She was already accepted by those who dined regularly with royalty as though she belonged now and always had. Only four days had passed since she had arrived in Meridia, yet she had already made more acquaintances than Garrett could count. He could only wonder if her ease with people was natural or just part of her training.
Kindness seemed to rest easily on her, whether she was speaking with an ambassador or a shopkeeper. After their outing together in Bellamo, he had also come to find that she photographed exceptionally well. She tolerated the intrusion of the press well, smiling on command when the situation called for it, even though he sensed she wasn’t any more comfortable in the spotlight than he was.
Though the tabloids were known to be cruel, the photographs and articles about him and Janessa had been quite the opposite. The speculation was widespread about where they had met and how serious their relationship was. Even amid the speculation, she was already winning over the public without even knowing she was doing it.
As he watched her charm her way through dinner, Garrett knew that she was winning him over as well.
Chapter 11
Janessa stepped to her window and breathed in the morning air flavored by the sea. The sunlight bloomed over the water, turning the sky magnificent shades of color.
A horse whinnied in the distance. Seagulls cried out as they swooped down in search of their early morning meals. The fragrance of roses wafted up, reminding her of her mother’s garden in the summer. She breathed in the scent as her mind began to wander. She wondered what the chateau would be like without the constant flow of guests.
She could imagine the royal family spending time here away from the pressures of their duties to rejuvenate and relax. She wondered for a moment what Garrett had been like as a boy. Had he always been raised to think of duty first? Or had he been permitted to simply be a child when he was young? Had he ridden horses under Paolo’s watchful eye or his father’s?
Janessa thought of her walk with Garrett the night before, annoyed that he had been heavily in her thoughts since then. She had been slightly put off by his peremptory tone, but she knew from experience that it was a common problem among people with high social status or great wealth. She suspected that like others who had been born to power, he probably didn’t even realize that his commands could be offensive. There had been no point in bringing it up then, so she had just nodded and followed Garrett inside. At the end of the evening she had managed to avoid the “alone time” he had casually demanded earlier, but she knew that sooner or later she’d have to clearly define the boundaries of their relationship.
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. According to the headlines, Prince Garrett lived a life of ease and was prone to arrogance. After only a week in Meridia, she already knew that the public’s perception wasn’t anywhere close to reality. Though Garrett rarely mentioned his work, she knew from her talks with the staff that he worked long hours each day. She knew firsthand that his duties typically continued well into the night, as he was expected to attend various dinner parties and public functions.
During her analysis of the staff, she had found that those who worked for the royal family thought highly of Prince Garrett. He was considered fair and understanding. The staff seemed eager to meet his needs largely because he appreciated their service.
Determined to push Garrett from her mind, Janessa turned from the window and dressed for church. She slipped out of her room and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
Patrice was standing at the stove, and several of the servants were eating breakfast at the table. Everyone exchanged greetings with Janessa as she crossed to the table and helped herself to a croissant. She slipped into the seat next to Enrico and waited for him to finish his morning meal.
He turned to her as he finished off his glass of milk. “You still want to go to your church this morning?”
“Please.” Janessa nodded.
“Let’s go then.” Enrico stood and motioned for Janessa to follow him. He turned away from the front entrance, instead leading her to the private family entrance. Once outside, he crossed a section of driveway to the long, white building that housed the various vehicles maintained for the royal family’s use. He punched in the code to open the first set of garage doors and motioned inside.
“Do you have a preference of which car we take?”
“Something normal,” Janessa suggested, waving a hand in the direction of two luxury sedans. “Those are probably as close as we can get.”
Enrico grinned and opened the front door of the nearest car for her. He then moved to a glass-encased box hanging on the wall with various sets of keys dangling inside it. He selected the ones he wanted and then took his seat behind the steering wheel.
“I really appreciate you taking me like this,” Janessa began as Enrico pulled away from the chateau. “I know it’s out of your way.”
“For you, I don’t mind,” he said in a tone very much like her father’s. “It’s a beautiful drive to this church of yours, and you will see much more of this country than just the beaches and the stables.”
They fell into easy conversation as Enrico navigated through narrow, winding roads up into the hills. The drive to the town where the church was located took nearly thirty minutes. Janessa was beginning to believe the directions she had been given were faulty as they drove through the thick, almost overgrown hills. Then, suddenly, they turned a corner and Janessa saw the church building situated in a clearing off to the side.
The building was small and was constructed of white stone that contrasted with the deep green foliage that surrounded it. Enrico pulled into the small parking lot and let Janessa off next to the entrance, promising to return in three hours to pick her up.
