Mister Diamond

by Chance Carter

Alex turned to me, skin practically sparkling in the light. “What do you think of our home?”

  I blinked. “Huh?”

  “So eloquent. You simply must write poetry.” His lips drew back in a dazzling smile.

  “Alex!” I smacked him on the arm. “Don’t be a jerk. My nerves are shot enough as it is!”

  He laughed, a throaty, full-bodied laugh, and bundled me against his chest.

  “I’m sorry, Kitty Kat.” His words vibrated through my cheek and I closed my eyes and smiled. “I knew if I said it was a surprise you’d punch me in the throat. I thought saying nothing at all was better.”

  Relief poured through every bone in my body. I felt like sobbing.

  “I thought you were going to break up with me,” I admitted in a small voice. It sounded ridiculous out loud.

  Alex pulled back and stared down at me, concern knitting his eyebrows. “You thought I was going to...what? Why would I do that?”

  I looked down but Alex held my chin and forced me to look at him. The depth of warmth in his eyes made my heart flip in the first happy way all day.

  “All the bad press stuff,” I admitted, feeling as childish as I sounded.

  He leaned in and brushed his mouth over mine. “That’s exactly why I brought you here today.” His breath tickled my lips. “To our home.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve said that.” I searched his eyes. “Do you mean that we live here now?”

  Alex nodded and stood to his full height, gazing out at the sun-soaked lawn. “We don’t have to live here full-time if we don’t want to, but I wanted this place and all of its happy memories to be our refuge.”

  He looked down at me with a tender expression. “I know things have been crazy. They’re probably going to be crazy for a while. But every time you feel overwhelmed, I want you to think about us stargazing in our backyard, or drinking tea in the conservatory while we listen to the rain play a symphony on the glass, and I want you to remember that it’s not always going to be so crazy.” His thumb glided over my cheek. “I love you, Tamara. I love you and I want to be with you, and that’s that.”

  I jumped onto my toes and kissed him. A flood of emotion passed between us as our mouths danced, our bodies pressed. I didn’t realize I was crying until the first tear skidded down my cheek.

  Alex wiped it away. “I have something to show you.”

  “Something else? Is it my birthday or something?”

  He laughed and took me by the hand, leading me into the house via the conservatory and threading his way through the rooms until we reached the carved double doors to the ballroom.

  Our ballroom, I realized. I never thought I would have a ballroom.

  Alex pushed the doors open, and I jolted to a stop, puzzled and alarmed. The walls were plastered with pictures and white and black rectangular shapes, which I soon recognized as newspaper and magazine clippings. Alex tugged my hand but I halted.

  “Is this some sort of facing your fears thing?” I asked. “If so, I’d like to go back to the part where we were having a nice time on the lawn.”

  Alex chuckled and tugged me inside. “Go look.” He pushed me toward the nearest wall I reluctantly approached.

  MEET THE NEW PRINCESS, the article said. SEE WHY SHE’S TAKING THE ROYAL WORLD BY STORM.

  I skimmed over the article, and quickly realized that the theme of Alex’s display had nothing to do with facing my fears. I moved to the next article, then the next. The hundreds of clippings coating the walls, taken from publications all over the world, were all positive. Not a single one found a nasty thing to say.

  I spun in a circle, taking in the room and Alex’s hard work. “Alex...”

  “See, I’m not the only one who thinks we’re perfect for each other.” He gestured around the room. “All these people believe in us. Do you?”

  Tears welled in my eyes and I nodded. “I do.”

  And, for the first time, I felt one hundred percent confident that our fairytale would have a happy ending.

  Chapter 31

  Alexander

  “We should get a swing,” Tamara said, leaning her head against my shoulder.

  “A swing?”

  She looked up at me. “Yeah. Can’t you imagine us sitting out here, swinging away?”

  The image flashed through my mind. Stars above, quiet below. Peaceful.

