She could feel her face color again at the implications. “Maybe,” was all she could manage to squeak out. “Or maybe they’ll get the hair genes from my side of the family.”
He kissed the side of her head before loosening his hold on her. “I’d be okay with that.”
Before she could suggest a dessert or drink of some kind, Kensington’s phone buzzed in his pocket. She knew he’d told Bertrand to hold as many of his calls as possible, so it was either someone who had his personal number or something that couldn’t wait.
He pulled it out of his pocket and sighed as he read it. “I guess that’s it. I’ve got to get back.”
Anabelle didn’t say anything. Grateful as she was to get out from behind palace walls as it were, she wished for more time. More interaction with other people.
She understood, even agreed with the caution, but still chafed under the restrictions.
By the time they returned to Lowery House, Kensington was on the phone with a vendor or venue or someone who, for the moment, had a more important hold on his time.
How long until the Games were over, and they could settle into a regular routine, whatever that looked like? They wouldn’t start for at least ten or eleven weeks, at the beginning of July. Meantime, she knew she’d see less and less of Kensington until it was over.
Upstairs, Gracie still slept. Suddenly weary, Anabelle stretched out on the bed she usually shared with Kensington and let herself take a nap, something she rarely did.
She woke feeling somewhat better. Gracie loved the puzzle and the set of dolls resembling their family.
“Where Kenny?” the girl asked as they started coloring again.
“He’s in a meeting.” Or on a phone call. Or doing something important regarding the Games. “Remember? He has to work a lot for the next few weeks then we’ll get to see him a lot more.”
Gracie nodded. “‘Kay. Where Gigi?”
“Gigi went back to her house. Remember the first castle we went to when we got here? When we very first met Astrid and Sofia and Jordan and everyone else?”
Another nod, though Anabelle wasn’t srue she really remembered. “That’s where Gigi lives. She’s going to come see us whenever she can, though.”
“My go see her,” Gracie pronounced. “My go ‘morrow.”
Anabelle didn’t verbally approve or disapprove of the plan, but knew it wouldn’t happen. Gracie would likely forget about the whole thing by then.
Instead, she changed the subject to the ocean scene they were coloring. She had Gracie identify the sea life as best she could. There were several Gracie didn’t know, but she did know quite a few.
“We go beach?” Gracie asked.
“Sure.” Anabelle used the turquoise to color the water. “Tomorrow we’ll go down to the cove.” The spot where Princess Astrid met Jordan.
“Kenny come,” Gracie pronounced.
“No, sweetheart. Kensington won’t be able to come. He has to work, remember?”
Those four words were likely going to define her relationship with her husband until the Games ended. If only she had something she could do to help, or fundraising events she could attend, or pretty much anything she could do besides spend her days with a little girl. Though she adored Gracie, this was going to drive Anabelle crazy.
Kensington fastened his cuff link and tried to ignore the glare from Anabelle. “No. You’re not going. Neither is Gracie.”
“Of course Gracie isn’t. She wouldn’t sit still through a graduation. I’m not going to ask her to, but why can’t I go?”
“Because the investigation into your grandfather isn’t finished.”
She threw her hands in the air. “It’s been nearly two months, Kensington. I’m sick of sitting around here. I want out of the house. I want to see people. Streaming church on my computer doesn’t count.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry, Anabelle. It’s not my choice to make. Security has said the two of you need to stay put a bit longer.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
The hurt in her voice caught his attention and he looked up to notice she was wearing a nice outfit, much nicer than she usually wore around the house.
He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, Annie. I didn’t know you even knew about it, much less thought you’d be able to go. Even if we were sure about your grandfather, my brother’s graduation isn’t the time or place to show up together. It would only take away from his day, and I don’t think either of us want that.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I guess not, but it was on the calendar with just a date and time, nothing about who it was for like there usually is for your appointments.”
Kensington moved to stand in front of her and rested his hands on her hips, tugging her closer. “I’m sorry, love. I don’t know who added it to the calendar or why it didn’t specify who would be attending.”
She snaked her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. “I know it’s not your fault, but would you do me favor?”
“If I can.” He’d learned long ago not to promise something so open-ended, not until he actually heard the request.
“Until this house arrest is over, if there’s anything on the calendar that I would be at under other circumstances, would you let me know for sure whether I’ll be in attendance or not?”
“It’s not really house arrest, love. I know you know that. I know it feels like that. I’ll do my best to make sure you know about things ahead of time.” He held her in his arms for several minutes before he had to let her go. With a soft kiss, he took his leave.
Thanks to a couple of meetings he couldn’t postpone, there wasn’t time for him to take one of the boats to San Majoria. Instead, a helicopter flew him straight to the palace in Cabo Juan-Eduardo. From there, he joined the rest of his family, except Harrison, for the trip to a nearby stadium for the ceremony.
Rather than sitting in the stands with the rest of the families, this time, his family remained separate for security reasons.
