“My memory isn’t what it used to be, dear. Perhaps one day I will bring them in before I give them away.”
“What I really want to see is that quilt. You talked about it for months.”
Mrs. T’s expression fell. “I still have that one, but it is packed away. Perhaps one day I will be able to get it out and give it to its intended recipient.”
Anabelle glanced back at Kensington, clearly troubled by the elderly woman’s sudden melancholy.
A car pulled up outside. “There is my ride,” Mrs. T announced, suddenly back to her cheerful self. “Have a wonderful day, dears.” She hurried out the door and into the car. A young man, perhaps a year or two older than Kensington held her door then drove her off.
“She seems lovely,” Kensington told Anabelle.
“She is. It’s weird. She has this huge family, but she always seems kind of lonely, like she comes in just so she can talk with us.”
“Not us,” Rachel chimed in from the counter. “You. She’s nice to me and all, but she’s here to see you.”
“Maybe you remind her of someone?” Kensington guessed.
“Maybe. She’s very sweet, and I hate that her family might not be taking good care of her.”
“You know they are,” Rachel called over her shoulder as she rearranged some of the yarn. “My brother is married to her granddaughter. But she still comes in to see you.”
“Whatever the reason, I’m glad she has you.” Kensington put his hand on her shoulder. “If you’re really worried about her, we can try to talk to her family. Let them know your concerns.”
Anabelle shook her head. “No. I think you’re right. Maybe I just remind her of her best friend when she was my age, or something like that. I know her whole family comes over every Sunday, and they have a big dinner. She adores them, and it really does sound like they adore her.”
“Good.” Kensington made a mental note to see what he could find out, just to be sure. He glanced around to make sure his sister was occupied elsewhere. “Now, the most important question. Can I take you to dinner again?”
Anabelle looked up at him. “I would like that.” She hesitated.
“What is it?”
“Do you think we could go just the two of us? No Gracie?”
He smiled at her. “I would like that, too. I don’t think Gracie will, though. Could we hang out with her for a little bit, then leave a sitter when she’s asleep?”
“She would like that better, but what if we want to go to a nice restaurant where I need to wear heels and sparkles and you need to wear a suit?”
She had a point. “You’re right. That wouldn’t work very well. What if we took her ice skating Saturday, then I take you home, then come back and pick you up a little while later?”
Her smile widened. “That sounds like a great plan.”
“What sounds like a great plan?” Esther walked up to them. “I really would like to hear about it, but I need to get going, and we’re in the same car, Kenny.”
“Then I guess it’s time for me to go.” Kensington reached for Anabelle’s hand and squeezed gently. “See you soon.”
If Anabelle were in a HEA TV movie, the three weeks after meeting Kenny would have been a montage with a violin music overlay. They spent part of everyday together, mostly with Gracie, but not always. At least she had enough money coming in to pay a babysitter a few hours a week.
As long as her grandfather didn’t cut her off.
But she didn’t want to focus on that. Instead, she wanted to daydream about Kenny and the way he kissed her so sweetly as they watched the sun go down.
So what if it went down in the middle of the afternoon and was never fully up in the sky. Such was life in the northern Atlantic.
And he was fantastic with Gracie. She easily believed his favorite uncle claim.
Sitting with her back to his chest and his arms around her was her new happy place. Where she was now. Where she wanted to stay. “Tell me about your meeting.”
“It was at the palace, trying to get a contract signed for the Games.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him, impressed. “Did you meet with the king?”
“He hasn’t been handling these meetings. His uncle was involved with some of the negotiations, though I didn’t see him today either.” It sounded like that irritated him. Why? Yes, the Games were a major event, involving a ton of tourism for the host country, but to expect the king or his second in command to be involved with a resort?
“Are you trying to get a contract for the athletes to stay at your place?” If the teams were involved, that could be why.
“Nothing like that, but my father is incredibly important in San Majoria, and for Isaiah to snub me as my family’s representative won’t sit well with Papa.” His thumb rubbed up and down her forearm. “I’d rather talk about something else, though. What did you and Gracie do while I was at my meeting?”
“We went to the ice rink and skated for a little bit.”
“Gracie can skate?” He sounded impressed.
“Not well yet, but I think she’s pretty good for her age.”
“My brother-in-law is Canadian. He grew up in a rink, and loves to skate. He’s got my niece skating, too.”
“How old is she?”
“Just turned two. He’s only been her dad since last summer, but you’d never know it to watch them together.”
Anabelle wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say to that.
“He and my sister met and got married in less than three months, but they’re so happy together. The three of them are basically the perfect little family, except they’re adding a fourth one to the mix later this year.”
Something inside Anabelle twisted. Men like that really did exist? When her parents died, she was left with full custody of Gracie. She wondered if she’d ever find a man who would love both of them. Though she and Kenny weren’t quite at the love stage, she could tell he and Gracie were falling hard for each other. When this ended, it was going to be hard on them all.