  I smirked. “You only just got the place and you already want to start changing things around. You’re ruthless.”

  We’d spent the afternoon exploring the rooms of the house. They were familiar to me, but to my bride there was a surprise behind every door. Even rooms she’d seen before she now saw in a new light. They were her rooms. This was her house. It belonged to both of us, but Springfield Manor was my gift to Tamara.

  Tamara shoved my shoulder and giggled. “I don’t want to change a single thing. It’s not like I want to put a pool in. It’s just a swing.”

  “A pool,” I mused. “Now there’s an interesting thought.”

  “Don’t you dare touch a single blade of grass on the lawn,” she warned.

  I chuckled. “Yes ma’am.”

  Tamara sighed and stretched her legs out on the blanket, leaning back against the mountain of pillows. We’d piled up every one we could find in the house to make ourselves a little lounge area, and it was paradise.

  “I wish we didn’t have to go back in the morning,” she said. “I wish we could just get married here, tonight, without anyone else around to bother us.”

  “I think we’ve gone off book enough as it is.”

  I shouldn’t have said it. Tamara glanced my way and worry laced her words.

  “You never told me what your family said when you told them.”

  “Because they didn’t say anything of consequence.” I pulled her a little tighter.

  Tamara was stressed enough without me adding to that by revealing that my announcement had ended with an argument between my father and I. Edward had stayed out of it, as did Victoria, but I hadn’t spoken to the king since. There was nothing he would or could do to stop the wedding, so it didn’t matter. What was done was done.

  “I feel like you’re holding back on me,” Tamara said. “I don’t like secrets.”

  “Tamara, I told you.” I kissed her forehead. “We ruffled a few royal feathers. That’s it—just some feather ruffling. It’s going to blow over.”

  “I don’t want your dad to hate me.”

  “He doesn’t.”

  Me, however? Perhaps a little.

  My phone rang and I welcomed the distraction, even though Edward’s name popped up and I’d specifically told him not to bother me tonight.

  “Hello, brother,” I answered.

  “Forgive me for interrupting. I know that you had something special planned for Tamara tonight.”

  “I assume it’s important?”

  Tamara sat up and her face filled with concern. I smiled reassuringly, even as Edward proceeded to ruin my evening.

  “I need you to come home,” he said. “A couple of flighty sponsors have backed out of the project. I’ve arranged a press conference in the morning to assure everyone you’re the right man for the job. I’m having a speech drawn up and delivered to your apartment.”

  My smile slipped. “Bugger.”

  “Just memorize the speech and pour on a couple bucket loads of that famous Alexander charm. Things will normalize.”

  “Thanks for the heads up. We’ll leave now.”

  I ended the call and pulled Tamara in for one last cuddle. “I’m sorry, Kitty Kat. I’m afraid we have to cut the fun short.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  I struggled to translate what Edward had told me into less grim language. I didn’t want to lie to Tamara, but I didn’t want her to worry either. I knew how much everything was stressing her out and I was terrified that one day she would decide it was too much and call it quits.

  “Flighty sponsors,” I answered finally. “Never did the worl
d of business run smooth.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  I shook my head and stood from the blanket, extending my hand to help her up. “Not this time. You can come cheer me on at the press conference tomorrow, though.”

  Tamara smiled and took my hand. “That I can do.”

  It was late by the time I dropped Tamara off and got back to my apartment. Nana was watching Hank for me tonight so I didn’t expect to find anyone waiting for me, which was why I was surprised to walk through the door and hear Debussy’s “Nocturnes”.

  My father stood from the couch, holding his hands behind his back in the dignified way he did when he needed to say something uncomfortable. It was the same stance he’d taken when he passed on the news of my mother’s death.

  “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” I closed the door behind me and went straight to the bar. “Gin?”

  “Please.”

  I poured us each a drink and handed his over. He sat and I took the armchair across from him.