Though everyone coming in was subjected to a metal detector and cursory search of their bags, having his family away from the rest of the crowd would make security easier not only on the security team, but on the rest of the crowd as well.
“Why couldn’t Anabelle come?” he asked his father as they stood behind the glass looking down into the venue that would hold a gymnastics meet in a few weeks.
“Because this glass isn’t tinted or bullet-proof.” His father glanced over at him. “And, to be quite frank, I don’t trust the two of you to stay away from each other in this kind of situation. It’s far too easy to forget that there are eyes on you constantly here because there’s a barrier. The revelation that there’s a special woman in your life, even without the marriage part, would take over your brother’s day. I refuse to let that happen.”
Kensington stifled a sigh. He’d suspected something similar, but at least it wasn’t that Anabelle could have come, and he’d misinterpreted something.
Promptly at noon, the procession of students began. It took several minutes for Kensington to find his brother.
On stage.
“Is Harrison giving a speech?” he asked his father.
“Not that I’m aware of, but it certainly seems he’s being singled out for one reason or another.”
Kensington knew both of his parents, as well as Harrison, would want the recognition to be for something worthy, not because of genetics.
“There’s nothing in the program.” His father handed a copy over. “Unless he’s one of the unnamed award recipients or presenters.”
The graduating class finished filing in and the rest of the ceremony began.
Kensington sat with his family, though his father stood when they recognized him as a special guest. About halfway through the pre-diploma portion of the ceremony, Harrison stood.
“It is my honor to present the award for most inspirational student. Every year, the graduating class, with input from the other classes, cho
oses a student who has inspired all of us to work harder, try longer, and be better people.” He launched into a story about overcoming and persevering.
Halfway through, Kensington recognized who the recipient was, though he didn’t know her name. Injured in a car accident two years earlier, and left paralyzed, the young woman had worked hard to graduate with her peers. She’d also taken the lead in one of the Special Olympics-type teams, though Kensington couldn’t remember which one. Harrison’s speech had been drowned out by cheers and hollering from the graduating class as the girl, in her wheelchair, made her way to the stage.
Wearing one of the biggest smiles Kensington had ever seen on him, Harrison gave her the rolled-up parchment and a pin she could display or wear. Harrison shook her hand and leaned closer to whisper something that made her smile widen.
They both returned to their spots and the presentations went on.
After graduation ended, the whole family gathered for photos in the same area the rest of the students seemed to gravitate to. Harrison took pictures with his friends and seemed reluctant to leave.
Kensington understood. He’d felt the same way. University out of the country would offer Harrison more anonymity than any of the other siblings had achieved locally. However, with the new phase of life would come new, different responsibilities, including a more active role in the “family business” when he wasn’t away at school.
Wrapping his brother in a bear hug, Kensington told him how proud they all were, but all he really wanted to do was return to San Mediano, a certain brunette, and his favorite blond little girl.
13
“Kensington, except for church around Easter and the shopping trip, we haven’t left the grounds in over a month. I haven’t even seen your grandmother.” The former queen had events she couldn’t reschedule that interfered with their plan to have lunch together.
Anabelle crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “I’m not asking to go to some giant festival or street market, I just want to take Gracie to the park. It’s a three-minute drive and that includes getting off the grounds. We could walk in under ten minutes. She just wants to play with some other kids, even for a little while. Send a whole team of security with us. Send every off-duty cop you can find. I don’t care, but I need out of this house before I go completely stir crazy.”
Kensington stared at her from across his desk. Not exactly how she’d envisioned this conversation going when she first planned it in her head, but oh well.
“I’ll talk to Rob and see what he can work out.” He leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk. “I know you don’t like being confined to the house, but I also know you’re still worried about what your grandfather might do.”
“I know, but you said last night your security teams hadn’t found anything and said they don’t think there’s any reason to be concerned.”
“They also said they wanted to wait a couple more weeks to see if anything turned up. Benjamin and Isaiah aren’t happy still. I have no idea what deal my father worked out with them, but so far, it’s not enough to make security chill out. None of us can imagine Benjamin being behind anything, but no one’s sure just how far Isaiah will go after someone makes him mad.”
“But your family? Wouldn’t his own people be livid if he went after the royal family of San Majoria?”
“Probably, but who knows if that matters to him? He’s not king.” His eyes were full of compassion. “I will try to get a few hours for you.”
“Then I won’t whine about the next couple of weeks,” she conceded. Honestly, she’d expected a “no.” She took a step toward him and smiled. “Thank you.”
“I just want you both to be safe.”
“I know. I do, too. But no one knows we’re here with you.”
Kensington stood and walked around his desk, pulling her into his arms. “I still don’t think we can be too careful at this point.” He kissed her softly. “I kind of like both of you, and until we’re sure...” Another kiss. “I’ll talk to Rob right now, though. I know it’s important to you.”
