Crowns & Courtships Compilation Volume 1

by Carol Moncado

  “Not-a-boyfriend?”

  Abi rolled her eyes. “They don’t date anyone else, but since Cassie’s not sixteen, she’s not allowed to date. They did go to prom together last year, but otherwise, no dates until December. Zach is a great kid, though. They’ll be good together, eventually.” She crouched down to pet Raja. “I’m so glad to finally meet this guy. He’s so sweet.”

  Darius looked around the park. “Do you know where the petting zoo is? We’re supposed to meet some friends there in a few minutes.”

  Abi stood back up and did a slow turn. “I thought it was usually near the inflatables, but I think they moved it this year. Over by the playground maybe?” She took a few steps away. “I’ve got to get back to the booth, but I’ll see you both around.”

  As Abi walked off, Darius and Esther resumed their stroll toward the playground area. A student handed them a flyer listing the events taking place throughout the day.

  “I wish I’d known there was a best homemade pet costume contest,” Esther told him. “We could have entered the parade.”

  “And if our picture made the paper, there would go our anonymity.”

  “Good point.” She turned the paper over. “But there is a map of booths. Abi was right. The petting zoo is on the other side of the slides.”

  They made their way through the crowd to the far side of the park. Samantha and Vince leaned on the railing, talking to a couple of children as they pet a goat.

  Samantha broke off from the discussion to crouch in front of Raja as he wagged his tail. “Hi, there, Raja.” She scratched behind his ears. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She looked up at Darius and Esther. “He cleaned up quite nicely after you found him.”

  “We’ve become pretty fond of him.” Esther knelt next to Samantha as Raja turned his attention to his favorite person. Darius had been the one to clean him up, get rid of the ticks, take him to get groomed, but the dog decided he loved Esther best, even snuggling in the crook of her knees at night.

  “What do we want to do?” Darius asked turning to look around the park. “See the world’s largest watermelon?”

  Because that, apparently, was a thing.

  Vince laughed as he slung an arm around Samantha’s shoulder. “The world’s largest isn’t here, but this is an official weigh station for that sort of thing, so there are some really large gourds if we keep going this way.”

  Darius laced his fingers with Esther’s as they walked away from the petting zoo. “Besides gawking at giant vegetables, what is there to do?”

  “There are wheelbarrow races and tractor pulls. Face painting is always popular with the kids. There’s a cakewalk plus a bunch of games for littler kids.” Samantha pulled a flyer out of her pocket. “I think the tractor pull starts soon.”

  “I literally have no idea what that is.” Esther studied her own flyer.

  “It’s kind of fun to watch.” Samantha shoved the paper back in her pocket. “They don’t allow souped-up tractors, just regular ones. The tractor races are more fun, though. Grown men and women on children’s tractors complete with pedals.”

  Esther’s eyes twinkled as she looked up at him. “I think that would be great fun. You should do it. The pictures would be priceless.”

  Darius groaned. “Let’s go.”

  A few minutes later, Esther tried to hide her grin, but failed miserably as Darius gaped.

  “You want me to ride one of those?” he asked.

  “Sure. It’ll be fun.”

  He leaned closer to her so no one else could hear what he had to say. “As long as the pictures never make it on the Internet.”

  “Not from me. Maybe. At least for now.” She gave her best innocent smile. “But maybe you shouldn’t have worn that shirt.” The horrid tropical yellow and teal one he’d bought in San Majoria didn’t quite fit in with the fall feel of the day, despite the warm sunshine.

  “Great.”

  Esther and Samantha took a seat on the blanket-covered bales of hay near the “course.” Two kids currently rode the tractors as they navigated through the hay bale course. Darius and Vince were next in line.

  “They keep track of the times and at the end of the day, the fastest time in each age group gets a prize.” Samantha rubbed Raja’s neck as he put his front paws on her knee and stretched.

  “How will they even fit on those things?” Esther asked tightening her grip on Raja’s leash.

  Samantha laughed. “They won’t. That’s what makes it fun. Their knees will come perilously close to hitting their chins. One or both of them may tip over. And everyone will cheer and laugh while they do it.”

  Esther slipped her hand through the loop on the leash. As Darius and Vince tried to situate themselves on the tractors, she held up her phone to record the race.

  A little girl, maybe five or six years old, stood in front of them. Decked in denim with a real cowgirl hat and boots that looked like they’d been worn to muck stalls, she held up a bandanna.

  “Ready?” she yelled. “Go!”

  Darius’s feet slipped off the pedals before he could even get started. Vince only made it a couple of feet before his did the same thing. By then Darius had managed to get started, though he looked like some sort of weird grasshopper with his knees sticking out to either side at awkward angles.

  Esther tried to keep from laughing so she wouldn’t ruin the video but couldn’t completely hold it in. The metal tractors clanked as they hit each other going around a turn in the track created by stacks of hay bales.

  Finally, Vince crossed the finish line a second before Darius. Cheers went up from around the track. Raja even barked a couple of times as Esther stopped the recording.

  Vince accepted congratulatory high fives from several kids as they walked back to where Esther and Samantha waited.

  “Great race, man.” Vince smacked Darius on the back.

