Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1

by Carol Moncado

  Did he know something she didn’t? Or was he using the titles for ease of communication?

  “I know the king sent a reminder this morning of your non-disclosure clauses. All we ask is that you remember them.”

  There were calls of “yes, sir,” and nods all around, with a look or two of indignation to go with them. A couple of people were clearly offended that the reminder was given.

  “If you will excuse us, the last couple of days have been quite long. My wife and I would like to freshen up. Thank you.”

  Kensington took her hand as Anabelle took Gracie’s. The three of them walked down a hallway to a wide, sweeping set of stairs. The second floor still had tall ceilings, though not as tall as the first floor.

  “Why don’t we go to my regular quarters? Later, we can look around and you can choose which one you’d like.”

  “Right now, Gracie needs her nap. Can she lay down in your room?”

  Kensington hesitated. “How about across the hall?”

  “That’s fine.” After showing Gracie where she’d be and tucking her sister in, Anabelle went back to Kensington’s room.

  “I’m glad we’re here,” he whispered as he pulled her close. “I’m glad you’re with me. But I’ve wanted to do this for a couple of days, and the timing never seemed right.”

  And he kissed her.

  10

  Kensington leaned back in his desk chair and considered the man across from him. “My understanding is that you weren't supposed to be working when the family was here.”

  Bertrand didn't flinch. “That was when the family would only be here for a few days at a time. After forty years of exemplary service, broken up only by my time in military service, I made one grievous error. Your father asked that I serve as your assistant, at least temporarily, so I am not out of work indefinitely.”

  He did need a new assistant. “My father gave me the authority to make the final decision.” Which Kensington wasn't sure he knew how to make. “Why don’t you tell me what happened that day?”

  “I was taking things outside for the dinner you were going to have for the Duke’s birthday as well as Canadian Thanksgiving. I knew my hands would be overly full on the next trip, so I propped the door open. That Princess Sofia could find her way out was the furthest thing from my mind. I planned to close it as I went out. I offered my resignation as soon as the king told me what happened. After further discussion, and in light of my decades of otherwise exemplary service, this compromise was reached.”

  Kensington considered the older man. If his father trusted that what happened was a grievous, one-time, nearly-tragic error and Bertrand could be trusted, then Kensington would go with his father’s judgment. “Very well. You will act as my assistant, but you aren’t to be in the residential portion of the building without an escort and aren’t to have any contact with my wife and sister-in-law.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “In that case, we need to discuss plans for my arrivals and departures to be as clandestine as possible. I will be working almost exclusively on the Games which will require some travel, but I won’t have many official appearances for a while, so I shouldn’t need to come and go very often otherwise.”

  “Understood.”

  After a few more minutes of conversation, Bertrand brought up something Kensington hadn’t thought about.

  “Easter is in ten days. Will you be attending services here or in Cabo Juan-Eduardo?”

  He didn’t have a good answer for that question. “I don’t know. I’ll talk to my wife and see what she wants to do. I’d like to spend it with my family, but I doubt we’ll be ready for the world to know about our marriage just yet. Is there a local church we could slip in and out of then go to the palace?”

  Bertrand nodded. “There are a number where you could remain unnoticed in a balcony, back row, or alcove. I can make the arrangements, but it may be best if Miss Gracie stays here.”

  He made a good point. “I’ll discuss it with Anabelle. We also need to set up interviews for nannies, though it would be better if we could find the best option from the beginning.”

  “Perhaps have Princess Astrid help with the process? If it becomes known that they are looking for a second nanny so that their current nanny can focus on Sofia when the new prince or princess arrives, you could be doing the initial interviews on her behalf. When you’ve found one you believe will be a good fit, have her meet with...” Bertrand hesitated. “My apologies, sir. I’m not certain of your wife’s title.”

  Kensington sighed. “Neither am I. For now, until we know what titles my father will bestow on her, why don’t we go with Duchess?” It seemed like a safe bet. If anything, Anabelle would later get an “upgrade” to princess. Better than starting with “princess” and finding out her title would be downgraded later. “Call Astrid’s assistant to discuss a nanny search?”

  “Except Princess Astrid and Duke Jordan haven’t announced that they’re expecting yet, so they can’t publicly look for a new nanny. Perhaps there is someone already familiar with the family you can call on temporarily? A former nanny perhaps?”

  “That’s a good plan.” He’d wondered if the other man would come up with the same plan. “Thank you.” Another thought occurred to him. “I would like to attend a Palm Sunday and Good Friday service if possible.”

  “I’ll see what I can find, but I believe it can be arranged.”

  Kensington dismissed Bertrand and turned to look out the window. This house, as close as it was to the water, didn’t have many ocean views. This would be more complicated than he thought. From hiring a nanny to being able to attend church services, he hadn’t considered those things. All he’d thought about was official appearances at fundraisers or events.

  Bertrand surprised him. Kensington hadn’t expected to want to keep the man on staff, but in their first real interaction, he was proving competent.

