A plan for how often she could be seen. A plan for how much time they could spend together. A plan for when Alex could eventually put an arm around her. Followed by detailed protocols and information on the history of Euronia and Leruna. It was like studying for a university degree all over again. But this wasn’t a qualification. This was a plan for a life. Her life.
And she just didn’t know if she was strong enough.
In amongst the plans were little handwritten cards from Alex. He’d sent one every day, his pleading words increasing in intensity with each card.
‘You’ll have to speak to him sooner or later,’ her mother said. ‘He phones three times a day. I’m beginning to feel like he’s part of the family already.’
The words twisted inside her. ‘I can’t speak to him, Mum, you know that. I need some time.’
Her mother sighed and sat down next to her. ‘Why do you need time away from the man and the little girl that you obviously love?’
Ruby was shocked. She’d never used those words to her mother. She hadn’t said those words out loud to anyone.
‘What? You think I didn’t know?’ Her mother waved her hand. ‘It’s been written all over your face from the second you got here. I’ve never seen you so miserable. It was a few lousy newspaper articles. You know what your dad says—today’s news, tomorrow’s chip paper.’ She gave a half-shrug. ‘You only made two lines today in the British press.’
Ruby gave a half-smile. Her father had been surprisingly good-natured.
She stared at the letter. ‘I don’t think I can read anything else from Alex.’
Her mother shook her head. ‘It’s not from Alex. It’s from Leruna. Who would be writing to you from there?’
Her skin prickled. She couldn’t have—could she?
She took the heavy envelope in her hand and opened it, sliding the paper out. There was no doubt. The royal mark was in the top corner. Queen Isabelle.
She blinked. ‘Give me a minute, Mum, will you please?’
Her mother nodded and disappeared out through the door. Ruby unfolded the letter on her desk. No typing. This letter was full of beautifully crafted handwriting.
Dear Ruby
I hope this letter finds you well. It was a pleasure to meet you at the Ball and I was delighted to see your obvious affection for Annabelle and your commitment to her.
I understand that you are upset over the recent media coverage. Please be assured that this is a cross we all have to bear. I only hope that a little time will give you the strength and courage of your convictions to fight for the love and family that you deserve.
Alex and Annabelle have blossomed in these last few months. I have no doubt who is responsible for the transformation of their relationship. The press can be cruel to us all, but I hope that you won’t allow others to impact on the life you could have.
My granddaughter misses you terribly. The sparkle that had returned to her eyes has gone again.
My beloved Sophia is gone. She was a kind-hearted girl with a much wilder spirit than she was credited for. I believe that she would have wanted both Alex and Annabelle to be loved with the passion that they deserve.
I want you to know that you will always be welcome as my guest in Leruna. You have our full support.
Good grace and wishes,
Her Majesty Isabella DeGrundall, Queen of Leruna
Ruby’s head was swimming. She could never have expected this. It wasn’t even the words that Queen Isabella had used. It was all the unwritten things in between. She was giving Ruby her blessing. She was acknowledging her presence in Alex and Annabelle’s life. The invitation was clear.
‘Ruby?’
Her mother was hovering around the door again.
‘The car that brought the letter...it’s still there. It’s waiting for you.’
‘Waiting for me?’ She glanced outside.
Her mother smiled. ‘It seems there’s a celebration for New Year’s Eve tonight in Euronia.’ There was a rustle and she held up a clothes hanger and a shimmering dress. ‘Apparently your attendance is non-negotiable.’
* * *
The flight took less than an hour. The stewardess helped Ruby into the dress and escorted her down to the waiting car.
Her eyes were squeezed shut for most of the drive as her stomach turned over and over.
So many thoughts and questions spun around in her brain. Although having some space had served her well, reading over the plans for her gradual romance had been mind-boggling.
She didn’t want to live her life to a plan. But rational thoughts were starting to creep in. She loved Alex. She loved Annabelle. They weren’t your average family. And if Ruby wanted this life she was going to have to work for it.
Was it really so unreasonable for her to learn how to handle the press? Would learning about a new country and its customs really be so different from gaining the professional degree and qualifications she already had?
She knew she had the ability to learn. She knew she had the ability to adapt to different situations—she’d been doing it for years in the health service.
She was thinking with her heart instead of her head. If she thought with her head this all seemed rational—practical. It seemed like something she could actually do.
The car turned down the driveway towards the palace and she gasped. The pink palace was outlined in dozens of white lights. It was spectacular. People from the city were within the grounds. It seemed the party had already started.
The car pulled up in front of the palace doors and a guard opened the door and held out a hand to help her out.
She glanced at her watch. Eleven o’clock on New Year’s Eve. Eleven years ago she’d been in Paris. Eleven years ago she’d met Alex for the first time. Eleven years ago they’d shared their first kiss.
Alex. He was standing at the top of the steps waiting for her.
She’d thought she’d hesitate when she saw him again—she’d thought she’d waver.
