying to keep him a secret. As if she was ashamed.
The hardest part of the statement had been the part about Sullivan. What should she call him? A friend? A boyfriend? A colleague?
In the end she’d taken the easiest way out and not called him anything. Just using the words that he’d ‘accompanied’ her.
She was so torn. Her heart was going one place and her head another.
She looked at the list of responsibilities that she still needed to tackle as Head of State. As time progressed it was gradually reducing. There were still a number of critical issues to be dealt with—not least the one about the missing money. There were also a number of duties she still had to fulfil.
Duties were always the things she’d hated most as a child. Being forced to dress up and behave at certain state events had never been her favourite way to spend time. But now her childhood days and teenage rebellion years had long since passed, she could look on them with adult eyes.
Tomorrow night there was a state banquet. It had been arranged when Andreas had still been head of state. With everything else that was going on, she hadn’t even given it a moment’s thought.
As she looked at the guest list now, she could see the names of dignitaries, members of other royal families and members of parliament. Several of the people on the guest list were also featured on her list of responsibilities as Head of State. Talking in person was always so much better than talking on the phone. There were a few essential conversations she could have that evening to mend bridges or smooth over troubled waters that her brother had created.
She licked her dry lips.
Maybe this was a good way to hint at something else. To the press. To the people of Mirinez. And to the members of staff in the palace. If she invited Sullivan to the event as her partner—officially—that would send a message.
Her heart fluttered in her chest. Was this the right thing to do?
She walked over to her closet and pulled open the doors, running her eyes over the clothes. It had been such a long time since she’d been to anything officially ‘royal’ that she really didn’t have much suitable. Franz had arranged for a few suits and work clothes to be available to her as soon as she’d arrived.
A banquet was something else entirely. And Gabrielle didn’t spend hours deciding what to wear. As long as it was suitable, covered everything it should, and felt good, she would be happy. She’d never been the type of girl that was a clothes horse. She picked up the phone. ‘Franz, I’ll need something to wear for the state banquet—can you arrange that? And can you let people know that Dr Darcy will be my guest and find something suitable for him too? Thanks.’
She put down the phone and gave a nervous smile.
Finally, she had something to look forward to.
* * *
The surgery had taken longer than expected. His back ached. It had been a long time since that had happened. In Helmand Provence he’d frequently been on his feet in surgery for sixteen hours at a time. But it was odd. The heat of the environment that normally caused so many other issues had seemed to relieve any muscular aches and pains.
He strode down the corridor towards his apartments. The surgery seemed to have been successful. He’d had to graft a large piece of skin onto the hand, ensuring there was enough elasticity to allow adequate movement and dexterity for the fingers. Hand surgery was one of the trickiest, particularly around burns. But he’d review how things looked in the morning to ensure the best outcome for his patient. Surgery was only the first step. This miner would have months of physical therapy ahead. It would be a long, hard road.
It was unusual. The palace seemed busier than normal. More staff. More cars in the courtyard. There was a buzz in the air.
He opened the door to his apartments and stopped. A few suits were hanging from the outside of the wardrobe, along with a variety of shirts and ties, a military dress uniform and a variety of shoes.
Was he going somewhere?
Mikel, the security guard, appeared at his shoulder. ‘Dr Darcy, I was looking for you.’
‘What’s up, Mikel? Why has my room turned into a department store?’
Mikel smiled. ‘There’s a state banquet tonight. It had already been arranged before you and Princess Gabrielle arrived—it will be the first that she’s officially hosted.’ Mikel pointed to the clothes. ‘Anyway, you are the Princess’s guest. Arun arranged for a few choices of clothes for you.’ He gestured towards the uniform. ‘He wasn’t sure what you would want to wear.’ He gave a cheeky grin. ‘And don’t worry. This time everything will fit perfectly.’
Mikel turned and headed for the door. ‘Banquet starts at seven. You’ll be expected at Princess Gabrielle’s apartments at six-thirty.’
He disappeared out the door and Sullivan sank into the armchair next to the window. He was exhausted. What he’d really like to do was lie on top of the bed and search TV channels for a baseball game—the one thing he actually did miss while away on all his missions.
There was a tray on the table next to him. With a pot of coffee and...he lifted the silver dome...his favourite sandwich, a Philly steak cheese. He shook his head as the smell drifted around him. The palace staff were completely obliging and had obviously read his mind. He poured the coffee and tore into the sandwich as he looked at the suits hanging outside the wardrobe. He didn’t even want to think about how much they had cost.
His eyes flicked to the dress uniform. He moved over and fingered the gold braid on the navy jacket. The cap was sitting on top of the nearby table. Would he be comfortable wearing his dress uniform? He had an honourable discharge from the US Army. If he had permission, he could still wear his dress uniform. The question was—did he want to?
While his time in the military had been an intense but enjoyable experience, just looking at the uniform reminded him of his father. He had numerous photographs of his father in his own dress uniform. As his father’s whole career had been in the military, his uniform had almost been like his second skin.
He dropped his hand and moved over to the nearest suit. The first touch of the fabric told him its quality. He pressed his lips together. He didn’t need to deal with the other stuff tonight.
It was eating away at him. Things only seemed to be intensifying as his relationship with Gabrielle blossomed. They were always there, always burning away at his soul—probably creating an ulcer in h
is stomach—always letting him know that he had unfinished business. The wall he had created around himself was starting to be eaten away by little chinks. Chinks he still didn’t know if he could accommodate. One of the black suits would be fine. He walked into the bathroom and flicked the handle on the shower.
What was a state banquet anyway?
* * *
She opened the door as soon as he knocked. ‘Wow, so that’s what you look like when you actually wear the jacket as well as the shirt and trousers.’
He smiled. ‘Hey.’ He looked down. ‘This is actually a different pair of trousers and a different shirt from the other night. I did contemplate the jeans from the cinema.’
She gave him a gentle shove. ‘Don’t go there.’ She stepped forward and pretended to straighten his tie. Anything to get up close and personal.
His hand went straight to her hip. She could feel the heat from his palm instantly through the fine satin of her dress. He rubbed his palm gently up and down the curve of her hip and waist.
‘If this is what we wear to state banquets then I’m all in.’
She gave a little groan. ‘Behave.’ She’d picked a demurely styled navy blue satin dress. The bodice was also covered in lace and scattered with sequins that showed the tanned skin on her shoulders and around the top of neckline hint through the lace. In her ears she had large diamond and sapphire earrings and her hair was pinned up.
‘How can I behave when you look like this?’ he whispered.
She was wearing heavier make-up than normal, a little glitter enhancing her dark eyes and a brighter red lipstick. She licked her lips as she glanced at him. ‘You’ll have to behave. Haven’t you heard? You’re my official date. One day a delinquent doc, the next day the hero doc.’ She stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, ‘Who knows what tomorrow will bring?’
