Best Friend to Royal Bride

by Annie Claydon

  He picked up the pair of striped socks Marie had added to his ensemble and smiled. He was ready for anything now.

  Almost anything.

  When the doorbell rang he wasn’t ready for Marie.

  She smiled at him, stepping into the hallway. ‘Where’s your tie?’

  ‘Uh?’

  She was wearing a pair of high-heeled black court shoes, which made her legs look even longer than usual. She had a dark green brocade coat on, fitted at the waist, and her hair was sleek and shining. She looked stunning.

  ‘Alex!’ She snapped her fingers in front of his face. ‘Earth to Alex!’

  ‘Yes. Nearly ready.’

  That was about all he could manage in the way of communication at that moment. He just wanted to drink her in.

  She put a small black clutch bag down on the hall table and started to unbutton her coat.

  Where were his manners?

  Alex helped her out of the coat, admiring the shape of her arms and the silky softness of her skin. The plain, sleeveless green dress was perfect, because it didn’t draw any attention away from her beauty. It was flattering, slim at the waist to show the curve of her hips and breasts.

  Alex decided not to think the word ‘breasts’ again tonight; it would be sure to get him in trouble.

  ‘Please tell me you didn’t forget to get a tie.’ She was looking at him quizzically. ‘I’m not sure I can manage a late-night mercy dash to your tailor in these heels.’

  ‘I’ve got a tie. And some instructions.’

  She turned the corner of her mouth down in a look of resigned humour. ‘You want me to give it a go?’

  ‘Yes. Please.’

  He went to retrieve the tie and found her sitting in the lounge, perched on the edge of a chair, her legs folded neatly in front of her. He was beginning to revise his opinion of formal dress.

  ‘Let’s give it a go, then.’ She took the instructions from his hand and studied them carefully. ‘I haven’t done this before, but it doesn’t look so difficult...’

  She got to her feet again, reaching up to button his collar. The touch of her fingers against his neck made him feel a little dizzy.

  Consulting the diagram every now and then, she went through each step carefully. She was concentrating too hard on getting the tie right to be as aware as he was of how close they were.

  ‘That’s okay.’ He glanced at his reflection in the mirror over the fireplace. The tie was slightly crooked, but it was a big improvement on any of his efforts.

  ‘No, it isn’t—it’s lopsided. Come here, I’ll give it another go.’

  Marie untied the bowtie and Alex stared at the ceiling, glad that he didn’t have to look her in the eye. He could feel the brush of her body against his, and reminded himself yet again that breasts were a forbidden thought.

  ‘I think that’s it.’ She stood back to survey her handiwork and gave a little nod. Alex looked in the mirror.

  ‘That’s perfect. Thanks.’

  ‘Okay, now the jacket.’

  They’d said they would stick together tonight, and Marie was making his dislike of dressing up much easier to bear. Alex fetched his jacket, and handed her the pocket handkerchief. She folded it carefully and brushed a speck of dust from his shoulder. Then she tucked the handkerchief into his top pocket and Alex buttoned his jacket.

  ‘Let me look at you.’ She stepped back for a moment, looking him up and down. ‘That’s great, Alex. You’ve scrubbed up very nicely.’

  ‘You...’ Alex realised suddenly that he hadn’t told her how wonderful she looked, and that he really should make some effort to do her justice. ‘You’ve scrubbed up really well too.’

  It was a paltry kind of compliment, but Marie was still pleased with it. ‘Are we ready to go, then?’

  Not quite.

  He went to his bedroom to fetch the velvet-covered box he’d taken from the bank that morning. ‘I thought... I mean, I’d be very honoured if you would wear this.’

  She stared at him. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. Alex knew Marie was nervous about tonight, and he’d reckoned this would maybe give her confidence. It was a bauble that would outshine anything that any of the society women might wear.

