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I nod.Technically true.
“Well, bring her in. I want to meet her.”
“She’s not here. She’s staying at the cottage.”
“What? Why?”
“I thought it would be better.”
“What are you hiding, Alex?”
“Mother. Nothing. Please trust me.”
My mother takes a sip of her coffee. I can see the rage building in her eyes.
“We’re going to have an official engagement ceremony, Mother. You’ll meet her then.”
“I want to meet her now.”
“Not yet, Mother.”
“You’ve known this woman, what, a month? Less? Don’t risk everything for some unknown. Your position is tenuous enough as it is…”
“I know that, Mother. Even so, no. Not yet.”
She leans forward and sets her teacup down so hard that some liquid sloshes out of the top. “I will get to the bottom of this. I can meet her now, or I can show up at the engagement party with all the dirt I find on her. And I’m sure there will be dirt. There always is.”
I stand up.
“Where are you going?”
“We’re done here.”
I expect her to shout, but for some reason, she doesn’t. I leave the door open when I leave, and one of the guards in the hall hurries to close it.
I head to the other end of the palace, to my uncle’s bed chamber. I’m calm when I get there, but when I see the King lying there, something inside me breaks. He looks so small and fragile. The nurse sitting at his bedside leaves with a small bow. I kneel down beside the bed, grab my uncle’s hand, and kiss it.
“Alex,” he says.
It’s hard for him to utter just that one word. Quickly I explain that I’ll arrange for Lily to see him for an interlude during the engagement party. It will be the perfect time when everyone is distracted. Since he’s ill, no one will expect him. My uncle nods.
“Thank you,” he whispers, pulling on my shirt. “How is she, Alex? She’s…”
“She’s good, Uncle. She’s excited to see you. She talked about the many happy memories you have.”
He smiles bigger than I’ve maybe ever seen, and his eyes widen. He pats me on the shoulder and just keeps smiling. Then he shuts his eyes and falls asleep quickly. I gently pull the covers up to his chest.
I leave the room, quietly shutting the door on my way out. The nurse immediately goes back in.Almost there,I think as I head toward my own suite. I need to sit for a moment before heading back to Villa Silvae. On the settee, I think about the task ahead of me.
To fulfill my uncle’s wish, there’s one more thing I need to do to make this work. Convince Bella to have an official engagement party with me. Piece of cake, right?
The whole way there the next morning, after staying at the palace overnight, I practice the conversation in the car, still not knowing how exactly to break it to Bella.
24
ISABELLA
Alex has been gone just overnight at the palace, but I somehow miss him already. Looking over at Lily, I don’t know how she does it.
