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She stifled a sigh. The guessing game was getting old. And it was getting them no closer to the answers they so desperately needed.
They talked for a few more minutes, catching up on each other’s lives. Then Bianca had to go. She couldn’t be late for the queen’s celebration. She promised to speak to Gia soon.
Bianca headed out the door. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure where she was going, but she’d been too proud to admit that to Leo. But she figured if she could make it to the main entrance that she could just fall in line with the other guests as they made their way to the library.
And that’s exactly what she did. Security was everywhere in dark suits and wearing earpieces. Since she was a guest within the palace, she was able to pass through the checkpoint without any problems.
She wondered if security was always this heavy. And then she realized that it would be this intense for the wedding. She would have to make allowances for that in her plans. She reached for her phone to make a note and then realized she’d left it back in her room. She tucked the information in the back of her mind.
She followed two couples to the library. As she glanced around, she was relieved to find her dress would fit in. At last, she took a full breath.
She could do this.
The funny thing was that everyone thought she didn’t get nervous or filled with anxiety before a big event she’d planned. That wasn’t true, but she didn’t tell them. The trick was to put on a confident smile and never let them see her perspire. And that’s what she intended to do this evening.
As she stepped into the massive room, she immediately searched for Leo. He was tall, so she hoped he would stand out in this crowd, but she didn’t see him. And before she had a chance to make the rounds, Giselle rushed up to her.
“There you are.” Giselle slipped her arm in Bianca’s. “I’ve been telling everyone how you are putting a fresh spin on the wedding.”
Was that what she was doing? Who was she to argue with a client? Correction: a princess.
“Bianca, I’d like to introduce you to the Duchess of Lamar.”
Not sure how to properly greet a duchess, she said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The wedding conversation took off from there. The duchess said that she would be recommending Bianca’s services to her nieces. That made Bianca smile.
When they entered the grand dining hall, it was stunning. The table was unlike any she’d ever seen as it must have seated at least a hundred people. Wow! She couldn’t even wrap her mind around the size of the long narrow room with purple trim and portraits of the royal family through the generations.
She was seated in the middle of the table. Nowhere close to the queen at the head of the table, which was fine with Bianca. And nowhere close to the prince at the foot of the table, which she found deeply disappointed her.
But she was delighted that throughout the eight-course meal, she was entertained by the Earl of Saskan. By the looks of him, he was only a few years her senior. He was a delightful man, who could easily carry on an entertaining conversation. And he wasn’t too bad looking, but he had nothing on the prince.
“It’s nice that they invited you to dinner,” the earl said. “They have such a tight knit group of people for these events that it’s rare for an outsider to be included. Not that you’re an outsider, but you know, not one of the group—”
With each word he spoke, her insecurities came rushing to the surface. She was an outsider in this grand, historic palace. Nothing would change that. She even felt out of place in her own family, she thought sadly.
“It’s okay.” She placed her hand on his forearm to get his attention. When his rambling stopped, she said, “I understand. I’m a guest at the palace, I believe they felt it would be rude not to invite me.”
She felt someone staring at her. Could it be the prince? And then realizing that it was probably inappropriate to be touching the earl, she quickly withdrew her hand. When she lifted her gaze, the prince turned his head to the person on his right. Why should he care who she spoke to?
The earl looked at her with relief written all over his flushed face. “Sometimes, well, a lot of times I say the wrong thing. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“No offense taken.” But it was definitely time to change the subject. “And how are you connected to the royal family?”
She didn’t know it was such a loaded question but it kept the earl talking of his lineage through most of the meal. All she had to do was interject an acknowledgment in the appropriate pauses as he regaled her with a detailed history lesson.
Surprisingly, the dinner didn’t last as long as she’d imagined with that many courses. The queen didn’t chat abundantly and when she finished the course, she signaled for the dishes to be cleared. In fact, during the salad course, the earl had talked so much that he’d squeezed in only one bite before the dishes were whisked away.
When the meal was over, they were escorted to the grand ball room. And grand it was with its gold trim and enormous landscape murals on the walls. A crystal chandelier was the focal point of the room. Bianca had never seen a chandelier of that magnitude. It took in the light, making the thousands of crystals shimmer and then cast a rainbow of colors throughout the room.
As the music started, Giselle sought her out. “Are you having a good time?”
“I am. Thank you. But I had no idea there would be dancing.”
“My mother, though she hasn’t danced since my father passed on, does enjoy the music. You should dance.”
Bianca shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