  What was he doing here? If he’d come to harangue me further about my engagement, he’d come at a bad time. Then again, there wasn’t a good time to try to talk me out of marrying the love of my life.

  Father cleared his throat. “We exchanged some uncomfortable words the other evening.”

  “That’s one way of putting it.” I took a sip of my drink and watched him. “If you’ve come to have another go, you’re wasting your time.”

  “I think you misunderstood me.”

  “I think I understood you perfectly.” I sat forward. “You think I’m a rash, opinionated child. You like Tamara, just not enough for me to marry her.”

  His mustache twitched. “That’s not what I said.”

  “It’s close enough.”

  The music filled the long, silent gap between us. I upended my glass and went to stand, but he held out a hand to stop me.

  “I found fault in your execution, not in your decision,” he said. “It came so quickly. You didn’t follow the correct procedures. You didn’t tell anyone in the family first. You did what you always do—jumped in with both feet and hoped for the best.”

  I settled back in my seat and swiped my tongue over my dry lips. “I don’t see the point in arguing about it again. I’m marrying Tamara.”

  “I know, and I’m not here to argue with you.”

  “What are you here for?”

  Father sighed. He swirled the liquid in his glass and stared at it, a slight hunch in his shoulders.

  “Your mother didn’t care much for procedure either,” he said finally. “She wanted everything all at once.” He chuckled. “I used to ask her what the rush was. Things take time, especially in our family. We can date our lineage back a thousand years, so why fuss over a little wait? A little care?”

  I sensed this was something my father hadn’t thought about, much less spoken about, in a long time. It intrigued me, and was happy to sit back and just let him talk.

  His eyes glassed over. “And then she died. My beautiful, impatient Noelle, who never took her time, didn’t even take her time to die. It felt like a second passed between the moment we realized she was sick and the moment I buried her. Just like that.” He looked up at me, looking more fragile than I’d ever seen him. “I have few regrets in life, but my biggest one is not doing more for her. Giving her more. I should have moved mountains for her, son, not built a winding path around them.”

  “She never blamed you,” I said. “She knew your duty. She knew hers.”

  “I know.” He nodded sadly. “And my regrets won’t bring her back. I know that too. What I’m saying is, I see a lot of your mother in you, Alexander. Especially with everything you’ve done recently, all the growth you’ve shown. If you’d come to me with a fiancée a few months ago, that would be a different story, but the man you are deserves more credit than I have given.”

  “You’re saying you support the marriage?”

  He smiled. “I’m saying I support you. I’m proud of you, son, and I believe in the goodness of your heart. And you can count on my continued support as long as you try not to cause too much more drama.” He laughed gruffly. “You’ll give your poor brother a heart attack.”

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a moment so candid with my father. Had I ever? It felt bloody good, like I was shedding years of doubt and resentment.

  I stood to get us another drink and my eye caught on the folded paper on the table. My speech for tomorrow.

  An idea pinged in the back of my brain and I grinned. “Very well,” I said. “Only, I’ve got a little more drama to cause.”

  Chapter 32

  Tamara

  The car was empty. I frowned.

  What was I expecting? Of course the car would be empty. Alex was probably busy rehearsing his speech or combing his hair, and I’d been a fool for thinking he would accompany me to the press conference personally. My nerves were a little less understanding.

  Alex was in hot water. He could play it down all he wanted, but I could tell last night’s phone call had stressed him out. Whatever was going on with his charity intertwined with our engagement, and I suspected that all the reporters baying for blood wanted nothing more than for us to fail.

  I slipped into the car and did what Alex had told me to do. I banished the negative thoughts with dreams of our home, our future. It was a future I believed in and nobody would take that from me. No matter what happened today, how the press reacted, how Alex’s family treated me, we were in love and that was all that mattered. Everything else was just background noise.

  It was a comforting thought, more comforting than I expected. I could face anything with Alex by my side. How many people could honestly say they’d met their soulmate and set up the perfect future together over the course of a summer? I was lucky.

