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David and Clara progressed to the ancient Greek and Roman galleries. “I would have surmised you studied law or politics. What drew you to military history?” Clara’s insides swooned with this information. A fellow lover of history!
David stopped pushing the wheelchair and looked at Clara. “Nobody has ever asked me that before. I suppose I’ve always been fascinated by my family’s history and that of the British Cavalry. I did my military training with the Life Guards, one of the British Army Household Cavalry divisions. They are still the oldest regiment and one of the most decorated.” Clara could see David’s passion.
She could picture David in a British Cavalry uniform on top of a horse. Could he ride horses?Duh. If he was trained as a member of the cavalry. His family’s history. That’s right, he’s a prince.How had she already forgotten that little tidbit? He was nothing like she imagined a royal family member to be. She shouldn’t have been so judgmental the other day.
“Shall we continue our tour?” David asked. A goofy grin on his face made Clara understand she had zoned out for a few moments.
The Parthenon sculptures in Gallery 18 were the highlight of the trip for Clara. She loved Ancient Greek history and architecture growing up. Being able to see the Greek friezes from Athens and the Parthenon brought the myths to life. Clara hoped to someday be able to visit Greece in person. If she ever got the chance to go to college, she wanted to study the classics. This would never get old for her.
“What do you think about the controversy around the Elgin Marbles? Would you want them returned to Greece?” Clara wondered aloud.
David paused as if considering his answer. “It’s a sore sticking point of discussion for almost any museum and country. Museums hold so many objects that were purchased or stolen to begin with that if the Elgin Marbles were returned to Greece, it would set a precedent for other countries to ask for their own objects to be returned to them. My personal belief is to leave the objects as they are and let the public enjoy them.”
“Spoken like a true politician,” Clara teased.
They silently explored the nearby Nereid Tomb and decided to stop by the nearest gift shop to browse and check out some of the museum books. She still wanted to see the Assyrian, Anglo-Saxon, Asian, and African collections. David left her alone for a few minutes near the Enlightenments Galleries where it was quieter. Clara was happy to have a moment to herself to soak in all that she had seen so far. This had been the best non-date ever and it wasn’t even dinner time. Would David want to spend time with her still? She hoped he didn’t think of her as wasting his time. She bet he’d been there a million times.
David returned with two steaming cups of coffee and a blueberry muffin for them to split. David rolled Clara into one of the private member rooms on the first floor. His security team left them alone and stood guard outside the door. Once inside, he settled Clara at one of the small round tables and took a seat across from her.
“You must have read my mind!” Clara wanted to jump out of the wheelchair in delight.
“You didn’t eat much at lunch. I apologize for monopolizing your time earlier.” David broke the muffin in half and handed her the larger piece. Clara’s hand, however, went straight for the coffee.
David laughed and held it just out of her reach. “Food first, then coffee.”
Clara sighed and crossed her arms in a mock pout. “Not fair when you’re at least a foot taller than me. But you’re right. I need sustenance. That smells like a dark roast blend. I can’t wait to try it.” Clara gratefully accepted the muffin and took a few bites. “I enjoyed our conversation, and to tell you the truth, I never eat large meals at one time. I dance all day and am lucky to squeeze in lunch. I snack or graze all day. I eat a lot to keep up with the demands of my work. What about you?”
“My lunches are typically working lunches. At the moment, I have a couple of time-consuming projects that take up almost all of my day. If I have any free time, I swim to keep fit. It’s something, other than riding horses, I was able to enjoy at home away from the prying eyes of the public.” David took a bite of his muffin and closed his eyes in contentment.
“Swimming must be a nice stress relief and outlet to escape reality when you need time to yourself. When I dance, I focus on the breathing and feeling the music. I lose myself to the art.” Clara was hungrier than she thought and ravenously devoured her half of the muffin. Clara turned to her coffee. She inhaled the scents and closed her eyes, taking her first sip. She heard the sound of something sliding across the table.
She opened her eyes as David placed a chocolate chip cookie on a plate in front of her. “A little birdy told me you’d like some chocolate to go with your coffee. I settled for a snickerdoodle one myself.”
Clara’s eyes fluttered. He was too good to be true. Chocolate and coffee. Two of her favorite things in life. How had he known?
David drank his own coffee. “You understand me so completely, it’s frightening. When I was younger, I suffered from social anxiety. Until Eddie was born, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I hated being out in the public eye, never having my own life. In the past few years, I’ve been able to disappear more and work in the background. Eddie’s taken on my old burden. I’ve also come to understand more about using my image for good. I know exactly what Eddie is going through.”
Clara smiled and was glad she had a few minutes to get to know David better. If there was a person who shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, it was her.Let this be a lesson that nothing is what it seems and to give everyone a chance.She wanted to get to know more about David. Would it be too forward if she mentioned wanting to go on a date? Should she still be mad at him for earlier?
“I don’t want to break this up, but the museum closes in an hour. Do you think we can fit everything else in?” Clara glanced at her watch. It was four in the afternoon.
David stood, took their trash, and headed over to the trash can. “I love challenges. Let’s do this.” David touched base with his security team and returned for Clara. They ventured out to the more modern exhibits the British Museum held.
When the museum announced its closing time, Clara’s energy level was sapped. She yawned a few times as they waited for David’s car to arrive outside the museum. “David, I know we agreed on a non-date and dinner. I was joking when I mentioned being tired and postponing dinner, but in this instance, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it through to the evening. Do you mind if I ask for a raincheck?” Clara felt guilty. It wasn’t like she didn’twanthave dinner with David. Her body was purely exhausted and still jet-lagged.
David’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. Clara didn’t miss the change in demeanor. “Of course, Clara, I understand. Let’s get you back to the St. George.” Michael pulled up, and together, David and Michael assisted Clara into the backseat. Michael stowed the wheelchair in the trunk. They slid inside as David asked for them to be taken to Clara’s hotel.
“I do want to have dinner with you. I’ll even go so far as to make it an official date. You have been an amazing tour guide to London so far. I am exhausted, to be blunt about it.”
David’s expression softened. “I appreciate that you are being honest with me. I’ll tell you, I was afraid you were trying to avoid me. I’m not as vivacious as, say, Eddie.”
Clara wanted to hold David’s hand and squeeze it reassuringly. “I’m free all day tomorrow if you are.”
“It’s a date,” David confirmed.
Amanda nearly brokeClara’s eardrum when she screamed into the phone after Clara’s mini nap.
“Out of all the people in the world you could have happened to buy coffee for, it turns out to be a real life prince!” Amanda gushed. “You have all the luck! Especially when we were still in Seattle. Everything always seemed to go according to plan for you.” Clara could tell Amanda was nothing but ecstatic that she’d finally found a man to potentially go out with. Amanda always said it had been too long since Clara stepped out of the dance world and taken time for herself.