Because it would end. Kenny’s business in Eyjania would be completed, he’d return to San Majoria, and whatever this was would be nothing but a painful memory.
“Can I take you to dinner tomorrow?” he asked. “Just the two of us, like a proper date?”
“Maybe. I have a meeting in the afternoon. I have no idea how long it will last.”
“Why don’t I make dinner at my place, then? You can let me know when you’re done and come over.”
That surprised Anabelle, and she twisted until she could look up at him. “What?” Of all the time they’d spent together, none of it had been at his home. She didn’t even know what part of town he lived in while he was here. Did his family have a rental? A resort here? Several resort companies had properties in both Eyjania and San Majoria, as well as Islas del Sargasso and Auverignon.
Or did they have a home? One he often stayed at.
He kissed her softly. “Come to my place. I’ll cook us dinner. We’ll have a fire going. Maybe a little dancing. Just the two of us.”
“That sounds fantastic.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Rob won't mind?” His bodyguard was with him constantly, but she rarely saw him.
“He’ll be fine with it.”
“He did a background check?”
“Yes,” Kensington admitted. “But I told him I didn’t want to know any of it, not unless there was a security issue, and I didn’t figure there would be. He told me there wasn’t. End of discussion.”
For the next hour, they talked about everything - and nothing.
The next day, her stomach churned. Things were going fabulously well, so why was she so nervous about this meeting with her grandfather?
His lawyer had called telling her that a car would pick her up, and there would be no acceptable excuse for missing the appointment.
The car drove through Akushla, but not toward her grandfather’s palatial home near the shoreline. She didn’t know where it
was going until it pulled up to the outer gates of the palace.
Many years earlier, her grandmother had been friendly with the late king’s mother, though Anabelle had only been to the palace a couple of times for the current Queen Mother’s garden party. She’d barely seen a member of the royal family, much less spoken with one of them.
So who were they here to see? No answers were forthcoming while she followed an unsmiling assistant through the halls and up a wide set of stairs to some offices. She sat outside one of them for a long time until finally a different assistant told her she could go in.
She sat down in the leather chair next to her grandfather and across the desk from Prince Isaiah, King Benjamin’s uncle.
The smug look on their faces told her she was not going to like whatever it was they had to say.
5
Frantic pounding on the door caught Kensington’s attention. He flipped the kitchen towel over his shoulder and headed for the door. Rob didn’t stop him, so whoever it was must have clearance. They had to in order to get all the way to the front door. After the attack on Queen Christiana in Ravenzario a couple days earlier, security had been tightened, even though they knew her uncle was the one doing the attacking, and it wasn’t a widespread concern.
He opened the door without looking, stumbling backwards when Anabelle pushed her way inside.
“Kenny?”
“I’m right here, love.”
He caught a glimpse of a tear-stained face as she launched herself into his arms.
“Hey.” He held her close. “What is it?”
Her muffled sobs contained words, but he couldn’t make out what they were. They stood there for long minutes as her shoulders shook. He wanted to ask questions, to try to find out what was going on, but he waited. Was she okay? Sick? Had something happened to Gracie?
Finally, the sobs slowed to hiccups. Kensington led her into the nearby living area and settled on the couch with her tucked into his side. “I couldn’t understand a word you said, love. Are you all right? Is Gracie?”
Anabelle sniffled. “She’s fine. I’m fine, physically.”
He pulled her closer. “Whenever you’re ready.”
She turned her head into his chest. “It’s my grandfather.”
Anabelle hadn’t really talked about her grandparents, just to say her grandmother was deceased, and her grandfather controlled the life insurance money her parents had left for her and Gracie. “Is he okay? Is that who your meeting was with?”
She nodded. “I didn’t know until I got there, but the meeting was at the palace with Prince Isaiah. They made all the arrangements without even asking me about it. Or the king either.”
Dread filled Kensington. Isaiah wasn’t to be trusted. “What arrangements?”
She tried to pull away, but gentle pressure kept her next to him. “They want me to marry King Benjamin. Told me I was going to if I didn’t want to be completely cut off from the inheritance money.”
His heart sank. “Are you going to? Is he even willing?” Kensington’s father had long feared Isaiah was manipulating Benjamin, but did it extend even to personal relationships? To marriage?
“I don’t know. I guess so. I met him briefly a little while ago. He looked me up and down, shrugged, and said ‘I guess she’ll do.’”
“Lovely.” Kensington ran a hand up and down her arm. “What can I do?”
“I don’t know that there’s anything anyone can do. I can refuse to marry him, but then Gracie and I will have to move. She’ll have to go to preschool, and I’ll have to get a job that makes enough to support both of us. It won’t be easy, but I’ll find a way.”
Emotions and something else Kensington couldn’t define flooded through him. “You can’t marry Benjamin if you’re already married,” he whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head.
“But I’m not.”
“You could be.”
She sat up and turned to look at him. “I could?”
Kensington felt his heart in his throat as he slid off the couch and onto one knee. “Marry me.”