Janessa wasn’t sure how people would react if they knew about her alleged relationship with Prince Garrett, but she ignored her nerves and walked inside. She noticed a few questioning glances cast her way, but they were accompanied by smiles. She was barely two steps inside the door when two missionaries approached her. Though the taller, lanky elder looked like he was straight out of the MTC in Provo, Janessa spoke to them both in Italian, explaining that she would be visiting for the next month or so.
As she took her seat in the small chapel, she wondered what Garrett would think of her church. She wondered if he would think it strange or old-fashioned that she was committed to not marry outside her religion. Then she chastised herself for letting herself think that it would matter.
Admittedly, she felt a spark of attraction for Garrett. That, combined with the friendship they had begun, might even develop into something more under normal circumstances. She reminded herself that these circumstances were anything but normal. In a month she would return to the States to await her next assignment, and Garrett would settle back into his normal routine. She ignored the unaccustomed tug of regret as she thought of leaving Meridia—and Garrett—behind.
At the front of the room, the branch president stood up to begin the meeting. Among the announcements was the news that the pianist had just had a baby. Immediately following the announcement was a plea for anyone who might be willing to fill in for her.
Janessa glanced around the room. Barely forty people were seated in the chapel, half of whom were children. When no one stepped forward, Janessa stood and walked to the piano. The branch president smiled and gave her a nod of gratitude before announcing the opening song.
She winced as she messed up on the very first chord, but somehow she muddled through. To her relief, nobody seemed to care that her talent at the piano was limited. After the sacrament hymn, she slid into the seat next to the piano. From her seat on the stand, she looked out at the congregation. The members of the branch were dressed simply. They did not appear impoverished, but neither did they appear to have much beyond their needs.
The meeting seemed to speed by as Janessa listened to the talks about the temple. The Spirit filled the room as the speakers expressed their appreciation for the fact t
hat they would soon have a temple
in their country. From what Janessa had been told, the Church was in the difficult process of obtaining the necessary building permits.
After sacrament meeting, the branch president introduced himself to Janessa. She agreed to fill in for the pianist during her stay, however long that might be. As the chapel transitioned into the gospel doctrine class, she moved down from the stand to take a seat before being asked to introduce herself.
“I am Gianessa Rogers. I am here visiting friends in Bellamo.”
The sister who was teaching the class studied her for a moment, her eyes widening as she recognized Janessa from the various newspaper articles that had been floating around over the past several days. “You are staying at the chateau?”
Reluctantly, Janessa nodded.
“I see.” The sister stared a moment longer before adding, “We’re happy to have you here.”
As the meeting progressed, Janessa felt numerous branch members look over at her. She told herself that she would be curious too if someone who was constantly in the newspapers showed up in her home ward. Though she was nervous about how she would be received by the other members of the branch, when Sunday School was over, three women approached with warm smiles to welcome her. One ventured to ask how long she had known Prince Garrett, but the others seemed too timid to broach the subject. Only a handful of sisters were in Relief Society, and Janessa was pleased that the small class size gave her the chance to meet all of them.
By the time Enrico arrived to pick her up, Janessa found herself looking forward to attending church the following week. She just hoped she could find some time to practice on the grand piano she’d seen at the chateau.
* * *
Where was she? Garrett stalked through the entryway and headed for fresh air. He had sent for Janessa nearly two hours earlier only to be told that she wasn’t in the chateau. A member of the kitchen staff had told him that she had asked Enrico for a ride, but no one seemed to know where they had gone or when they would return.
Surely she wouldn’t be so careless as to go gallivanting through the countryside while the climate toward Americans was still so hostile. She of all people should know that her association with him made her a possible target, particularly since several articles had noted her nationality.
Garrett yanked open the door with every intention of going out looking for her himself when he saw the car pull into the drive. The wave of relief was quickly swallowed up by annoyance.
“Where have you been?” he demanded the moment Janessa climbed out of the car.
Her eyebrows rose at his tone, but to her credit, she moved forward anyway. “I went to church.”
“Did it occur to you that I might need to know where you are?”
“No, it didn’t. I left that information with Levi. That seemed sufficient,” Janessa said, irony lacing her tone. “If you have something to discuss, I’m here now.”
“We have several things to discuss, actually.” Garrett gestured stiffly toward the door. Instead of moving into the parlor, he led her up the stairs. “We need to speak privately.”
They walked in silence, annoyance vibrating from both of them. Garrett felt the waves of irritation rolling off of Janessa, but both of them controlled their tempers as they passed by several servants and entered his private quarters. Pushing open the door, he pointed to the sitting area. “Sit down.”
Her chin shot up. “I’d rather stand.” She waited for him to close the door before speaking again. “In case you haven’t forgotten, I am not one of your subjects. I’m here to help your family.” She held his stare. “I don’t appreciate being treated like a servant.”
“Even guests should be courteous enough to tell their hosts when they are going somewhere,” Garrett shot back before he thought to check his temper.