  He’d committed himself now, though. He opened the box, taking out the exquisitely crafted platinum-and-gold chain, the delicate filigree strands of which were deceptively strong. They had to be, to support the large diamond that hung from it.

  Marie backed away from him. ‘That must be... That’s... How big is it?’

  ‘Um...around twenty carats, I think.’ Thirty-one, actually.

  ‘It’s got to be worth an absolute fortune. Alex, I can’t wear this. We’re going to be asking people for money.’

  ‘That’s not really how it works. I couldn’t sell the Crown Jewels to raise funds for the clinic even if I wanted to. They’re held in trust.’

  Marie shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. She blinked them away furiously, trying not to spoil her make-up, and Alex regretted his gesture immediately.

  ‘Marie, I’m sorry...’

  His apology seemed to upset her even more, and a tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a thin trail of mascara.

  ‘You don’t have to be sorry, Alex. I just... I can’t wear this. It’s too good for me.’

  ‘Oh, no. I’m not having that. Nothing’s too good for you, Marie.’

  She sniffed and he handed her his handkerchief. She dabbed at her eyes, trying to smile.

  ‘Alex, I really appreciate this; it’s a generous and kind gesture. But I’m not someone who wears diamonds. I can’t meet the people who are going to be there tonight on their terms, and you told me it was okay to meet them on mine.’

  That was the crux of it all. Marie saw them as being stranded on opposite ends of a spectrum—so much so that she couldn’t even accept the loan of a necklace for the evening. Maybe she was right. Maybe asking her to fit in with the kind of people he’d known all his life made him just as bad as his father, demanding that Alex’s mother fit in with his grand aspirations.

  ‘Let’s forget about all this, eh? Go to the bathroom and fix your make-up and we’ll start again, shall we?’

  She nodded, blowing her nose and then frowning at the handkerchief.

  ‘Don’t worry about that. They come in packs of two. I have another one.’

  He propelled her out into the hallway, where she grabbed her bag and made for the bathroom.

  She was back in less time than he’d thought, her make-up reapplied and flawless. Alex was standing in front of the mirror, trying to retie his bow tie after he’d pulled at it to loosen his collar a little.

  ‘Let me do that. I think I have the knack now.’

  She got the bow tie right first time, and folded the new handkerchief, putting it into his top pocket. A second chance to do things right. Alex picked up the velvet box, ready to put it back in the safe in his bedroom.

  ‘Alex, would you mind...? Would you be able to perhaps lend me just the chain to wear? It’s so pretty.’

  She was meeting him halfway. Alex decided this wasn’t the time to tell her that the workmanship on the chain was of such quality that it was considered a work of art just by itself.

  ‘I’d like that very much. I think it’s the better choice with that dress.’

  He could go halfway too. Maybe that would be enough to breach the gaping chasm that seemed to have opened up between them.

  He unclipped the fabulous stone from its place on the necklace, and then carefully fastened the chain around Marie’s neck. ‘There. What do you think?’

  She walked over to the mirror. In Alex’s experience, women didn’t usually look this grave when trying on jewellery.

  ‘I really like it. I’d love to wear it...just for tonight...’

  Mari
e turned to him, smiling. And suddenly all Alex had wanted in having her wear the diamond was turning out better than expected. In choosing just to wear the chain Marie had made a powerful statement. She could take or leave one of the best-known stones in the world, but she still wanted to wear something of his.

  ‘Tonight’s going to be a little weird for both of us. We’ll stick together, eh?’

  She nodded. Alex stepped forward, catching her hand in his and pressing it to his lips. Not actually a kiss, it was the kind of thing his father had taught him that a gentleman would do. A royal kiss for the hand of a beautiful woman. But the sudden warmth in her eyes made the hollow gesture into something that lived and breathed.

  ‘You look gorgeous.’

  Finally Alex got to deliver the compliment he should have given when he’d first laid eyes on her. And, better still, she accepted it.

  ‘Thank you. Shall we go?’