“What?” Anabelle whispered. “Marry you? You can’t be serious.”
“I am completely serious. I don’t have a ring handy, but as soon as I can get home, I’ll get you a fantastic one.”
And tell her the truth about who he really was.
Anabelle swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I don’t care about a ring, but I can’t ask you to do this. You don’t want to be on their bad side, believe me. Making the royal family mad at you can’t end well. They could keep people from ever staying with your family again.”
“I’m not worried about them.” He took a deep breath. Time to come clean.
“What are you doing?” A new voice entered the conversation.
Kensington got to his feet, Anabelle’s hand still in his. “Esther, I didn’t realize you were home.” He tugged on Anabelle’s hand until she stood next to him.
“Did I interrupt something?” Esther arched an eyebrow at Kensington.
“Nope. Not a thing.” He squeezed Anabelle’s hand.
Kensington’s mind raced forming a plan.
He would tell Anabelle about it later. For now he needed to give her space to pull herself together then have dinner.
Just like they planned.
Then they would pack up Gracie, head to the airport, and fly off to Athmetis where he knew a preacher who wouldn’t ask too many questions.
Somewhere in there he would have to find the time to tell her who he really was. It wouldn’t be fair to her to go through with the ceremony without telling her she was about to be a princess.
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” he asked his little sister.
Esther shook her head. “No thanks. I already ate.” Just as he’d hoped.
Kensington turned to Anabelle. “Why don’t you go freshen up, and I’ll put the finishing touches on our dinner? Then we can continue our discussion from earlier.”
Annabelle nodded. “That sounds great.”
He pointed her towards the downstairs washroom. Or at least the closest one. He didn’t know how many washrooms this place actually had.
When she was gone, Esther raised an eyebrow at him. “It looked an awful lot like a proposal, brother.”
Kensington shrugged. “Think what you will.”
Esther smirked at him and turned to walk away.
Time to make dinner and plan a better proposal.
First class. Anabelle had never splurged this much, even with the modestly significant funds her parents had left. She’d flown business class to Europe a couple of times, but that was it. This time Gracie had enough room to curl up in the seat and rest her head on Anabelle’s leg.
But Kensington was three rows away. Apparently, his family’s plane was unavailable, and they couldn’t get three seats together on this flight. Of course, the fact that his family had their own plane would take some getting used to. Come to think of it, she still had no idea what kind of work his family did. He’d never actually confirmed her resort theory.
She didn’t quite understand why, but their flights were booked under separate reservations. Maybe to help make sure no one from the palace had any idea where she was going and who she was with?
But would Prince Isaiah or King Benjamin, or even her grandfather, be watching for her to run away with another man or run away at all?
The flight would land in Athmetis late in the morning. She didn’t know what the plan was after that, but by the end of the day she’d be Mrs. Kenneth... What was his last name?
Of all the things she needed to know about him, was that really the most important?
No. Of course not, but it still struck her as a bit odd.
She knew the important things. He was kind, generous, a gentleman, and he cared so much about her and Gracie.
Did he love her? Did she love him?
No. She didn’t. Not yet, but she could.
Could she really marry him w
ithout loving him? It was better than her alternatives - being broke and homeless or marrying King Benjamin who had a reputation for being cold and unfeeling, and she’d met exactly once .
“Annie?” Gracie’s sleepy voice.
“I’m right here, sweetie.”
Gracie didn’t say anything else, but snuggled in a bit deeper and went back to sleep. Anabelle rested her head against the airplane pillow. Her eyes closed and she drifted off, but woke when an announcement came over the intercom about their arrival in about twenty minutes. Kenny turned around and winked at her.
Anabelle ducked her head and felt her face color then busied herself getting Gracie ready to land. Before long, the wheels thumped onto the runway in Athmetica.
Kenny tried to make his way back to them, but they got separated by the other travelers. Anabelle grabbed Gracie’s backpack and helped her put it on before pulling her own bag out from under the seat. With Gracie on her hip, she maneuvered her way out of the plane and onto the jetway. Kenny wasn’t waiting for them there.
She set Gracie on the ground with one little hand tucked tightly in hers and pulled her phone out of her pocket with the other. Once turned back on, it began to vibrate with missed calls and messages.
Grandfather.
It buzzed again before she could read any of them. She sighed and swiped across to answer the call. It would be better if she did. “Hello?”
“Where are you?” His voice crackled across the line.
“Gracie and I are on a day trip. We’ll be back later.” She thought Kenny had said they’d fly back this evening.
“When? We have a meeting with Prince Isaiah to discuss specifics for the wedding.”
“I never agreed to marry King Benjamin, Grandfather.” She saw Kenny waiting for them as they emerged from the jetway. Gracie tugged on her hand until Anabelle let go so she could run to him. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“This isn’t over, young lady. You will marry the king.” He didn’t say “or else,” but Anabelle heard the implication in his voice.
Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1 Page 29