  His phone buzzed. A smile crossed his face as he read the text from Anabelle. Enough work for the day.

  Technically, they were on their honeymoon.

  Three days later, they sat together in a small alcove in the balcony of a nearby church found by Bertrand and watched the service.

  Back at Lowery House, they had lunch with Gracie who had loved exploring her new home.

  Once she was asleep, Kensington stood on the balcony with Anabelle, looking out at the ocean in the distance.

  “Thank you for making sure I could go today.” She slid her hand through his elbow as he leaned against the railing and rested her head on his shoulder. “I know it’s only been a few days and there’s a good reason for it, but I’m kind of going a little stir crazy. Even with the grounds to wander around on, it’s not the same as going out with people.”

  “I know, and today wasn’t what you were hoping for, but it’s the best we can do for right now. Next Sunday, we’ll spend part of the day with my family. That’s a crowd right there. We’ll go to church here then go to the palace on San Minoria where my sister and Jordan live. We’ll have lunch there. Once we get a nanny for Gracie, we can go out a bit more. Maybe have lunch or shop a little.”

  “That’s something.” Anabelle sighed. “I guess I never knew how much I liked being among people until I can’t. I get why, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”

  Kensington turned his head until he could kiss her. “I know, love. Soon. Once we figure out everything with Benjamin, Isaiah and your grandfather, then we can tell the world and do as we please.”

  She kissed him again, and he forgot all about the view.

  Anabelle took a deep breath. The brief meeting earlier wasn’t enough to calm her nerves. They were shot.

  She hadn’t even enjoyed Easter service as much as she normally did.

  “They’re going to love you.” Kensington’s breath was warm on her ear.

  “I hope so.” The boat pulled up to the dock Kensington told her was newly constructed, the last one having washed away in a storm several years earlier when no
one had used the property on a regular basis for some time.

  He held Gracie in his arms and took Anabelle’s hand as they stepped onto the dock. With his fingers linked securely through hers, she felt a little more confident.

  Kensington let go of her hand as they climbed the stairs to the door. She followed him through the hallway and up some more stairs. Voices and laughter came from one of the rooms.

  A minute later, she wished she could hide behind Kensington a little longer.

  “Good afternoon, dear.” The king held out his hands and kissed her cheek. At least she’d actually talked with him before. “I know you met them briefly, but allow me to introduce the rest of my family again. My wife, Miriam.”

  Anabelle smiled and curtsied.

  And then. “My other son, Harrison, and second daughter, Jacqueline Grace.”

  She nodded at them.

  The king pointed to a family group a bit further to the side. “And my oldest daughter, Astrid, her husband, Jordan, and my granddaughter, Sofia.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you again,” the crown princess said with a smile. “Sofia will be so happy to have someone near enough her own age to play with.”

  “I’m sure Gracie will enjoy it as well.”

  The queen clapped her hands together. “Oh good! After lunch, we’ll have an egg hunt on the beach.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Anabelle admitted. Gracie hadn’t been part of one the year before.

  The king looked to the side. “I believe lunch is ready.”

  Anabelle followed at the back of the group, trailing slightly behind Kensington. Fortunately, he showed her where to sit without making it obvious that she had no clue what the protocol actually was.

  She found herself in a situation that was fairly unusual for her. One where she didn’t immediately make friends with several people in the room. Normally, Anabelle defined extroverted. Seldom had she met a stranger.

  But surrounded by the royal family something changed. Was it even that they were royalty? Or that they were royalty who were her in-laws?

  “Anabelle, can you tell us a little more about yourself?” the queen asked.

  She set her fork on her plate. “What would you like to know?”

  As best she could tell, those present were seated in order of importance, with Astrid being near the king on one end, with her husband and daughter next to her, followed by the other sister. Kensington also sat next to his father, then Gracie and Anabelle, with his younger brother on her other side next to the queen at the foot.

  “We know you’re raising your sister, but I believe Kensington said you had a job as well? What do you do?”

  Easy enough. “I didn’t really need to work. My grandfather gave me enough of an allowance from my inheritance to live on, but I liked it.” It was enough to live comfortably on, but she’d never be wealthy like her grandfather was.

  “She works for her best friend,” Kensington interjected.

  “Worked,” Anabelle corrected. “She owns a yarn store in Akushla. I worked for her three days a week. She needed someone who would work cheap to let her get some other work done. Otherwise, she’d be out front all day. Business generally was just busy enough she couldn’t get any paperwork done, which is good, but meant she had to do a lot of it at night. Her brother helped with the books, but he’s a newlywed and just finished university, so is establishing himself.”

  So much more than they needed to know.

  “Do you knit? Or crochet?” Astrid asked. “I know Esther does, but I’ve always wanted to learn.”

  “You have?” Kensington asked. “You know you can buy sweaters, right? And that we basically live in the Caribbean. How often do you need a hat or scarf or gloves?”

  “Never. But that’s not the point.” The Crown Princess turned back to Anabelle, dashing her hopes that they’d forget about her. “Could you teach me?”