  “Thanks.” Darius slid his arm around Esther’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have let me win? I’m technically still a newlywed. I need to impress my wife more than you do.”

  Esther rolled her eyes and lightly backhanded his stomach. “You don’t need to impress me.”

  “I know, but still.” Darius heaved an exaggerated sigh. “It would have been nice to win.” He took the leash from Esther. “Where next?”

  With her fingers laced through his, Esther fell in step beside him. Samantha and Vince were a half step behind them. Rather than going back near the inflatables, they stopped at a booth where band members were selling pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and coleslaw.

  A friend of Vince’s and his family were leaving a picnic table nearby. Vince commandeered it for them. Raja managed to get a couple of bites from each of them, though he begged for more.

  “I don’t think I can finish.” Esther pushed her plate away. The coleslaw was new for her, and she wasn’t fond of it, but the rest of the food was delicious. Darius ate the coleslaw, and Vince took the rest of her sandwich when she offered it.

  For several hours, they walked around the festival, making sure to see each booth and donate to each cause, either through a purchase or a few dollars in a jar.

  By the time they made it back to the SUV, Esther’s feet were killing her.

  “I should have worn better shoes,” she moaned as she clicked her seatbelt into place.

  Darius squeezed her hand. “Take a bath when we get home.’

  “I would, but it’s supposed to be my night to make dinner.”

  “I’ll do it, though I’m not really hungry. It hasn’t been that long since we ate with Vince and Samantha.”

  “Something easy, then. Brinner, maybe?” She hadn’t known the word until a couple of weeks earlier, but breakfast food for dinner appealed to her.

  Dinner for breakfast didn’t hold the same charm.

  “Bacon and eggs? Maybe pancakes?” He eased into the stream of traffic leaving the parking lot. At least a police barrier blocked the road to the left. It made traffic flow much faster than i
t would otherwise, except after turning right, it was only a couple of blocks to a traffic light on a major street.

  “Pancakes might be a little bit too much for me, but if you want some, go ahead.”

  When they reached the light, a uniformed police officer directed traffic, allowing the side street to empty more effectively.

  “They do sound good.” And were something neither one of them ate at home. Most of the things they learned to make weren’t things they would likely make in their home palaces.

  Talk turned to other topics as Darius steered the car toward the lake. After pulling into the garage, he turned off the SUV and looked at Esther. “I do need you to promise me one thing.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, gathering her things.

  “None of the pictures you took ever, ever see the light of day. Not my mother or my siblings. Especially not Benjamin.”

  Esther could tell he was both serious and not at the same time. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if they found out, but Darius felt it would be potentially embarrassing. “I promise.” She struggled to control her smirk. “I won’t show any of the pictures I took to anyone. Ever.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean? I don’t feel like I can believe you.”

  Esther’s grin broke through full force. “I didn’t take any pictures.”

  “You didn’t? I saw you with your phone.”

  She couldn’t hold back the giggle. “I didn’t take pictures. I took video.”

  Darius groaned. “And somehow I don’t think you’ll keep it between us for the rest of our lives.”

  Esther opened her door to get out. “Not a chance.”

  16

  Two weeks after Pumpkinfest, Darius rolled onto his side and watched Esther as she sat in the chair sipping her coffee. “I want to take you to dinner tonight.”

  “I’m supposed to make dinner.”

  “I know. I already talked to Vesta. She knows we won’t be home and is okay with it.” He’d argued that regular date nights were part of being a married couple. She’d reluctantly agreed.

  “Then I’d love to. Where are we going?”

  “How about Savarino’s?” She needed to say yes. He’d had the reservations for weeks.

  She shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Great. I’ve got a group project I need to work on this afternoon, but should be home by six. Leave about six-thirty?”

  “I can work with that.” She smiled at him. “Any special occasion?”

  “I wanted to take my wife to dinner.” If the topic came up again, he’d tell her the reason. He’d used an online calculator again and figured out this would have been her due date. Instead of holding their baby in their arms, he’d hold her or do whatever she needed to make this a little easier.

  This time she wore a different black dress. The skirt swirled all the way to her ankles and the whole thing had some kind of silver accents woven into it. She even wore silver shoes and carried a silver bag.

  They walked into the restaurant to see the maître d’ frown. “Mr. Quatremaine, correct?”

  “Yes.” Dread filled Darius’s stomach. That couldn’t be good.

  The man waited until they reached his stand. “I’m afraid I don’t have a table for you, sir. There’s no reservation.”

  It was Darius’s turn to frown. “Impossible. I called weeks ago. I even double-checked Monday and was assured my reservation was in order.”

  “Do you know who you spoke with?”

  “A man named Isaac. I remember because I have a brother with that name.”

  The man closed his eyes for a moment. “Isaac was a new employee. He was let go yesterday when we discovered he wasn’t properly creating reservations. It would appear that yours is one of the missing ones. Unfortunately, we are completely booked this evening. I had three other calls today to verify for tonight. That took the last of what I had.”

  Darius wanted to rage, but it wouldn’t do any good. This man, clearly, wasn’t at fault and had taken care of the issue as soon as he knew about it.