“Thank you.” She stood in his arms for another minute. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Thanks, love. Why don’t we have lunch together today? Just the three of us. Maybe take a picnic to the gazebo.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
He kissed her again then moved back. “I’ll talk to Rob,” he promised again, “and see you in a couple hours.”
His phone rang, and she left, not wanting to bother him any further. Gracie and Elise, former nanny for Kensington and his siblings, were in the garden. They spent an hour out there, with Gracie running around playing tag with an imaginary friend.
Of all the things Anabelle regretted, it was a lack of friends for Gracie. She wanted the little girl to have a friend or two she could count on, who she could grow up with. Anabelle still had contact with several of her childhood friends. She’d been in touch with Rachel often, the only one who knew everything about her parents, and grandparents, and Gracie, and even Kensington.
Anabelle wished she and Rachel could get together, but knew how unlikely that was to happen anytime soon. Maybe, after the park went well, she could talk to Kensington about flying Rachel and her family to San Majoria for a few days.
Two days later, she finally got her first wish.
“Are you ready to go, ma’am?”
“We are.” Anabelle held Gracie’s hand as they walked to a car with dark tinted windows. A minute later, Gracie was buckled into a car seat, and they pulled out of the garage.
In an effort to keep from attracting attention, only one other car would go with them. A total of four guards would be there, though it wouldn’t surprise Anabelle if there were more she didn’t know about.
The short drive took several times longer than it should have because the drivers decided to take a circuitous route. It should have taken three minutes, but took almost fifteen instead.
Finally, she helped Gracie out of the seat, and they took off for the playground under the watchful eye of Rob and his men. For half an hour, she watched as Gracie played on the jungle gym and caught her when she went down the slide.
For whatever reason, the playground was devoid of any other children, but Anabelle was okay with that this time. If this went well, maybe they would let the two of them go out more often.
And that’s what happened.
Over the next week, she and Gracie ventured out again and again. Each time they went to one of the parks on the island, choosing a different one each time. A week after the first outing, they were at a playground on the other side of the island.
“Annie, look!” Gracie pointed to another little girl coming down the slide.
“Go on,” Anabelle encouraged her. Gracie ran across the grass until she reached the jungle gym. By the time Anabelle reached the bench to the side of the play area, Gracie and the other girl were running around playing tag.
“She’s adorable. Are you new to the area?” The woman sitting on the next bench over smiled at Anabelle.
“We haven’t lived here long. Gracie hasn’t had a chance to make any friends yet. She’s going to be ecstatic and talk about this for days.”
“I understand. It’s only been six months since we moved. I found a neighborhood playgroup finally, though, and that’s helped.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Anabelle admitted, though she knew Rob would never go for such a thing. But for now, she was going to enjoy her time with a grownup who wasn’t also an employee or Kensington.
If only it could happen more often.
The change in Anabelle over the last two weeks since the park visits started was remarkable. Kensington sat in a chair in their room, and she curled up next to him, sipping her morning coffee as they talked about their plans for the day.
“There is something I’d like to do tomorrow,” she told him. The hesitance in her voice set him on edge.
“What’s that?”
“
You know that first lady I met?”
He nodded.
“We saw her and her daughter again yesterday, along with one of her friends. They invited me to a Mommy and Me Play Date at the Turtle Sanctuary tomorrow. They know Gracie isn’t my daughter, but they want us to come. I’d really like to.”
“What does Rob say?”
“I don’t know. I wanted to talk to you first.”
Kensington shrugged. “It’s up to him. I’m okay if you go, if he says it’s okay.” He pulled her closer. “It won’t always be like this, love. You’ll always have security, but the idea that you actually need permission will lessen with time.”
She kissed his chin. “I know.”
They still hadn’t found anything, and that made Kensington, his father, and the security teams nervous, but he wouldn’t tell Anabelle that. Not until there was actually something to tell.
Anabelle sat up then kissed him. “I’m going to find Rob.” She turned when she reached the door. “They’re having a family potluck dinner thing this weekend.”
She didn’t ask if he wanted to go or if they should, just told him it existed. Going would run the risk of outing Anabelle and Gracie as his new family. Staying home would run the risk of alienating his wife. “Mention it to Rob, and I’ll talk to him about it later.”
The smile made it worthwhile. “Thanks.” She turned again and left.
That afternoon, Rob approved the turtle sanctuary, but hadn’t decided about the family event yet. The next day came quickly, but Kensington had obligations of his own, which took him to San Majoria.
“Are you ready, sir?” Bertrand poked his head in the office. “Your meeting is in ninety minutes.” And most of those would be spent traveling across the water.
They’d become more lax about coming and going in secret, but Kensington hadn’t spent as much of his time with Anabelle and Gracie as he would have liked anyway. He made it home most evenings, but most of his days were spent on San Majoria or San Minoria dealing with other Games related issues. They were only a couple months away, and his time would be more in demand as they got closer.
Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1 Page 35