  “I actually met Princess Esther at the shop one day, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to teach you. I can do something simple, but that’s about it. I know enough about the yarns and weights and things to help others, but not to do much with or teach anyone else. If Rachel ever comes to visit, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to teach you, though.”

  “That’s what YouTube is for,” Harrison said from Anabelle’s right. “You can learn how to do almost anything there.”

  From there the banter did move on, leaving Anabelle to her meal and helping Gracie.

  “Where’s Grandmother?” Kensington asked. “I thought she was joining us.”

  “She will be later,” his father told them. “She had something else on her schedule for lunch.”

  Part of Anabelle looked forward to meeting the Queen Mother. Kensington spoke so highly of her and from everything she’d heard, Anabelle thought she’d like the woman - and the woman would love Gracie. That was important to Anabelle. That they all love her sister.

  “Can you tell us what life is like in Eyjania?” the king asked. “What do the people think of Benjamin and his family?”

  “Edward.” The queen’s sharp reprimand caught Anabelle by surprise. “I know you’re concerned about Isaiah’s influence on Benjamin, but this is not the time or place for that conversation.”

  The king’s face remained impassive in light of his wife’s rebuke. “You’re right, my dear. Anabelle, perhaps we can talk another time. I would love to get the insight of a modern Eyjanian on some of these things.”

  Anabelle didn’t eat anything else. The roiling in her stomach wouldn’t allow her to.

  Eventually, the king pushed back from the table. “I think it would be an excellent time for that egg hunt, before these two young ladies need to take a nap.”

  Anabelle stood, along with everyone else and turned to pick up Gracie, only to find she was already situated in Kensington’s arms.

  Unneeded, Anabelle trailed the group and wondered when this day would end.

  11

  Two days after Easter, Kensington stood in his father’s office. “I’m glad you decided to keep Bertrand on,” his father told him as they gazed over the ocean.

  “I’m still not convinced it was the right decision. He seems perfectly capable at his job, but is it really safe?”

  His father gave him a sideways glare. “Do you think I would recommend it if I believed there was any sort of danger to you or your family?”

  Kensington lifted one shoulder in acquiescence.

  “It was a grievous error, nothing more. I believe, had the worst happened, he would have offered to plead guilty with the death penalty on the line. He’s served the family since he was a teenager, starting part time in the kitchen as a dishwasher and working his way up, taking time off only for military service.”

  “And now he’s my temporary secretary.”

  “It may be more permanent than you plan.”

  “How so?”

  “The Games are coming up soon. You will be working on them extensively. You need someone who is up to speed on everything and stays that way. Changing assistants mid-stream wouldn’t be wise.”

  “I already did by moving to Bertrand.”

  “True.” His father made a rare concession. “However, you know why that was necessary.”

  Kensington didn’t respond. His last assistant had been caught talking repeatedly with a reporter. As far as anyone knew, no information had been exchanged, but the contact hadn’t been reported properly either. The man had been dismissed immediately prior to Kensington’s trip to Eyjania. Until his return, he’d been sharing Harrison’s assistant, albeit long distance.

  “You think Bertrand is more trustworthy than he was?”

  “Infinitely.”

  It took everything in Kensington to stifle a sigh. “Very well. If you trust him with my family’s life, then I suppose there’s no reason why I shouldn’t.”

  “Very good.” His father reached for something on a side table and held up an envelope. “This is an invitation to Princess Yvette of Mev
endia’s wedding in June.”

  Kensington blinked. “Is she even eighteen yet? I thought she was Harrison’s age.”

  “She is. Mevendia still has marriage contracts. Your mother and I attended Prince Malachi’s wedding last January. King Antonio of Mevendia and King Richard of Ravenzario signed a contract when Yvette and Prince Nicklaus of Ravenzario were quite young. It’s still in effect.”

  He tried to remember the story behind those families. “Richard, his wife, and Nicklaus were all killed in a car accident years ago, weren’t they? Christiana has been queen as long as I can remember.”

  “Correct, but the wedding is apparently still being planned. Perhaps they’re going to have a celebration of life or something instead. I don’t know the details. I just know ‘representatives of the San Majorian royal family’ were invited.”

  “So they don’t particularly care who goes?”

  He sat in one of the leather armchairs facing the window. “That’s my read on it. I may give Antonio a call. If it’s a celebration of life for the three of them and the nanny who was also in the car, then it would be best if your mother and I went since we actually knew them. If it’s something else, I may send Jacqueline Grace and Harrison.”

  “That might be the better option.”

  “With Astrid’s pregnancy, I think she’d rather stay home by then. You’ll be in the middle of the Games, so you and Anabelle are out.”

  “Jacqueline Grace and Harrison it is. When are Astrid and Jordan making their announcement?”

  “Next week, I believe. The papers are already speculating.”

  “They’ve been speculating for months, haven’t they?”

  “Since before the wedding,” his father confirmed. “The picture of the two of them kissing in the surf didn’t help.”

  “Anabelle and I won’t be doing any of that where it could get caught on camera.”