“Terrific. Then I’ll have you as my date. I will have my driver arrive at your home at 7:30.”
“Now wait a second…” I began to say.
I was going to tell him I hadn’t necessarily agreed to be his date, but he had already left the room. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
I sighed and looked over at Abigail and Drew. “Your brother … he’s quite determined, isn’t he?”
“Mom says Edward always gets what he wants,” Abigail said as if she was telling me a dirty secret.
“Well, I can certainly believe that.”
When I went home that evening, a dress was indeed waiting for me. It was hanging on the inside of my door; my dad’s caregiver must have brought it in. She agreed to work late for me after I explained the obligation. My dad wasn’t even awake for me to tell him of the plan for the night.
I pulled the dress out of its plastic packaging and was stunned by how beautiful it was. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been … it was for a royal event after all.
It was a full-length, midnight blue gown that was dusted with gold sparkles. After doing my hair and makeup, I slid into it and was almost unrecognizable from myself. I hadn’t been this dolled up in … well, never. I’d never worn anything quite this fancy.
It felt silly walking out of my flat in this extravagant gown and high heels. I looked around anxiously, hoping that nobody would catch me on the way to the car.
Which was impressively nice. I didn’t know much about cars, but the door lifted up instead of out. Edward was standing outside the car to let me in, even though there didn’t appear to be much for him to do.
“Thank you,” I said politely, and as I slid myself into the back seat, the door slowly slid into place.
Edward walked around the car and got in next to me. He looked as handsome as ever. I tried not to get too swept up in the magic of the moment. I mean, attending a royal event with the Prince of England was like something out of a romantic comedy.
I sure didn’t have a romantic comedy kind of life.
“So what responsibilities would you normally have on a Friday night?” Edward asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“Huh?” I said.
“When I first informed you of the dinner, you said you had other responsibilities to tend to. What were those?”
“Oh, uh…” For a moment, I considered coming up with a lie because speaking about my father right now felt heavy. For some reason, looking into his eyes, I felt compelled to tell the truth.
“My father has cancer, and he needs me around. I have a caregiver for when I’m at work, but when she’s not around, I try not to leave him alone for more than an hour or so.”
He looked stunned by this. “Oh, wow. I had no idea… Maggie, I’m so sorry. Your mother…” he suddenly trailed off, seemingly nervous to finish his inquiry.
“She died a few years ago of breast cancer. I sort of escaped my life for a while by coming to university here in London, but when my dad fell ill…” I looked away as I tried to control the emotions. I didn’t like to talk about my parents and their illnesses. It was like pouring salt into an open wound—painful, no matter the time that had passed.
"You’re a very strong young woman to have overcome such tragedies.” He grasped my hand and squeezed, extending his strength to me. I appreciated that.
I smiled at him. “Don’t be. That’s life, right? Things pop up, you end up taking more responsibility than you wanted to, but you do what you have to do. I love my father, and now that I have a better paying job, I’m less stressed about money. So, it’s all working out.”
He nodded.
“I’m sure you have to do a lot of things you never wanted to as prince, right?” I asked, mostly eager to change the subject.
“Well no, not really. I mean, there are a lot of things I should be doing that I don’t want to do, but I mostly get to shirk my responsibilities at every given opportunity.”
I laughed. “You know, I’d heard something like that around the palace.”
“What’s that? That I’m an entirely irresponsible man-child?” He took it in stride.
“Something like that.”
He laughed. “I can be, I’ll admit it. I’m only going to be young once. One day I’ll actually be king and have to deal with all the responsibilities that come with that. I need to have fun while I still can.”
“So, you don’t want to be king?” I asked.
“Of course not,” he scoffed. “What child grows up wanting to be king?”
“Um, I think a better question is what child doesn’t grow up wanting to be king?” I laughed.
He thought on this a moment. “Okay, admittedly, I might have a different perspective growing up as royalty. I never wanted it. In fact, I grew up wishing that I was a normal kid. I wanted to go to school like normal kids and make regular friends and make mistakes and just live my life. I hated that cameras followed us on every vacation and that I could hardly leave the palace. I did everything I could to rebel against it because I didn’t want it. When I was finally shipped off to a boujie boarding school in high school, I was relieved to finally have some freedom. I suppose I really took that freedom and ran it was about the only thing that had ever made me happy in the slightest.”
I nodded. “I mean, it makes sense. I’d probably be the same way. It’s easy to fantasize about fame before you ever have to actually deal with it.”
“Right,” he agreed. “As I watch Drew and Abigail grow up, I’m reminded of how messed up it can be. They’re so isolated from the world. I’m glad they at least have you, someone to be normal with them.”
I smiled hearing this. That was exactly what I wanted to provide for those kids, and I was relieved to know that in some small way, I had made their lives more normal.
We arrived at the dinner shortly thereafter, and he acted like a perfect gentleman. He buckled arms with mine as we walked into the palace dining hall, which was set with an elaborate feast on a long mahogany table. I recognized many of Abigail and Drew’s teachers, but there were a few people I did not recognize.