Janessa ignored whatever truth might have been in his statement and folded her arms across her chest. “What was so urgent that you needed to talk to me right now?”
Garrett took a steadying breath and tried to summon a reasonable tone. “My father has requested that we join the family for dinner at the palace in Calene this evening. He wants to announce our engagement tomorrow and prefers to meet you before the reporters arrive for the press conference.”
“Then I guess I had better go pack.” Irritation still hummed through Janessa’s voice. Before she could cross to the door, Garrett took her hand.
“I was worried about you,” he blurted out. “I went looking for you, and no one knew where you were.”
Her posture relaxed slightly. “You already knew that I was devoted to my religious beliefs. I didn’t think it was necessary to announce that I go to church on Sundays.”
“A lot of people don’t.”
“I’m not a lot of people.”
“I know,” Garrett said softly. “There’s one more thing.”
“What?”
Instead of answering her, he crossed into his bedroom. A moment later, he returned with a jeweler’s box in his hand.
Janessa’s gaze remained on the box as he opened it to reveal the ring he had chosen. “I believe it’s time you start wearing this.”
She swallowed hard, saying nothing as he drew the ring from its case and reached for her hand. Her eyes darted up to his as he slid the ring on her finger. When Garrett lifted her hand to his lips, lingering a moment longer than expected, a mixture of confusion, frustration, and pleasure crossed her face.
To Garrett’s surprise, she stepped back quickly and tugged her hand free. “I really should go pack.”
“There’s something else we need to discuss.” Garrett waited for her eyes to meet his. “Our personal lives are about to become very public.”
He stepped closer. She stepped back.
“We don’t have a personal life—only the illusion of one,” Janessa insisted as she tried to keep her voice controlled. “As I tried to tell you last night, nothing can develop between us. I have a job to do.”
“We both have a job to do,” Garrett clarified. “That doesn’t change the fact that I have feelings for you.”
“I’m flattered, really,” Janessa managed. “But you’re wasting your time. I don’t want a romantic relationship with someone outside of my faith. I’m sorry, but we can’t be more than just friends.”
Garrett studied her silently. He could tell her everything—that he too understood her religious convictions, that he knew the Book of Mormon was true, and that he believed her church was headed by a living prophet. He also understood that if there were no barriers between them, and he continued to act on his attraction, it was possible he could distract her from her job.
He wanted to confide in her, to share his beliefs, and to take another step toward what was developing between them. He also knew it was essential that Janessa be given every opportunity to do her job to protect those dear to him. Something squeezed at his heart as concern for his family outweighed all else. With a great deal of effort, he nodded, opened the door for her, and said nothing.
Chapter 12
Queen Marta tapped a perfectly manicured nail on her antique desk and made the final adjustments to the seating chart for the upcoming dinner. What had begun as a quiet family affair had expanded to include several members of the ruling council and their wives.
Only the members of the royal family knew who Janessa Rogers really was, with the exception of Martino, the chateau manager who had been assigned to assist her, and Enrico, the chateau driver. Marta had hoped for a quiet dinner and a chance to assess the woman who would be coordinating so many details for the gala. Now she would have to wait until morning to meet with Janessa privately.
Marta reached for one of the magazines her assistant had given her. On the cover, her youngest son was kissing Janessa Rogers. A sigh escaped her. She wasn’t sure she wanted her son to voluntarily put his private life—however fictitious—so firmly in the public light.
Of everyone in her family, Garrett was the one who
was the least comfortable in front of the press. He had been trained to handle the reporters and photographers, but he always looked forward to getting out of the spotlight. Marta understood how he felt. She could remember a time when she too had shied away from the cameras, especially during the early days of her courtship with Eduard.
As the daughter of a Meridian councilman, Marta had grown up around cameras, but they had rarely been aimed at her. But when the press learned that her childhood friendship with Eduard had bloomed into a full-blown romance, they had been relentless. She had just turned twenty-one when her photograph began appearing regularly with Eduard’s.
Eduard had been protective of her when dealing with the press in those early days, but he didn’t quite understand Garrett’s discomfort in front of the media. Though Marta was annoyed that Eduard had put his current plans in motion before consulting with her, she understood
his reasons. After nearly thirty-five years of marriage, she knew her husband was just protecting what was his. She also understood that Eduard needed Garrett to start acting more like an active member of the royal family.
He had been gone too long, first at sea and then at law school. The year he had spent at home before leaving for school had been much too brief and felt so long ago. He had always been restless, even as a child. She had hoped he would find what he was looking for in the Navy, but while four years in the service had helped him transition from boy to man, he still hadn’t found his peace.
For a while, she thought that he had found contentment while at law school, but something had been troubling him since he had returned home, something she had yet to identify.
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