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Millie put her arm through Toby’s. “It takes time, dear, but you will forget him.”
“It seems that in the last few days my memories of him are even more intense. It almost feels as though he’s calling me to him.”
“Then perhaps you should go to him.”
“Not possible,” Toby said as she went down the stairs ahead of Millie and got her car keys.
It was the day before Victoria’s wedding that Toby came apart. She awoke early and went downstairs to the kitchen. As she made herself a pot of strong, dark tea, she heard the TV on in the downstairs sitting room. Millie must be up already. She took her drink and went into the room.
Millie was on the couch watching a live CNN broadcast from Lanconia. She glanced up at Toby. “I keep hearing mention of this country and I saw that this was on. Do you know what it is?”
Toby’s throat seemed to swell up as she looked at the television screen. There was a large room with a red rug, gold lighting fixtures, and what looked like blue silk brocade on the walls. In front were over a dozen tiny chairs with people in suits, the women with hats on, all of them with either pen and paper or a camera. At the back were TV cameras. “It’s … I assume it’s the engagement ceremony,” Toby said.
Her common sense told her she should leave the room and not watch what was about to happen. But she couldn’t make herself leave.
When Millie patted the seat beside her, Toby walked around the couch and sat down, her tea mug clutched in her hand.
The CNN broadcaster said that Prince Graydon of Lanconia was about to enter the palace room with Lady Danna Hexonbath, and he was going to make the announcement of their formal engagement.
“Graydon?” Millie said, looking at Toby. “This isn’t your Graydon, is it?”
When Toby didn’t answer, Millie took the mug from her and put it on the coffee table. Toby’s heart was pounding, and like someone hypnotized, she stared at the screen.
After several long moments, out came the prince, as tall and handsome as she remembered. On his arm was Lady Danna, and she was as beautiful as Toby had always feared.
“They look very happy together,” Millie said, sadness in her voice.
“Rory has always loved Danna,” Toby whispered.
“Rory? Who is that?”
Toby came out of her trance and she stood up abruptly. “That is Rory, not Graydon.”
She stepped away from the couch, her hands to the side of her head. “No no no no! He cannot do this to me.”
“Do what? I don’t understand.”
“Graydon! He’s going to make me have to be the villain.”
“I’m sorry,” Millie said, “but I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Toby pointed at the TV. “That is not Prince Graydon. That is his brother, Rory. Graydon is going to come here and say he’s going to give up his throne for me!”
“Oh,” Millie said. “Are you sure of that? That seems rather drastic. But if he does do that, what are you going to say to him?”
“That he can’t do it, that’s what,” Toby said. She tried to calm down. “Maybe I’m wrong. Please watch that and see if they show someone they think is Prince Rory. If he’s not there, then he’s probably on his way here. I’m going upstairs to get dressed, then I’m going to the site.”
She muttered, “Damn you, Graydon!” all the way up the stairs.
By the day of the wedding, Toby was telling herself that she’d been wrong about everything. The day before, she’d jumped at every sound, expecting Graydon to step out from behind every door.
But as the day wore on and he didn’t appear, she began to settle down. She and Millie had wine with dinner and Toby went to bed early.
Today was the wedding, it was just six A.M., and she was already at the site. She wanted as much time as she could get to make sure everything went smoothly. Yesterday had been crazy, with many people arriving at the airport and expecting to be driven to their hotels. Toby had enlisted every cousin Jared had to drive people wherever they wanted to go.
As soon as Toby parked behind the chapel, she lifted the back door of her car so the waitstaff could get to the supplies she’d brought. Millie had a friend who was a calligrapher so the seating cards been hand lettered. In fact, Millie had added a lot of touches to the wedding that Toby had never thought of. They’d run everything past Victoria for approval, but she’d just waved her hand and agreed.
Victoria was so involved in the novel she was writing that she paid little attention to her own wedding. Toby had been concerned that Dr. Huntley would be hurt by her neglect but he was very protective. “She is writing Valentina’s story and she feels it,” he said. “Inside her, she knows the story. When she has it on paper, she will return to us.”
