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‘Hello. You must be Evie.’ Lucinda barely looked at Thirio.
‘And you must be my guardian angel!’ Evie responded with a soft laugh. ‘Honestly, I don’t know how you did this.’
‘It’s my job.’ Lucinda shrugged modestly. ‘But I’m very happy that you’re pleased with the progress.’
‘Pleased? I’m in awe. You’ve thought of everything, right down to your suggestion that guests make donations to the Nalvanian Childhood Literacy fund rather than giving us presents. After all, what more do we need?’
‘I know it’s a cause that’s close to your heart.’
‘Buthowdo you know?’ Evie responded with obvious disbelief. ‘It’s as though you’re living in my mind.’
‘I read a lot of interviews,’ Lucinda confided with a hint of pink in her cheeks. ‘That might seem a bit creepy, but I find it’s the best way to get to know a client and work out how to help them.’
‘On the contrary, I think it’s genius. On other occasions, I’ve had to spend days being questioned and going over proposals and I just couldn’t stomach it this time. Which is why I handed the tedium to Thirio. You’ve saved us both a lot of effort.’
‘It’s my pleasure,’ Lucinda promised, her eyes briefly flicking to Thirio, who met her response with a small grin. He couldn’t help it. Inwardly, he corrected her: it wasbothof their pleasure. ‘Would you like me to go through it all with you?’ Lucinda offered.
‘That’s exactly why I’m here!’ Evie clapped her hands together, glowing with happiness and vitality. That brought joy to his heart, but it was immediately followed by a rush of guilt, because their mother deserved to see her like this. He’d deprived them all of so much. ‘Shall we start in the ballroom?’
‘Absolutely.’ Lucinda turned to face him. ‘Thirio? Did you want to join us?’
He was frowning, and not listening properly.
‘Thirio?’ Evie waved her hand in his face. ‘Are you coming?’
‘No.’ His response was quick. Panic was rising inside him, the familiar rush of adrenalin something he’d become used to over the years. It always happened when he thought of their parents. ‘You go ahead. I have work to catch up on.’
‘It’s a weekend, you know,’ Evie reminded him, but good-naturedly, so he offered a tight smile.
‘You’ll have more fun without me. Go. Enjoy yourself.’
‘Is he being unbearably rude?’ Evie asked, when they were alone.
Lucinda jerked her gaze to Evie. ‘Who?’
‘My brother,’ Evie said gently. ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to protect him. I know what Thirio’s like.’
Lucinda contemplated that. The first day she’d met Thirio, he’d been beastly, but it had been a long time since she’d seen that side of him. ‘He’s okay, actually.’
‘You’re very tolerant. Or perhaps very polite. Probably both.’ Evie smiled. ‘In any event, thank you for putting up with him. He’s got a heart of gold, deep down. It’s justverydeep down, and not many people ever get to see it.’ She frowned. ‘In fact, I’m probably the only one who believes that.’
I believe it, Lucinda added inwardly, while nodding politely. ‘A marquee will be erected over there.’ She stopped walking and pointed towards a window. There was a large flat area of grass, with a stunning view of pine trees and wildflowers. ‘A carpet, made locally from recycled wool, will cover the ground, preserving guests’ shoes. The chairs will be sourced from the attic—did you know there’s over two hundred chairs from the early twentieth century there?’
‘I forgot. How did you find them?’ Evie said with obvious surprise.
‘I went exploring yesterday,’ Lucinda said, glossing over the fact that Thirio had given her a tour of the castle. ‘They’re so beautiful. Classic art deco, they’ll look wonderful.’
Evie’s smiled was tinged with nostalgia. ‘My parents used to host New Year’s Eve parties here. Those are the chairs they used.’ Her eyes were suspiciously moist, but she blinked quickly then smiled. ‘It’s good you found them. I really do want to avoid the appearance of extravagance,’ Evie said as they continued their progress towards the ballroom. ‘That’s what I loved about your proposal. Everything is thoughtful, repurposed, meaningful, with just enough special touches to reassure traditionalists that it’s a royal wedding.’ She pulled a face as she said the last two words.
‘I imagine there’s a lot of pomp in your life?’ Lucinda enquired thoughtfully.
‘It’s not so bad. As the fourth son, Erik has no expectation of becoming King. It’s the media that intrudes, and we cannot appear ungrateful for their attention, so it’s a delicate balance.’
They entered the ballroom and Evie sighed heavily. ‘I’ve always loved it here.’
‘And yet, you don’t come often?’
Evie turned to look at Lucinda, appraising her for a moment before shaking her head. ‘No. It’s my brother’s home.’