But she didn’t. She moved away from the car and took her first step towards him.
* * *
Her dress was shimmering silver, crying out to be touched, but he kept his hands firmly at his sides as she climbed the steps towards him.
The designer who’d made it had assured him it would look perfect on her. But ‘perfect’ wasn’t close enough to how it actually looked.
The silver beads sparkled in the white lights around the palace. If Annabelle were watching she’d think that Ruby was some kind of fairy. It was almost as if a movie spotlight were shining on her.
She stopped just a few steps away, her hair curled around one shoulder, brown eyes fixed on his and her red lips inviting his kiss.
He held out his hand towards her. ‘I’m so glad you came, Ruby. I was worried you would never come back to Euronia.’
‘I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.’
He could see the uncertainty on her face. She still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do. This was it. This was his final chance to convince her to stay.
‘I don’t want to be part of someone’s plan, Alex. I appreciate the work that your staff has done. But I don’t think I can live my life like that.’ She gave a sorry smile and a little shake of her head. ‘I can’t wait to love you, Alex. I can’t wait to love Annabelle. But I don’t have royal blood. I haven’t been brought up in the same circumstances as you.’ She held out her hands. ‘I think we both need to face facts. I just don’t fit in around here.’
Her dress shimmered some more, reflecting light back up onto her face. She’d never looked so beautiful. She’d never looked so radiant. And he couldn’t bear not to touch her for a second longer. His heart was filling with joy and breaking at the same time. She’d told him that she couldn’t wait to love him. She couldn’t wait to love An
nabelle. But it was too hard. There were a million obstacles in their way.
But all that mattered to Alex was the fact that Ruby loved him and his daughter just as much as they loved her.
At the end of the day, what more did he need?
He would do anything to make this work.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.
‘Eleven years ago in Paris I met the woman of my dreams. Eleven years ago I met the woman I was destined to be with for ever. Fate tried to get in the way. Life tried to get in the way. But from the first time I met you—from the first time I kissed you—I knew, Ruby. I just knew. I think that you did too.’
The palms of her hands were resting against his chest. Her bottom lip was trembling.
He smiled at her. ‘Ruby, I don’t ever want to let you go. You are the only woman I want by my side. But more than anything I want you to be happy. You are the best woman I’ve ever known. I love you, Ruby. Annabelle loves you too. I’d love to tell you I don’t care what the media says—but that wouldn’t be true.’
She flinched and he pressed on, moving one hand from her waist and pressing it above her heart.
‘I care because you care. I don’t want anyone to hurt you. I don’t want anyone to upset you. I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. I want to love you, cherish you and keep you for ever. I want you by my side whatever I do.’
‘But what about me, Alex? What about my work? I’m not a stay-at-home kind of girl.’
Even as she said the words she wondered how true they were. She’d already been thinking of changing her role at work and trying to find a less stressful kind of job. She loved her patients. She just didn’t love the bureaucracy.
He smiled. ‘I want what you want. I want to support you in any work you want to do. What is it you want to do, Ruby? Can you do it Euronia?’
She nodded slowly. ‘I want to work with people, Alex.’
‘Then you can. We have a hospital here. You can be the people’s Princess Ruby. If you want to work there—you can.’
‘Really?’ Things were starting to seem more real. More possible. More within her grasp.
‘I want you to be the person I turn to when I need guidance. I want you to be the person Annabelle comes to when she cuts her knee, quarrels with her friends and...’ he grimaced ‘...needs boyfriend advice. I want you to be the person holding my hand and squeezing it when Annabelle says her first sentence. When she starts school. When she’s crowned Queen of Leruna.’
Her voice trembled. ‘That’s a whole lot of wants, Alex. Some parts even sounded like wedding vows.’
He nodded slowly. ‘They did—didn’t they?’ He reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair. ‘Here’s another one, then. I want to make this work. I want to make this work for you and me.’
Tears were forming in her eyes. ‘I want this to work too, Alex. I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed Annabelle these last few days. I felt as if I’d left part of me behind. But I still want to be normal too, Alex. I’ll let you down. I’m not cut out for this kind of life. I’m just Ruby Wetherspoon from Lewisham.’ She gave the slightest shake of her head. ‘I can’t be Princess Ruby.’
One tear slid down her cheek. He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. ‘I think you can. I think you and I can figure this out together. There’s no one else for me, Ruby. It’s just you. Tonight is our anniversary. Tonight, eleven years ago, someone was smiling down from up above and telling me to reach into the crowd and pull the girl in the red coat up next to me. And that was it.’
He pulled back and pressed his hand over his heart.
‘That was it for me, Ruby. Our defining moment. Everything in between has been just smoke and mirrors. Everything that’s happened has brought us to here and now.’ He held out his hand over the palace grounds. ‘This is where we’re supposed to be right now. This is what we’re supposed to be doing.’
‘Paris was a fairytale, Alex. Every girl knows that fairytales don’t come true.’