  The man looked up as someone else walked in. “Mr. and Mrs. Langley-Cranston, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” He came out from around the stand. “Mr. and Mrs. Quatremaine, I will return momentarily and see how I can satisfactorily resolve this with you.”

  Darius turned to see Jonathan who greeted them with a smile.

  “Darius! Esther!” Jonathan held out his hand for Darius to shake then kissed Esther’s cheek. “What a pleasant surprise.” He turned to the flustered maître d’. “Will we be seated near each other?”

  Darius interjected. “I’m afraid there’s been a mix up, and we don’t have reservations after all. Those responsible have already been dealt with, but it means Esther and I won’t be dining here. Can you recommend another restaurant with dancing?”

  Jonathan frowned and turned. “Andrew, my reservation was for four, correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He turned back to Darius. “As my brother and sister-in-law were unable to make it at the last minute, perhaps you would join us? We did promise you a meal sometime.”

  Darius glanced at Esther who gave a slight shrug. “That would be fine.”

  A minute later, they were seated, with more apologies following in their wake, and the promise of a free dinner for all four of them.

  “I heard your brother made an announcement not too long ago.” Jonathan looked at his wife and winked. “Congratulations are in order.”

  Darius wasn’t sure if Kenzie knew who they were - or just that they were well-to-do clients of Jonathan’s company.

  Kenzie spoke up. “Jonathan promised to take me and Lorelai to San Majoria over Christmas break. My best friend was there not too long ago and loved it, though some of the paparazzi got a little too close to their private beach.”

  Esther shook her head. “Ever since they took some pictures of the Crown Princess that, out of context, looked far more salacious than they really were, the tabloid photographers have become increasingly bold.”

  “She married him, though didn’t she?” Kenzie asked. “And had a baby?”

  Esther nodded. “But the paparazzi still become more forward than ever before.”

  “I understand that.”

  Jonathan wrapped an arm around his wife’s back. “Several of them followed my wife on motorcycles and nearly ran her off the road. By the time she got to our property, I was waiting with my shotgun and police were nearly there.”

  “I heard about that.” Darius reached for Esther’s hand and covered it with his own. “That must have been petrifying.”

  “I’d rather not relive it if you don’t mind.” She shook her head as if to clear it and looked at Esther. “Instead, why don’t you tell me about your favorite beach in San Majoria?”

  Esther winced. “I’m afraid my favorite beaches are of the very private variety. Owned by my family.”

  Kenzie leaned a little closer. “I bet they’re very nice beaches, too. Fit for a king even.”

  So she did know.

  Esther gave her a bright smile. “You could say that.”

  A waitress came by and took their drink orders. Darius just asked for water since he was driving. Esther did as well. He’d noticed she did. Was that because she didn’t want a glass of wine if he didn’t have one?

  Neither Jonathan nor Kenzie ordered a glass either.

  After the waitress left, Darius looked at them. “Just because I’m still a fairly new driver and don’t want a glass of wine doesn’t mean you guys can’t have one.”

  Jonathan chuckled. “Thanks, but I’m a recovering alcoholic. Have been since I was a teenager.” He took Kenzie’s hand and gave her the most tender smile Darius had seen between two people that weren’t his parents. “And Kenzie has an even better reason. She’s expecting our second child next year.”

  Darius waited for Esther’s hand to clench into a fist and for her to hide it under the table, but she never did.

&nb
sp; Maybe she was finally doing better with all of this after all.

  Esther was able to give Jonathan and Kenzie a genuine smile. “That’s wonderful news. What does your daughter think?”

  Kenzie smiled. “She’s in love with the idea of being an older sister. For so long, it was just the two of us, now she’s got a daddy she adores, and a baby on the way.”

  This was why her father wanted them to learn to take care of themselves. Though they’d lived on a budget for the last six weeks, it hadn’t been very restrictive and didn’t include anything like rent or utilities. No one knew what the future held, and there was always the chance they’d need to make it on their own someday.

  She also needed to tell Darius her news. The doctor’s visit had gone well. The heartbeat had been strong. There was no reason to suspect a repeat of last time. In fact, the doctor assured her that the baby had stopped developing within a week or so of conception last time. There was no indication she shouldn’t carry this baby to term.

  Dinner came. Conversation continued. Laughter sounded.

  And when they finished, Darius asked her to dance. This time, her dress didn’t have a keyhole for his thumb to brush across, but warmth from his hand splayed against her lower back was almost as nice.

  “There had to be more to why you wanted to come out tonight,” she told him. “If you scheduled it weeks ago and double-checked Monday.”

  Darius kissed her temple then rested his chin against it. “There is. If you didn’t bring it up, I wasn’t going to, and you really seem to be okay so... I used one of those online things and based on what it told me, today could have been your due date.”

  He hadn’t forgotten. Esther gave him a sad smile. “I know. I didn’t know you did. I was trying to focus on the good things in my life, and the paper that I need to finish this weekend.”

  With a smooth move, he spun her around the dance floor. “I hope I’m one of those good things.”

  “You definitely are.”

  “And you are one of the best things in my life. But I do have something to tell you.”