When I saw the queen seated at the head of the table, my heart almost dropped. Suddenly I was worried that it would seem inappropriate for me to have come with Edward. I was an employee, after all, and I probably shouldn’t be fraternizing with royalty.
If anyone was going to get in trouble for that, I imagined it would be Edward. He was the one who had the responsibility to not date the staff.
We took our seats, and I kept a smile plastered on my face, hoping it would look like I fit in. I didn’t feel as if I fit in, though. I felt completely out of place. In fact, my entire life was beginning to feel out of place.
I mean, what on earth was I doing here with the prince? I wasn’t the kind of woman he should be with. Why did he even have an interest in me?
I tried not to dwell on it. The more I did, the more my social anxiety kicked in. I was already so anxious… If I let myself overthink anymore, I wasn’t going to be able to talk to anybody.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anyone was particularly interested in talking to me. The educators mostly talked amongst themselves. I was just a tutor. I wasn’t important enough for them to speak to at a royal dinner.
The only one who seemed interested in talking to me was Edward. He did talk to me, at length.
“Let’s break the tensions right from the start. I can see you worrying your lip.” Edward grasped my hand in his and pulled me up from the chair, keeping my fingers laced in his.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m introducing you to my mother,” he called back over his shoulder, and I immediately dug my heels into the ground.
“Oh no you’re not!” Edward boomeranged back toward me and chuckled to himself, looking back over his shoulder to toss a wayward greeting to a couple passing by.
“What is there to be nervous about, Maggie? You’re an employ to the crown. You work closely with her youngest children each da
y, and you’re working your way into my life despite my continuous rejections.” He laughed playfully, releasing the anxiety that had suddenly consumed me. I felt safe and carefree with Edward, so I decided to allow him this one request.
“Okay, Prince Edward, I’m graciously prepared to meet the queen.” I mock curtsied to lighten the mood.
“Showoff. Come, right this way.”
As we made our way toward the queen’s position at the head of the royal table, I was in a fog. With each step I took, I was oblivious to my surroundings, and my hands began to sweat as my nerves ramped up. I felt a sudden bump and looked up to realize Edward has stopped suddenly and I’d crashed into his back.
“You must calm down, Maggie. No need for fear or anxiety. The queen herself will tell you, she is but an everyday woman, much like you, only with the responsibility of millions upon her shoulders.”
I nodded as I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog.
“Are you ready, because there’s no turning back now.”
“Mother, I’d like to introduce you to Abigail and Drew’s tutor, Miss Maggie Spencer.”
Before I knew it, I was curtsying before the queen, my tongue lodged in my throat as I tried to coerce the words out. This moment—it was far more exciting than realizing I’d just spilled scalding hot coffee down the Prince of England’s chest.
“Your highness, it is my honor to stand in your presence,” I bowed my head in respect of the Queen.
“Hello, my dear. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
The Queen motioned to the chairs adjacent to her position. “Please, have a seat and tell me about yourself.”
I looked at Edward in shock as he pulled the chair away from the table for me. I sat, placing my hands in my lap nervously. “We-well, as Prince Edward mentioned, I’m the new tutor for Prince Drew and Princess Abigail, who are simply delightful children. It’s a true honor to play a small part in their enrichment.”
“We are very appreciative of your dedication as tutor. Will you eventually seek a position in teaching?”
I shook my head, ashamed to admit my education was short-lived. “No definite plans, Your Highness, but a girl can dream that eventually I may be lucky enough to complete my degree.”
“Maggie ended her studies at the university earlier than intended to care for her ailing father.”
“My, how noble of you. I hate to hear that your father is ill.”
It amazed me how easy it was to carry on a conversation with the Queen of England. Her dignified demeanor melted away as we spoke about everything from my role as tutor for the children to Prince Edward’s newfound friend, only to be interrupted by the announcement that dinner was being served. Edward and I said goodbye to his mother as he escorted me back to our places at the table.
“So how does it feel to be here tonight?” he asked as we ate.
“Honestly, it was a little awkward at first,” I admitted. “Meeting your mother was the highlight of the night, but I honestly feel out of place. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to behave exactly.”
“That’s normal,” he assured me. “I still feel that way after all these years.”
“How do you feel about fame now?” I asked, turning the attention off of me.
“Huh?” He turned to me, confused.
“Well, you said while growing up, fame was hard, but how do you feel about it now? Surely it has its advantages, at least.”
“I don’t think it does,” he answered, then taking a drink of wine. “Unless you consider never knowing someone’s true intentions an advantage. I’m one of the most popular young men in all of London, and yet, I’m desperately lonely. I don’t know if I can name even one true friend I have.”
Well, that was depressing to think about. I never considered that aspect of it. Even adults who become famous through a singing or acting career were at one time normal people, and they were able to make friends under normal circumstances.