  A quiet calm stole in, filling the gaps left by the expired negative thoughts. I could do this.

  The driver pulled up to the back of a hotel, where a security team had cordoned off part of the lot. “One of them will escort you into the conference room through the back,” he said.

  I thanked him and stepped out of the car, smiling as I approached the security team. One of them split off from the group and directed me inside, and even though his stoic silence gave me the jitters, I still felt completely in control. Nothing could shake my confidence now, not with a lifetime of stargazing and tea drinking ahead of me. Nothing else mattered.

  They’d set up a sort of staging area in the smaller of the two conference rooms, which was where my security escort dropped me off. The room bubbled with life. I hadn’t expected so many people to be there, no less so many I didn’t recognize. I craned my neck to find Alexander but there was no trace of him.

  Edward’s face swam into view and he smiled at me, making his way through the crowd.

  “Hello, Tamara,” he said smoothly. “How are you?”

  To my surprise, I could tell he meant it.

  “I’m a little nervous,” I admitted.

  His eyes crinkled in tender concern. “You don’t have to be here. Nobody would blame you for wanting to shirk this particular spotlight.”

  I shook my head. “No, I want to be here. I’m going to swallow my anxiety and get up on that stage with Alexander.”

  “On stage?” His eyebrows drew toward the ceiling. “You don’t want to stay with the others?” He pointed to a TV in the corner. “You can watch it back here.”

  “I want to be there for Alex. I need to support him.” I chuckled. “After all, it’s not like I’m completely uninvolved.”

  Edward’s lip curved slightly and he gave a slow nod. “Very well. Don’t worry about all the fuss everyone’s making. It’s a standard press conference, it’s just that Alexander has been a bit of a loose cannon in the past and everyone thinks he’s going to do something stupid.”

  “Do you?”

  “I can’t think of a single decision he’s made recently that I disagree with.” Edward winked.
“There’s refreshments in the corner but if you need anything else, let somebody know and they’ll get it for you.”

  “Thanks, Edward.”

  He smiled and left me to digest his comment. Was that his way of saying he approved of Alexander asking me to marry him? It must’ve been, right? Only after Edward had disappeared out the door did I realize that I forgot to ask him where Alexander was.

  I scanned the crowd for someone familiar who I could ask, but before I could decide, Svetlana caught my eye and approached me.

  “Remember me?” she asked, smiling sheepishly.

  I laughed. “I never forget a drunk Swede.”

  Her face relaxed. “I’m so sorry for how I acted that night. I was excited to meet you because I know how much Alex loves you and I think you guys have a special relationship.” She grimaced. “I’m afraid I may have taken it a little too far.”

  “No, not at all,” I assured. “I was only a little confused, but I’ve heard wonderful things about you and I’m glad we got to meet. Maybe next time we could get drunk together.”

  Her smile lit up the room. “That would be fantastic! If you’re half as fun as your sister, I think we’ll get along just fine.”

  “I’m exactly two-thirds as fun as my sister, so you’re in luck.”

  We both laughed, and I had a feeling in my gut that Svetlana would turn out to be a great friend. I was just about to ask her where Alex was when a man with a headset at the front of the room called for everyone’s attention. We both turned to watch. He explained that all those going into the main conference room should assemble by the doors, so I did.

  Edward joined me. “Alexander is making a couple last minute tweaks to the speech,” he explained. “He needed to be alone.”

  “Ah.”

  Our security detail guided us down the hall to the next room, which came to life the moment we stepped inside. Flashes of white painted the backs of my eyelids in starbursts, and I treated the walk up to the stage as if it were a red carpet. Minus the posing, obviously. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

  Edward and I stepped up and stood at the back of the stage. The doors opened again and this time Alex walked through, smiling and waving at the reporters as they snapped an endless stream of photos. My heart did a nervous cha-cha but I kept my face composed. This would be over soon.