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She’d spent days lying with him on a blanket in amongst the olive trees, or with him in her arms on the couch in the living room, reading him a book. Or singing. Or showing him white pebbles or flowers or long stalks of green grass in the garden.
She didn’t have to worry about money or a job, or how she was going to get nappies or food, or whether the bills had been paid and her electricity was going to get cut off. Everything was provided for her, whatever she asked for was delivered.
Her things from the hostel she’d been staying in had appeared in one of the bedrooms the day after she’d arrived, and, sure enough, Maria, Leo’s nanny, had left her a little book full of notes about Leo and his likes and dislikes. What his early months had been like and what kind of baby he was. There were even photos.
Solace had cried over that little book, again for everything she’d missed out on, yet also for what had been given back to her, and it had taken a few days for that to stop hurting. A couple of times she’d demanded frivolous things just to see if Galen really was as good as his word and anything she wanted would be given to her, and indeed they had been.
She’d worried off and on about his ridiculous proposal of marriage and what would happen in the future, and then, because it felt too hard to think about, she’d pushed all of that to the back of her mind, because right now Leo was more important and she wanted to spend her time thinking about him, not the future.
He was such a good baby, calm and rarely fussy, with lots of smiles. The first time he’d smiled at her, she’d thought her heart would burst with joy.
He smiled up at her now as she rocked him, staring up at her as if entranced.
She smiled back, love for him making her chest ache, and then she lifted him for a snuggle. He gave the most delightful gurgling laugh that made tears start in her eyes.
Really, it was a good thing she’d been completely alone with him for the past week given the amount of time she’d spent weeping. She cried more than he did.
Don’t get too complacent. This could all come crashing down at any minute.
Oh, she knew that. But a week to allow herself some happiness, to exist in the moment with her child, didn’t seem like too big an ask.
Still humming her lullaby, Solace gently laid Leo down in his cot and adjusted his blankets. He generally went down without a fuss, and he must have been extra sleepy today because his eyes closed almost as soon as she’d laid a kiss on his forehead.
She tiptoed out of the room, pulling the door to, and then went down the hallway. She was on the point of coming down the stairs when she heard car tyres crunch on the gravel driveway outside.
Everything inside her tensed.
She’d been alone for the entire week, apart from a security detail so discreet she barely saw them. No one had bothered her. She’d half expected Galen to visit, but he hadn’t. She hadn’t heard from him for days.
Then only the day before one of Galen’s aides had arrived with an invitation for her to come to the palace the next day. It was her summons, just as he’d said.
A car would be sent, along with Maria to look after Leo. It was merely a casual dinner to discuss his earlier proposal, nothing too formal. However, with the summons he’d also sent three dresses that had been chosen with her in mind, since he knew she wouldn’t have anything suitable. Dresses that could in no way could be termed ‘casual’.
She’d been angry at his high-handedness, all the while sitting on the bed in the bedroom hardly daring to touch the expensive fabric of the dresses laid on the bed. She’d never had such pretty things to choose from before. She’d never had pretty things at all. Everything she had was the cheapest she could buy and there was never anything left over for luxuries.
But these dresses...one in ice-blue silk, another in white satin, a third in tailored black velvet. They were all glamorous and sophisticated, sexy but subtle, nothing like her dress of silver mesh, which was not subtle in the least.
Part of her didn’t want to wear the dresses because he’d chosen them and he obviously meant her to wear one, and she hated the thought of accepting his charity. Then again, she loved them, and she didn’t know when she’d get another chance to wear something like them again, so why not? It wasn’t charity. It was dressing for the occasion. Also, she rather liked the idea of turning him down while wearing something beautiful, because of course she was going to turn him down.
His whole idea was ludicrous. Marry a man she barely knew and not just any man, but a king. And she would become his queen. It was like something out of a fairy tale or a dream, not something that would ever—ever—in a million years happen to someone like her. Naturally, she couldn’t trust the idea, not one bit.
Even if a part of her wanted it so badly she ached.
To have a home and a family, and not just any home and family, but one in a palace, with a king for a husband. She wouldn’t need to worry about rent or having enough money for food. She’d have her baby with her and a whole garrison of palace guards to keep everyone safe...
And she’d have him. Galen standing between her and the world, standing between her and everything that could hurt her. Galen holding her at night, giving her the most incredible pleasure. He’d made her feel so good...
Her heart throbbed, a tugging ache.
It’s too good to be true. You can’t trust it.
She knew that. If Katherine, the foster mother she’d wanted to stay with, could change her mind about her for no apparent reason, then why couldn’t Galen? He was only offering to marry her because of Leo anyway. He’d never have chosen her if not for that.
No, it was better not to accept anything so out of the realms of possibility as a marriage proposal from him. It was a dream. And the problem with dreams was that you always woke up. Always.
Still, all of that didn’t mean she had to forgo a nice dress, and, since they were here anyway, she might as well wear one.
She decided on the ice-blue silk, since it had a lace bodice that left her shoulders bare and a frothy skirt with a hem that fell to her calves at the back while it ended at her knees at the front. There were strappy, high-heeled sandals in ice blue to match, and, with her hair falling loose around her shoulders, she felt like a fairy princess.