Edward never got to do that. He had always been this famous, even as an infant.
“People are constantly flocking to me because they want my fame or they want my money. The sad thing is that most of the time, I let them because, well, I’d be on my own entirely if I didn’t let people use me to their advantage. I’ll do just about anything to curb the loneliness.”
“Wow,” I muttered. “I’m so sorry. That truly does sound horrible. I can’t imagine, always being surrounded by people who don’t have your best interests at heart.”
He sighed. “It’s difficult, to say the least. I think that’s why I took such an interest in you.”
I didn’t follow. “Why, exactly?”
“Because interacting with you was the first time I ever interacted with someone who had no idea who I was. What you had said to me was entirely genuine, if not occasionally harsh.”
I laughed. “Sorry. I could’ve been less cold when you asked me out. It wasn’t you. I mean, you seem like a nice guy, and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how handsome you are either. There are several reasons why I felt it best to keep my distance, and your playboy persona was one, to be honest. Really, I’m just not looking to date. With everything going on with my father, I couldn’t give anyone my full attention.”
He looked at me and smiled. “What if it’s not your full attention I want?”
“Um, how do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean, we’re both adults here. We can be forthcoming with each other. What if I don’t want your full attention? What if I just want … one night?”
I was both shocked by how blunt he was and intrigued by it. This man really had no shame, huh?
I wanted to reject him just to do it, just to show him that I wasn’t easy. Then again, why should I? What would that prove? Did I need to show him my virtue? Why should I care what he thought of me?
I didn’t care. It had been so very long since I’d had any fun with anyone.
I couldn’t date—wouldn’t date—but really, what would be the harm in a one-night stand? I mean, it would always make for a pretty damn good story. A one-night stand with the Prince of England?
I smiled at him. “You really think you could handle just one night with me? One night and that’s it?”
“The real question is going to be whether or not you can handle me.”
That sent a shiver down my spine.
“So after dinner … my place?” He grinned.
“Wait, you have your own place? Like, outside the palace?”
“Of course I do! You didn’t think I’d let myself be stuck here all the time, did you? No, I could never. I have a penthouse in downtown London. Would you care to visit it with me?”
My heart pounded out of my chest as I tried to decide how to answer. I didn’t want to say yes. I didn’t want to give in to my primal desire for him.
I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to actually enjoy myself for a night. After all that I’d been through recently, didn’t I deserve that?
I nodded.
“Perfect.” He grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
The five-course meal was the longest of my life. Though the food was absolutely decadent, and I was a girl who loved to eat, I couldn’t really enjoy any of it. It wasn’t food I was hungry for anymore—it was Edward. I was eager to get back to his place.
Though I felt guilty thinking about that with the queen on the far end of the table.
Ah, well, I couldn’t control my desires. It’d been a long time, and Edward was absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention that I’d really come around to his attitude. Yes, he was a bit arrogant, but he was also very warm. He’d been a charming gentleman all evening—exactly what you’d expect from a prince. I’d thoroughly enjoyed myself with him; but the night was still young.
Though my desire for idle chatter had all but dissipated.
When the dinner was finally done, we snuck away rather quickly, and Edward had his driver take us to his penthouse.
The car ride there was a bi
t awkward, not at all filled with the same conversation we had had previously. I was too nervous to talk. It’d been so long since I’d been with a man, I was worried that I might not … be up to par, so to speak.
I wondered what was keeping Edward so quiet, though. Surely it wasn’t nervousness. He must have done this all the time with random women. I highly doubted he was getting nervous or bothered over little old me.
When we arrived at his penthouse, I only became jumpier.
It was one thing to not fit in at the palace. I felt as though I didn’t belong, but at least I knew that I really was supposed to be there as a requirement of my job.
It was entirely different walking into the lobby of his penthouse where a doorman let us in. He even opened the elevator door for us, as if we needed another person just to push a button.
This was a level of elite I wasn’t made for. And I was starting to regret my decision to come when we reached the inside of his penthouse.
Which was absolutely, positively, stunning.
It was the exact opposite of the palace and yet no less elegant. The palace had a very classic feel to it. The penthouse, by contrast, was entirely modern. It was clearly a rebellion on Edward’s part.
“Your place is beautiful,” I said softly.
“Thank you.” He smiled. “Nowhere near as beautiful as you.”
8
Edward
She was positively stunning. I couldn’t peel my eyes away. I watched carefully as she glanced around my penthouse. She seemed amazed by it but not as enthralled as I was by her.
I was ravenous for her. I loved the way her curvy body looked in that dress. It hugged her in all the right places. It took everything I had not to take a bite out of her tight ass.
I was normally quite good at making a first move. I had a confidence about me. I knew that women often wanted me, and I exploited that when I could.
Something felt different tonight. I wasn’t sure I could bring out that kind of confidence with Maggie. Something about her made me shrink back. I felt almost as though she was too good for me.
Royally Loved: The Royal Romances Books 1-5 Page 6