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“A couple of days,” I joked.
“We’re here?” Grace’s eyes widened as she looked out the window at the approaching coastline. “Oh, wow . . .”
The brilliant azure of the Mediterranean sparkled below us. White stucco buildings with terracotta roofs were nestled along the shoreline, backed by gently rolling green hills.
As we touched down at Verdana’s small private airport, Grace was glued to the window, taking it all in. “It’s beautiful. Like a postcard come to life.”
I grinned, pleased with her reaction. “I’ll give you a proper tour later.”
This surprised Grace. “You actually go out in public?”
I nodded. “Another thing my mother dislikes with a passion.”
Once the jet came to a halt, Jill came by to help us collect our things. We disembarked and found a sleek black SUV waiting on the tarmac for us. Our driver, Marco, greeted us cheerfully as he loaded the luggage into the back, then whisked us away to the palace.
Grace let out a gasp as we drove along the scenic Mediterranean coast, the sea stretching out to the horizon. “This is paradise. I can’t believe how blue the water is.” She had her face pressed against the car window for practically the entire drive.
Ten minutes later, we passed through the sprawling gates of the palace.
“Your Highness, welcome,” Henri said when we got out of the SUV, offering a respectful bow.
“Thank you,” I replied. “Grace, this is Henri Bonnet, our head steward who oversees the day-to-day responsibilities of the palace. Anything you need, just ask him and he will deliver.”
Grace gave a slight bow, which made me smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Henri said, bowing right back.
“Could you please make sure Grace gets settled in nicely into the apartment in the south wing?” I asked.
“With pleasure, Your Highness,” Henri said, reaching for her suitcase, then pausing when my brother and sister approached.
“Where have you been?” Theo immediately asked, hands on hips. “You just disappeared.”
“I had to run a little errand,” I said, then turned to Grace. “Allow me to introduce you to my brother, Prince Theodore, and my sister Princess Adriana.”
“Hi!” Grace said cheerfully, extending her hand to Prince Theodore for a handshake. He hesitated for a moment, clearly baffled by her informality, before shaking her hand with a bemused smile.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said politely.
“Likewise,” Grace responded, now offering her hand to my sister, who was equally perplexed by Grace’s informal manner.
“Was that wrong to shake your hand?” Grace laughed nervously, realizing her faux pas and segueing into a half-bob, half-curtsy, nearly falling all over herself with embarrassment. “Sorry, I’m not used to meeting royalty, and I have no clue what is appropriate. I’m messing this up big time, aren’t I?”
“Please, don’t worry about it,” Adriana said. “We’re not so formal at home, especially when Mother is not around.” She reassured Grace with a kind smile.
“I wasn’t aware we were expecting company,” Theo said, his gaze jumping back and forth between me and Grace.
“Grace has assumed responsibility as our wedding planner and will stay with us for the next month,” I said.
“What happened to Miss DuPont?” Theo asked.
“She took a leave of absence to visit family in France,” I said. “Apparently, her great-grandfather will turn one hundred years old this month.”
Just then, Dante approached us, his face tight with concern. “Your Highness, there’s something you should know.” He glanced at Grace and lowered his voice. “Queen Annabelle is returning early from Spain. She will join you for dinner this evening.”
“What?!” Grace and I said simultaneously.
Mother was supposed to be away for at least a week, which would have given me plenty of time to ease Grace into the inner royal circle. I felt a knot forming in the pit of my stomach as I considered the inevitable confrontation that awaited us. My mind raced with ways to soften the blow when revealing our new wedding planner to my mother.