  * * *

  Marie was very nervous. But Alex seemed determined to get her through this one way or another. The diamond had been too much of a gesture, and the panic she’d felt when she saw it had only driven home the sinking feeling that she could never fit into his world. The kind of woman who should be on Alex’s arm would have accepted the loan and given him the pleasure of seeing her wear it.

  But they’d worked it out. The chain was delicate and very pretty, with silver-and-gold tendrils that made it seem as if it were almost floating around her neck. And when Alex relaxed into the back seat of the taxi and started to talk about the everyday matters that took their attention in the clinic she felt a little calmer.

  The taxi took them right to the door, stopping outside the wide portico that stretched out to touch the gravel drive. The mansion was in one of the many secluded streets in central London, just moments away from the noise and bustle but surprisingly quiet. This was the territory of the rich, living cheek by jowl with everyone else, but separated by privilege and heavy closed doors.

  This door was open, though. Perfume from the flowering shrubs that bordered the portico lay heavy in the air. And when she took Alex’s arm, walking into the spacious lobby, the scent of wealth was all around her: beautifully waxed wooden panelling, and the smell of the fuel for the flares burning at the doorway, in the heat of the early evening.

  He solved the question of when exactly she should take her coat off by stopping and helping her out of it himself, handing it to a porter. Then he made an almost imperceptible gesture and a waiter materialised with two glasses of champagne.

  ‘Ah. There’s Sonya...’

  He shepherded Marie across the crowded ballroom, smiling and nodding as he went, without allowing himself to be diverted from his intended trajectory.

  When Sonya saw them she waved wildly.

  As always, Sonya looked as if she’d just stepped out of the fashion pages of a magazine. She wore a bright red look-at-me dress that Marie would have loved to have had the confidence to wear, with just one heavy diamond bracelet. She flung her arms around Alex’s neck, air-kissing his cheeks, and then it was Marie’s turn.

  ‘You look wonderful!’ Sonya loudly confided this information to Marie. ‘I see you’ve managed to shoehorn Alex into looking respectable too.’

  He didn’t look at all respectable to Marie. She’d heard the adage that women had the same reaction to a man in a really good suit as men did to a woman in fine lingerie, and she hadn’t given it much credit before now. But that exact reaction had been fizzling away inside her for a while now. Alex looked meltingly gorgeous, and the feelings that he engendered in her were anything but respectable.

  ‘I’m always respectable,’ Alex protested, and Sonya laughed.

  ‘Yes, I know you are, darling, but sometimes running around saving people’s lives leaves you dishevelled. You know that as well as I do.’

  She turned to Marie, rolling her eyes, and Marie grinned, feeling some of the tension slip away.

  Sonya took her arm. ‘I suppose we’d better get to work, then. I have some very interesting people I’d like you both to meet...’

  * * *

  Sonya had oiled the wheels and she was making things easy. But Marie couldn’t have got through it without Alex. His glances that were just for her. The way he steered the conversation, always asking first about the other person’s interests without indulging his own. And when anyone asked why he was there, he spoke about the clinic, effortlessly including Marie in the conversation.

  Chandeliers glinted above their heads as Marie talked about the issues that ordinary people faced, and how the clinic was being set up to address them. Under the stern eye of the lords and ladies looking down from the oil paintings on the wall, she spoke of inclusivity and the modern art that adorned the wall of the reception area, feeling the words flow naturally from her lips. And when someone who knew Alex’s family asked about his plans, now that he had inherited his father’s title, he said that he was taking his family traditions into new and exciting areas and left it at that.

  ‘Did you see Sir Richard’s face?’ Sonya whispered in her ear as they returned together from the ladies’ restroom. ‘He was so impressed with everything you said, and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t want to know more. He’s very influential, you know... Oh, no! You just have to leave them alone for one minute!’

  Sonya came to a sudden halt, staring across the room. When Marie followed the line of her gaze she saw Alex approaching a dark-haired man in an impeccable dinner suit.

  ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘I didn’t know Mark was going to be here. Where’s Andrew?’ Sonya stood on her toes, looking around for her husband.

  ‘I can’t see him. What’s going on?’

  Sonya puffed out an exasperated breath. ‘Mark was at school with Andrew and Alex. You know that Alex was bullied?’

  Marie nodded. ‘Are you saying that man was the bully?’

  ‘Yes—him and some of the other boys. Andrew told me some of the things they used to do to him and it made my toes curl. Oh, dear... I hope Alex doesn’t hit him or something...’

  Alex was the taller and broader of the two. One blow from him would fell the other man.

  ‘No. It’s okay, Sonya. He’s not going to hit him.’

  It was almost as if he’d heard her. The two men exchanged a few words, and then Alex held his hand out to Mark.

  ‘Oh, thank goodness.’ Sonya whispered the words as the two men shook hands.

  Marie felt her head begin to swim. Alex must have known that this man might be here, and he’d never said a word. He was making his way back across the ballroom now, and as soon as he got within touching distance she took his arm, holding on tight.

  She looked for Sonya, but she’d melted away into the crowd. She could let this go but... No. Actually, she couldn’t let this go. She needed to tell Alex how proud she was of him.

  ‘Sonya told me that man was one of those who bullied you at school.’ She stretched up onto her toes, murmuring into his ear.

  Alex nodded, guiding her towards the back of the ballroom, where large doors opened out onto a terrace edged by stone balustrades. As they walked down the shallow steps to one side, into a secluded garden, she clung tight to his arm.

  ‘You did just shake his hand, right? That wasn’t some kind of death grip and he’s going to fall over any minute now and need urgent resuscitation?’

  Alex chuckled. ‘No, it wasn’t a death grip. I shook his hand.’

  ‘It was a generous act. Sonya was afraid you were going to hit him.’

  ‘And you?’

  ‘For a moment, maybe, but then I realised you’re a lot braver than that.’

  The lights of the city were beginning to brighten in the growing dusk. Here, in the quiet darkness, it felt as if they were all for her. Marie could be a queen tonight but, like Cinderella, it was only for one night. Tomorrow she’d have to g
ive up the glass slippers and get back to work.

  He let out a sigh. ‘It didn’t feel... When I saw him, and decided what I was going to do, I thought it might be one of those cathartic moments that changes everything. But it was a bit of an anticlimax. He seems like just an ordinary guy now.’

  ‘Perhaps that’s the whole point.’

  Marie reached up, brushing her fingertips against his cheek. He wrapped his fingers around hers, pressing her hand to his chest. Everything else seemed to take a step back, the chatter of the city and the noise of the party diplomatically turning their backs on them to give them one moment alone.

  ‘I’m so proud of you, Alex.’

  The extra height her heels gave her meant that Marie didn’t have to stand on her toes to kiss his cheek.

  ‘I’m proud of you, too. I know it wasn’t easy for you to come here.’

  Marie shivered as she felt his lips brush her cheek in return.

  Slowly he propelled her away from the path and into the dark shade of an enormous spreading tree. Marie could feel the rise and fall of his chest against hers, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw tenderness in his face.

  Marie couldn’t help herself. She heard his sharp intake of breath as she moved against him, brushing her lips against his. He put his arms around her, steadying her on the uneven ground, and then he kissed her.

  Careful and tentative turned to demanding as a ferocious wave of pent-up desire washed over her. And Alex was already there, holding her tightly against his body as if somehow they could melt into each other and become one being.

  His kiss was one that wanted it all. Everything that Marie wanted to give him.

  This couldn’t last. Maybe that was why it was so exciting. They both knew that these moments were stolen, and that real life would take them back soon enough.

  He held her tenderly, his breath caressing her ear as he murmured words she couldn’t help wanting to hear. That she was beautiful. How much he adored kissing her on a moonlit summer’s night.