He smiled and slipped an arm around her shoulders, turning her to look out over the crowds. ‘But fairytales are magic, Ruby—don’t you know that? Every girl doesn’t get a prince. Just like every guy doesn’t get a princess. But I’m hoping that tonight my fairytale comes true.’
The fireworks started immediately.
The crowd in the gardens all turned towards them. They were spectacular. White and gold Catherine wheels streaking across the black sky. Flashes of blue and red confetti cannons. Roman candles and rockets firing into the sky and exploding in a cascade of brilliant lights. The effects were dazzling.
Multi-coloured waterfall fireworks came at the end of the display, mirroring the fireworks in Paris eleven years ago. They’d been put there at Alex’s special request. Would Ruby remember them?
Of course she did. She turned and smiled at him.
‘It’s almost identical.’ Her voice was low and hoarse. ‘I haven’t watched a firework display since then, Alex. I didn’t want anything to spoil the memories I had of Paris.’
His heart lifted. She felt the same as he did. ‘Ruby, I love you. I want you to stay with me in Euronia. I don’t want you to be Annabelle’s speech therapist. I don’t want you to be an employee. I don’t want you to be waiting in the wings. I’m ready, Ruby. I’m ready to tell the world that I love you and I want you by my side.’
He held his hand up to the fireworks.
‘This is for us, Ruby, and I’ll recreate these fireworks every year for us. Eleven years ago was the start. I wish we’d had a chance to continue from there. And while I wish my friend Sophia hadn’t died I couldn’t ever wish my daughter Annabelle wasn’t here. Maybe it was always destined that our two countries would be united. But what I know in my heart is that I was always destined for you.’
He knelt down on one knee and pulled the ring he’d had made out of his pocket.
‘I love you, Ruby Wetherspoon. Will you do me the honour of agreeing to become my wife? I promise to love and cherish you for ever. I promise to be by your side no matter what happens. Whatever you want to do, you will have my full support. And I hope I will have yours. What do you think, Ruby? Can we create our own fairytale here, in Euronia?’
The fireworks continued to explode behind her. The shimmering silver dress reflected every one of them in the dark night. The colours lit up Ruby’s face and there it was—the sparkle in her eyes again. The thing he’d longed for and hoped to see for the last two weeks.
She reached down and pulled him up. She was smiling. ‘Don’t kneel for me, Alex. That’s not where I want you.’ She slipped the custom-made ruby and diamond ring on to her finger. ‘I want you right by my side.’
He slipped his arms around her. ‘Is that a yes?’
She slid her arms around his neck and tipped her lips towards his. ‘That’s definitely a yes.’
And he kissed her as the fireworks lit up the sky behind them.
Princess Ruby was here to stay.
EPILOGUE
RUBY ADJUSTED HER veil nervously while Polly fussed around her.
‘How long is this train?’
They were currently all enveloped in the back of the car by mounds and mounds of jewelled pale cream satin. She practically couldn’t even see her father at this point.
‘Twenty-five feet.’ She smiled, even though she was afraid to move. ‘Apparently it’s a tradition.’
‘It’s a tradition, all right. Can you even walk with this thing?’
Ruby nodded. ‘I’ve been practising.’
Polly’s eyes widened. ‘You have? When?’
She smiled again. ‘At night. Rufus—Alex’s private secretary—has helped me for the last few nights. We’ve practised up and down the main staircase and out through the main doors.’
‘Wow.’ Polly h
anded Ruby her red flowers and lifted her hands to straighten the ruby and diamond tiara on Ruby’s head. ‘Seems like someone has introduced a few traditions of their own.’
‘Ooby—look!’ Annabelle was practically standing on one of the other seats, waving at the crowds as they passed, her short red bridesmaid dress bouncing around her.
Ruby stretched over. ‘Come here.’ She gave Annabelle a hug. ‘You look beautiful, Annabelle. You’re going to be the most gorgeous girl anyone has ever seen.’
The little girl couldn’t stop smiling. Her speech was improving every day. Simple words...
The car pulled up outside the church and Ruby couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. This was it.
It seemed to take for ever for Polly and her father to unwind her dress and the train from the car. Then there was a nod as Polly took Annabelle’s hand and led her ahead.
She waved to the crowds and headed to the church door, the heavy train hampering her steps. If she had her way she’d be running down the aisle to meet Alex.
The crowd in the church was hushed. Queen Isabelle turned from the front pew and gave her the tiniest nod of her head. But Ruby’s eyes were fixed on Alex.
There was no tradition here. Her groom would never stand facing the front, waiting for her to appear.
Alex had turned around to face her, his bright blue eyes fixed firmly on hers, smiling from ear to ear. He’d never looked more handsome. She’d never been so sure.
Ruby’s father took her arm. ‘Ready?’
She nodded. ‘Always,’ she said, and took the first steps that would start her new life.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from TAMING THE FRENCH TYCOON by Rebecca Winters.
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